PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ATTENDS THE SEVENTH SOUTHERN AFRICAN CUSTOMS UNION SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT IN BOTSWANA

The summit is being held on 30 June 2022 at the Gaborone International Convention Centre and attended by heads of state and government and representatives of SACU member states.

Member states include the Republic of Botswana as the summit host and the current Chair of the union; the Kingdom of eSwatini; the Kingdom of Lesotho; the Republic of Namibia; and the Republic of South Africa.

SACU is the oldest customs union in the world and its summit is held annually to discuss progress on the implementation of it’s agreed-upon work programme.  

In this regard, the Seventh Summit will consider progress made on the implementation of the refocussed Work Programme whose priorities include:

• industrialisation through the development of regional value chains, investment attraction and export promotion
• regional financing mechanism
• trade facilitation and logistics
• implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The summit will further consider the five-year SACU Strategic Plan as approved by the Council of Ministers on 2 June 2022.

The summit was preceded by the meetings of its institutions, namely the:

• 64th Meeting of the Finance and Audit Committee: 22 June 2022
• 68th Meeting of the SACU Commission: 23 to 24 June 2022
• 47th Meeting of the SACU Council of Ministers: 28 to 29 June 2022.

President Ramaphosa is accompanied by Minister Ebrahim Patel of Trade and Industry and Deputy Ministers David Masondo and Fikile Majola of Finance and of Trade and Industry, respectively.

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA PARTICIPATES IN THE G7 SUMMIT IN GERMANY

The summit took place on Monday, 27 June 2022.

Alongside the G7 member states, invited non-member states that participated in the summit were the Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Argentina, the Republic of India, the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Senegal.

Germany has indicated that it will seek to strengthen the G7’s responsibility for working towards “the global common good”, thus expanding cooperation with all partners, especially within the framework of the United Nations and the G20, based on a fair and rules-based multilateral system.

Reflecting the outward-looking approach of recent presidencies of the G7, guest leaders were invited to join outreach sessions within the summit agenda. To ensure that this involvement was meaningful, Germany also invited international organisations and guest experts in specific outreach sessions, while preserving space and time for G7 member-only agendas, discussions and negotiations.

South Africa participated in two outreach sessions scheduled for 27 June 2022. The first was a working lunch on  “Investing in the Future”, where issues of climate, energy and health were discussed, followed by a working session, titled: “Stronger Together”, during which the summit addressed food security issues and advancing gender equality.

South Africa has been a regular invitee of the G7. Participation in the 2022 Leaders’ Summit presented an opportunity for the country to highlight the concerns of developing countries and to advocate for the continued global attention for equitable distribution of resources, particularly with regard to the ongoing pandemic as well as economic recovery measures.

Collectively, the G7 countries represent approximately 40% of global gross domestic product and 10% of the world’s population. The agenda of the G7 has, since the turn of the century, evolved from a sole focus on discussions on economic and financial issues to matters of peace and security, global governance, international terrorism, the environment, refugees and other geopolitical and foreign policy-related matters.

The G7 was formally established in 1975 following the financial crisis brought about by the 1973 oil crisis. In an attempt to improve the coordination of global economic and financial policy, the initial meetings were held by the finance ministers of the world’s five most industrialised and developed countries – France, Germany, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom – which were later joined by Canada and Italy at a Presidential level, to form the G7.

President Ramaphosa urges Africa to focus on food security

President Ramaphosa says food, fertiliser and grain shortages caused by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia must motivate Africa to “wake up” and take food security into its own hands.

The President was speaking following discussions held at the G7 Leaders' Summit held in Bavaria, Germany.

“There are food shortages. Food prices have gone up. There’s a shortage of fertilisers, cereals and grains that Russia and Ukraine produce are not getting through, and this has led to huge shortages and prices have gone up for many developing economy countries.

“United Nations (UN) Secretary-General [António Guterres] explained the initiatives he has been involved in to open the channels so that the grains, cereals and fertilisers that come from Russia and the Ukraine can begin to be exported to various parts of the world,” he said.

