Índex per 2023-11-08 a Star

INTERNATIONAL companies are finding South Africa competitive for Global Business Services (GBS), Ebrahim Patel, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, said in Cape Town yesterday. South Africa has positioned itself at the centre of the global consolidated enterprise end-to-end business services owing to its fully developed telecoms ecosystem, top-notch customer service and price competitiveness compared to Asian competitors. Patel commented during the ongoing Business Process Enabling South Africa GBS Conference that a large European company was considering locating to South Africa this year. “In September this year, I met with a large company in Europe that is considering locating to South Africa,” Patel said. This would add to other global car and manufacturing companies that had digital hubs in South Africa. The government was providing incentives and…

NAMIBIA began construction on Monday of Africa’s first decarbonised iron plant to be powered exclusively by green hydrogen, the country’s investment promotion body said. Steelmaking is one of the most polluting industries in the world and the industry is seeking to shift away from coal-fired plants towards the use of decarbonised iron. The Oshivela project in western Namibia is backed by the German federal government, which has injected €13 million (R255bn), and would use renewable energy to generate 15 000 tons of iron per year with no carbon emissions, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board said in a statement. Namibia last year became the first African country to sign an agreement with the EU to supply the bloc with green hydrogen and minerals needed for clean…

SIRIUS Real Estate, listed owner of branded business and light industrial parks in Germany and the UK, said yesterday that it had disposed of Maintal industrial park at a premium to book value and had made acquisitions in North London in terms of its asset recycle programme. The industrial park in Maintal, in Germany’s south-west Hesse region, had been notarised and was sold for €40.1 million, representing a net initial yield (NIY) of 5.7%. The disposal was at about 6% above the last reported book value. “The Maintal industrial park offered Sirius little potential for further value creation, however its strategic location made it attractive to the purchaser, a trend we have witnessed in past disposals of mature assets,” the group said in a statement. The BizSpace subsidiary acquired for…

SOUTH Africa’s economy is characterised by concentration of wealth and income and high levels of energy and overall poverty. A core element of just transition in the post-apartheid context aims to address this concentration and ensure restorative and distributive justice. As one way of progressing this ambition, the Just Transition Framework calls for affordable, decentralised, diversely owned renewable energy systems and for a broadening of ownership of productive assets in support of the just transition. Ownership relating to energy could apply across the value chain: from the raw material (such as coal), the power plant, the transmission and distribution infrastructure, associated industries (like component manufacturing), and shares in the respective companies. There are three main categories of ownership: State owned (national/municipal); privately owned; and socially owned. Within these broad models…

As the year-end fatigue starts weighing heavily on everyone, there is no better time to start unwinding than with a theatre show or two. And there are plenty of amazing offerings to consider, including family- riendly ones. Karatara First, let’s look at the new productions, one of which is the critically-acclaimed dance drama, Karatara. Fresh off a successful run in Cape Town, the production will be at the newly-refurbished Barney Simon Theatre at The Market Theatre from tomorrow to November 26. According to the press release, Karatara is a deeply personal inter- disciplinary dance-drama that deals with the loss of family, home, community and land. It looks at the complex racial and social politics of the area around the Karatara River and explores the role of the media. On October…

President Cyril Ramaphosa Ramaphosa has hailed the multimillion-rand expansion of Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) disposable diapers production line as a demonstration of confidence in the South African economy that will also increase the country’s trade with the continent under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). This comes as P&G yesterday launched a state-of-the-art production line of Pampers Premium Care in Kempton Park. Delivering a keynote address yesterday, Ramaphosa said P&G stood behind many brands that are household names in South Africa, such as Vicks, Old Spice, Gillette, Oral B, and Pampers, among others, and has a strong manufacturing footprint in the country. Ramaphosa said the government was working to expand and diversify the country’s manufacturing base and improve its competitiveness and dynamism in a bid to drive growth that…

The announcement of a public holiday by President Cyril Ramaphosa, following the Springbok’s triumphant World Cup win last week might have made all the headlines, however, it was the president’s statement on load shedding that caught the public’s attention. With the restoration of Kusile Unit 1, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the levels and frequency of load shedding were expected to improve during the fourth quarter and Eskom was on the right path to ending load shedding. But how true is this? Could South Africa soon overcome its energy crisis and end load shedding? Energy experts have urged South Africans to take the news with a pinch of salt. “The Eskom fleet does not respond to calls from politicians and promises for incentives,” said energy expert Lungile Mashele. “It responds to…

