Table of contents for 2023-08-24 in Star

Statistics South Africa says that inflation was well below the SARS’ upper limit CONSUMER prices in South Africa continued to cool on lower fuel and food prices, retreating to a two-year low of 4.7% in July from 5.4% in June and came in lower than expected. However, the drop might be temporary, analysts yesterday warned. Headline inflation was well below the upper limit of the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) monetary policy target range of between 3% to 6% and came in below the Bloomberg market consensus of 4.9% year-on-year. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday said the consumer price inflation (CPI) increased, on average, by 0.9% between June 2023 and July 2023 – up from the monthly rise of 0.2% recorded in both May and June. StatsSA chief director…

Leslie Maasdorp, the New Development Bank (NDB) vice-president and chief financial officer told Business Report on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg that the bank was looking at issuing a further R500 million bond this year, but the size and tenor would depend on market conditions in September and October. “We have an annual funding plan and this year we are looking at issuing $6 billion (R113bn) in total, a quarter of which will be in yuan. 2022 was a tough year and we are no longer lending to Russia due to the sanctions, with which we are fully compliant. We issued $1.25 billion in US dollars in April and the equivalent of $1.3 billion in yuan, so we still need to issue more bonds to meet…

ADCOCK Ingram Holdings, the pharmaceutical and healthcare products group, lifted its dividend 17% to 250 cents a share in the year to June 30 and its board remains confident in the resilience of their brands. Despite a challenging economic environment of currency weakness and volatility, poor economic growth and increasing pressure on consumer disposable income, the group achieved a healthy financial and operational performance in the past financial year, the board said yesterday in the results. The group, which owns numerous brands including Betadine, Citro soda, Corenza, Gummy Vites, among others, purchased 9.2 million of its own shares during the year, at an average R51.16 each, resulting in a cash outflow of R472.1 million. Adcock’s management also welcomed a recent “top-up” single exit price adjustment of 1.73%,…

THE BRICS MECHANISM inspires more countries to come together and work towards a more just and inclusive world order, says Kenneth Creamer, a senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand. Since its inception, the BRICS countries have been committed to improving trade and co-operation, and have successfully achieved this goal, Creamer said in an interview. In recent years, BRICS countries have been upholding the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win co-operation to strengthen trade and co-operation, which will help promote economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic. “It has played an important role in improving the economic growth and employment levels of the BRICS countries,” said Creamer, who is also a member of South Africa’s presidential economic advisory council. “President Xi Jinping’s attendance at the BRICS leaders’ meeting and…

The South African SME Tech Index 2023 research, conducted by World Wide Worx on behalf of total workspace solutions provider Nashua, highlights a significant gap in the effectiveness of technology use between male and female business owners. But it also suggests that female-owned businesses have turned diversity into a competitive advantage. The headline finding is that 63% of the 303 SMEs surveyed are making effective use of technology. But whereas 72% of male-led businesses reported effective or very effective use of technology, only 56% of female-led businesses did. This reveals a significant gender disparity in access to technology. What is fascinating to note is that female-owned businesses in our sample outperform male-owned businesses when it comes to revenue growth while 62% of female-owned businesses reported growth in the past 12…

Members of BRICS would continue discussions on ways to boost the use of national currencies in trade and investment, President Cyril Ramaphosa said yesterday. “We will continue discussions on practical measures to facilitate trade and investment flows through the increased use of local currencies,’ Ramaphosa said during the BRICS summit. He added that further discussions on the issue would have to continue, in particular, at the level of finance ministers of the BRICS countries. The president also emphasised the necessity of contributing to the development of the countries of the Global South region. “BRICS nations need to advance the interests of the Global South and call for industrialised countries to honour their commitments to support climate actions by developing economic progress,” Ramaphosa said. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva…

Generations: The Legacy scriptwriters are about to shake things up with the re-introduction of two fan favourites and a newcomer. Connie Ferguson and Rapulana Seiphemo, who played the popular historic characters, Karabo Moroka and Tau Mogale, will reprise their roles on the soapie. And it will be for a while. Acclaimed actor Aubrey Poo will also make his debut on the SABC1 long-running show, as Khumo Moroka, a high-powered scion. Poo will bring a wealth of experience to the show, having starred in TV productions like Muvhango and The Estate and in stage productions such as Orpheus In Africa and James Ngcobo’s Paradise Blue. “He is a perfect fit for the role. Khumo is a high-powered scion of the Moroka family, responsible for running their mining operations. “Aubrey’s ability to…

