Hundreds march to the City Hall in Durban demanding jobs
Retrenched Public Employment Programme (PEP) workers want to be reinstated by eThekwini municipality
African
Community upliftment drives Renishaw Coastal Precinct’s ongoing success
For the 1 300-ha, mixed-used Renishaw Coastal Precinct to thrive on the KZN mid-South Coast, it’s vital that everyone is benefitting from the development. This ethos has seen the precinct developers investing in local talent, with one woman showing how some quality skills training can lead to a successful business enterprise. After passing Grade 11 …
SAWS warns of severe thunderstorms
SAWS warns of severe thunderstorms
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning for severe thunderstorms resulting in strong, damaging winds and possible large amounts of small hail.
This is expected to cause damage to infrastructure, flooding, damaging winds over the North West, Gauteng, north eastern parts of the Northern Cape, Free State and south western KwaZulu-Natal.
“This warning remains valid until 11pm tonight. In addition, a Yellow Level 1 warning for severe thunderstorms was issued with damaging winds and hail expected over the northern and eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.
“On Friday and Saturday, we expect showers and thundershowers over the central interior extending to the east,” SAWS Senior Manager: Disaster Risk Management, Tshepho Ngobeni.
He was addressing a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday.
“South Africa, like many other countries across the globe, is prone to hazardous weather events. These include heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms, droughts, floods, storms and wildfires. Consequently, the need for the people of South Africa to be WeatherSMART cannot be stressed enough.”
He said a WeatherSMART person is safe, more informed, alert, resilient, and has timely access to relevant information and services where matters of weather and climate are concerned. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Thu, 11/16/2023 - 14:40
628 views
Twin chefs remake a family favourite recipe – with a healthy twist!
Every family has at least one recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. It’s that one dish that always makes an appearance at family celebrations, with a secret ingredient known only to the inner circle! But the big question is – are family recipes sacred or can they be tweaked? “Family recipes …
No need for panic buying of eggs, says Didiza
No need for panic buying of eggs, says Didiza
Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, has assured that the avian influenza outbreak is under control, with 70% of farms not infected by the disease and continuing to produce eggs and chickens.
In a statement issued by the department, Didiza said the egg stock levels are replenishing steadily and there is no need for panic buying at this stage.
“We have increased fertilised eggs from 1.9 million to 9 million in less than one month. These eggs will be chickens in less than four months,” Didiza said.
Didiza said the department has a few open import permits for eggs and poultry products from a few countries.
The Minister noted that the import of table eggs, including fertilised eggs, pasteurised eggs, egg powder and liquid eggs, has been on-going for many years in South Africa, and has not only started with the current outbreak of avian influenza, also known as ‘avian flu’ or ‘bird flu’.
“Other countries including Brazil, USA and Argentina have been exporting eggs to South Africa for quite some time, and the department is currently processing import permit applications from a few more countries.
“The department does not dictate which countries should make business sense for South African retailers to import eggs from, it only ensures that biosecurity risk assessments are conducted when importers apply for import permits,” Didiza said.
Didiza added that since the egg production cycle is not too long, the department expects the situation to normalise early next year.
“We will continue to import more eggs should the situation not improve,” the Minister said.
To prepare for the festive season, Didiza said a total of nine million fertilised eggs have been imported, including 37 802 tons of day-old chicks, 62 metric tons of egg products, and 30 986 metric tons of poultry meat. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Thu, 11/16/2023 - 11:46
211 views
Cybercriminal for hire
Ransomware attacks are a global concern, with a shocking 40% increase in both frequency and severity over the last year. “South Africans are at significant risk due to the increasing use of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS),” warns Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA (www.KnowBe4.com). Using RaaS also increased by 40% (https://apo-opa.co/49Bynp3) over the last year. Threat actors now sell their sophisticated ransomware solutions and services, keeping up to 80% of the profits.
Ransomware attacks are rapidly posing a greater threat due to the availability of RaaS solutions on the dark web. These solutions can be purchased at varying prices, ranging from less than $100 to thousands of dollars. The ease of access to these kits, coupled with the fact that they often come with customer support, allows attackers to quickly set up and execute multiple ransomware attacks with little to no technical skill.
This accessibility to RaaS solutions has led to the evolution of ransomware, with cybercriminals focusing on enhancing its sophistication and capabilities. The aim is to create a product that is highly effective and profitable, catering to the demands of potential buyers in the cybercriminal market. They readily select their ransomware from a shopping list, pay the creators, and go. This represents the epitome of commodity attacks — a matter of utmost concern, especially for South Africa.
“One of the key factors contributing to South Africa's vulnerability to these types of attacks is the widespread use of English,” explains Collard. “Attackers often need to negotiate with their victims, which means they need to speak a common language. It is difficult to negotiate with someone whose culture and language you do not understand. As a result, Western countries are more frequently targeted because of a higher percentage of threat actors originating from Europe. South Africa, with its strong English speaking business culture, advanced digital infrastructure, and thriving financial services ecosystem, is consequently at risk of being targeted by these attacks.”
