S.Africa to impose 10 pct steel import tariff - industry group

South Africa's government will impose a 10 percent import tariff on steel imports to protect the struggling industry, with the possibility of hiking them further, an industry body said on Monday. Cheap imports from China are hurting steel makers in South Africa, which currently does not have import duties on steel. As many as 200,000 jobs are at risk due to a global supply glut of the commodity, ArcelorMittal South Africa has warned. "The...

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South Africa's Imperial Holdings reports flat profit on weak home market

South African Logistics Company Imperial Holdings reported flat full-year profits on Tuesday as its vehicle import and distribution division suffered from feeble demand and a weakening currency in its home market. Imperial, which imports auto brands such as Kia and Mitsubishi, said buyers were highly price sensitive in South Africa and were trading down to smaller or pre-owned vehicles, resulting in fierce competition between dealers. The...

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Regional integration in Africa: Can the Tripartite FTA be a stepping stone toward a Continental FTA?

The official statements are clear: Regional leaders and policymakers want to make the 26-member Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) the main stepping stone towards the gradual establishment of the Continental FTA (CFTA) comprising the 54 members of the African Union. Indeed, during the June 2015 African Union Summit in Johannesburg leaders ambitiously insisted that the negotiations on goods and services for the establishment...

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African survey data point to robust growth

Amid all the carnage, in emerging markets and developed ones, it is nice to discover some good news. At least it is if it can genuinely be believed. Figures out on Monday suggested Africa’s headline sales managers’ index, broadly analogous to the purchasing managers’ indices widely followed elsewhere, rose to a 28-month high in August. The index ticked up to 60.2, from 59.3 in July, on a scale where 50 is the dividing line between an...

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Facebook and Airtel are trying to win Africa’s next generation of internet users

It is no secret that Bharti Airtel’s African adventure has not quite gone to plan. But the Indian-based company and the world’s third largest mobile carrier may have found an ace up its sleeve to help spur the company’s business on the continent: Partnering with Facebook. “We have a strong partnership with Airtel and we continue to roll out internet.org with Airtel throughout Africa. With Airtel, we will be rolling it out in more countries after...

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FOREX Africa: A Weaker Chinese Economy Could Destabilize SADC Countries

Concerns of a slowdown in China, the world’s second largest economy and Africa’s top trade partner, after the Asian giant devalued its currency by 2 percent a fortnight ago has seen markets across the world retreat to multi-year lows.In Africa, where most economies rely heavily on sale of commodities, currencies have been hit or are expected to be hurt by the slowdown in China’s growth, a major buyer of raw material from sub-Saharan Africa. South...

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Southern Africa: Zuma Arrives in Botswana for SADC Summit

President Jacob Zuma arrived in Gaborone, Botswana on Sunday ahead of the 35th Ordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit, the presidency said. The summit runs from Sunday to Tuesday, under the theme of accelerating industrialisation of the bloc's economies, through transformation of natural endowment and improved human capital, spokesperson Bongani Majola said in a statement. "President Zuma is accompanied...

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Southern Africa: Zuma Arrives in Botswana for SADC Summit

President Jacob Zuma arrived in Gaborone, Botswana on Sunday ahead of the 35th Ordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit, the presidency said.The summit runs from Sunday to Tuesday, under the theme of accelerating industrialisation of the bloc's economies, through transformation of natural endowment and improved human capital, spokesperson Bongani Majola said in a statement. "President Zuma is accompanied by...

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WHO Declares Africa Free Of 'Wild' Cases of Polio

Chalk up a major win for global health: according to the World Health Organization, Africa has been free of wild cases of Polio since July. This comes down to a dedicated vaccination campaign that has advanced the continent towards zero cases.This news doesn’t mean that the continent is completely free if the disease. Africa is still a little ways from zero cases: WHO reports that there’s still some ongoing work in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia,...

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South African black doll breaks the mould in high style

She is black and trendy, and young South African girls are learning to love her. Meet Momppy Mpoppy, who is a step ahead of other black dolls across Africa who are often dressed in traditional ethnic clothes. Decked out in the latest fashions and sporting an impressive afro, complete with a tiara, Momppy could play her own small part in changing the way that black children look at themselves. Maite Makgoba, founder of Childish Trading...

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Austin-based nonprofit changing lives in Africa

Despite our drought restrictions in Central Texas, water is still not that hard to come by. In other parts of the world however, it’s a much different situation.But local organization Well Aware is trying to change that. Well Aware is an Austin-based nonprofit that funds and implements clean water systems for impoverished communities in Africa. Sarah Evans and her team just returned from a trip to Kenya, where they put in their 26th high-yielding...

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UAE workers and companies build bridges to Africa

Gary Robinson is flushed with success. In his recent business trip to Nairobi, he oversaw his company’s first foray into bridging the markets of China and Africa, using the UAE as its base. As the international events director of MIE Events in Dubai, Mr Robinson was part of the team behind China Trade Week last month. At the promotion, hundreds of Chinese manufacturers exhibited in Kenya’s capital as they searched for local partners to help...

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African collaboration helps future leaders master public policy

A new master’s degree that will be offered by 12 universities across Africa aims to develop the continent’s next generation of public policy leaders.The master’s in research and public policy will give aspiring and practising development professionals an understanding of the common challenges confronting countries across the continent, such as education, poverty and HIV/Aids, while training them in global social policy concepts. The qualification,...

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Europe, Asia? No - Airbnb's next big push is in Africa

Airbnb, the world's leading service to rent out rooms or properties over the Internet, has announced plans to rapidly accelerate its growth in Africa, particularly in key markets such as Kenya and South Africa. The service has already seen its listings more than double in the continent in the last year, while the number of users in the region has increased by 145%. Now, the San Francisco-based company want to capture an even bigger share of...

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Africa moves a step closer to polio eradication, but more work to be done – UN

Africa has made great strides towards eradicating polio but the job remains to be finished through strengthened immunization campaigns and surveillance measures, according to the United Nations. Observing yesterday the one year mark since the last case of wild polio was confirmed on the African continent, the world body has recalled that despite such laudatory progress, the milestone could not yet be considered “official” by the Organization’s...

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Djibouti: Mogadishu’s SIMAD University Activities Strengthening Local Economies

Public Diplomacy and Regional Infrastructure Initiative News. A new Somalia is emerging,” believes Ahmed Tall, a business and accountancy lecturer at Mogadishu’s SIMAD University. The former Federal Minister, Farah Abdulkadir visited Mogadishu’s SIMAD University, and congratulated the new facilities, Council members and expressed the importance of higher education in Somalia, and he added his statement, “Mogadishu activities strengthens the...

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