AFTER an extraordinary display of creativity and economic prowess by a multitude of enterprising women, the unveiling of the triumphant Top 3 powerhouse women has finally arrived. These remarkable winners captivated the judges and left an indelible mark on the competition, each taking away their share of prize money and mentorship worth over R1 million: Winner of the 2023 Womenpreneur – Her Perfect Pitch was Morongwe Mokone: Mo’s Crib. Mokone launched Mo’s Crib with a profound dedication to sustainability that permeates every aspect of the brand. Prioritising fair wages and safe working conditions for local artisans through ethical sourcing practices, they foster a strong sense of community and empowerment. By maintaining a transparent and ethical supply chain, they not only deliver exceptional homeware but also play an integral role in…

What Israel is doing in Gaza is not exercising its right to defend its citizens, as it says. It is exacting collective revenge against the civilian population of Palestine that will reverberate long after it withdraws its troops and stops the bombing. The fact that world leaders are too consumed by narrow geopolitical agendas to be able to agree on a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire is an abomination. Genocide is not a word to be loosely bandied about. In 1948, the same year that the State of Israel was established, the UN Genocide Convention defined genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”. It described five such acts, the presence of only one of which is…

THE dead body of a toddler is carried out of a bombed house. A woman weeps over a row of corpses wrapped in white. The latest casualties arrive in hospitals already overflowing with the wounded and displaced. People queue for hours to get a few litres of water to share with dozens of others. A month into Israel’s devastating military assault on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, Palestinians stuck inside the besieged enclave face daily suffering of a scale, intensity and repetitiveness that have pushed some into fury and despair. “I swear we are waiting for death. It will be better than living. We are waiting for death at each moment. It’s a suspended death,” said Abu Jihad, a middle-aged resident of Khan Younis in the south of the tiny, densely…

After yet another round of Premier League fixtures in which VAR played an unwitting lead role, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou perhaps hit the nail on the head after a riotous 4-1 home defeat against Chelsea on Monday. A manic derby featured nine VAR checks, five disallowed goals, two red cards and enough mayhem to fill a season in the 111 minutes the game took to complete. Two days earlier Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta railed against the match officials and VAR after Newcastle United’s winning goal was allowed to stand despite it being checked for three possible offences in the build-up. Disgraceful and embarrassing was Arteta’s opinion, but Postecoglou, while clearly not a fan of the technology, offered a more measured response after a tumultuous evening in north London that…

Uber yesterday commemorated its 10-year anniversary in South Africa, announcing the launch of e-Packaging UBER was confident that South Africa would come on board with an electric vehicles (EV) policy. It was a question of when, Kagiso Khaole, the general manager of Uber sub-Saharan Africa, said yesterday as he announced the ride-hailing platform had a global target of becoming a zero-emission platform by 2040. Khaole was speaking as Uber yesterday commemorated its 10-year anniversary in South Africa as the group announced the launch of its first electric mobility product, e-Packaging. This has big implications for thousands of South Africa Uber drivers who by that time will have to ditch fossil fuel run cars and move to EVs. In an interview, Khaole said to make this happen in South Africa a…

FITCH Ratings agency has warned that South Africa’s recent financial projections tabled during last week’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) could fail to materialise as a result of very high and continuously increasing public-sector wage bill, especially from pressure against consolidation in an election year. The ratings agency yesterday issued its response to the MTBPS tabled by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana which projected that the government’s debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) will rise higher to 77.7% in the fiscal year ending March 2026. Fitch’s associate director for sover- eigns, Thomas Garreau, said this was broadly in line with their own projections. However, Garreau said there was a significant risk that the government could fail to meet its ambitious fiscal targets as wage cost control is set to be particularly challenging. The…

GLOBAL wine production has fallen this year to its lowest level since 1961 as vineyards were pummelled by ex- treme weather events, the Internatio- nal Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) said yesterday. Output reached 244.1 million hectolitres, down 7% from last year, the intergovernmental body said as it presented its first estimates. “Once again, extreme climatic conditions – such as early frost, heavy rainfall, and drought – have signifi- cantly impacted the output of the world vineyard,” said the organisation, which provides data to grape and wine producing and consuming countries. A number of major producers in the southern hemisphere had signifi- cant drops in production. Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Brazil all saw output drop between 10% and 30%. Italy lost the title of top…

It’s been a whirlwind situation as far as the 29th South African Music Awards (Samas) is concerned. Last month, the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) announced that the event will return to the Zulu Kingdom after eight years but plans came to an abrupt halt when allegations arose that the KZN Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs department planned to splurge R28 million on the Samas. The department quickly pulled the plug on their involvement, leaving South Africa’s largest music event in limbo. After a few days of uncertainty, RiSA took to social media to announce that the awards will now be held at the SunBet Arena at Time Square, Menlyn Maine on November 18, in collaboration with Africa Fest. The caption on Instagram read: “OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Stronger together,…