In South Africa, both the private and public sectors rely significantly on digital infrastructure for their critical operations. Companies are prioritising digitalisation efforts to maintain their competitiveness in the local and global markets. This strategic investment in digital technologies has proven invaluable, enabling companies to navigate through the challenges posed by the pandemic and fostering remarkable innovation. In fact, South Africa was recognised as the most innovative country in Africa in 2022 (https://apo-opa.co/3SJXgJ8). However, this increased reliance on digital platforms has also exposed the country and its companies to vulnerabilities and risks.
“North America was the primary ransomware target for a long time but there has been a downward trend because the government has come down hard on these criminal organisations,” says Collard. “They have the resources, law enforcement, and probably the budgets to clamp down on cybercrime syndicates that South Africa does not. In short, countries like the United States have become more responsive to threats and so the bad actors are turning to countries that do not have these resources or systems in place.”
When we combine this significant change in targeting, as highlighted in the recent Cy-Xplorer 2023 report by Orange Cyberdefense (https://apo-opa.co/3R2aboD), with the swiftly evolving RaaS market, it is obvious why South African organisations need to stop and pay attention to the rising ransomware threat. It has been commoditised and simplified, turned into a solution as easy to use and implement as an app for a smartphone. Plug, play, steal.
“RaaS presents a very real and constantly evolving challenge to cybersecurity specialists and organisations,” concludes Collard. “The methods of attack, the approaches, the level of sophistication—it is very easy for anyone to be caught out. End users must remain vigilant to ensure that they do not become the reason a company falls victim to ransomware, and companies must continually train and remind employees of the risks to prevent complacency.”
User awareness is critical. If people can recognise threats, they will not click on links or make mistakes. If people are aware of how easy it is to be fooled by fake emails and sites, they will be cautious with their passwords and their information. If companies constantly reinforce these messages, they are protecting their data, their people and their systems from an onslaught of RaaS threats that are only set to get even better and more prevalent in the future.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.
President Ramaphosa concludes Official Visit to Qatar
President Ramaphosa concludes Official Visit to Qatar
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Qatari counterpart His Highness Sheik Tamim bin Hamad al Thani have agreed to expand the scope of economic relations between their two countries.
President Ramaphosa travelled to Doha for a State Visit from 14-15 November. The Republic of South Africa and the State of Qatar will in 2024 celebrate their 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
During the State Visit, the President held a bilateral discussion with His Highness, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and deliberated on various geopolitical issues that are currently impacting the world and ways to further strengthen economic ties.
“On bilateral trade, both leaders agreed to expand the scope of economic relations. In this regard, the State of Qatar will soon dispatch a delegation to South Africa that will assess potential investment projects,” the Presidency said.
The President and His Highness, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad al Thani deliberated on the situation in the Middle East and agreed on the urgent need for the international community to support efforts by the State of Qatar to end the devastating onslaught by Israel against the people of Gaza and to find a lasting solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
President Ramaphosa commended Qatar for its forefront position in mediating the release of civilian captives held by Hamas in Gaza as part of a concerted de-escalation effort.
“The President and His Highness also discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Both South Africa and Qatar expressed related positions on the conflict, which is to support a peaceful resolution through diplomacy, inclusive political dialogue, and negotiations, preferably facilitated through the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General. President Ramaphosa also briefed His Highness on the African Peace Initiative,” the Presidency said.
Furthermore, the two leaders deliberated on the reform of the United Nations Security Council and the urgent need to make the organ reflective of current geopolitical realities and the pivotal role that Africa and other countries of the global south can play in global governance, peace and security matters.
Addressing the Qatari and South African business community, President Ramaphosa urged Qatari companies to explore more partnerships with their South African counterparts and invest in developmental projects in South Africa.
The President enumerated several features that make South Africa an attractive investment destination of choice for Qatari businesses.
“Key amongst these, is South Africa’s industrialised economy driven by well established companies, the development of greater market access through the African Continental Free Trade Area, the endowment of vast resources of critical minerals that will be used as the world embraces cleaner, greener growth and the far-ranging economic reforms that provide opportunities for partnership between foreign investors and domestic firms in South Africa,” the Presidency said.
During the visit, three bilateral agreements were signed between the State of Qatar and the Republic of South Africa and they covered cooperation in the fields of education, the empowerment of women and people with disabilities and the establishment of a mechanism for bilateral consultations.
President Ramaphosa congratulated the State of Qatar for the successful hosting of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, an experience that is shared with South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Thu, 11/16/2023 - 11:52
155 views
Komati power station repurposing on PCC agenda
Komati power station repurposing on PCC agenda
The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) is expected to convene its 12th Ordinary Quarterly meeting in Johannesburg at Constitution Hill Precinct tomorrow.
The PCC said Friday’s meeting will consider the final draft for adoption of the Komati Power Station decommission and repurposing process report and review the progress on its work.
The power station was decommissioned in October last year with plans to repurpose it into a renewable energy site with 150MW of photovoltaic energy, 70MW wind generating capacity, 150MW of Battery Energy Storage System and synchronous condenser.
In November last year, Eskom announced that the World Bank approved a $497 million concessional loan facility to the power utility for the repurposing project.
