PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA HOSTS PRESIDENT GEINGOB OF NAMIBIA FOR A STATE VISIT

On Thursday, 20 April 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted President Hage Geingob of the Republic of Namibia on a State Visit to South Africa.

The visit aimed to solidify bilateral relations between the two countries and President Ramaphosa and President Geingob discussed political and economic issues, including regional, continental and international matters of mutual concern, as well as exchanging views on the political situation in eSwatini, conflict in the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Palestine and the Russia-Ukraine situation.

South Africa and Namibia enjoy close historic relations and the structural bilateral relations between the two countries are conducted under the framework of a Bi-National Commission (BNC), inaugurated in 2013.

The State Visit by President Geingob afforded the two countries an opportunity to solidify their bonds of friendship through assessing progress made in the implementation of the decisions of the BNC.

The visit also afforded the two countries an opportunity to enhance economic cooperation; explore trade and investment and identify new areas of cooperation.

 In 2022, South Africa imported R16.1 billion from Namibia and in turn, South Africa exported R56.5 billion to Namibia.

The State Visit was preceded by a bilateral meeting between the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of Namibia on 19 April 2023.

Namibia is a member of the Southern African Customs Union and President Geingob chairs the Southern African Development Community Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

The last State Visit to the Republic of South Africa by the Republic of Namibia took place in November 2012, by former President Hifikepunye Pohamba.

PRESIDENT SETS R2-TRILLION INVESTMENT TARGET

“Today’s pledges cover 21 district municipalities across the country. A number of these investments aren’t only bringing much-needed economic activity to these localities, and they are also supporting our overall national development goals,” President Ramaphosa said.

During the afternoon session of SAIC, the President said South Africa had reached R1.51 trillion in pledges, overshooting the initial R1.2 trillion target by 26%.

The following pledges were made in the digital economy during the afternoon session of the conference:

Equinix pledged R3.8 billion to developing new data centres in South Africa.

Teraco made their fourth announcement this year, investing a further R2 billion to expand their data centre capacity and developing renewable energy projects to supply their data centres in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Cassava Technologies is investing R4.5 billion towards adding 20 Megawatts to their data centre in Gauteng and the Western Cape.

Scensos pledged R80 million in a call centre in the Western Cape.

Moov, a fintech start up, is investing R284 million in connecting mobility entrepreneurs to the right hailing e-logistics and e-delivery market place.

SA Taxi is investing R500 million to providing financing to underserved and developing small, micro and medium enterprises.

Rain is investing R4 billion in the further roll-out of 5G infrastructure across South Africa.

Telkom made their fourth announcement by investing R5.97 billion in Information and communications technologies (ICT) infrastructure development across South Africa.

Topping their R50-billion pledge at the inaugural 2018 investment conference, Vodacom committed to invest R60 billion in ICT infrastructure.

Investments in the manufacturing sector are as follows:

Alpha Manufacturing is investing R2 billion in recycling, packaging and manufacturing facilities in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

At a Glass packaging committed to investing R1.9 billion in a glass production facility in Gauteng.

Impact pledged to invest R2.5 billion across their paper and plastic production facilities in a number of provinces.

A company from Denmark invested R133 million in manufacturing environmentally sustainable building insulation from recycled waste in Gauteng.

Pavati Plastics is investing R125 million in expanding their facility to produce specialised recyclable packaging material in Gauteng.

Defy pledged for the third time by investing R288 million in their white goods manufacturing facilities in KwaZulu-Natal.

Madinda Utilities is investing R600 million in hardware manufacturing for the electronics industry in Gauteng.

INTECH from South Korea is investing R70 million in electric cable manufacturing in Gauteng.

Triple Five Trucking Solutions is investing R118 million in the production of cabling for the renewable energy industry.

Actom is investing R100 million in expanding capacity for products for the renewable energy sector.

SGB-Smit Power Matla is investing R500 million in rebuilding their transformer factory in Gauteng.

Mohlalefi is investing R120 million to produce safety equipment for the mining industry at their facility in Gauteng.