Pioneering TV news broadcaster Derek Watts has died after a brave battle with cancer. He was indeed a trailblazer. The world of journalism in Africa has sadly lost a pillar of professionalism, daring courage and absolute integrity. Derek spoke truth to power. He never flinched when questioning the most powerful leaders in our land. He was a breathtaking example of bravery and truth. There is a void in our world without him. He was a quintessential South African TV journalist. His name is synonymous with Carte Blanche and he was vital to the network’s popularity. Investigative journalism has lost a media superstar. In his multitude of news breaking interviews he understood human triumph and frailty equally well. We in the media will remember him as a fearless and master interviewer.…

Health Minister Joe Phaahla has welcomed the guilty plea and sentencing of the six men accused of killing Babita Deokaran. Phaahla called on the police to continue with investigations into who ordered the hit on the Department of Health financial accountant’s life. “We expect the criminal justice authorities to stop at nothing until the masterminds are brought to book,” he said. “Corruption is one of the greatest obstacles to the country’s growth and development, and it has a negative effect on the state’s ability to provide good quality, efficient and safe health services and is demoralising to our health-care workforce.” He was speaking just hours after the men were handed prison sentences ranging from six to 22 years. Phaahla said the plea bargain must not be the end of the…

MAHINDRA has clearly been spending a lot of time in the planning and design studios the past few months, and it showed at a global event in Cape Town, where it unveiled its ambitious plans to increase its global presence, known as Futurescape. Outside India, South Africa is its biggest market, so it made sense that it hosted it locally with journalists, celebrities, and Mahinda senior executives in a spectacular dome erected on Lourensford Estate in Somerset West. There was a lot happening but for bakkie-mad South Africans, the biggest news was the unveiling of the new Global Concept Pik Up, as yet unnamed but code-named Z121. Mahindra’s bakkies feature well on the monthly sales charts, and it was at pains to explain it would be an addition to the…

IN the game of football, where comparisons are always inevitable, Jose Riveiro’s Orlando Pirates have an eight-goal deficit on their predecessors from a decade ago, if they hope to at least emulate Roger de Sa’s men in the Champions League. Ten years ago, when they reached the final of the continent’s premier club knockout competition only to lose 3-1 on aggregate to Al Ahly, Pirates kick-started their campaign with a preliminary tie against Djabal Club d’Iconi of the Comoros. Captain Lucky Lekgwathi and his teammates were ruthless in their demolition of the islanders, the Buccaneers winning 5-0 at home and 4-0 on the road for a 9-0 aggregate victory that set them on the road to the final. And so, when the current Pirates were drawn to face Djabal, the…

Richards Bay FC 0 Mamelodi Sundowns (1) 1 Mendieta 11 A solitary strike by Junior Mendieta was enough to see Sundowns overcome Richards Bay by the narrowest of margins at King Zwelithini Stadium yesterday. The victory saw the Brazilians open their 2023/24 Premiership campaign with five consecutive wins for the first time in the club’s history. Richards Bay’s search for their first win continued after a third loss in four matches. Close-season acquisition Mendieta finally announced his arrival at Sundowns as he showed brilliance when combining with fellow South American Lucas Ribeiro for the opening goal. The Argentinian back-heeled a pass to Ribeiro before setting off on a run into the box and his counterpart made no mistake in finding him with a delightful through ball for Mendieta to slot…

FOR SASOL, an initial and major cost of its strategy to decarbonise was the more than R35 billion impairment on its coal-to-liquid fuels operations in the year to June 30. Chief financial officer Hanré Rossouw said the decision behind the impairment and resultant impact on group profitability, was their commitment, planning and changes in production, with associated reductions in output, that would be required to meet the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 and to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act. Sasol’s energy reduction roadmap (ERR) involves the turning down of boilers, implementing energy efficiency projects, reducing coal usage and integrating 1 200MW of renewable energy into its operations by 2030. With no significant additional gas to restore…

