There has been a long, if not always productive relationship between the Global and the African leading nations. However recent developments may result in a difficult path forward, and finding a constructive way for relations between the two nations of continental influence to be rebuilt is becoming increasingly a bleak ask. There have been a multitude of differences that appear to be separating Washington and Pretoria, and the recent statements by both presidents has not been particularly useful in helping to bridge that gap. Key Issues Contributing to Tensions: Land Expropriation Policies: The South African government’s recent enactment of…
Author: Greg Stewart
Business & Tech News G20 Snub from the US: In what appears to be a sign of the weakening relationship between Washington and Pretoria, the US State department has announced that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be attending the upcoming G20 meeting in South Africa. the top U.S. diplomat confirmed this in a statement yesterday. The announcement comes days after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding to the African country. Playing Host to the annual meeting of the foreign ministers of the G20 group of countries from February 20-21 in Johannesburg, is South Africa who currently chairs the G20 until…
Business & Tech News Harmony Hit By Two Mining Tragedies in a Day Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited has released a statement regarding the tragic double incidents yesterday that resulted in loss of life. The two unrelated incidents happened yesterday morning, at the Doornkop Mine, in Soweto and at the Joel Mine in the Free State. Two employees lost their lives following a mining incident on Tuesday morning at a development end at Doornkop Mine, in Soweto, Gauteng, where blasting operations have been temporarily suspended. In a separate incident, three employees succumbed to their injuries following a severe underground rock…
A Simple idea of the power of the best export from South Africa, that is South African’s themselves, and creating a well-connected network of Saffa’s (South Africans) across the globe, who would be committed to help build the country and support other businesses, was the foundation stone of the Lekker Network (Lekker in Afrikaans means nice or tasty or great). A year down the track and it has become a significant network of over 200 people who are in some form or another looking to contribute to building South Africa into a better, more prosperous and resilient country. Born from…
Business & Tech News Oil Prices Plunge: Brent Crude Prices dropped by -1,02% while WTI crude oil futures fell 1,65% to below $72 per barrel in trade this morning following China’s announcement that it would introduce tariffs on a range of U.S. imports to China. This was in response to the 10% tariff President Donald Trump had imposed on Chinese imports to the US. This has raised concerns about a potential trade war between the world’s two largest economies. China said it will impose tariffs of 15% on coal and LNG imports from the U.S. and 10% on crude oil,…
Oando is one of Africa’s leading integrated energy companies, that is listed on both the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), has announced a strong financial performance for the Full Year (FY) 2024 with an exceptional 45% growth in revenue to N4.1 Trillion (Nigerian Naira) a big jump from the N2.9 Trillion for its full year result in 2023. The company’s 2024 revenue performance translated into a handy N65.5 billion in profit after tax, placing the group in a solid position for growth. Acquisition of NAOC a Success Orlando Group Chief Executive, Wale Tinubu CON, commented, “2024 was…
Business & Tech News Expropriation Bill Shuts Down US Funding to South Africa The South African (SA) currency the Rand (ZAR) has fallen by around 2% to 19.01 per USD after US President Donald Trump announced that the US would halt all aid to the country. Trump has accused the SA government of unfair land confiscation and discriminatory policies that are targeting certain groups of citizens. In addition, the Trump administration imposed tariff hikes on several imports, stoking concerns over global trade tensions. These developments weighed on emerging market currencies, including the rand, as investors shifted toward safer assets amid…
While the new products have been available in South Africa since the beginning of January, lastnight saw the official launch of the new Huawei nova13 and the impressive new MatePad model. The big selling point for the nova 13 is its photographic capabilities and AI assisted editing features. Huawei has positioned the product as the ultimate selfie camera. The nova 13 features a 60 MP Ultra-Wide Front Camera with a 100-degree field of view, ensuring everyone fits in group selfies without distortion. The phone comes with an AI Best Expression feature that enables sophisticated photo editing by intelligently analysing multiple…
Business & Tech News Honda and Nissan Merger Announcement Delayed Nissan Motor Corporation plans to formally announce the direction of its intended integration with Honda Motor by mid-February 2025, according to a company spokesperson’s statement issued this morning (30 Jan). The initial announcement was to have happened by today. Nissan and Honda, have recently announced joint developments in the EV market and have been in discussions regarding the potential merger of the two Automakers by 2026. This would see a major shift in the Japanese Auto Industry, with growing competition from China disrupting global Auto Manufacturers. Other well established auto manufacturers are…
Business & Tech News Coca-Cola Products Recalled – After High Chlorate Levels Discovered Coca-Cola has recalled several Coca-Cola products citing elevated levels of the chemical chlorate in the product having been discovered. The ban has affected several regions across Europe, including the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Containers of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, and Sprite Zero, distributed widely across these regions are being withdrawn as well as 6x250ml Appletiser multipacks sent to UK supermarkets.The announcement in the UK yesterday (29 Jan), followed an earlier recall of these products across Europe on Monday. While the…