Table of contents for 2023-04-13 in Star

GLOBAL streaming giant Netflix released a report yesterday detailing the economic impact that the company has had on South Africa and the greater sub-Saharan Africa region. Since 2016, Netflix says it has contributed R1.8 billion in local South African content, with a further R2.5bn contributed towards the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The report stated that the GDP amount stems from direct investments in content production, which had a ripple effect, that generated extended fiscal contributions to the local creative community and the broader economy. The South African Revenue Service (Sars) had collected R605 million from Netflix between 2016 and 2022, and paid R2.4bn to local talent in the country. The company said more than 7 000 jobs had been created in this period through Netflix productions…

Bring inflation back to target, address public finance risks, safeguard financial stability THE INTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that South Africa’s fiscal metrics could deteriorate further in the medium term than initially forecast amid high inflation, rising borrowing costs, a weaker growth outlook and elevated financial risks. In its Fiscal Monitor report yesterday, the IMF said South Africa’s government debt in relation to gross domestic product (GDP) was expected to increase, while the budget deficit could widen more than expected in the three years to 2026. The report, which proposes a “Path to Policy Normalisation”, discusses how exceptional economic conditions since the pandemic have shaped fiscal outcomes. It calls for consistent policies to bring inflation back to target, address public finance risks while protecting the most vulnerable and…

REMUNERATION paid by retirement funds to their boards has escalated steadily, but has kept within the three-year inflation average, the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) South Africa’s Seventh Retirement Funds Survey publication said. The survey showed 74% of the retirement fund respondents in this year’s survey said their board members were now being remunerated, which is substantially higher than the 47% who said this during the 2020 survey – specialised funds all remunerated their boards. “What is clear is that proper governance comes at a price,” said PwC South Africa Retirement Funds Associate Director Nolwazi Radebe in a statement yesterday, The findings in the latest report were based on responses from 60 funds, 25% of which had assets greater than R10 billion, 68% had assets greater than R50m, but less than…

Ingredients 1 tbs oil 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 onion, finely chopped 3 dry chillies or green chillies 1 sprig curry leaf 500g pumpkin cut into cubes 2 tbs sugar or a little less honey Salt to taste Fresh coriander, for garnishing Method Heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once they start bursting, add the onion, chilli (if using dry chilli, break it in half. If using green chilli, slit it in half) and curry leaf. Once the onion is translucent, add the pumpkin, sugar and salt to taste. If you are using honey, start with a teaspoon first and add more if required. Cover the pot and allow the mixture to simmer until the pumpkin is soft. If the pumpkin is looking to dry, add a few…

Lara Langveld, the mother of late music talent Costa Titch, has vowed to get to the bottom of what happened to her son after he collapsed on stage, leaving his fans reeling in shock. “I promise you, my son, that I will not rest until I find out what happened to you,” are just a few words that were shared on the artist’s Instagram page by his mother. This has elicited questions and concerns on social media, with many wondering if there’s more to what happened than meets the eye. Constantinos “Costa Titch” Tsobanoglou was 28 when he collapsed on stage while performing at the Ultra Music Festival at the Expo Centre in Johannesburg last month. Costa Titch had been making strides in his career and had also signed a…

The Toyota Vitz is set to go on sale in South Africa soon, superseding the Agya as the Japanese brand’s cheapest new vehicle on local soil. Essentially a rebadged Suzuki Celerio and hailing from the latter’s Maruti division in India, the Toyota Vitz is unique to South Africa. The Toyota Vitz will be available in three flavours, with the standard 1.0-litre manual model commanding a price tag of R189 900. Buyers with deeper pockets can opt for an XR flagship model, priced at R219 900 in manual form and R239 900 when fitted with the AMT automated gearbox. However, the Toyota comes at a premium over its Celerio twin, which is priced between R178 900 and R213 900. That said, it is cheaper than the Agya it replaces, which was…