The PCC described other issues on the agenda for the upcoming meeting
“The meeting will also receive a progress report on the status of the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JETIP), which comes at the back of the latest findings of the PCC commissioned Climate Finance Landscape Report and the mooted Just Transition Finance Mechanism (JTFM) which the commission will consider for a release for public comments.
“Key on the Commission agenda is the issues of climate awareness and misinformation and to this end the Commission will also receive and consider the findings of the first ever South African Social Attitudes Survey by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) focusing on “Attitudes towards Climate Change and the Just Transition” as well as a report on the anticipated impact of El Nino on South Africa’s medium-term weather forecast by the South African Weather Services,” the Commission said.
The meeting is open to the public and can be accessed on the following platforms:
Website: https://www.climatecommission.org.za
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/climatecommission
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@presidentialclimatecommiss407 - SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Thu, 11/16/2023 - 10:19
166 views
South Africa and UAE are Sustainability Leaders
South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are doing the most to combat climate change in the Middle East and Africa, according to a new report that compares government and business sustainability policies, investment and actions.
Download document: (https://apo-opa.co/49FTzKm)
The Middle East and Africa Environmental Sustainability Scorecard (https://apo-opa.co/49Bcfeq), released Thursday, is ta detailed examination of country performance in environmental sustainability outcomes, government policies, and corporate practices in the two regions.
The report concludes that the 17 countries covered “are relative ‘late comers' to global sustainable development but at the same time represent regions that are rapidly stepping-up their sustainability strategies, programs and investments.”
The report was commissioned by Agility (www.Agility.com), a global supply chain services company based in Kuwait. It was compiled by Horizon Group (www.Horizon-Group.ch), a Geneva-based firm that specializes in research and analysis for governments, international organizations, and leading businesses worldwide.
South Africa is among the leaders in four of six pillar categories. It is 2nd in Sustainable Energy & Transport; 5th in Energy Transition; 2nd in Environmental Ecosystems; and 2nd in Circularity. Among African countries, South Africa is 3rd in Green Investment & Technology behind Morocco and Egypt.
Among the factors driving South Africa's performance: a national Biofuel Industrial Strategy; formal code of corporate governance; ESG reporting requirements and transparency and accountability standards for companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange; a World Bank energy transition partnership to decommission a coal-fired power plant and replace the power supply with renewable energy and batteries; and steps to protect habitat and cut pollution.
Egypt ranks 3rd overall in the scorecard. It is 5th in Green Investment & Technology; 7th in Sustainable Infrastructure & Transport; 5th in Governance & Reporting; 3rd in Environmental Ecosystems; and 1st in Circularity, which measures resource use and waste management.
A food security and African displacement launched by Egypt contributed to its ranking, along with its participation in a Qatar-led carbon credit program.
Other top performers in Africa: Morocco is 3rd in Green Investment & Technology and 3rd in Governance & Reporting; Rwanda and Kenya are 5th and 6th in Sustainable Infrastructure & Transport.
African countries dominate the energy transition, mainly on the strength of their green transport and energy conservation efforts. Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt and Morocco are Nos. 1 through 11 in Energy Transition.The scorecard uses 48 performance and progress indicators to compare countries. The indicators include data, regulatory frameworks, policy assessments, incentives and corporate practices across six pillar areas: green investment and technology; sustainable infrastructure and transport; governance and reporting; energy transition; environmental ecosystems; and circularity. To capture corporate practices and progress, Horizon surveyed 647 business executives in the 17 countries.
Overall, 1 through 17, here's how the countries rank: South Africa, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Morocco, Qatar, Tanzania, Nigeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Cote d'Ivoire, Oman, Mozambique.
Key Findings
• Business isn't paying attention to COP. Eighty-two percent of African businesses and 49% of Middle East businesses are not aware of the UN-led COP process that nations are using to push and measure efforts to tackle climate change. Few companies use COP to set their sustainability targets.
• Climate change is hurting businesses. Ninety-seven percent of companies say their business has been affected by climate change, and 49% say climate change has caused “severe damage” or has a “significant and growing” impact on them.
• Governments are leading as businesses play catch up. When it comes to climate action, governments are outpacing the private sector in both the Middle East and Africa.
• No one size fits all. Different countries have different sustainability priorities based on income, economic strengths, energy dependency, and other factors. High-income, energy-producing Gulf countries generally invest more in sustainable infrastructure and ecosystems. African economies perform best in energy conservation and consumption.
• Green investment is expensive. High- and middle-income countries are investing the most: Qatar, UAE, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
• Africa is focused on green transport. African countries topped the scorecard in the move to non-fossil fuels for transport. Hydrocarbon producing Gulf countries are focused more on green buildings. For Gulf countries, the transition to cleaner energy is complicated by energy-intensive national priorities: the desire to boost manufacturing and the need for desalinated water.
• Waste management, consumption are tied to wealth. High-income countries are doing more to manage waste sustainably. Poorer ones do more to constrain consumption. Overall Egypt, South Africa, Bahrain and UAE perform best in “circularity” – cutting waste, encouraging recycling and sustainable production, and lowering consumption.
Agility was recently named the No. 3 Middle East “Sustainability Leader” for Transport & Logistics by Forbes Middle East. Vice Chairman Tarek Sultan said the company's strategy and investment decisions are increasingly shaped by the urgency of the climate fight.