SHARES in DRDGold, described by chief finance officer Riaan Davel as one of the best performing stocks on the JSE, inched up by 5% yesterday after the company raised earnings and declared a dividend for the full year to end June in spite of lower production. DRDGold had mixed fortunes over the year under review, with stronger performance in the second half year at some of its operations. However, the company, whose stock has performed 71.7% stronger on the JSE in the year to date, was propped up by stronger rand gold prices, higher recoveries at some operations and firmer investment into its production processes. Yesterday, after the release of its full year financials to end June, DRDGold shares closed 8.64% stronger at R19.50 on the JSE. Davel said the…

RMH, THE PROPERTY company in the process of monetising its assets, said yesterday it had sold a 33% stake in Milanick Properties for R50 million. RMH’s 100% owned subsidiary RMH Property Holdco 4 (RMH4), owns 50% of Integer Properties 3, which in turn owned 33.3% of Milanick Properties. The shareholding was sold to Milanick’s existing shareholders. Integer would apply the proceeds towards repaying RMH4 a portion of the disproportionate shareholder loan account. RMH said this was a “positive move toward unlocking value for shareholders in terms of the RMH monetisation strategy”. Earlier this year it was in a dispute with some of its minority shareholders following the disposal of its investment in Atterbury Europe. For the year to March 31, RMH’s net assets fell to R1.42 billion…

THE RATE OF digital adoption in South Africa has rapidly accelerated in recent years. Today, more than 72% of the population uses the internet, which equates to an estimated 43.48 million internet users. With more of the local population adopting digital platforms for working, shopping and playing, small businesses have a golden opportunity to cash in by strengthening their online presence. Why go digital? The saying “location, location, location” has been used, particularly in the retail industry, as a way to emphasise the importance of choosing the right geographical position for a business. The same applies in the digital world. Brands and businesses need to position themselves in the digital spaces their target audience is using for research, infotainment, entertainment and social networking. In this way, small businesses can transcend…

IN AN ERA marked by globalisation and interconnected economies, South Africa’s small businesses are finding unprecedented opportunities for growth and expansion through their involvement with BRICS. As the founder of Kuba Technologies, an ecosystem builder committed to digitising and supporting small business owners, I strongly believe that BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is a vital catalyst for the prosperity of South African small businesses. This alliance offers a multitude of benefits that can transform the landscape for these budding entrepreneurs. These are: 1. Access to Diverse Markets: One of the most significant advantages of South Africa’s participation in BRICS is access to a combined market of more than 3.6 billion people. The BRICS countries represent a wide spectrum of consumer preferences and demands. For small…

THE BRICS Business Council has identified tariff barriers, non-tariff measures and regulatory complexities as the main stumbling blocks that prevent the full realisation of trade and investment among these emerging economies. Tabling the group’s annual report yesterday, global chairperson of the BRICS Business Council, Busi Mabuza, read out an agreed joint statement on trade and investment. Mabuza said the statement was a testament to the bloc’s commitment to reducing barriers, improving trade facilitation and promoting investments among the BRICS nations. She said through this agreement, they collectively pledged to drive trade and investment promotion across all sectors, to contribute to the fair-trade balance and inclusive trade practices, while encouraging investment flows that benefit all BRICS economies. “We have witnessed an upward trajectory in growth in trade volumes and investments among…

The inaugural Trace Awards in Africa has revealed its nominees, showcasing a diverse array of talent from the African music scene. Set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda on October 1, the event aims to celebrate and honour the creative contributions of African and Afro-inspired musicians. South African musicians have garnered multiple nominations, with K.O, Kabza da Small, Pabi Cooper, DJ Maphorisa, Robot Boii and Musa Keys among those recognised. K.O stands out with three nominations, including Best Male, Song of the Year and Best Collaboration. Musa Keys has secured two nominations for Best Live and Best Collaboration. Blxckie is nominated for Best Music Video while Pabi Cooper is acknowledged for Best Newcomer. Uncle Waffles is nominated in the Best DJ category. Additionally, the legendary Bishop Benjamin Dube has received…