President Ramaphosa said discussions expanded to a proposition “similar to the one we worked on with the vaccines”, which would culminate in African countries producing their own fertilisers and gaining self-reliance.

“We want African countries to be self-reliant when it comes to fertiliser production and we are going to be working with G7 countries. I am particularly pleased and excited that we … should improve fertiliser production on the African continent to secure food security … be it grains or any other type of food commodity. It is fertilisers that are going to help us reach that level.

“Africa must begin to produce its own fertilisers; we must become economically independent when it comes to food security. As much as there is conflict, the silver lining is that it could actually make us wake up and begin to produce our own fertilisers to secure our own food security.”

Climate change

The President said during deliberations, fruitful discussions were held on climate change and the responsibility that developed countries had to ensure that developing countries are supported in their just energy transitions.

“The G7 countries recognised that many developing economy countries are not responsible for the terrible emissions that have led to climate change and they recognised that they have a responsibility, and also need to pledge solidarity to assist us as we traverse towards [a] renewable energy type of economic development and that they need to make funding available.

“They recognised that … they did not live up to their [Paris Climate Accords ] ... to provide funding for developing economies so that we can begin to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change,” he said.

President Ramaphosa revealed that negotiations were underway regarding South Africa’s US$8.5-billion energy transition deal that was struck at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last year with Germany committing a further €300 million to the country’s transition.

“Negotiations are still ongoing to ensue as to what that exact package means for us. But we made it clear … that we will only be able to embark on a [just energy] transition [which] makes sure that the jobs of our mine workers are not adversely affected and the communities that live in and around mining towns are also not adversely affected.

“So, we need to manage the transition very well. It needs to be done within a timeframe that will enable us to accede to a renewable energy transition, particularly as we begin to embrace new technologies such as hydrogen [and] such as fuel cells. We need to walk together with our people in full consultation so that no one is ever left behind,” President Ramaphosa said.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA URGES FOR UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM

The President said it was unjust that Africa, with a population of 1.3 billion people, did not have permanent representation on the UNSC.

President Ramaphosa was delivering his statement at the High-Level Dialogue on Global Development on the sidelines of the 2022 BRICS Leaders’ Summit, hosted by China on Friday, 24 June 2022.

“As like-minded emerging market countries, we need to move from a common vision of an emerging international order to a common programme of change. We must be committed to shaping our own institutions to support the growth and development of emerging economies.

“Our vision has been to harness our common vision and resources to improve the lives of our people through mutually beneficial cooperation and to actively shape the world to benefit the Global South,” he said.

The President called on BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] to approach its cooperation with a spirit of openness and solidarity, with the genuine intention to find mutual interests and build common values.

“We have the potential to leverage our combined economic strength to drive a sustainable global economic recovery.

“It is up to us, as emerging and developing economies, to put the Global South on a new trajectory of progress, prosperity and self-reliance and to shape an inclusive and equitable international order,” the President said. 

He said that this was an opportunity to move from solidarity to collective action for the benefit of all the countries’ people.

The President further expressed his sincere appreciation to the BRICS Chair for continuing the bloc’s tradition of meaningful engagement with like-minded emerging markets and developing economies.

“We all share a desire for increased representation and a progressive perspective in global governance institutions. We share a common history of struggle against imperialism, colonialism, exploitation and continued underdevelopment.

“Our ties of solidarity were forged at the Bandung Conference in 1955, which culminated in the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement,” he said.

President Ramaphosa emphasised that the summit remained the template for South-South cooperation and solidarity.

Less than a decade ago, the President said that the world united in a historic decision on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“We recognised that eradicating poverty was the greatest global challenge of our time. We committed ourselves to a common agenda for humanity that would see us collectively address climate change, conflict, poverty and insecurity,” the President said.

Promote international peace and security

The President highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic further revealed the inter-connectedness and exposed the countries' shared vulnerability.
He further said that the Ukraine conflict had exposed the fault lines in the international order.