“As a supply chain operator and investor in the Middle East and Africa, we want to know what governments and businesses are prioritizing, and where they're putting resources in the climate change battle,” Sultan said. “We want to know who we can partner with in green infrastructure and transport, alternative fuels, and supply chain services that reduce environmental impact without sacrificing performance.”
Horizon, which compiled the scorecard report for Agility, said its intent was to look “beyond the selective characteristics of the Middle East being fossil fuel-dependent with high greenhouse gas emissions per capita, and African countries being low emitters of greenhouse gases but taking relatively little action on the environment.”
The scorecard report comes on the eve of COP28, the UN-led global climate change conference convening from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai. Its findings amplify those in a World Economic Forum (WEF) report (https://apo-opa.co/3MKvh8d), issued in October, on decarbonization and energy transition in the Middle East and North Africa.
The WEF report concluded that “MENA countries trail behind comparable regions in terms of their sustainability progress. While local governments have pledged in the past 24 months to bring 60% of MENA's emissions under the net zero ambition, businesses overall have yet to follow suit and bridge the gap with comparable global markets –12% have set up a net zero target and 6% have established a roadmap to reach net zero.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Agility.
Media contact:
Sabrina Mundy
Man Bites Dog
teamagility@manbitesdog.com
+44 1273 716 820
For more information about Agility, visit:
Website: www.Agility.com
Twitter: https://apo-opa.co/40Ki6Kj
LinkedIn: https://apo-opa.co/49GTqqq
YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/3MNqYJr
About Agility:
Agility (www.Agility.com) is a global leader in supply chain services, infrastructure, and innovation with 45,000+ employees across six continents. A multi-business operator and investor, Agility specializes in growing and scaling operating businesses. Agility's companies include the world's largest aviation services company (Menzies Aviation); a global fuel logistics business (Tristar); a leading logistics parks developer and operator across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa (Agility Logistics Parks); and a commercial real-estate company developing a mega-mall in the UAE (UPAC). Other Agility companies offer customs digitization services, remote-site infrastructure services, defense and government services, and ecommerce-enablement and digital logistics. Agility invests in supply chain innovation, sustainability, and resilience, and has minority holdings in a growing portfolio of listed and non-listed companies.
Call for a national early childhood feeding scheme
There is no government nutrition programme for children before they enter formal schooling
62 small-scale fishing co-operatives obtain fishing rights in W Cape
62 small-scale fishing co-operatives get fishing rights in W Cape
Government has allocated 15-year fishing rights to 62 small-scale fishing cooperatives, with a total membership of 3 850 declared fishers, in the Western Cape.
This marks the final province where these rights have been granted for the first time in South Africa's history.
“This achievement signifies the end of the interim relief era and the formal inclusion of Western Cape fishing communities, whose livelihoods have been intertwined with fishing for centuries. Historically, these communities faced systematic exclusion due to past injustices, hindering their participation in fishing operations.
“From today, the fishing cooperatives will promote employment and economic development in fishing communities, as well as support food security, and decriminalise traditional fishing.
"The department is [aware] that much more needs to be done to support the sector's growth and development, and we are very committed to this process,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, said on Wednesday.
She made these remarks during a virtual media briefing on the finalisation of the appeals on the verification of small-scale process and the allocation of small-scale fishing rights in the Western Cape.
In the lead-up to fishing rights allocation, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) worked with community-based organisations and fishing communities to register cooperatives and identify suitable species and fishing areas to be used by the cooperatives.
The department has also commenced with providing two-day training workshops aimed at registering cooperatives as community-based legal entities earmarked for the allocation of small-scale fishing rights.
The Minister said the department is still in the process of developing a sustainable and financially viable basket of species for the small-scale sector.
Some of the species that have been granted to date include commercial traditional line-fish species, West Coast Rock Lobster, Seaweed, bait species, abalone aquaculture ranching sites, net-fish species, white mussels, oysters and hake handline.
A few years ago, the DFFE conducted a survey to understand the challenges facing small-scale fishers in the Western Cape. This survey revealed a lack of access to markets, suitable infrastructure, and access to the broader fishing value chains.
“Consequently, the department developed a support strategy, which includes formalised agreements with the Department of Small Business Development and with one of the maritime academies.
"Many other partners, such as the National Development Agency, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) have committed their support to the small-scale fishing co-operatives of the Western Cape,” the Minister said.
The DFFE will appoint 62 mentors so each cooperative will have dedicated direct support for the next three years.
Before 2014, the fishing rights framework only acknowledged access rights in the recreational, commercial and subsistence sectors, thus marginalising many local fishing communities.
During this time, small-scale fishers were often deemed illegal fishers, as they were not authorised to participate in regulated fishing sectors.
In 2019, the Marine Living Resources Act was amended to include small-scale fishers and to recognise an individual as a small-scale fisher if that person is “a member of a small-scale fishing community engaged in fishing to meet food and basic livelihood needs, or directly involved in processing or marketing of fish”.
