The Hawks investigative unit of the South African Police has been in the news recently because of a so-called former rogue unit at the SA Revenue Service that the Hawks want to question Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan about. A report in the Sunday Times this weekend even suggested Gordhan faced imminent arrest over the allegations, […]

JOHANNESBURG – The vice chancellor of the University of Johannesburg said the arsonists who attacked the Auckland Park campus early on Monday, causing R100 million in damage, would be brought to book. At the same time the Economic Freedom Fighters student body president said its members were not responsible for the fire, according to news […]

The same day that the Sunday Times has come out with a report that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan could be arrested very soon by the Hawks, the president’s office released a statement condemning the media for speculating that cabinet ministers are about to be fired. “Ministers serve at the pleasure of the President,” the statement […]

ShowMax, the entertainment streaming service owned by South Africa’s Naspers is now also available in 36 countries in Africa, the company said on Friday. ShowMax, a cheaper alternative to Netflix (R99 versus $7.99 or R123) – with arguably a better selection of content, since it offers popular US shows from the HBO channel such as “Game of Thrones”, […]

All but one of a group of trawlers suspected of fishing illegally in South African waters managed to evade the SA Navy patrol boat, after numerous concerned citizens had raised the alarm about the boats acting suspiciously offshore. A post on the Facebook page of Salt Fishing South Africa on Tuesday morning by Mark Hicks got shared […]

Many have welcomed the move by the South African Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday to require its 18 radio stations to play 90 percent local music from 12 May. The corporation said this was being done in “a bid to ensure that the broadcaster prioritises more local content that reflects the diversity of South African cultures”. It said the music to […]

The international ratings agency Moody’s has given Cape Town the highest possible credit rating, the city said on Thursday. At the same time Moody’s raised some of the ratings for Johannesburg. Cape Town now has the highest possible level of credit quality within the national context, the city said. The cities’ ratings are different from the country’s rating, which […]

Rwanda, the home this year of the World Economic Forum Africa, taking place this week, is sometimes known as the Switzerland of Africa, and – with good reason, after its numerous successes – it sells itself as “Remarkable Rwanda”. The capital is Kigali, and the country is often referred to as Land of a Thousand […]

Eskom CEO Brian Molefe said on Thursday no more load shedding was anticipated in South Africa through summer of 2017, except for planned maintenance. Addressing the media in a quarterly State of the System briefing, Molefe said there had been no load shedding since August 2015. He said that capacity was being progressively added, and several […]

In 2014 South Africa, which had been Africa’s biggest economy, slipped to second place behind Nigeria, and new figures suggest it has now slipped another notch – coming third behind Nigeria and Egypt. According to statistics released by the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday, Egypt’s GDP has been growing steadily at over two percent the last […]

The Democratic Alliance has asked President Jacob Zuma to reverse the decision to procure a private jet – reportedly at a cost of R4 billion – which was confirmed by the Minister of Defence on Wednesday. “Given our current economic climate and our country’s record high unemployment crisis, South Africa cannot afford to spend R4 […]

In recent months two highly controversial political leaders, Donald Trump and Jacob Zuma, have received harsh, intense global media coverage. Trump, a white man, is the Republican presumptive nominee in the US presidential race as “leader of the free world”. Zuma, a black man, is the embattled President of the African National Congress-led government in […]

Africa loses at least $50 billion a year — and probably much, much more than that — perfectly lawfully. About 60 percent of this loss is from aggressive tax avoidance by multinational corporations, which organise their accounts so that they make their profits in tax havens, where they pay little or no tax. Much of the remainder […]

Durban’s legendary landmark hotel, the Blue Waters, caught fire this morning in KwaZulu-Natal, with smoke billowing from the building. According to reports the incident caused disruption in the North Beach area of the coastal city. SAfm News said that police attending a conference at the hotel were able to help evacuate the 200 guests and 120 staff […]

Eskom has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with French multinational electricity company Engie to start construction of the Kathu Solar Park project in Northern Cape, it has been announced. It is expected to be operational in late 2018, providing 100 MW of power. “The Kathu Solar Park project supports South Africa’s strategy of increasing the […]

DUBAI – Investec Bank, a lender in the aviation market, has closed a $1 billion operating lease transaction with Emirates Airline, it said on Monday. The deal will pay for the delivery and sale and leaseback of four A380-800s, the world’s largest passenger jet, Investec said in a statement. Investec Aviation Finance has around $5 […]

While Johannesburg and Cape Town attract a growing number of new residents daily, they do not come anywhere near the explosive growth taking place in other parts of Africa. A recent report published by the World Economic Forum – which has its Africa summit in Kigali, Rwanda, from Wednesday – listed the three cities in Africa with a population […]

A 813-carat diamond named The Constellation and mined in Botswana has been sold for the highest price ever paid for a rough diamond, its owners said – more than $63 million. The Canadian Lucara Diamond Corporation said in a statement on Monday that the diamond, recovered from the Karowe mine in Botswana in November 2015, had […]

“The Last Face,” a movie about the relationship between an aid worker and a doctor in a wartorn African country that was shot in South Africa and stars Charlize Theron, is one of the most anticipated movies to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this week. The world-famous French festival runs from May 11-22. “The Last […]

There’s no stopping South African rider Brad Binder as he clinched his second Moto 3 GP win yesterday, Sunday 9 May, with Binder telling journalists “the Championship is looking good!” The 20-year-old won the French Moto 3 grand prix at the legendary Le Mans’ Bugatti circuit, extending his lead in the race for the world championship title. Last month […]

The Guptas, friends of President Jacob Zuma, have reportedly paid $30 million for a mansion in an elite area of Dubai, according to a report in City Press this weekend that it said was confirmed by two sources. The house is in Emirates Hills, according to City Press. Emirates Hills is a gated community apparently named […]

The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, Sunday reported back on the progress of the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros – the South African government’s multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary strategy to combat the threat posed by rhino poaching – announced by Cabinet in August 2014; and released the latest rhino statistics. The minister also confirmed that South Africa […]

Today’s Sunday Times newspaper in South Africa reports that Public Protector Thuli Madonsela fears for her life after being informed that a hit had been put out on her. Madonsela, who has become a popular heroine in the country due to her bravery in standing up to and exposing corruption, allegedly received a tip off last […]

The love-him-hate-him presenter from CNN with the distinctive delivery, Richard Quest, is at South Africa’s tourism Indaba again this year, taking place in Durban from Friday to Monday. He kicked off the show with a frank interview with Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom. The Indaba is arguably the most attended travel show in Africa (with 1047 exhibitors, 1856 buyers […]

Government has welcomed the ratings agency Moody’s announcement confirming South Africa’s long-term government bond and issuer ratings, after months of speculation that the country could be downgraded to junk status. The department of finance has reportedly been going out of its way to show the international ratings agencies it is committed to fiscal responsibility since late […]