“Urgent global issues like COVID-19, poverty, inequality, climate change and the broader sustainable development agenda have been eclipsed by the conflict.

“We must safeguard the principle of multilateralism. We need a United Nations that is fit-for-purpose and clear in its benefits to all humanity, especially in times of insecurity and crises,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa called on nations to promote international peace and security by advocating inclusive dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

PROGRESS MADE TOWARDS JUST ENERGY TRANSITION

The Minister in The Presidency, Mondli Gungubele; the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor; the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana; the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy; the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan; the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe; and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel met with Sharma.

In a joint statement, Sharma and the ministers said the meeting reflected on the progress made since COP26 in advancing the JETP as a groundbreaking initiative to enable South Africa’s transition to a low-carbon economy and a climate-resilient society.

Through the Political Declaration issued in November 2021 to establish this partnership, the United Kingdom together with the European Union, France, Germany and the United States, undertook to mobilise an initial amount of US$8.5 billion over the next three to five years to support the achievement of South Africa’s ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

“The COP President and ministers welcomed the progress made thus far in advancing this long-term partnership. They continued discussions on the financing instruments to be provided, with a view to ensuring that the partnership meets the country’s investment needs and aligns with its fiscal framework.

“They discussed ongoing work on a South African-led Investment Plan, which will guide the use of funds. In this context, they noted that as momentum grows and enabling conditions are created, there will be considerable interest from wider sources of finance,” the statement read.

The meeting also underlined their shared commitment to a just transition that protects affected workers and communities as a key priority of the partnership, and to supporting opportunities for innovation and quality jobs, including in the green hydrogen and electric vehicle sectors.

Progress has been made towards the creation of an enabling policy environment to support South Africa’s NDC, including the tabling of a Climate Change Bill in Parliament; reforms underway in the electricity sector; the finalisation of the Hydrogen Economy Roadmap and the Renewable Energy Masterplan; and the development of a just transition framework through the Presidential Climate Commission.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

SA REMAINS AN ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT DESTINATION

Addressing delegates, Deputy Minister Botes applauded the significant investments that Portugal had made in South Africa over the years.

“We would like to mention, in particular, the R200-million investment by Sonae Auraco in the forestry sector in the province of Mpumalanga, and the partnership between CR Moulds Portugal and MCR Plastics in the Eastern Cape (Gqeberha) and Gauteng (Silverton), a black-owned company in South Africa [that] services the automotive sector.

“The latter project is significant because it aligns with our government’s priority to transform the automotive industry and to make it more inclusive,” he said.

Currently, South Africa’s trade with Portugal is governed through the European Union-Southern African Development Community Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The EPA makes it easier for people and businesses to invest in and trade with each other, and to encourage development across southern Africa.

The Deputy Minister said the flow of goods and services between South Africa and Portugal had grown steadily over the last few years, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2012 to 2021, total trade between South Africa and Portugal increased from approximately R2 billion in 2012 to approximately R7.5 billion in 2021. The trade balance is currently skewed in favour of Portugal. The Deputy Minister is hopeful that such events will assist in addressing this imbalance.

Confidence in South Africa

Deputy Minister Botes said the growth in the Portuguese business community in South Africa was a great demonstration of confidence in the South African economy, and in the country as an attractive destination for significant investment.

“South Africa is a thriving democracy with an advanced and diverse economy, a sophisticated and well-regulated financial sector and an extensive transport, telecommunications and energy infrastructure. As government, we are working hard to create a dynamic and enabling business environment that will promote greater productive investment in our economy,” he said.

He welcomed rating agency Standard & Poor (S&P) Global’s recent decision to upgrade South Africa’s economic outlook to positive from stable, due to improvement in the country’s fiscal position (boosted by an increase in the prices of commodity exports, which, in turn, improved tax revenues).

This came on the back of S&P Global’s peer, Moody’s, making a similar move in April when it upgraded South Africa’s outlook from negative to stable.

The Deputy Minister said the upward revision was attributed to the decisive steps taken by government towards more predictable and transparent policies.