During the period between 2016 to 2019, the DFFE initiated a process to allocate of small-scale fishing rights, nationwide. Rights were finalised in the Northern Cape in 2018, and in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
In 2019, the department received a total of 8 646 applications from individual applicants seeking to be recognised as small-scale fishers in the Western Cape alone.
Only 29% of the applicants were allocated rights.
In 2020, as a result of several fishing communities submitting complaints against the verification process and its outcomes in the Western Cape, the Minister called for an audit inquiry into the findings of the verification process.
Based on audit findings, the Minister sought an order from the Western Cape High Court to review and set aside the verification process for the Western Cape and to remit the verification process to the department for reconsideration.
Working collaboratively with community-based organisations, the department redesigned a fair process on the verification of small-scale fishers, resulting in over 5 000 applications from 109 fishing communities in the Western Cape.
The Delegated Authority’s final list declared over 84% of applicants successful, a significant improvement from the 2019 process success rate of 29%.
Aggrieved applicants were again entitled to lodge an appeal against the decision taken by the Delegated Authority to refuse their application. The department worked closely with the communities to provide the necessary information, support and guidance to enable appellants to lodge their appeals in an administratively and legally sound manner.
“The department received a total of 461 appeals and I considered each of these appeals on its own merits. In my consideration of these appeals, I followed the principle that all applicants are successful unless they were unable to provide proof that they met all the required criteria as set out in the Small-Scale Regulations.
“I was also mindful of the unique circumstances of fishing communities and that the completion of application forms may have been a challenge for certain individuals. I am satisfied that the process was inclusive, addressed various historical imbalances, and therefore the outcome is fair and correct.
"Four hundred and thirty-one of these appeals were upheld and this translates into a success rate of 93%,” Creecy said.
The launch of the small-scale fisheries sector in the Western Cape coincides with the commencement of the West Coast Rock Lobster fishing season.
For the full “General Published Reasons for Decisions on for the Verification of Small-Scale Fishers in the Western Cape Province” click on this link. https://www.dffe.gov.za/sites/default/files/legislations/appeals/13nov23gpr_smallscalefisheries_reallocation.pdf. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 10:54
1213 views
South African Jews call for ceasefire in Gaza
“We are a diverse group of South African Jews who are dismayed by the situation that is unfolding in Israel and Palestine”
Handwoven success: Sisters’ journey to AGOA opportunity
Handwoven success: Sisters’ journey to AGOA opportunity
Sisters Mo Morongwe Mokone and Michelle Mokone have elevated South Africa’s innovative décor scene by breaking into the lucrative United States of America (USA) market.
However, they are not stopping there and are now planning to grow their footprint beyond the USA and enter new markets, such as Europe and the United Arab Emirates.
The pair are the co-owners of Mo’s Crib, a company that produces a range of handmade home décor products. Their product range includes handwoven baskets, planters, trays, wall art and outdoor items.
Michelle, who is the Operations and Supply Chain Director of Mo’s Crib, said their products are manufactured from unique materials such as ultra-durable polyvinyl chloride plastic, reclaimed from landfills and construction sites throughout South Africa, and various types of grass.
In 2021, the pair decided to take advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) – a United States Trade Act which was enacted in May 2000.
AGOA allows 35 qualifying Sub-Saharan countries to export 1 835 tariff lines duty-free to a significant consumer market in the USA.
“We managed to benefit from the AGOA only through our shipping agent. We had already registered and received an export certificate in 2019, and by the time we were ready to export, the certificate came in very useful. It was a relief to learn that we were from an AGOA-benefiting country and that our products will not be subject to any import duties,” Michelle said.
Since 2021, the business has shipped a total of eight containers full of products to the USA.
“We are on track to ship two more containers before the end of 2023. We also regularly ship a container to fulfil our orders for our online store, which is fulfilled through our warehouse in New Jersey.
“Although shipping is relatively expensive, especially for a small business that is 100% self-funded, we have benefited from the AGOA through significant market access. Currently, the USA orders constitute 60% of our overall revenue,” she said.
Taking it back to why they started the business, Michelle said the idea of Mo’s Crib dates back to the 90s when Mo used to make homemade art crafts by crocheting strips of reused plastic bags into rugs.
“The actual business, however, started as a hobby in 2016 when we took part in an annual Christmas market while working full-time in our corporate jobs. The first product sold was Origami Art, which Mo learnt in London, and what we thought would be a slow sale quickly became a phenomenon, selling out within days of the market,” she explained.
“We introduced new products every year for two years until we decided to quit our full-time jobs in 2019 and focused on the business full-time,” she added.
Before starting the business, the Mokone sisters worked full-time in their respective corporate careers. Mo was an executive assistant and a human resource personnel at a corporate firm while Michelle was working as an agricultural economist for a farmer association.
Meanwhile, Michelle was busy completing her master’s in international Trade Law at the University of Bern in Switzerland.
“Our unique skills and qualities have contributed to building the business to where it is and driving growth within the homeware industry,” Mo explained.
Mo’s Crib, which is 100% self-funded from inception, employs 12 full-time staff and 86 artisans. The pair have an internal plan to create 20 new jobs within the next two to three years.
