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THE MINING WRAP
Glencore Mining and Rio Tinto confirmed on January 9, 2026, that they are holding early-stage discussions on a potential merger. The companies are seeking scale in copper and other critical minerals to meet long-term energy-transition demand. A deal would create the world’s largest mining group with a combined market value of nearly US$207 billion and
Breaking News Today – Friday 9 January 2025
Business News Today Global Supply Chain Strains Ease Global supply chain pressures eased significantly in January 2026, as disruptions in the Red Sea region continued to decline. Reduced Houthi attacks on shipping, combined with increased naval patrols and alternative routing, led to falling freight container rates that have come down by over 20% in recent
Why African Mining SMEs Need Better Access to Digital Tools and Finance
It is clear that in much of Africa’s mining industry, attention tends to focus on large operators, major projects and headline investment figures, often at the expense of SMEs. Less visible, but equally critical, is the ecosystem of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that support mining operations through transport, equipment maintenance, fabrication, catering, safety services
Business School – Understanding AI and how it Works – Lesson 1
The History of AI Development With AI the front and centre focus of the business, tech and investment world today, many business leaders are racing to adopt AI within their businesses in the hope of finding competitive edge or looking for investment strategies that include AI developments. But how many people actually understand AI and
OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT Health
OpenAI has launched a new ChatGPT Health tab, offering users a dedicated space to ask health-related questions, upload medical records and connect wellness apps such as Apple Health and MyFitnessPal. The move formalises one of ChatGPT’s most widely used functions. According to OpenAI, more than 230 million people globally ask health- and wellness-related questions on
ABSA PMI – South African Manufacturing Sector Stalls Further
Manufacturing in South Africa at Risk The Manufacturing sector in Africa's largest economy has continued to see a downward spiral with challenges around high energy and transport costs, as well as onerous policy and labour requirements starting to erode, what was once the manufacturing powerhouse of Africa. The Government has only today, announced softening of
High Copper Prices Put Africa’s Copper Giants to the Test
Copper prices are sitting near historic highs, driven by electrification, grid upgrades and rising demand from electric vehicles and data infrastructure. For Africa’s copper giants, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the price rally sharpens attention on how much value their economies are actually able to retain when market conditions are favourable. In the
Critical Minerals Boom: Opportunity or Curse for Africa's Mining Dependent Economies?
The global clean-tech economy is scaling faster than any previous industrial transition, and it is fundamentally mineral-intensive, driven by minerals critical to clean technologies. Electric vehicles, battery storage, wind power and grid upgrades depend on lithium, copper, cobalt, nickel and rare earths materials that Africa supplies in significant volumes. For mining-dependent economies, rising demand presents
Breaking News Today – Thursday 8 January 2026
Business News Today Alphabet Overtakes Apple in Market Cap This morning – January 8, 2026, Alphabet (Google's parent company) surpassed Apple to become the world's most valuable publicly traded company for the first time since 2019. Alphabet's market capitalization briefly exceeded Apple's by several billion dollars during trading, driven by surging investor confidence in its
Chevron Starts Production at South N’dola Field Offshore Angola
Chevron has started production at the South N’dola field in Block 0 offshore Angola, with its local subsidiary, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (CABGOC), operating the asset. While the company has not released official production figures, industry estimates suggest oil output of about 25,000 barrels per day, alongside associated gas volumes of roughly 50 million cubic
ESG Compliance as a Competitive Edge in Critical Minerals
Sustainability requirements in mining have moved much closer to the centre of how projects are assessed and run. In the critical minerals space, environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance has become part of the commercial equation. It now plays a role in deciding who gets supply contracts, who can grow and who can raise money.
South Africa's Crime Perception Crisis Threatens Tourism Rebound
South Africa's tourism sector risks a sharp decline in 2026 after record 2025 arrivals (Over 10+ million visitors, boosted by G20 events). Numbeo's January 2026 Crime Index ranks five SA cities in the global top 16—Pietermaritzburg (1), Pretoria (2), Johannesburg (5), Durban (6), Port Elizabeth (8)—all scoring higher than Caracas (3). Lagos Nigeria and Windhoek
Ivanhoe Mines Begins Anode Production at Kamoa-Kakula Smelter
Ivanhoe Mines has officially begun production at Africa’s largest direct-to-blister copper smelter at its Kamoa-Kakula mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The facility has produced its first 99.7% pure copper anodes as the operation moves into the ramp-up phase. Market participants are closely monitoring progress as output rises across the mining complex. Smelter Capacity
Lobito Rail Corridor Development Update – Boon For DRC, Zambia & Angola – Challenge For Southern African Ports
The Lobito Corridor (also known as the Lobito Atlantic Railway or Trans-Africa Corridor) is a major infrastructure project aimed at creating an efficient east-west transport link for critical minerals and goods across southern Africa. It's backed by the US, EU, and partners (via the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment – PGI) as a strategic
Breaking News Today – Wednesday 7 January 2026
Business News Today Crude Oil Prices Slide After US – Venezuela Oil Deal Signed Brent crude oil futures fell more than 1% to around $59.7 per barrel, extending losses from the previous session, after Venezuela and the US concluded a deal to export up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude to the United States, U.S.
The Post-Disruption Era: Adaptation in a Rewired World
Conventional wisdom claims we're amid constant disruption. But much of today's turbulence reflects aftershocks from a decade-plus of profound shifts across economies, technologies, and societies—not sudden chaos. 2025 exemplified this: tariff wars, supply-chain strains, AI's explosive growth, geopolitical volatility, economic wobbles, and soaring tech valuations. These weren't abrupt; they stemmed from decades of trade realignments,
Mukuru and Travelex Partner to Broaden Cash Payout Options in South Africa
Mukuru has partnered with Travelex to expand cash payout options for remittance customers across South Africa. The partnership strengthens access to secure and convenient withdrawal points nationwide. Expanding the Payout Network Through the agreement, Travelex becomes an additional payout channel within Mukuru’s network. Customers can now collect funds at any of Travelex’s 46 branches across
What 2025 Revealed About Risk, Resilience and Opportunity for SMEs and Startups
By the end of 2025, most African SMEs and startups had stopped treating the year as a temporary rough patch. Truth be told, the pressure did not ease. Costs continued to rise, money moved more slowly and forecasts rarely held for long. What became clear was that survival depended less on bold strategy and more
The Practical Side of Automation in African Mines
Automation in African mining is often discussed in broad, aspirational terms: autonomous fleets, AI-driven optimisation and fully digitised operations. On the ground, adoption has been far more measured. For most mines on the continent, automation does not occur in isolation or as a single surge, but as a sequence of decisions driven by cost, infrastructure,
AI Raising the Stakes in Cybersecurity: Global Challenges and Africa's Critical Juncture in 2026
Artificial intelligence is reshaping cybersecurity in profound ways, by amplifying both threats and defences. The Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) latest report, "AI Is Raising the Stakes in Cybersecurity," based on a survey of 500 senior leaders across industries and regions, paints a stark picture. While awareness of AI-enabled risks is relatively high, actionable preparedness in