Five African commercial banks – including Standard Bank and Absa – have partnered in a $375 million financing deal to build a new diamond mining vessel for a subsidiary of Anglo American’s diamond unit De Beers. Nedbank Namibia, RMB Namibia, Standard Bank, ABSA and Bank Windhoek agreed to provide 80% of the funding for the […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa‘s rand rallied in late trade on Tuesday after the government signalled it will give additional support to power firm Eskom, and as emerging currencies were lifted by expectations the Federal Reserve could signal U.S. rate cuts. At 1400 GMT the rand was 1.76% percent firmer at 14.5475 per dollar, after early […]

Table Mountain Cableway will be hiring up to 150 seasonal staff for the peak tourist season, 1 November 2019 to 30 January 2020. Its annual online recruitment drive opened yesterday (Monday 17 June). With opportunities in Food & Beverage, Operations, Security, Cleaning and Retail as well as at the Table Mountain Café and Ticket Office, […]

The Australian Rhino Project has today announced the achievement of a major milestone in the organisation’s mission to build an insurance population of rhinos outside of Africa.  The Australian Rhino Project has signed an agreement with Thaba Manzi Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa to manage the selection and quarantining of rhinos for the project, it […]

JOHANNESBURG – A panel of experts appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to advise South Africa’s government on how to resolve the issue of land reform, restitution and redistribution handed in its final report on Tuesday, the presidency said. “This report is an important step forward in our quest to right the original sin by developing […]

JOHANNESBURG – A row within South Africa‘s African National Congress (ANC) about the role of the country’s central bank – the Reserve Bank – has unnerved investors and exposed deep divisions in the governing party. One ANC faction loyal to President Cyril Ramaphosa is opposing calls from a rival group for the central bank’s monetary […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s government has failed to tackle high air pollution levels in an area which is home to coal-fired power stations and refineries, a lawsuit filed by environmental and community groups says. The case – filed in the Pretoria High Court on Friday – claims the government has violated the constitutional right to […]

Ratings agency Moody’s said on Monday that it had lowered its forecast for South Africa‘s 2019 economic growth to 1.0% from 1.3% after it said a first-quarter contraction had dented the government’s revenue and policy options. Moody’s is the last of the big three international credit firms to rate South Africa at investment grade. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s efforts to revive […]

In a Carte Blanche exclusive this week, the show meets the investigating officer who cracked the case of the notorious Krugersdorp Killers and speaks to family members of the victims – available to watch this  Sunday 9 June in South Africa; and to stream from Tues 11 June for South Africans abroad in many countries. […]

JOHANNESBURG – South African Airways (SAA) appointed its head of operations as acting chief executive on Friday and said it needs R4 billion ($265 million) from the government to survive the current financial year and allow it to renegotiate loan terms with banks. Zukisa Ramasia becomes interim CEO after Vuyani Jarana unexpectedly resigned on Sunday, […]

South Africa’s rand fell again early on Friday, reaching a new 2019 low as assurances by the African National Congress (ANC) about the independence of the Reserve Bank did little to ease nerves about economic policy. At 0640 GMT, the rand was 0.63% weaker at 15.0900 per dollar, bringing losses since Monday to nearly 5% […]

JOHANNESBURG – A row centring on the South African central bank – the Reserve Bank – exposed deep divisions in the governing ANC party on Wednesday, as a faction loyal to President Cyril Ramaphosa opposed calls from a rival group for the bank to do more to boost employment and growth. The dispute between a […]

At a press conference in South Africa yesterday, in which AfriForum released its latest farm attack statistics for SA, a farm attack survivor (who prefers to remain anonymous) also shared the horrific details of an attack she endured, in which she was shot and raped. This is her letter from which she read… My great-grandfather, […]

Taxpayers with an annual income not exceeding R500 000 will no longer be required to submit tax returns. The announcement was made by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner Edward Kieswetter during the launch of the 2019 tax season on Tuesday. This year’s tax season will begin on 1 July for submissions on digital […]

South Africa’s economy saw its sharpest contraction in a decade in the first quarter of 2019 as the dreaded power cuts – nicknamed loadshedding locally – hurt key sectors like manufacturing and mining, another sign that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s growth drive is struggling to gain traction. Data on Tuesday showed the economy was 3.2% smaller […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa‘s subdued economic growth could be reignited if the implementation of structural reforms, including at troubled state power utility Eskom, is accelerated, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday. The fund said following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s re-election last month, a focus on policy actions to remove long-standing constraints to growth and accelerate […]

Dozens of patients hoping to get medical attention were turned away from Ikhwezi Clinic in Nomzamo township in Strand, Cape Town, South Africa on Friday. This clinic burnt during the night and appears to have been deliberately torched. The remains of petrol bombs could be seen in some of the rooms. Strand has been the […]

South Africa cannot afford any more mistakes at the World Cup and will need to win almost all their remaining seven games if they hope to qualify for the semi-finals, former all-rounder Jacques Kallis has said. South Africa lost their tournament opener to England by 104 runs before they suffered an upset 21-run defeat against […]

Scottish racing driver David Coulthard treated a big South African crowd to three runs and doughnuts on the streets of Cape Town yesterday… as well as to the most unique rendition of the South African anthem we’ve ever heard! (Watch at bottom of page.) The noise reverberated off the walls of the Castle and Mutual […]

South African student Emilé Coetzee made her family, university and country proud last week as she was crowned the winner of Future Leaders Forum at the World Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events (IMEX) in Frankfurt, Germany. The North West University student beat five other international finalists to scoop the prize – a scholarship […]

CAPE TOWN – Cape Town plans to add routes to Australia and South America after last month reaching a deal with United Airlines for its first direct flight to the United States, the head of air access for South Africa’s top tourist city said. This’ll be good news for Western Cape expats in those regions, […]

Last Thursday evening Sibusiso Vumase was entertaining guests when he heard a loud knock on his front door. When he opened the door, a group of people carrying crowbars and hammers were standing outside demanding that he immediately evacuate his RDP house and find another place to live. On Friday morning Vumase was folding and […]

JOHANNESBURG – FirstRand is to become the latest South African lender to slash prices on its retail banking products, as the arrival of a host of new, cheaper rivals sparks a scramble for customers among South African banks. FirstRand’s move, announced on Thursday, to cut fees and up rewards on its current accounts from July […]

There is a lot of misinformation circling in the South African expatriate community about the amended expatriate tax law taking effect on 1 March 2020 and the process of Financial Emigration… writes Melanie Browne. We often have clients approach us where they have been subjected to scaremongering or solicited by “one-man” bands promoting their own […]

Botswana has reinstated trophy hunting after a 5-year moratorium on the practice. In the wake of evidently declining wildlife numbers, former president Ian Khama imposed the ban in early 2014. Elephant numbers had plummeted by 15% in the preceding decade. The hunting industry had been granted a total quota of between 420 and 800 elephants […]