“This signals that South Africa’s macro-economic and political fundamentals are in place, reinforcing our position as a credible investment destination.”

Deputy Minister Botes said it was within this context that South Africa had embarked on the visit to Portugal to convey the message that South Africa is open for investment.

“We invite our Portuguese friends to follow the lead of the many EU companies that have already invested in the country, understanding that the key to economic growth and job creation lies in much greater levels of investment.

“South Africa has embarked on an ambitious investment drive, which aims to raise US$100 billion in new investment over five years.

“We have already achieved 95% of this target in investment commitments over the last four years. Next year, will be the last instalment of the Presidential Investment Conference, and we hope to see more announcements from Portugal at the event,” he said.

Improving the business environment

As part of the investment drive, the country is intensifying efforts to improve the business environment.

Deputy Minister Botes said government had put in place a “very attractive package of incentives” administered by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. Access to these incentives is facilitated by Invest South Africa.

“This institution has been established to assist potential investors in identifying opportunities and facilitating a seamless investment process,” he said.

The Deputy Minister said he was encouraged by the enthusiasm of Portuguese and South African businesses.

“I sincerely believe that the strong ties of goodwill between our countries will indeed translate into economic gains for all our people. As the South African Government, we remain committed to creating a business environment that is conducive towards supporting trade and investment.”

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

DEPUTY MINISTER BOTES IN PORTUGAL FOR BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS

SA TOURISM CELEBRATES YOUTH DAY WITH DIGITAL CAMPAIGN IN TIMES SQUARE

The campaign creative was displayed on a multi-story billboard known as “The Digital Crown”, which is in Times Square’s pedestrian plaza between 44th and 45th streets. The creative featured three of our country’s most recognised influencers – who embody the revolutionary spirit, creativity and courage of South Africa’s youth. These included comedian Trevor Noah, visual activist Zanele Muholi and innovator Siyabulela Xuza.

Youth Day honours a defining moment in South Africa’s history, when in 1976, about 20 000 students from the historic Soweto township staged a peaceful protest in defiance of the apartheid government’s compulsory introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in schools. A brutal crackdown by police resulted in the death of many students that day.

“We will never forget the sacrifice made by our young people on 16 June,1976, and we proudly honour their courage at one of the busiest intersections of the world for that reason,” said Motumisi Tawana, Consul General of South Africa in New York. “Their bravery set off a chain of events that would eventually bring about the demise of apartheid. Their unwavering courage lives on in the spirit of today’s youth, and South Africa is better for it.”

“Whether it is through science, the arts or activism, South Africa is a beacon of creativity and continues to make a name for itself on the global stage,” stated Jerry Mpufane, President of South African Tourism North America. With this campaign, we celebrate the vibrant energy of our young innovators who stand on the shoulders of those who dared to challenge the status quo in 1976 as they continue to create today. Never settling and always pushing forward, South Africa’s youth are adding to the rich culture that awaits visitors to our beloved destination.”

“This campaign means a lot to Joe Public because we were not only celebrating South Africa and some our iconic influencers to the world, but we are able to share a story and pay tribute to the heroic lives lost on a day that will never be forgotten. We want to send a message to our youth to never stop being courageous and to always stand for what they believe in,” said Mpume Ngobese, Co-managing Director at Joe Public.

“Joe Public is honoured to have been part of conceptualising and producing this digital campaign. Through this campaign, we were not only able to continue to put South Africa on the global tourism map but to we were able to pay tribute to our youth by remembering one most important days in our history – the 16th of June 1976,” concluded Xolisa Deyshana, Chief Creative Officer at Joe Public.

– Source: Joe Public

MINISTER DIDIZA ATTENDS INTERNATIONAL MINISTERIAL-LEVEL CONFERENCE IN BERLIN

AIRMAIL SERVICE BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND CHINA RESUMES

“The parcel should be sturdy, the address correct and the receiver’s mobile phone number should appear on the parcel. The post office in the destination country needs it to send the receiver a text message to collect the item,” the post office said.