Two Namibian nationals were remanded in custody after making a brief appearance yesterday at the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court in connection with the alleged housebreaking at the Phala Phala farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa, where hidden millions of dollars of foreign currency believed to be more than $580 000 were stolen from under Ramaphosa’s furniture. The suspects were arrested on Sunday and Monday on charges of housebreaking and theft. The accused central figure in the theft, Floriana Joseph, who was employed as a housekeeper at Ramaphosa’s game farm, and her partner in crime, Imanuwela David, are facing four counts of money laundering, conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal, theft, and housebreaking with intent to steal. National Director of Public Prosecutions State advocate Nkhetheni Munyai asked the court presided…

Ingredients 15ml sunflower oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves, crushed garlic 800g chicken mince, without skin 38g sachet Knorr Creamy garlic and Herb Potato Bake 1 egg, lightly beaten 60ml mayonnaise 60ml fresh parsley, chopped 1 lemon, zest only 180ml wholewheat breadcrumbs Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. In a bowl mix together the chicken mince, contents of the sachet of Knorr Garlic & Herb Potato Bake, egg, mayonnaise, parsley, lemon zest and breadcrumbs until well combined. Add the fried onion and garlic and mix well. Form the mixture into medium-sized patties and shallow fry in heated oil for about 4 minutes on each side, turning…

The multimillion-rand social housing units in Marabastad built by the government are struggling to attract qualifying tenants from people in the low-income brackets for Phase 2 of the project. This comes after the Housing Company Tshwane’s process of registering tenants in May this year failed to secure a sufficient number of eligible applicants, resulting in the City of Tshwane this week opening another round of applications. MMC for Human Settlements Ofentse Madzebatela said: “In May this year, Housing Company Tshwane, the City’s social housing entity, opened the Phase 2 application process. However, we did not receive enough qualifying applicants and have now reopened the application process.” The development is envisaged to have at least 1 200 mixed-housing units to accommodate people who fall between income brackets of between…

AFTER recently receiving an award alongside the multi-talented Nigerian artist Davido, Musa Keys intends to make this December in his hometown one to remember. Musa Makamu, better known by his stage name Musa Keys, has formally announced the dates of his first homecoming event, Detty December, which will be held in his hometown of Polokwane, Limpopo, over the holiday season. Speaking about the event, Keys mentioned his family and how it feels to be showcasing his talent on his home soil. “Having a strong family upbringing, nothing truly beats coming home for me. We have been blessed with a long and fruitful year of building the Musa Keys brand across the globe. “It feels so good to finally be back on home ground to celebrate with my entire city. “Honestly,…

BOTH President Cyril Ramaphosa and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan should take blame for the leadership within public entities. Surely their stability would spiral out of control to hinder the shift towards renewal and have destructive consequences for the country. It takes a lot of doing to get things right on a solid footing. Ramaphosa let Gordhan impose himself on the corporate governance affairs of these entities. Hence, many executives were rightly annoyed by Gordhan’s meddling in the operational activities. Needless to say, Eskom became enmeshed in an illegal intelligence-gathering assignment, whose funding hinges principally on the wrongful exercise of public power by Gordhan. Worse, Gordhan pulled a somersault by pussyfooting about his intimate knowledge of skulduggery, weighing the utility down to shield top-level perpetrators. Even the rascals know that…

King Charles set out the government’s plans on crime, climate, housing and other legislation yesterday in what could have been British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s first and last so-called King’s Speech before an election next year. Sunak used the event, when the monarch delivered a speech listing the government’s priorities for a new parliamentary session, to press on with what his team hoped would be vote-winning policies that he outlined earlier this year. Trying to create a dividing line between his governing Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party, which is way ahead in the polls, Sunak pressed on with watering down climate measures to reach Britain’s net zero goal by 2050. He is also driving his agenda to crack down on crime, introducing plans to expand the use of what…

Manchester United are in desperate need of a win at FC Copenhagen in the Champions League tonight as they battle to avoid an embarrassing group stage exit. The three-time European champions sneaked past the Danish side 1-0 at Old Trafford last month, thanks to a last-gasp penalty save from goalkeeper Andre Onana. Heavy defeats by Manchester City and Newcastle have since ramped up the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, which was only eased slightly by a 1-0 win at Fulham on Saturday. United are third in Group A, six points behind leaders Bayern Munich and one adrift of Galatasaray. If they fail to win in Copenhagen, Galatasaray could be in a position knock United out when the sides meet in Istanbul on November 29. Here, we look at what…