SPEED, reckless driving, the influx of heavy motor vehicles, and poor visibility because of mist and rainy weather conditions have been blamed for the multiple vehicle accidents in the country. One of the most recent crashes happened on Easter Monday on the N3 between Hilton and Cedara. Six people died and many were injured. It involved five trucks, eight minibus taxis and 22 light motor vehicles that crashed into each other. The accident caused a public outcry and anguish for many motorists and their families, prompting calls for the government to probe the causes of the crashes and to come up with contingency measures to curb them. Last month, 16 people were injured on the M41 in uMhlanga when an out-of-control truck, carrying what looked like a load of coal,…

ENGLAND Test skipper Ben Stokes aims to target arch-rivals Australia with express pace during the upcoming Ashes series, as he expressed his desire to have flat, fast wickets when the sport’s oldest rivalry starts on June 16. Stokes wants to go ahead with the aggressive game plan that has helped England clinch 10 wins out of their last 12 Tests against Australia. He also backed his side’s explosive, quick batters which have been a hallmark of his tenure as captain. His side has scored at a rapid run rate of 4.76 per over in the longest format since he took over the captaincy along with head coach Brendon McCullum last year. Stokes wants to employ express pace in conditions suited to seamers and the skipper said he already has a…

NOVAK Djokovic returned to the ATP Tour with an “ugly” straight-sets win over Ivan Gakhov at Monte Carlo and while the world number one has had extended preparation on clay this year he said he needs more time to adapt to the surface. Djokovic, who is not vaccinated against Covid-19, was unable to play at Indian Wells and Miami last month as he failed to obtain a waiver to enter the US. He spent the time training on clay ahead of the French Open, where he will target a 23rd Grand Slam, but the Serbian’s 7-6(5) 6-2 win over Russian qualifier Gakhov on Tuesday showed he needs more time to get into a rhythm. “Throughout my career I needed one, two weeks of tournaments to really start to play the…

RECENTLY installed Minister of Sport Zizi Kodwa has pointed towards a dysfunctional relationship between the South African Football Association (Safa), the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and clubs as the main stumbling block to Bafana Bafana’s progress. Kodwa replaced former minister Nathi Mthethwa in the latest reshuffle in the Ministry of the national executive and has been handed a list of priority assignments in his new capacity, one of which involves the cultivation of national teams across all sports. Since their 1996 Africa Cup of Nations triumph, Bafana have seemingly backtracked or have been left behind as the global game rose to new heights. Current head coach of Bafana Hugo Broos recently said that the nation should be participating at every Africa Cup of Nations tournament, a level of consistency that…

SOUTH African markets traded in the red yesterday due to steep losses from the financial heavyweights, while the country’s economic growth prospects shrank further on heightened power cuts. The JSE All Share index was slightly down by 0.3% to around 77 788 points after two consecutive sessions of gains, before gaining to touch 78 000 points later in the afternoon. It later closed at 77 740.69 points. The JSE in intraday trade was weighed down by losses in Old Mutual and Nedbank, as Old Mutual’s share price was 6% down to R11.11 per share while Nedbank fell 4% to R241.81 per share. Investors were focused on the US inflation data and Federal Open Market Committee minutes, which could provide crucial guidance on the monetary policy trajectory of…

ENERGY woes are synonymous with South Africa right now. As the country’s fleet of mostly coal-powered plants struggles to keep up with electricity demand, South Africans are enduring daily power outages that last six to 10 hours a day. The need for solutions is beyond urgent. I say “solutions” because providing the reliable power that South Africa needs now and ensuring that the growing country will have what it needs well into the future will require multiple strategies. Due to the country’s current reliance on coal to fire its power plants and coal mines to fuel the economy, increased coal usage must be one of those solutions for the time being. South Africa also will need to continue building its renewable energy sector, and it has committed to do so…