You can contact Mo’s Crib on 0877007161 or email: hello@moscrib.com
Instagram: @mos.crib
Twitter/X: @moscrib
Facebook: Mo’s Crib
LinkedIn: The Alice Group (Mo’s Crib) https://agoa.info/about-agoa.html
DikelediM
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 11:41
442 views
SA, Qatar bolster relations
SA, Qatar bolster relations
President Cyril Ramaphosa has deemed his visit to Qatar as significant, saying it serves as an opportunity to discuss and share views on the recent international developments.
“This visit is very significant, not only as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations between our two countries, but also to share views on recent international developments.
“The events in Palestine, and the growing deaths of civilians, particularly children, grieves us all. South Africa supports all efforts to secure an immediate and full ceasefire, with talks on a political solution to address the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for statehood,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President was delivering remarks at the Qatar - South Africa Business Roundtable in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday.
President Ramaphosa is currently on a two-day State Visit in Qatar at the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar.
The visit occurs in the context of three decades of diplomatic relations. The two countries will celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations on 11 May 2024. This is President Ramaphosa's first visit to the State of Qatar as Head of State.
President Ramaphosa told the roundtable that while the political relationship between the two countries is strong, much more can be done with each other in areas of trade, investment and economic development.
“For this reason, I am particularly pleased that I have had an opportunity to engage with both the Qatari Business Association and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce earlier. I want to point to five features of the South African economy that offer us the opportunity to build and expand our economic relationship,” he said.
Firstly, the President highlighted that South Africa is Africa’s most industrialised economy with well-established companies.
He told the roundtable that many of these companies are active in the Middle East and Qatar. The President mentioned companies like Sasol in the petro-chemical sector with its advanced technologies and iconic consumer brands such as Nandos and Ocean Basket.
“South African has well developed manufacturing and services sectors. South African agriculture and agro-processing companies are world class, and we can support the Food Security Program of the State of Qatar.
“Beyond these, South Africa is developing its expertise in areas such as pharmaceuticals, the space industry and advanced manufacturing,” he said.
Secondly, the President said South Africa is developing greater market access across the world.
He mentioned that the country has free trade agreements in place with the European Union and the United Kingdom and is about to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area, uniting 54 economies into a large tariff-free market intended to cover 1.3 billion consumers.
In addition, South Africa currently has access to the US market on preferential terms through the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) and preferential access to certain Latin American markets.
Thirdly, President Ramaphosa emphasised that the African continent has vast resources of critical minerals that will be used as the world embraces cleaner, greener growth.
With Qatar’s experience, technology and capital in the petrochemicals, natural gas and energy infrastructure, President Ramaphosa said government is looking to companies from Qatar partnering with South Africa as it implement its just energy transition.
Fourthly, the President highlighted that the country is embarking on far-ranging economic reforms that provide opportunities for partnerships between foreign investors and domestic firms in South Africa.
He said the energy market is being restructured. The public electricity utility, Eskom, which faced severe challenges, has improved maintenance of its generation fleet and has received debt relief from the State to strengthen its financial position.
“Private energy generation, specifically in renewables, constitutes a growing share of total energy generated. Since the implementation of regulatory changes, the pipeline of private sector generation projects has increased to over 100 projects representing more than 10,000 MW of potential new capacity,” he said.
Fifthly, the President told the business roundtable that the country has a stable legal system, strong protections of property rights, a deep capital market with Africa’s largest stock exchange, and a growing pool of skilled employees.
“South Africa is ready to build partnerships for faster, sustainable and inclusive growth. South Africa is keen to deepen our bilateral relationship with Qatar. We look forward to partnering in sectors such as agro-processing, automotive, aquaculture, manufacturing, hydrocarbons, infrastructure, hospitality and tourism, to mention a few.
“I invite Qatar to join us in developing a portfolio of South African investments that your sovereign wealth fund and your private sector can participate in,” the President said.
President Ramaphosa commended the business delegations from South Africa and Qatar for their engagement, adding that he look forward to successful outcomes. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 15:20
464 views
Kosher Alcoholic Beverages with MK Kosher
For those who observe kosher dietary laws, finding alcoholic beverages that fit these strict guidelines is essential. MK Kosher simplifies this process with their detailed Kosher Alcohol and Liquor List, ensuring that choosing a kosher-certified drink is a seamless experience, regardless of where you are in the world. The Essence of Kosher Bar Essentials The …
Rossgro Eggs Brings MK Kosher Certification to South African Kitchens
MK Kosher Certification’s expansion in South Africa continues with the certification of Rossgro eggs, a Johannesburg-based producer renowned for its high-quality egg white liquid and egg pulp. This marks a significant step for Rossgro eggs and the kosher community alike, as it allows kosher kitchens throughout the nation to incorporate these top-tier products into their …
Mr. Fudge: A Sweet Addition to South Africa’s Kosher Delicacies
South Africa’s kosher community is set to enjoy a richer, sweeter experience with the introduction of Mr. Fudge’s MK Kosher Certified confections. The new line-up, featuring Cholov Yisroel Vanilla and Chocolate Fudge, exemplifies the perfect blend of traditional flavors and stringent kosher compliance. Rabbi Yossi Baumgarten, MK Kosher’s African Regional Director, has praised the …
MultiChoice Group: Resilient Operational Performance and Significant Progress
MultiChoice Group (MCG, or the group) (www.MultiChoice.com), Africa's leading entertainment company, executed well on its operational objectives during the six months ended 30 September 2023 (1H FY24).