Prism Group is investing R93 million in automotive components manufacturing.

BMW is investing R4.2 billion in plant expansion for the manufacturing of new BMW models.

SEZs

Three companies have committed to investing in the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone in KwaZulu-Natal:

• Alusouth is investing R373 million in an aluminum rod plant
• Bote Industries is investing R220 million in the production of rubber hoses
• South East Bulk operations is investing R452 million in a logistics hub.

 
Four companies are investing in the Coega Development Zone:

• Coega steels is investing R160 million in an automated rowing mill
• Newlyn Group is investing R4 billion in a manganese storing facility
• Kict Energy is investing R500 million in the production of smart LPG cylinders
• MEC Commercial Trailers is investing R340 million in the assembly of heavy-duty trailers.

 Western Cape, Atlantis SEZ investments:

• Iconic Gases is investing R20 million in acetylene production facility
• Moduler Electric Assemblies is investing R7.5 million in the assembly of electrical components.

Dube Trade Port Investments:

• Futurelife Food Manufacturing is investing R75 million
• Siyakha Flexibles and Labels is investing R100 million in the production of flexible packaging for the fast-moving consumer goods sector
• YOA Holdings is investing R155 million in the expansion of their fibre optic manufacturing facility.

Tshwane Automotive SEZ:

• Schenellecke Logistics is investing R89 million in the production of exhaust systems for Ford
• Shosholoza Cements is investing R493 million in a compact cement grinding plant.

Fetakgomo Tubatse SEZ:

• Shodawn is investing R40 million in foundry for steel casting.

Vaal River SEZ:

• Mitochondria Energy is investing R4.3 billion.
• The Industrial Development Corporation is investing R11 billion.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

RAIL, MARITIME INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT NEEDED FOR AFRICA TO THRIVE

He was speaking at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Business Forum in Cape Town, where the city was playing host to Africa's biggest business event to promote private-sector participation in the acceleration of the implementation of the AfCFTA.

According to the Deputy President, roads are the predominant mode of transport in Africa, carrying about 80% of goods and 90% of passengers.

“Without this infrastructure, rail and maritime trade cannot realise their full potential. Road transport is therefore an indispensable part of daily African economic activity and critical to facilitating cross-border trade and regional integration.

“Another impediment we must confront are inefficiencies at border posts, many official and unofficial inspection points along transport corridors and low road densities.”

Despite the obstacles, Deputy President Mashatile believes the continent is moving in the right direction towards a "one African market".

As of February 2023, he said 47 of the 54 signatories to the AfCFTA had deposited instruments of ratification. 

Deputy President Mashatile believes that Africa is in a process of creating the world's largest single free trade area, with 1.3 billion people and a gross domestic product of US$3.4 trillion.

“This represents an important step forward, which must culminate in the ratification of the AfCFTA instrument by all African Union member states. The implementation of the AfCFTA will improve intra-African trade, the continent’s share and participation in global trade, stimulate and improve her economy as well as contribute to lifting millions of people out of poverty.”

The continent has embarked on the gradual elimination of tariffs on 90% of goods, and the reduction of barriers to trade in services aimed at increasing Africa’s income by US$450 billion by 2035.

Deputy President Mashatile believes this will also help to lift between 50 to 100 million people out of poverty.

“This would represent a significant improvement in the economy and the quality of life of the people.”

He also cited the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Rebeca Grynspan, who pointed out that Africa boasted US$21.9 billion of untapped export potential, of which an additional US$9.2 billion could be realised through partial tariff liberalisation under the AfCFTA over the next five years.

“I am informed that during the last three days [of the forum], you have had extensive discussions, which identified more impediments to African trade and the solutions necessary for implementing the AfCFTA.

“The solutions you have identified will hopefully take us a step closer to the actual investment projects that give renewed meaning to the objectives of the AfCFTA,” Deputy President Mashatile said.

He said gatherings such as the forum ought to serve as launch pads for long-lasting relations among the African business community in pursuit of practical programmes of economic action.