A win for Moroka Swallows or TS Galaxy in their league clash tonight will go a long way in keeping their top-eight aspirations alive. Swallows and Galaxy have had a relatively good start to their campaigns and are sixth and eighth in the standings. But to maintain that good start and improve on it, they’ll know that they’ll have to win, especially against those clubs vying for the same targets. Swallows’ improvements this season have largely been credited to coach Steve Komphela, as he seems to be getting the best out of the ‘bad boys’. On his arrival at the club this season, Komphela made a host of new signings, including Andile Jali, Gabadinho Mhango, Dumisani Zuma and Lantshene Phalane. All these players have had off-the-field incidents relating to going…

Glenn Maxwell’s stunning 201 not out guided Australia into the semi-finals of the World Cup as the five-time champions snatched a sensational three-wicket victory from the jaws of defeat against Afghanistan in Mumbai yesterday. At 91/7, chasing 292, Australia were all set to join title-holders England, 1996 champions Pakistan and 1992 winners Sri Lanka as yet another notable Afghanistan scalp at this World Cup. Crucially, however, recalled all-rounder Maxwell was dropped soon afterwards on 33 when Mujeeb Ur Rahman somehow floored a simple chance at short fine leg off fellow spinner Noor Ahmad. “It would’ve been nice if it was chanceless, I’ve lived a very charmed life out there,” said Maxwell, appropriately nicknamed “The Big Show”. He made Afghanistan pay with an astounding 128-ball innings featuring 21 fours and 10…

THE RAND softened yesterday as the recent risk optimism was tempered somewhat by weaker Chinese trade data and a bounce in the US dollar. The local currency eased by 0.2% to R18.41 by 5pm against the US dollar, from the previous close of R18.29/$1 on Monday. Markets were digesting data showing Chinese exports fell more than expected in October, clouding the demand outlook in the world’s top crude importer. Moreover, oil prices came under pressure recently, losing nearly 6% last week, amid growing optimism that the Israel-Hamas war could be prevented from spreading through the Middle East and disrupt oil supply from the region. The price of Brent Crude fell to a 10-week low of $78 per barrel yesterday after rising slightly on Monday as top crude producers Saudi Arabia…

MTN GROUP, the mobile operator with 290 million subscribers in 19 markets, lifted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) by 11.2% in the nine months to September 30. The pan-African group said in a quarterly update that the Ebitda margin, however, was 43.2% year-to-date slightly lower than 44.2% at the same time last year, impacted by upward costs due to inflation and forex depreciation, network resilience costs in MTN SA, and the impact from the conflict in Sudan. These factors were partially mitigated by an expense programme that saw “sustainable cost savings of R1.5 billion and saw the group reach its target for 2023. MTN’s share price closed 1.54% lower at R95.50 on the JSE yesterday, in line with the decline by 2.1% of the JSE…

THE ESKOM 2023 annual financial results are out. Eskom suffered major losses due to reduced demand for electricity and increased costs. Eskom incurred massive revenue losses due to rolling blackouts and load shedding. The results briefing was attended by the interim chairperson, Mteto Nyati, the acting group CEO, Calib Cassim and Eskom’s acting chief financial officer, Martin Buys, together with Eskom executives and the board. Mpho Makwana was absent at the briefing because his last day at Eskom was on October 30. The annual results delivered by the team were late and delivered seven months into the new financial year. Eskom’s year-end results were marked by a disappointing period for Eskom, the State-owned enterprise, experienced a huge decline in operational and financial performance compounded by increasing operational expenses and overall…

Media personality and television presenter Somizi Mhlongo has taken to social media to reflect on his journey with Idols SA since joining the show in 2015. When Mhlongo joined, he became the fourth judge alongside veterans Randall Abrahams, Unathi Msengana and Gareth Cliff – they all eventually left at different times with Mhlongo joining a new judging panel. Since joining Idols SA, he has won the hearts of millions of people. In 2021, Mhlongo vacated his judge’s seat after allegations of abuse levelled against him by his estranged ex-husband, Mohale Motaung. In that time, M-Net and Mhlongo met to discuss his role on Idols SA in light of the allegations against him and reached a mutual agreement that he would take some time off to deal with his personal circumstances.…

Police Minister Bheki Cele has not ruled out the possibility of an inside job after Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and her VIP protectors were robbed of firearms and cellphones while changing a tyre that had punctured. The incident happened on the N3 between Vosloorus and Heidelberg on Monday morning. It is reported that Chikunga, in the company of her brother and VIP protectors, was travelling from Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal. Cele said criminals have become so brazen that not even politicians and ministers have become immune to their attacks. “When the car was spiked, the minister drove for about 4km to change their tyres. As they were finishing, they were approached by four armed guys who ordered everyone to sleep on their stomachs. We are thankful that nobody lost their lives as…