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has expressed concern about the recent suicides and suicide attempts at Tsakane Secondary School. A parents’ meeting will be held on Sunday at the school. This comes after the Gauteng Department of Education announced that there was an incident where two girls, one in Grade 8 and another in Grade 12, allegedly consumed poison at their homes and died on August 7 and August 8. Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said that after the girls’ deaths were reported, a Grade 8 boy brought poison to the school on August 8 and consumed it in front of other learners. “This learner was rushed to a local medical facility and is recovering,” Mabona said, adding that two other learners, a girl and a boy, also allegedly consumed poison…

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says there are no conditions attached to China's electricity equipment donations to South Africa. Yesterday, on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre, the minister confirmed that he had signed a raft of agreements with China in a bid to overcome South Africa’s energy crisis, which has seen the country undergo unprecedented levels of load shedding in recent months. Ramokgopa said the Joint Memorandum of Co-operation with China would be beneficial to the people of South Africa, adding that it was signed with eight Chinese leaders in the energy sector. He said China was the ideal partner, as it had moved quickly to improve its power transmission grid network and generation capacity, and that its renewable energy plants were some of…

A BLAME GAME has ensued between the City of Tshwane and the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) as the “unlawful” strike by staff affiliated to the organisation enters its fifth week. The metro and two unions, including Samwu and the Independent Municipal and Allied Union (Imatu), met the Local Government Collective Bargaining Council yesterday. However, the meeting stalled due new arguments being introduced by Samwu. The municipality seeking an exemption for proposed pay increases has plunged the City into disarray for more than a month due to striking employees who are demanding a 5.4% increase. The exemption application was heard by senior commissioner Eleanor Hambidge yesterday, who requested 24 hours to rule on the matter. She further said that if Samwu’s application was dismissed, parties would have to reconvene…

After chart-topping reviews shared on social media, the adult entertainment show This Body Works For Me is now streaming on Showmax, bringing more captivating content to viewers. In the first episode of season 2, viewers will anticipate the original gangsters (OGs) Xoli Mfeka, Bubbly, Gina, Primadonna, and Wandi Ndlovu, as well as newcomers Diamond, Dione Xanthe and Lebo. Adult digital content creator Xanthe, who made an appearance in season 1 as Primadonna’s friend, said she hopes that her story will resonate with survivors of abuse. “My life has not always been easy. The things I have gone through should have broken me, but I am still standing, and that should be a lesson for other people.” Speaking about the show, the reality star, who is also a stripper from Alexandra,…

Do you have what it takes to compete in this year’s Fortuner Challenge and drive away with a new Toyota Fortuner? If you’re any good at offroad driving, running, cycling, navigational challenges, watersports and can keep a cool head under pressure while solving problems and building puzzles then this is for you. In short you need to be good at speed, endurance, mental and physical problem solving. Following the same recipe as previous years, four heroes will be teamed up with four contestants from different media houses including Independent Newspapers. Over two days each team competes in various tough challenges and at the end of it, points are tallied to see who gets the key to the Fortuner also fitted with Thule racks, a Thule Chasm luggage set and a…

Lawyers for former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa have started legal action against Formula One bosses and the governing FIA seeking damages resulting from an alleged “conspiracy” that denied him the 2008 championship. A formal eight-page Letter Before Claim, seen by Reuters, was sent to Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali and Paris-based FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on August 15. Such a letter is a required formal legal notice before court proceedings. London-based Enyo Law said Brazilian Massa, now 42, had been “the victim of a conspiracy committed by individuals at the highest level of F1 together with the FIA and Formula One Management”. It said Massa had lost out on tens of millions of euros in lost earnings and bonuses as a result of another driver’s deliberate crash at the…

IT is about time that Kaizer Chiefs “supporters” are made to really pay for their disgusting, thuggish behaviour of throwing missiles at their coaches whenever they are unhappy with a result. Season after season, the club has had to pay fines after being found guilty for their fans bringing the Premiership into disrepute via expressing their anger at defeat in unsporting ways. Chiefs have the responsibility to ensure their supporters are well behaved, and fining them is thus also relevant. Premier Soccer League (PSL) prosecutor Zola Majavu must be tired of it all. There is no doubt that he has lost count of the number of times he has had to convene a disciplinary hearing involving Amakhosi for the bad behaviour of their fans – and he has to send…