“The AfCFTA will become a ‘game changer’ to the continent’s growth trajectory, as some conference participants have suggested, if you, the continent’s business community ‒ together with governments and the working people of our continent ‒ act in unison, refusing to drop the ball.”

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

MINISTER PANDOR HOSTS NORWAY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS FOR HIGH-LEVEL CONSULTATIONS

Relations between South Africa and Norway are well-established, mature and mutually beneficial. Since 1994, through the respective government programmes and commitments, an excellent foundation has been created that is serving our mutual benefit in the current international environment.

South Africa and Norway enjoy excellent political and economic relations and cooperate on a wide range of interlinking global issues, including global health, climate change, energy, sustainable blue economy, peace and reconciliation (including women’s peace and security) and trade and investment.

Norway has become an important player in South Africa’s energy sector. The Norwegian company Scatec Solar is constructing Africa’s largest solar farm at Kenhardt in the Northern Cape. This project will have an installed output capacity of 540 MW and 1140 MWh of battery storage.

Trade relations between South Africa and Norway continue to grow at a steady rate. Trade increased by 6% to R4.5 billion in 2020 but declined by 29% in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New Norwegian investments of over R20 billion were announced during the Fourth South African Investment Conference.

South Africa and Norway also cooperate closely on issues of mediation and peacebuilding and are partners in the Gertrude Shope Annual Dialogue Forum on Conflict Resolution and Peace-making. The programme was extended to include capacity-building for women peace mediators in 2018 and thus far, 850 mediators have been trained.

SOUTH AFRICA CALLS FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN SUDAN

The situation in Sudan is disturbing as it affects ordinary people who have suffered from instability in the country over a prolonged period.

South Africa joins the AU, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, in their call on the parties to return to the negotiating table and continue their dialogue with the aim of transitioning the country to a civilian-led government.

AFCFTA AGREEMENT PRESENTS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTORS

Mene outlined the value proposition for the AfCFTA Agreement, saying that it would allow investors to gain access to a single market, which is projected to grow to 1.7 billion people and US$6.7 trillion in consumer and business spending by 2030.

“By 2050, the continent will be home to 2.5 billion people. The largest working force in the world by 2050 will be in Africa. At that point, estimates are that consumer spending and business spending in Africa will be in excess of US$16 trillion.

“This is an opportunity that our continent and our investors should not miss. It is of course expected that there will be challenges but I encourage everyone to look at Africa with a long-term view of investing and to see your returns in your investments,” Mene said at the gathering held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

According the World Bank projections, by implementing the trade agreement, Africans will have an opportunity to lift 100 million people out of poverty, 60 million Africans out of abject poverty and the rest out of moderate poverty.

Increasing Africa’s GDP

The implementation of the agreement is also expected to contribute US$450 million to Africa’s gross domestic product and increase wages by close to 9%.

“We project that the most immediate beneficiaries will be small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) that are led by women; this is why this agreement is so important for the future of our continent,” he said.

The AfCFTA Agreement seeks to eliminate trade barriers and boost intra-Africa trade. In particular, it is to advance trade in value-added production across all service sectors of the African economy.

The AfCFTA will contribute to establishing regional value chains in Africa, enabling investment and job creation. The practical implementation of the AfCFTA has the potential to foster industrialisation, job creation, and investment, thus enhancing the competitiveness of Africa in the medium to long term.

“The long-station ambition of the African Union (AU) is that one day our continent must be a common one. That is why we recently concluded protocols on investment protection with some ratifications to be done on international property rights and competition, which are so critical for the economic integration in Africa,” Mene said.

Protocol

In July this year, heads of state and the ministers of trade should conclude two additional legal instruments that include a protocol on digital trade and a protocol on women and youth in trade.

“The protocol on digital trade represents a very unique opportunity for Africa to create digital economy jobs and enhance digital innovation. It will also address the imperative of inclusion, particularly the inclusion of SMMEs led by women and young entrepreneurs.

“With the direction of the heads of state, the protocol dealing with women, youth and trade should enable us to move beyond aspirations for inclusion and present concrete commercially meaningful opportunities for women and young people through this protocol,” he said.