Building on its track record of investing in technology to be ahead of the curve, and to accommodate shifts in consumer video consumption trends to support future growth, the group continued to transition strategically with an increased investment in Showmax, ahead of an exciting re-launch in the second half of this financial year.
“We remain focused on developing our leading entertainment platform that caters for consumer needs across sub-Saharan Africa, on leveraging our footprint to build a differentiated ecosystem and on developing additional revenue streams,” says Calvo Mawela, Chief Executive Officer.
The overall excitement around three world cups, culminating in the Springboks emerging victorious as back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions, supported subscriber activity. A highlight of the interim period was the South African Premium customer base, which grew 5%, a positive trend for the first time in many years.
Although profitability came under pressure due to ongoing power interruptions, cost of living pressures and sharp depreciation in local currencies against the US dollar, the impact was mitigated by a change in focus towards subscriber retention, an improved customer mix, as well as ongoing pricing and cost saving disciplines to protect the resilience of the business. As a result, the group maintained a positive trading profit margin of 3% in the Rest of Africa (a ZAR2.2bn organic improvement YoY) and delivered a 31% trading margin in South Africa.
Salient points for the 1H FY24 period included:
- Group revenue: ZAR28.3bn, down 1% (up 4% organic) due to weaker local currencies and consumer pressure, offset by conversion benefits of a weaker ZAR on the group's USD reporting segments and inflationary-led price increases in the majority of the group's markets.
- Subscription revenues: 3% higher on an organic basis, attributed to strong growth in Rest of Africa (+14%) and Showmax (+25%), offset by pressure in the South African business (-4%).
- Group trading profit: increased 18% on an organic and like-for-like basis (excluding the additional investment in Showmax), reducing to a 10% improvement once the investment in Showmax is considered. On a reported basis, trading profit was 18% lower at ZAR5.0bn, impacted by foreign exchange headwinds of ZAR1.7bn, Showmax trading losses of ZAR0.8bn and a lower contribution from South Africa. Focus on cost optimisation delivered ZAR0.5bn in cost savings.
- Total content costs: up 10% (+ 4% organic), driven by ongoing investment in local content (+16% YoY) and several World Cups hosted in the first half of the year.
- Core headline earnings: ZAR1.9bn, down 5%, impacted by the same drivers weighing on trading profit, with some offset from realised gains on forward exchange contracts and lower tax and minorities in South Africa.
- Adjusted core headline earnings (incorporating the impact of losses incurred on cash remittances in markets such as Nigeria): increased 25% to ZAR1.5bn, resulting from lower losses on cash remittances as the gap between the official and parallel naira rates narrowed following the material depreciation in the official naira rate during the period.
- Free cash flow: ZAR1.1bn, impacted by the increased investment in Showmax and a lower contribution from the South African business.
- Retained cash and cash equivalents of ZAR5.6bn and access to ZAR9.0bn in undrawn facilities; financial debt stable at ZAR8.1bn with Net debt:EBITDA of 1.30x.
The group continued to deliver compelling local content and enable its audiences to access internationally renowned entertainment shows. Playing a vital role in supporting and developing the continent's wider video entertainment industry, it has increased its spending on local content by 16% YoY, taking its local content library to almost 80,000 hours. Going forward, the group plans to enhance the monetisation of each hour of content produced by leveraging both its linear and streaming platforms.
Several new titles were launched to maintain strong momentum in leading local language programming. In addition to the successful debut of Shaka iLembe on Mzansi Magic; Gqeberha: The Empire replaced The Queen in its time slot; and Umkhoka: The Curse continued to grow in viewership and social media engagement during the period. M-Net launched the higher-end series 1802: Love Defies Time on 1Magic. kykNET introduced a new medical procedural drama, Hartklop, and a new cooking reality show, Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam, both of which commanded strong audience share. Big Brother Naija entered its eighth season, delivering record advertising revenues in local currency.
Following on from the success of the FIFA World Cup in FY23, SuperSport yet again demonstrated its ability to deliver an exceptional sport offering, successfully broadcasting three World Cup events in the period — the FIFA Women's World Cup, the Netball World Cup and the Rugby World Cup — followed by the Cricket World Cup, which aired post period-end.
As part of its broader “Here for Her” campaign, SuperSport provided a world-first all-female broadcasting crew to produce the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, which was shortlisted at the Sports Business Awards for “Best Sporting Event of 2023”.
Beyond World Cup coverage, SuperSport's broadcast of the Comrades Marathon in June 2023 was the biggest production in SuperSport's history. The group continued telling the best of local sport stories and is proud of its latest documentary series, Pulse of a Nation, which documents the history of football in South Africa. SuperSport also secured several rights in its portfolio to provide viewers with a wide variety of choice.
MultiChoice also remains committed to making school sport accessible to all levels of society through its SuperSport Schools platform, which grew its user base by 69% over the last six months, providing a valuable stage for identifying the next generation of South Africa's sporting stars.