SOUTH Africa continues to be a bene- factor of China’s largesse as the second- largest economy in the world has agreed to assist South Africa to improve its ageing coal-fired electricity generation units and expand its transmission lines. Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa signed a joint memorandum of co-operation with eight Chinese entities yesterday as part of the country’s continued efforts to strengthen partnerships to advance energy security and energy transition. The signing took place on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. Eskom’s power generation from fossil fuels releases pollutant emissions that include sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and particulate matter. The requirements of the Minimum Emission Standards mean that Eskom has to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and that means burning less coal, which could lead…

GUIDED by robust gold production that came in largely in line with guidance and mixed with stronger recovery grades, South African gold producer Harmony Gold said yesterday it was anticipating revenues and earnings per share to be significantly higher for the year ending June 2023. Earnings per share in the company are expected to lift from a loss per share of 172 cents in 2022 to between 763c and 798c for the period under review. Headline earnings per share are expected to also be firmer by between 50% and 70% at between 747c and 850c. Peter Steenkamp, the CEO for Harmony, said in a trading update yesterday that the period under review saw Harmony meet “the upper end of our production guidance” of 1.4 to 1.5 million ounces. This…

THE 15TH BRICS Summit in Johannesburg has attracted widespread media attention with 1 356 media people being accredited. What is somewhat surprising is the interest shown by media from outside the BRICS grouping. Samira Othman from the Swedish Broadcast Radio said she was interested to see whether the expansion in the BRICS grouping would be approved at this summit. If not, she was hoping to see some clarity on the way forward. Kserija Jelesijevic from Serbia reporting for Russia Today Balkan said her focus was on how BRICS would promote multilateralism through a reform of the UN Security Council and whether other countries would join BRICS. She was, however, disappointed with the lack of help that the media liaison provided as she wanted to interview South African politicians to…

Several additional member countries who will join the BRICS bloc will be announced today at the BRICS summit, according to Stavros Nicolaou, the head of the BRICS Business Council. Speaking to Business Report yesterday, Nicolaou said these countries were not members, but would become from today. “I suspect there might be an African country that would join,” he said. The BRICS summit, which ends today, is where the BRICS group of major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – meet. According to Nicolaou, the continental free trade topic was one of the areas of focus of the BRICS discussions. “Building that bridge between the free trade area and BRICS is relevant. The relevance of that is that Africa is very much a frontier for the…

Tributes are pouring in for legendary broadcaster Derek Watts, who lost his battle with cancer, on Tuesday. Best known for his work on Carte Blanche for 35 years, Watts was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2022 , which later spread to his lungs. In April, Watts was hospitalised with severe sepsis. “Morning! Looks scary but collapsed with suspected stroke in Hoedspruit 14 days ago and despatched to super pro Mill Park Hospital ICU. Diagnosed severe Sepsis which destroyed the bod in an hour! So learning to walk again,” he tweeted at the time. The news of his death was confirmed in a statement on the official pages of Carte Blanche. “It is with profound sadness that we confirm the passing of ‘Carte Blanche’ anchor and icon, Derek Watts,” read the…

Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda will face a motion of no confidence next week. The motion was tabled by ActionSA, which has accused council speaker Colleen Makhubele of protecting the “fragile ANC-EFF coalition”. Nobuhle Mthembu, the caucus leader in the city, said the council’s programming committee had tabled ActionSA’s motion of no confidence against Gwamanda on Tuesday. The motion would be tabled at the next ordinary council meeting, set to take place on August 31. “Since his election three months ago, ActionSA has maintained that Gwamanda is a puppet mayor who faces criminal charges for running a dodgy funeral scheme and is there to do the bidding of the ANC-EFF coalition,” Mthembu said. She said this has been proven by a series of telling incidents that contributed to frosty relations…

