South Africa’s rand firmed in early trade on Monday, as traders continued to chase the high yield offered by local assets after S&P Global Ratings decided to downgrade the country’s credit outlook instead of lowering its sovereign rating. The rand was 0.41% firmer at 14.6750 per dollar by 0620 GMT, compared with an opening level […]

HARARE – Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga returned home on Saturday after spending four months in China receiving medical treatment for an unknown illness, state-owned media reported. Chiwenga, the 63-year-old former general who led a coup against the late Robert Mugabe two years ago, has spent a large part of the year away from work, […]

The Office of the Chief Whip in Parliament has issued a statement following the arrest of ANC Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, Bongani Bongo, who was arrested this morning in Cape Town, South Africa. “We are aware that the MP was arrested by the Hawks on allegations of […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) on Sunday appointed John Steenhuisen as interim leader a month after the country’s main opposition party was thrown into chaos by the sudden resignation of Mmusi Maimane. Maimane, who was appointed as leader to broaden the traditionally white liberal party’s appeal to black voters, quit in October in […]

Cuba has unveiled a statue of South Africa’s late President Nelson Mandela in Havana, to commemorate the historic ties between the two countries. Fernando Gonzalez, President of the NGO Cuban Institution of Friendship with Peoples, said: “For us it is a very special moment… we had been waiting a long time for the bust here. […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead a South African delegation to the 11th BRICS Summit to be held in Brasilia, Brazil, from 13 – 14 November 2019. BRICS is the association of the five major emerging countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – which together represent about 42% of the global population, 23% […]

ArcelorMittal’s South Africa unit said on Monday it would close its steel operations at Saldanha Works in the south of the country because it could no longer compete in export markets. The company, majority-owned by ArcelorMittal, announced in September that it could close some operations as part of a review aimed at strengthening long-term sustainability amid cheap imports, rising costs […]

South African lender Absa said on Monday its representative office in New York should be operational by the end of the year, after it received the necessary regulatory approvals. The office is aimed at enabling Absa to better serve clients, including international corporations and institutions, that invest or work in Africa. The bank has already opened a representative office […]

South Africa’s rand was weaker early on Friday after Eskom’s nationwide loadshedding (electricity blackouts) spooked investors and reignited worries about the economy. At 0645 GMT the rand was down 0.23% at 14.7700 per dollar, compared with the previous session’s best of 14.6630. Power firm Eskom implemented stage 2 power cuts, or load shedding, shaving off […]

A few days ago, I got off a plane after a very tough whirlwind visit back to South Africa. I hit the ground running back “home” in New York with kids, work commitments, parent teacher meetings and frantic Halloween preparations writes Margaux Nissen Gray. I was out until late on Friday night and yet something […]

The Rugby World Cup 2019 is done and dusted, with South Africa securing victory over England in the final match. But a question still lingers: was it a burden for some, maybe many, South Africans who supported their national team but also had to show support for the Springbok emblem? In the days before the […]

The South African rand and government bonds jumped on Monday after ratings agency Moody’s kept the country’s last investment-grade credit rating intact, but many investors expected the rally could fade soon. Moody’s decision on Friday to leave South Africa’s sovereign debt at Baa3, the lowest rung of investment grade, was a relief to beleaguered President […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah has been awarded the prestigious Leadership in Democracy Award in the United States, an accolade that recognises those people or organisations – all around the world – who are “working for democracy and making democracy work” through innovative or non-traditional means. The award is granted by the National Democracy Institute […]

A wealthy Johannesburg suburb is “under siege”, says Carte Blanche, as a string of break-ins – at least seven – with no forced entry sweep through the South African neighbourhood. Security Threats in Joburg Suburb, Break-ins and the Common Denominator The gun-wielding criminals are clinical, and they strike while the family is at home, gaining […]

South Africa‘s first black rugby captain Siya Kolisi may have made an even more positive impact on unity in the country than the iconic gesture of Nelson Mandela donning a Springboks jersey for the 1995 World Cup final, former flyhalf Joel Stransky says. Stransky put over the decisive drop-goal as South Africa beat New Zealand to win the Webb […]

Taste Holdings, owner of Starbucks and Domino’s Pizza franchises in South Africa, said on Friday it was abandoning the food business, and had already sold its 13 stores of the coffee chain to a consortium for R7 million ($464,000). The company said it was also in discussions around the sale of Domino’s and its two other food […]

CAPE TOWN – Photos of the rare minister flying economy class in South Africa are about to become the norm, as announced by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni today. The Treasury said South Africa’s budget deficit is going to rise to a nearly two-decade high and its gross debt is set to soar – as a […]

The South African comedian Coconut Kelz, well known for her lighthearted but at the same time satirical commentary on South African events, has outdone herself this week in her tiara-bedecked monologue about the chaos in the Democratic Alliance. Watch below as she references Mean Girls and makes fun of Helen Zille being given a leadership […]

The politicians who run South Africa’s official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), have probably never heard of “imposter syndrome”. If they had, they might have a better grasp of the problems which confront their party – and its first black leader might not have been forced to resign. “Imposter syndrome” is a state of mind […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed the recently retired Constitutional Court Justice, Edwin Cameron, as the Inspecting Judge of the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services. The appointment is for a three-year term with effect from 1 January 2020. The President has also – in terms of Section 86(1)(b) – reappointed the current Inspecting Judge, Justice Johann […]

South Africa’s state-run airports management company said on Thursday it had suspended Zimbabwe’s debt-strapped national airline from using the country’s airports over unpaid landing and parking fees. Air Zimbabwe owes foreign and domestic creditors more than $300 million. The Zimabwe government put the airline under administration last year and later invited bids from potential investors […]

Democratic Alliance (DA) John Steenhuisen is no longer Chief Whip as of today, and Interim Parliamentary Leader of the DA has been announced as Annelie Lotriet, following the resignation of Mmusi Maine from the DA, and as a Member of Parliament in South Africa. Lotriet made the announcement following a sitting of the DA’s Parliamentary […]

The former leader of South Africa’s official opposition Democratic Alliance, Mmusi Maimane, gave up his seat in parliament on Thursday after quitting the national leadership and plunging the traditionally white liberal party into crisis. Race and class remain highly divisive issues in South Africa, where the ruling African National Congress has been in power since […]

After Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane resigned yesterday as head of South Africa’s main opposition party, he has today announced his resignation from the DA party and from Parliament. Maimane announced his resignation as leader of the party on Wednesday after four years at the helm, citing difficulties making the traditionally white liberal party […]

SOCHI/MOSCOW – Russia landed two nuclear-capable bombers in South Africa on a training mission on Wednesday, a flight apparently timed to coincide with President Vladimir Putin’s opening of a flagship Russia-Africa summit designed to increase Russian influence. The two Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers touched down at Waterkloof air force base in Tshwane on Wednesday, the […]