New Zealand and Australia, for example, do not allow in any items made of wood or straw. This means that a traditional pencil, for example, will be confiscated.

Airmail to Germany and Brazil remains suspended owing to a lack of cargo space on aeroplanes.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

THREE SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS VOTED AS TOP THREE IN AFRICA

Skytrax is an online platform that rates, reviews and monitors the airports of the world, offering travellers an in-depth look at the airports along their travel routes. They launched the World Airport Awards in 1999 and are regarded as a quality benchmark for the world airport industry. Unlike most award systems, this one has no fee pay system or any kind of requirement to be included in the awards. Winners are chosen purely on merit and customer satisfaction reviews.

So, thanks to travellers in Africa, the top three winners are South African. This is fantastic news as we begin to welcome tourists and travellers back to our beautiful country. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula congratulated Airports Company South Africa for holding our ports of entry to such a high standard. He commended efforts in maintaining international security standards as well as adopting COVID-19 measures to protect all staff and travellers using our international airports.

The winners for Africa 2022 are:

• Cape Town
  
• Durban King Shaka
• Johannesburg
• Mauritius
• Casablanca
• Marrakesh
• Kigali
• Addis Abba
• Cairo
• Bloemfontein.

– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com

MISS SA LALELA MSWANE TO FLY SA FLAG IN POLAND THIS JULY

GR 9 LEARNER HEADS TO WASHINGTON DC, TO ADVOCATE FOR SOUTH AFRICANS

Phalatse will partake in various activities between June and August 2022 to help make global leaders aware of the plight of girls and young women on the African continent. To wrap up her advocacy efforts, Phalatse will attend a high-level meeting in Washington DC, hosted by Ambassador Nomaindiya Mfeketo, the South African Ambassador to the United States.

A passionate campaigner for female empowerment, Phalatse has been devoted to HIV prevention for as long as she can remember. Being able to raise awareness about the importance of comprehensive sexual education and better access to HIV-prevention methods on the global stage is central to her efforts.

“It is a huge honour and very humbling to be only one of three girls chosen to represent South Africa in this fantastic campaign. The Global Fund has done some fantastic work to help save lives by helping to provide HIV treatment. However, it is so important for young girls around the world to be equipped with the right knowledge to prevent HIV from spreading, and ensure we stay HIV-negative. I am so excited to see that the youth is taking part in changing the world and I get to be part of the impact,” she says.

It was a compelling HIV-prevention video made by the voracious youngster for people in her local community that caught the attention of mentor Sibulele Sibaca. She, in turn, encouraged Galaletsang to get involved with the Global campaign. With the help of the NGO Impact Drivers, Phalaste created an inspirational pitch at the start of 2022 and hasn’t looked back since.

In March 2022, she was invited to be a panellist at an International Women’s Day event held in Sandton. Despite it being her first time presenting to such a large crowd, she confidently addressed them on pertinent issues affecting young girls today, alongside well-known celebrities and HIV activists.

“A huge congratulations to Galaletsang on her brilliant achievement. Galaletsang is exceptionally passionate about female empowerment, having previously spearheaded a Pad Drive in school, to prevent less fortunate girls from missing school because of their periods. She is an inspiration to her peers, and we wish her only the best in America. We just know she will make the most of every opportunity thrown her way and come back with plenty of stories to share,” says JC Engelbrecht, Executive Head at Curro Aurora.

The Global Fund campaign runs from March to October every three years, advocating for the end of HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria as epidemics. The fund raises and invests billions of dollars every three years in more than 100 countries, and this year’s pledging conference will be hosted by President Joe Biden in New York.

– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com

CANNES LIONS 2022: IT'S A WRAP AS SA YOUNG LIONS WIN BRONZE

The agency won the Gold Lion in the Design – Special Editions & Bespoke Items Category for Lesso Lessons.

12 Lions for South Africa

South Africa’s tally includes two Gold Lions, with Ogilvy SA and Grey each bringing home a Gold Lion.