THE US ENVIRONMENTAL Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday proposed sweeping emissions cuts for new cars and trucks until 2032, a move it says could mean two out of every three new vehicles carmakers sell will be electric within a decade. The proposal, if finalised, represents the most aggressive US vehicle emissions reduction plan to date, requiring 13% annual average pollution cuts and a 56% reduction in projected fleet average emissions over 2026 requirements. The EPA is also proposing new stricter emissions standards for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks until 2032. The EPA projects the 2027 to 2032 model year rules would cut more than 9 billion tons of CO2 emissions until 2055 – equivalent to more than twice the total US CO2 emissions last year. Carmakers and environmentalists say the administration is…

Moja Love’s newest show Child Manyonyoba is set to expose paedophiles. The channel has never shied away from airing risqué content, with shows like Uyajola 9/9 topping Twitter trends weekly. The recently released trailer of the upcoming show gave audience a glimpse of older men with younger girls before being busted by a camera crew and confronted by the presenter, Bishop Dr J Moloi. Captioned, “BRAND NEW SHOW: #Umanyonyoba This show exposes older men who prey on young girls”, the trailer has fired up the tempers of some social media users who don’t believe that such a show should be aired, while others can’t wait to see it. “Why do you need a TV show on this subject?,” asked Maria Farelo. @michellemodika tweeted: “This is distasteful. Why circulate videos of…

Tupperware Southern Africa says the current financial crisis affecting the global company does not impact sales teams. This week, the company announced that it was facing collapse following a dip in sales. The BBC reported that the 77-year-old company is struggling to appeal to a younger market. The firm announced on Monday that its shares had dipped by nearly 50%. Tupperware also announced a delay in the filing of its annual report. According to Tupperware Southern Africa’s letter, the annual report is required by law for any publicly traded company. Tupperware said it was working with audit teams to file as soon as possible. In addition, it disclosed that it was working with third-party financial advisers to review and improve current capital structure. “What this means is that we are…

Production for local and export consumption to more than 100 markets of the new Ford Ranger in Silverton, Pretoria is in full swing, with the Single Cab and Super Cab bakkies joining the recently launched double cabs. The Raptor is also in the mix but that’s put together in Thailand. South Africa is a large consumer of especially Single Cabs, which are used by small-, medium- and large-sized businesses to cart around everything from courier parcels to paraffin. Sales of the Super Cab variants are on the up too as buyers look to combine more interior space, comfort and decent load capacity while being able to claim the VAT back. We got to drive the new Ford Ranger models from Joburg to Gqeberha over three days, in a trip that…

Manchester City have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals after a 3-0 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday night that served as a reminder of manager Pep Guardiola’s brilliance despite his long wait to conquer Europe. Guardiola claimed to have been “emotionally destroyed” by the tension of a night on which his current side showed a clinical edge they have often lacked to get over the line at this stage of the competition. In the 12 years since Guardiola last lifted the European Cup as Barcelona boss, he has often been accused of over-complicating things in the Champions League knockout stages. That included three semi-final exits during his time in charge of Bayern between 2014 and 2016. The closest Guardiola has come to delivering City’s long-awaited Champions League glory…

DANE van Niekerk’s omission from the Proteas women’s T20 World Cup squad earlier this year still hurts immensely and she believes it had to be “personal”. The 29-year-old, who captained the Proteas 80 times in a 14-year career, retired from international cricket last month. It was a decision based on “I just couldn’t do it any more for a company that doesn’t value me” and has instead opted to pursue a career playing franchise cricket. She is currently in Hong Kong playing in the Fairbreak Invitational, while she was also part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for the inaugural Women’s Premier League in India last month. From Hong Kong, she will head to England where the all-rounder will take up a two-and-a-half-month contract with the Sunrisers to play regional…