Manufacturing

In 2019, Africa imported US$16 billion worth of pharmaceuticals and it presents an opportunity to enhance the local production in pharmaceuticals. Mene noted that the continent has a challenge of over-reliance on imports for pharmaceuticals.

“In 2020, the challenge with the onset of the pandemic has proven to be an opportunity for job creation in Africa and an opportunity to address Africa’s reliance on the protocol for international property rights,” he said.

In July 2022, BioNTech established the first mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Facility in Rwanda with plans for vaccine manufacturing that span the continent and include South Africa, Ghana and Senegal.

“South Africa has a very strong manufacturing sector. By the year 2035, Africa will require five billion units of vehicles … this is an opportunity for us to include other countries in Africa who want to be part of the auto value chain in manufacturing components and to be part of trade under the AfCFTA.

“The agreement also presents an opportunity for countries that are producers of lithium. Three of them, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo are on the continent. They should be in the top five of producers in the world so that when the transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles takes place, Africa takes the lead in the production of vehicles that are powered by lithium engines,” Mene said.

Ministers of trade have concluded 88.3% of the rules of origins for trading in Africa. However, the textile and auto sectors remain unresolved by the ministers.

“We have operationalised a protocol that will assist in resolving disputes that might arise and will be adjudicated by competent and impartial panel of experts that will be nominated by the private sector,” he said.

Although there are safeguards in place to mitigate challenges, Mene acknowledged that challenges that might arise include institutional capacity at national level, the cost of trade finance, which has to be brought down, and the lack of trade support of infrastructure.

“We will have to confront [this] as we implement the agreement. It is a very ambitious agreement, wide in scope and ambitious in the direction of economic integration of the continent. The fact that 47 countries have ratified their agreement symbolises strong commitment on their part,” Mene said.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

SA STORIES ATTRACT INVESTMENTS IN THE CREATIVE SECTOR

“As Netflix, we see operating in South Africa as an untapped opportunity. We are encouraged to keep investing because the country has beautiful stories. We strongly believe that the creative sector and much largely the TV and film sector are extremely impactful for economic growth and jobs. That cannot be underestimated,” she said on Thursday, 13 April 2023.

Addressing the fifth South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) taking place in Johannesburg, Buning said the company wanted to build on the success of shows like Unseen, which is currently in the top 10 of the global watched shows in 48 countries.

“We are extremely proud of Unseen. It is a great series and is loved throughout the world … that tells us that African stories and culture are appreciated throughout the world,” she said.

“If you look at the Government policy objective, we think that the sector can contribute to job creation, capital development, infrastructure development and economic empowerment.

“We really want to show the beauty and diversity of South Africa, which has several cultural and economic effects. This includes direct investment; the wider economy that profits such as hairdressers, hotels, security and carpenters. It has a ripple effect. On top of that, there is cultural and tourism effects that we have researched together with the South African Tourism office."

Research has shown that people from around the world are 3.1 times more likely to visit South Africa after they have seen a show on Netflix.

Netflix is available in more than 190 countries and has at least 230 million subscribers.

She encouraged government to cut the red tape to access the film incentive and described the regulatory environment as challenging.

Meanwhile, Tourism Business Council CEO, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, welcomed the announcement by the President during the conference to overhaul the work visa system to provide a further boost to investment.

This includes decentralising the adjudication of visa applications to foreign missions and streamlining application requirements to reduce the timeframes for obtaining a work visa.

South Africa will be expanding the e-Visa system to include an additional 20 countries over and above the 14 that are currently eligible, as well as extend the e-Visa system to cover new visa categories such as study, business and intra-company transfer visas.

“That is a fantastic thing as it makes it easier for people to visit the country and apply for a visa online. This means that as a country we are expanding across the world and we are accessible digitally,” Tshivhengwa said.

Airbnb Regional Lead, Middle East Africa, Velma Corcoran, said there was a direct correlation between countries that implement an e-Visa system and an increase in travel.