In addition to its Gold Lion, Ogilvy also collected a Silver Lion, and a Bronze, a total of three Lions. It also was awarded two Silver Campaigns.

VMLY&R also collected three Lions: one Silver Lion and two Bronze. Grey also received a Bronze Lion. FCB Africa, The Odd Number and Joe Public bring home one Lion apiece, with The Odd Number also awarded a Silver Campaign.

– Source: www.bizcommunity.com/

SPRINGBOKS TO FACE WALES AT FULL CAPACITY LOFTUS

With nationwide COVID restrictions lifted last week, last Saturday's Currie Cup final between Griquas and the Pumas was the first full-capacity sporting event in over two years in the country.

Local rugby fans wasted no time in snapping up tickets to see South Africa in action this weekend either, with tickets selling like hotcakes over the past week.

This will be the Springboks' first match in front of home fans since their 2019 World Cup victory, as both the British and Irish Lions series and games in last year's Rugby Championship were played in empty stadiums.

The Blue Bulls Company and SA Rugby are cautioning fans about purchasing fake match-day tickets, which may be in circulation from fraudulent websites that have no rights to sell any rugby tickets in South Africa.

Only tickets purchased at the Loftus Versfeld ticket office or online on the Ticketpro website will be valid. Any other tickets that have been bought elsewhere will not grant fans entry into the stadium.

Kick-off on Saturday is at 17:05.

– Source: www.sport24.com

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS CHAMPION HEADS TO WIMBLEDON IN HIGH SPIRITS

Montjane is heading to the Wimbledon after a gruelling performance at the French Open where she battled a shoulder injury. Limpopo-born Montjane is Africa’s number one ranked wheelchair tennis player and the fourth-seeded female wheelchair player in the world. As part of the partnership with Avon, Montjane will in return give Avon branding exposure, including on designated clothing. This sponsorship also includes a monthly Avon beauty hamper and an incentive performance bonus.

Despite the loss at the French Open, Montjane was in good spirits ahead of the Wimbledon showdown.

“I have made such remarkable progress because of the necessary resources I have at my disposal. Many tennis players peak at the age of 19, but for me, this was the age when I first picked up a tennis racket. I believe that I am not at the pinnacle of my career and I still have time to clinch the greatest accolade of my career, which is an Olympic gold medal. I can only hope that the injuries will not cut my journey short,” she said.

“The Paris Olympics are just around the corner and I intend to carry with me that winning mentality as an athlete and compete for a gold medal. Paris is a big one, it might be the last one for me – I am looking forward to it,” she added.

Mafahle Mareletse, Managing Director of Avon Justine, said the partnership between Avon and Montjane was a marriage of two brands that shared the same values and synergies.

“At the heart of Avon is the quest to empower women and enable them to unlock and reach their full potential. As a brand that prides itself on its empowerment ethos, it is no surprise that we always strive to stand with the underdog and this is why KG chose us and we chose her. We are proud of our association with Montjane and we remain confident that she will continue to fly South Africa’s flag high and put the country on the map,” said Mareletse.

The tournament at Wimbledon will be hosted between 7 and 12 July.

– Source: www.bizcommunity.com

VAN NIEKERK BAGS BRONZE IN BUDAPEST

“Surprisingly, I wasn’t that nervous. I thought I would be way more freaked out than I was,” admitted the talented teenager. “I was actually very calm and just focussed on what I had to do and how I had to execute the race, so I think that was a really good thing – learning how to manage the nerves.

“I’m so happy. My first senior world champs and winning a medal, I think it’s a bonus,” she added.

The last time Van Niekerk competed at a world championships in Budapest was the junior edition as a 16-year-old back in 2019 where she finished just off the podium in fourth, with a then 14-year-old Pilato taking the gold.

Asked about her progress since then, Van Niekerk reckoned: “I’m definitely happy with the improvement. If you look at my time at junior worlds, it’s a two-second difference. I’m just happy to be improving, it’s a good sign.”

– Source: https://www.teamsa.co.za/