HEAD coach Norma Plummer and Netball South Africa (NSA) are keeping a close eye on their contracted senior national players as the build-up to the World Cup later this year intensifies, NSA president Cecilia Molokwane said yesterday. Speaking at the launch of the new Telkom Netball League (TNL) season, Molokwane explained that there was a degree of apprehension regarding a handful of Proteas who are currently playing abroad in England and Australia with a 105 days to go to start of the showpiece event in Cape Town. That includes high-calibre players like Lenize Potgieter, Ine-Mari Venter, Shadine van der Merwe, Karla Pretorius, Monique Reyneke-Meyer and Zanele Vimbela. Despite that angst, Molokwane also revealed that she is pleased that the Proteas are representing the nation in the English Super League and…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday signed into law the Employment Equity Amendment Bill of 2020 – a measure trade union Solidarity said it planned to fight in court. This was announced by Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya during a media briefing yesterday. According to Magwenya, the bill seeks to progress the transformation of South Africa’s workforce by “setting equity targets for economic sectors and geographical regions, and requiring enterprises to develop transformation plans”, with new measures to also promote workplace diversity and equality. On May 17, 2022, the bill of 2020 was passed by Parliament. The Bill amends the Employment Equity Act of 1998 (Act No 55 of 1998) with new measures to promote diversity and equality in the workplace. Among its key provisions, the Amendment Bill empowers the Minister of…

STOR-AGE had entered into a joint venture (JV) agreement with Nuveen Real Estate, and the JV had acquired the four property Easistore portfolio in the UK, a statement from Stor-Age, the JSE-listed self-storage group said yesterday. Stor-Age’s equity contribution in the deal is £4.4 million (R100.4m), with an estimated forecast pre-tax yield on investment of 15%. Nuveen will acquire 90% and Stor-Age a 10% equity interest in the JV, with the properties to be branded and managed by Storage King under its third-party management platform – Management 1st. Stor-Age said the JV was an opportunity to partner with one of the world’s largest, most established global investment managers. Nuveen has $154 billion (R2.8 trillion) of assets under management, with an 85-year investment track record, for which the…

REPORTS that the South African Post Office (Sapo) had been placed under provisional liquidation by a single creditor, and that provisional liquidators have been appointed, came as no surprise, DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard said yesterday. This came after the Master of the High Court issued a certificate of appointment to Kaap Vaal Trust on March 30. Kaap Vaal Trust applied for the provisional liquidation after the Post Office was unable to pay its debts. Sapo has so far failed to issue a statement on the matter. Kohler Barnard said: “While the liquidators seek a payout for their client, we equally hope that not only are personal debts covered for those who rented properties for PO branches, which were then surreptitiously closed leaving behind massive debts; but that the Post…

Fans of the popular DStv telenovela Gomora should brace themselves as Mzansi Magic bids farewell to the series. The series reaches its conclusion in October as DStv “strives to keep abreast of changing consumer viewership preferences”. The show broke viewership records after a month of taking to the screen three years ago. It made its way into the hearts and homes of viewers who tuned in to catch their daily dose of drama. Season four will start on April 24 at 7.30pm, with the final episode airing on October 20. Director of local entertainment channels at M-Net, Shirley Adonisi said the channel was committed to bringing the best content to viewers and their changing needs and preferences. “This means that we have to bid farewell to beloved shows like Gomora,…

FORMER Bosasa whistle-blower Angelo Agrizzi has a cognitive brain injury that is currently stable, but he will not be able to meaningfully participate in his forthcoming criminal trials. This is according to neurosurgeon Dr Herman Edeling, who yesterday testified about Agrizzi’s medical condition. Edeling told the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, he had carried out a neurological examination of Agrizzi, and concluded he suffered from impaired brain function. Edeling was giving evidence in an inquiry prompted by the State, to pave the way forward in the two criminal trials Agrizzi is facing. He has been absent from court appearances during those trials – which are still due to resume – since he was admitted to hospital in 2020. His lawyer Mannie Witz earlier told the court Agrizzi spent about 49…

The South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) in KwaZulu- Natal organised a birthday party celebration for current Sanco chairperson and former president, Jacob Zuma, at the Durban Music House headquarters in the CBD yesterday. The Durban Music House was packed with Sanco members and members of the South African Students’ Congress. The celebration was also attended by former radio DJ and media personality Ngizwe Mchunu and Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. Sanco youth structure provincial co-ordinator Welani Mazibuko said it was very important to celebrate the life of a Struggle hero like Zuma while he was still alive. “It is important that as Sanco, we show appreciation for the leader who has fought for us as black people, he helped a lot of black people during and after apartheid. “Under Zuma’s…