While the country is facing loadshedding, the rising cost of living and an increase in interest rates, Corcoran said the country’s tourism sector was extremely resilient. This was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even through COVID-19 we saw some interesting trends. Firstly, we saw South Africans start to travel. We saw an increase in domestic travel. In 2020, which was a crisis year, the Airbnb contributed R8.8 billion to the South African economy and supported 22 000 jobs just on domestic tourism alone.

“We also saw South Africans travelling to all of the villages, towns and dorpies within the country. We saw a dispersion of tourism and a model like Airbnb is well suited to that.

“South Africans wanted to get out of their homes. They wanted to explore places that were close by. They wanted to travel to friends and family and they chose homes in places that were quite close,” she said.

People in those towns were able to make an income out of tourism and when people were travelling there, they were spending money in the local economy.

“Also, with people not being tethered to their places of work meant that we started to see trends in remote working and people staying longer. Our fastest-growing category is guests that are staying for 28 days plus."

Corcoran said bringing people from previously disadvantaged communities into the sector had been a challenge as they have issues accessing finance and being confident to host.

“Over the last four years, we have run a programme to assist previously disadvantaged communities with the skills to host and teach them how to be successful on the platform. We need government and the private sector to think of solutions to overcome these challenges,” she urged.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za

NEWS24 CROWNED BEST NEWS SITE IN AFRICA AT PRESTIGIOUS PUBLISHER AWARDS

News24 has been named the best news website in Africa by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which announced the winners at its annual Digital Media Awards on Thursday, 13 April 2023..

The regional awards recognise the best projects in the news media industry, focussing on African publishers who pride themselves on excellence and innovation.

News24 walked away with two awards this year in the categories "Best News Website" and "Best Use of Video", reinforcing its position as the leading news authority on the continent.

Boasting 1.4 million users and more than 75 000 subscribers, the publication's website has evolved significantly to offer readers exciting new features and a streamlined, seamless browsing experience. 

The mobile-first site features games, special projects, documentaries, podcasts and other innovative tools used to elevate the publication's subscription offering. 

The judging panel commended News24's user-centric approach to website design, adding all news platforms would benefit from prioritising user-friendly design journeys. 

"News24's website proves the importance of good UX and understanding how your readers are interacting with your site," said WAN-IFRA.

Dedicated doccie

The judges also recognised News24's documentary project, titled Killed for Being Queer.

The documentary was produced last year, highlighting the spate of hate crimes in South Africa and the LGBTQIA+ community's battle for safety and justice.

It was published alongside a special site and accompanying articles to shine more light on the cruel realities confronting local queer communities. 

Reacting to News24's two new awards, editor-in-chief, Adriaan Basson, said: "It's always a great honour to be acknowledged for our work.

"Through our growing subscription model, we've made a great investment in our website ‒ both front-end and back-end ‒ and I'm delighted to see it paying off."

News24's sister publication, Netwerk24, also won an award for its visual representation of the electricity crisis.

Overall, South African news outlets dominated the list of winners, scooping all but one of the category wins.

All African winners are automatically entered to compete head-to-head with the winners from other regions for WAN-IFRA's prestigious title of Digital Media World Award Winner 2023, which will be held at the World News Media Congress in Taipei in June.

– Source: www.news24.com

SOUTH AFRICA’S FAVOURITE DJ STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT AT COACHELLA

Sharing festival status with the likes of Glastonbury, Coachella is no gather-around-the-fire, sing-along session.

Earning a spot on the Coachella stage along with some of the biggest names in music (Frank Ocean, Bad Bunny, Gorillaz, Metro Boomin and Calvin Harris) is a massive vision board moment for any artist. And, DJ Uncle Waffles recently joined the artists who have checked Coachella off their “to dream” lists; making locals groove with pride back home.

Lungelihle Zwane (Uncle Waffles) is an Amapiano princess originally from eSwatini. Her superpower? Her music and the ability to get any crowd up on their feet no matter where in the world she is.