The National Department of Basic Education (DBE) says it has received numerous complaints over the use of the term “Mandatory Palestine” in a question in the Grade 12 maths literacy Paper 1 that was written on Friday. The question states: “Timothy will fly from the US to Mandatory Palestine to play in a tournament. Before he leaves, he wants to exchange $2 580 for new Israeli shekel (NIS). The currency used in Mandatory Palestine is the new Israeli shekel (NIS).” The Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA) said it was of concern that the messaging in the exam paper undermined the dignity of the Palestinian people and legitimised the illegal military occupation of Palestine. “This term was used by Britain as the colonial power in its subjugation of the Palestinian people. A…

Doctor Nandipha Magudumana’s bail appeal application in the Thabo Bester prison escape case was dismissed in the High Court in Bloemfontein yesterday. This comes after Magudumana’s legal representative approached the Supreme Court of Appeal to challenge the outcome of the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court which denied her bail. During her bail application in September, the court had found her to be a flight risk and said she had demonstrated she had the “necessary means” and “know how to leave the country” after she was arrested in Tanzania in the company of her lover, convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester. Bester faked his death at the Mangaung Correctional Centre and escaped in May 2022. The court held that Magudumana was the main role player in Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre…

Hennessy, the world’s leading cognac brand, revealed a first-of-its-kind rooftop basketball court at 73 Juta Street, Braamfontein, on Saturday. By launching South Africa’s first 3v3 rooftop basketball court in an integral district for urban culture, Hennessy is adding to the game by celebrating basketball culture and embracing the culture that is born off the court. In partnership with renowned artist Seth Pimentel, aka African Ginger, and Play Braamfontein, the property development company behind much of the rejuvenation of the inner-city district, the project brought an artistic vision to life that is inspired by the timeless African sunset. Much like Hennessy, the artwork on the court represents a seamless blend of heritage and modern urban culture, merging to create something exceptional. Commenting on the vision, Pimentel said: “I wanted to quantify…

The Global TB Report for 2023 was released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday. This is the first report post the acute phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was previously shown to negatively impact tuberculosis services and patient outcomes. An estimated 10.6 million people globally fell ill with TB last year (5.8 million men, 3.5 million women and 1.3 million children) and 1.3 million died from TB. The report estimates that Covid-19 resulted in half a million excess deaths from TB from 2020 to 2022. More than 80% of the people who died were HIV-negative and lived in the African and South-East Asian regions, with India contributing to 29% of the deaths. Of the 10.6 million with TB, only 7.5 million were diagnosed, meaning that 3.1 million of…

South Africa’s Zander Lombard is determined to use his experience of leading the Nedbank Golf Challenge (NGC) in 2019 as he prepares for another shot at ‘Africa’s Major’ at the Gary Player Country Club this week. Lombard was delighted to be back at Sun City on Tuesday for an event that boasts a stellar 66-man field this year, including defending champion Tommy Fleetwood; Major winners Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari and Justin Thomas; and Ryder Cup stars Max Homa, Nicolai Hojgaard and Robert MacIntyre, as well as a host of other DP World Tour winners. “It’s great to be back,” said Lombard. “It’s always a special week with friends and family that come to support. That’s what you play golf for. “It’s great to have a few of the PGA Tour…

The Bulls scored eight tries against Zebre on Saturday, but arguably the finest of them all was the one finished off by new wing Sergeal Petersen. The move started with a clever line-out move about 10m outside the Zebre 22, where hooker Akker van der Merwe threw a short ball to prop Simphiwe Matanzima and then charged up the touchline himself. A loose offload by Van der Merwe went nearly 10m backwards, but soon enough, Petersen regained momentum with a dancing run up the middle. What followed was the continuity and pace that Jake White wants to see from his team in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season, with some classy carries and offloads from the likes of Stedman Gans, Sebastian de Klerk, Zak Burger and co-captain Ruan Nortjé,…

Evan Roos’s growth as a rugby player will be heightened by playing at blindside flank. That was the word from Stormers assistant coach Labeeb Levy yesterday ahead of Saturday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against Benetton. Kick-off is at 5pm. Springbok loose forward Roos has been a specialist No 8 for most of his career, but lined up in the No 7 jersey in last Friday’s 20-9 defeat to the Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium. And while some critics have opted to focus on his ill-timed yellow card – for tackling Glasgow flank Matt Fagerson off the ball after a scuffle – Roos was prominent with his powerful carries up the middle on attack, while he got through a fair share of defensive work as well. Having missed out on…