Wildlife experts and biodiversity conservation organisations remain frustrated with inadequate enforcement of protective regulations for biodiversity after the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment withdrew the recently amended protected species regulations in a Government Gazette notice. This would have increased the number of terrestrial and freshwater species to be protected by stricter wildlife laws. In addition, related legislation was withdrawn pertaining to stricter management of elephants and rhinoceros, trophy hunting of leopards, as well as amendments to the alien and invasive species list and list of critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and protected species. Environment Minister Barbara Creecy withdrew regulations pertaining to Threatened or Protected Terrestrial and Freshwater Species (Tops) and the associated species list in the Government Gazette on March 31, just a day before the notices were…

The Mrs South Africa organisation stretches its commitment to celebrating women by hosting a long line-up of empowerment workshops offering learning experiences to women. Last month, the organisation hosted workshops welcoming over 820 women from all walks of life. Joani Johnson, CEO of Mrs South Africa, explained the significance of the workshops, highlighting that they are a vital element to the Mrs SA programme. “Mrs South Africa’s commitment to empowering women goes beyond the pageant itself. We pride ourselves on offering our semi-finalists the chance to receive mentorship, expert guidance and advice from experienced industry leaders through our MBA of life, giving participants tools they need to thrive, no matter which path they are on.”…

South Africa is a crime-friendly country, as the swily Gupta brothers, con artists like Pastor Shepherd Bushiri, Thabo Bester and others have shown. The Guptas befriended the ANC, looted the country of billions of rand and then made an easy getaway with their ill-gotten gains. All this happened back in 2016. We all knew the Guptas were not coming back. They had enough money to buy themselves out of trouble. And we all know how good they are at it. They curried favour with the ruling party, plying the greedy and crooked ANC leaders with aromatic breyani and expensive French Champagne. When they fled to the United Arab Emirates, a long legal process involving international law began. While we understand extradition is a lengthy, complicated process, there is a feeling…

When Volkswagen South Africa brings renowned Norwegian Rallycross driver Petter Solberg out of retirement to compete at this year’s Simola Hillclimb event in Knysna, you know they mean business. Solberg will be charging up the hill in a Polo R WRX Supercar, continuing his partnership with VW that started in 2017, when he set up the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team – in partnership with Volkswagen Motorsport – winning the Team's Championship in 2017 and 2018 before his retirement from full-time racing. “We are thrilled to have Petter come out of retirement to race for us in South Africa,” said Mike Rowe, the head of Volkswagen Motorsport. With two Drivers’ titles and two Teams’ FIA World Championship wins, the Polo R WRX Supercar is arguably the most successful race car of…

MANCHESTER City goal machine Erling Haaland set another record on Tuesday night by becoming the first Premier League player to score 45 times in a single season, and the Norwegian will doubtless reach more milestones in his first campaign in England. Haaland crowned a remarkable City display with the third goal in his side’s 3-0 defeat of Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. It took him past the 44 goals that Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy and Liverpool’s Mo Salah scored for their sides in 2002/03 and 2017/18 – but from only 39 games, 13 fewer than it took Van Nistelrooy and Salah. The last English top-flight player to score more in a single season was Clive Allen for Tottenham Hotspur in 1986/87 when he…

AS a running coach, Mdu Khumalo is more passionate about helping develop young talent than getting athletes to win big races such as the Comrades and Two Oceans Marathons. But as a club owner, ‘Vura’ knows that the country’s premier ultra-marathons are what will help bring in the bread and butter and thus make it possible for him to provide a platform for promising athletes to be groomed. It is for that reason that the owner of the fast-growing Phantane Athletics Club is open-minded about having big name athletes join his club. And they don’t come bigger than they latest addition to the stable, with the great Gerda Steyn licensed to run for Khumalo’s club. “We have an arrangement with Adidas, her main sponsor that will see her run some…