With millions of fans and supporters in South Africa, her moment in the Coachella spotlight naturally saw a wave of love and pride rushing in for Waffles.

– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com

NEW NETBALL PROTEAS BILLBOARD REVEALED

The 2023 Netball World Cup will be hosted in Cape Town at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Over the years, the country has proven itself worthy of hosting massive international sporting events. Having recently hosted the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the Mother City is the place to be for sports.

There will be a total of 16 teams involved in the World Cup. South Africa. together with Australia, England, Jamaica, New Zealand and Uganda got automatic qualification for the World Cup due to their world ranking. The rest earned spots through several rounds. The teams will play in four pools, with four teams each. There will be a total of 60 matches throughout the World Cup.

The unveiling of the SPAR Proteas billboard was done last week and the excitement is building!

– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com

IPL 2023: KAGISO RABADA SCRIPTS HISTORY, BECOMES FASTEST TO PICK UP100 WICKETS IN THE TOURNAMENT

The Indian Premier League (IPL) season 16 is underway and the fans have got some breathtaking cricketing action to enjoy in the first few weeks of the competition. The Match 18 between Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans was no different as fans got to see a marvellous return of Mohit Sharma to the T20 extravaganza after three years.

However, in the second innings, it was the South African speedster Kagiso Rabada who stole the limelight as he became the fastest bowler to pick up 100 wickets in IPL history in terms of balls taken. The right-arm fast bowler dismissed Wriddhiman Saha in the fifth over of the second innings and achieved the milestone in 1 438 balls leaving behind Lasith Malinga who had achieved the feat in 1 622 balls.

The 27-year-old played his 64th IPL match. He has picked up 100 wickets at an average of over 20 with six four-wicket hauls to his name. Rabada won the Purple Cap in the 2020 season of the tournament picking up 30 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 18.26.

– Source: www.crictracker.com

SOUTH AFRICAN SILVER – SUSAN BURRI WINS AT WORLD TRANSPLANT GAMES

Over 1 500 athletes are competing from around the world in a total of 13 sporting codes. These include cycling, the 5km road race (which Susan won the silver for), badminton, table tennis and regular tennis, squash, golf, ten-pin-bowling, petanque, darts, lawn bowls, swimming, track and field, and athletics.

Susan Burri completed the 5km road race with a time of 00:33:51.

GERDA STEYN WINS HER 4TH WOMEN’S TWO OCEANS IN RECORD TIME

Steyn was at her best and simply had too much speed and strength for the strong Ethiopian quartet of Amelwork Bosho, Yeshiemebet Nguse, Tinebeb Ali and Ashakech Yami, who posted four Two Oceans golds from Ethiopia – the first time in Two Oceans history.

Although slowing on the race’s biggest climb up Constantia Nek, Steyn had enough in the bag to be able to savour the moment, high-five cheering fans in the finish straight to take the tape in 3 hrs 29 min 06 sec and with it a record incentive which doubled her R250 000 first prize to half a million, and earned her the use of a KIA car for 12 months, both in South Africa and abroad.

Steyn’s husband, Duncan Ross, is an airline pilot but it was the Free State athlete, Steyn, who was flying this weekend, shaving another 39 seconds from the stunning time she set last year when she eclipsed the legendary Frith van der Merwe’s magic mark of 3:30:36, which had stood since 1989.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotional at the finish,” remarked Steyn. “My whole family was here to welcome me. I just love this race and will certainly be back next year and hopefully for many years to come.

“My main aim was simply to go for my fourth win. I was racing head-to-head with the Ethiopian athletes for the first half and on Chappies before I was able to move ahead. But I thought the record might come if I maintained a good pace.

“At 50km, I worked out that if I ran 3:30 per kilometre to the finish I still would still have a few extra seconds to enjoy the moment!”

“This was a much more enjoyable race than last year’s one,” admitted Steyn. “I did experience a tough patch on Constantia Nek, but nothing like the ‘dark place’ I had to run through last year. But looking back, I’m pleased I had to endure that last year, as it gave me another tool which I can use in racing.”

– Source: www.sapeople.com