OPRAH Winfrey once said the world’s most prominent women leaders show the importance of honesty, courage, impact, and decisive action in leadership. One such woman is Julia Modise, who has more than 23 years of experience in human resources (HR) and over 13 years in HR leadership. Her current role as the BMW Group South Africa’s Human Resources director has allowed her to implement many initiatives that have enabled her to attract and maintain top-performing talent, win employer choice awards and enforce operational excellence. The heart of any successful business is its people, she says – if enough people are not motivated and inspired to do their job and do it well, it puts the business at large at risk. Modise’s love for people is what drew her to…

CITY of Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink has welcomed the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) call to end the wage increase strike by urging striking members to return to work. However, he said that the call to return to work had come too late as the damage was already done due to a five-week unprotected and violent strike. “Our residents have suffered numerous service delivery interruptions. Furthermore, the reality is that on the ground the strike is not over. “We are still seeing so-called go-slows and significant work stoppages by employees who still refuse to follow work instructions. “There are also ongoing acts of violence and intimidation directed at staff and service providers,” Brink said. He encouraged Samwu’s leadership to further engage with their members to ensure that the no strike…

MAMELODI businessman Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela is, according to his family, a good person, an excellent family man and a person who will never resort to violence. This is according to a social worker who presented her report regarding Mathibela’s personal circumstances to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday, ahead of sentencing for him and his three co-accused over the 2015 killing of billionaire Wandile Bozwana. Both Mathibela and his family pleaded for mercy from Judge Papi Mosopa. His family said that they would welcome him home with open arms and will take care of him. Mathibela, 36, was more than a year ago convicted of Bozwana’s murder and the attempted murder of his business partner, Mpho Baloyi. He and his co-accused, Sipho Hudla, Matamela Robert Mutapa and Bonginkosi…

THE iconic Union Buildings have been named among the 20 most beautiful stately homes in the world. Many visitors who came to admire South Africa’s seat of executive power posted glowing reviews on social media. Visitors who raved about the stately home posted more than 187 times on Instagram, according to a UK-based company called Swift Direct Blinds. In addition, the research showed that since June 2021, online searches for the Union Buildings have increased by 2.88%. The research used a combination of reviews, search and social data posted by visitors to different stately homes. The Union Buildings garnered 26.31% reviews for their unique beauty, placing them 16th among the beautiful stately homes globally. Designed by Sir Herbert Baker in 1908, the building was initially meant to house the entire…

“Used to have a little, now I have a lot. No matter where I go, I know where I came from.” These Jennifer Lopez lyrics from two decades ago could well describe what Suzuki Auto South Africa has achieved in our market in recent years. In a relatively short space of time, the importer has gone from being a small player in the local market to the third biggest brand overall, behind Volkswagen and Toyota. And, as J.Lo might say, this Japanese brand still seems to know where it came from. While many other popular and mainstream brands are slowly pricing themselves out of contention, Suzuki continues to flood the market with cars and SUVs that are largely within reach of the average car buyer. And they have certainly been…

Wayde van Niekerk is fully aware that he will need to vastly improve today if he is to challenge in the final of the 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. It was an anxious wait on Tuesday night for the 31-year-old after he scraped into the final. He had to endure a nervy few moments as the semi-finals ran their course for his qualification to be confirmed as one of the two fastest non-automatic qualifiers. Van Niekerk, who set the world record of 43.03 seconds when he won gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016, clocked 44.65sec in his semi-final, won by Jamaican Antonio Watson. “I am disappointed,” Van Niekerk said after the race. “Let’s see what I will be able to do another day. “I have…

Former Manchester United player and football pundit Gary Neville has raised questions about Arsenal’s decision to sign David Raya from Brentford this season despite having Aaron Ramsdale. Raya has been an integral cog in Brentford’s team for the past few years and featured in all 38 of their Premier League matches last season. The Gunners signed the Spaniard last week on an initial season-long loan deal that will cost them £3 million (about R70m), with an option to buy for £27m (R634m), according to goal.com. The 27-year-old keeper has 20 clean sheets to his name in 62 Premier League games, and he has made a total of 161 appearances in all competitions for The Bees and has two international caps for Spain. On the other hand, Ramsdale dethroned Bernd Leno…