Operational performance review
South Africa
The challenging consumer environment persisted into 1H FY24. Loadshedding remained the most immediate challenge in terms of subscriber activity, with the number of active days per subscriber declining by 5% due to a significant increase in both frequency and intensity of loadshedding, especially in Q1 of the reporting period. Premium and Compact bases showed improved stability compared to the latter part of FY23.
The group reported a 5% decline in 90-day active customers to 8.6m (3% of which can be attributed to the decision to end the short-term campaigns implemented in the prior year to support customers during loadshedding), with active customers amounting to 7.8m. More stable trends in the mid- and upper segments of the customer base, along with inflation-linked average price increases of around 4%, helped limit the decline in monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) to 2%.
Various initiatives were implemented to protect the economics of the segment and to help offset macro and consumer challenges weighing on the performance of the business into the second half, a period which is typically affected by the seasonally higher cost of the football content rights and festive season promotional activity. Key amongst these was the reduction in decoder subsidies through increased device pricing in our linear business and the relaunch of DStv Stream, which has more than tripled its subscribers since March 2023, albeit off a low base. Encouragingly, over 90% of DStv Stream subscribers added in the period are new subscribers to DStv, who find the connected product without hardware installation more appealing. The pricing and value proposition of the DStv Business Play packages were also recalibrated which led to a 37% increase in month-on-month revenues for this segment in September 2023.
Revenues declined by 3% to ZAR16.5bn, impacted by a 4% decline in subscription revenues and a reduction in decoder revenues due to the shift in strategy, offset by 31% growth in insurance premiums and a doubling of DStv Internet revenues. The segment delivered a trading margin of 31%, with Showmax now reported as a separate trading segment. In absolute terms, the lower revenues and negative operating leverage resulted in trading profit trending 17% lower to ZAR5.2bn, impacted by the ongoing investment in local content and sport, partially offset by cost saving initiatives and reduced decoder subsidies.
Rest of Africa (RoA)
After adding 1.4m new subscribers in FY23, subscriber growth in the Rest of Africa was more subdued in 1H FY24. This was due to the impact of inflationary pressures in key markets like Nigeria, and similar trends to previous periods which followed a FIFA World Cup or northern hemisphere football off-season. A total of 0.1m subscribers were added to end the period at 13.0m 90-day active subscribers. The active subscriber base was broadly stable at 8.9m subscribers and subscription revenues grew 14% organically.
Revenue of ZAR10.5bn was flat (+13% organic) with a weaker ZAR against the USD on conversion, offsetting the impact of weaker local currencies relative to the USD. The RoA segment delivered a trading profit of ZAR330m (+ZAR2.2bn YoY on an organic basis) which was underpinned by specific cost interventions around decoder subsidies and content costs.
Weaker currencies remained a significant impediment to improvements in profitability, with average first half exchanges falling sharply against the USD. The sharp fall of the naira resulted in a large proportion of the previously recognised losses incurred on cash remittances now being recorded in trading profit. The net effect of these forex movements was a negative ZAR1.6bn impact on the segment's trading profit for the period.
Showmax
The Showmax partnership with Comcast (owners of NBCUniversal, Sky and Peacock) was concluded on 4 April 2023 and significant progress has been made in preparing for launch later in this financial year. This service, which is set to benefit from rising connectivity and smart device uptake that enhances accessibility and scalability, will enable MultiChoice to double its customer base and deliver an additional USD1bn revenue in the medium term.
Showmax (now reported separately from the South African segment) saw its active subscriber base increase by 13% YoY, resulting in revenues growing 46% (+45% organic) to ZAR0.6bn. As the group continues to support the existing business and invest behind the new platform, operating costs increased in the short term, resulting in trading losses increasing by ZAR0.5bn to ZAR0.8bn.
Technology segment
Irdeto's external business delivered 17% topline growth (+4% organic) due to the weaker ZAR against the USD, market share gains in its core media security business and the provision of its managed services. Irdeto's connected industries initiatives continue to build momentum, most notably in the Keystone product line where Irdeto secured additional customer wins in the construction equipment space.
Trading profit was affected by once-off restructuring activities in the core media security business as the business adapts to the changing media landscape, and increased by a modest 1% on an organic basis.
On a standalone basis, Irdeto generated revenues of USD98m (ZAR1.8bn), down 7%. Trading profit of USD15m (ZAR0.3bn) was lower than the prior period as a result of the non-recurring benefit from elevated FIFA World Cup orders in the prior year, as well as the restructuring costs.
KingMakers
KingMakers continued to deliver strong underlying operating momentum despite the impact of the weaker naira and challenging macro environment in Nigeria. The business delivered organic revenue growth of 22%, led by strong growth in its online sportsbook which saw active users increase 17% and its revenue contribution grow by 40% YoY. The weaker naira resulted in reported revenues increasing only 2% to USD95m (ZAR1.8bn). KingMakers reported USD10m in EBITDA and narrowed its loss after tax to USD8.6m (ZAR0.2bn) for the first six months to June 2023.
The core development focus for KingMakers was preparations for the soft launch of SuperSportBet in South Africa on 9 November this year. The expertise of the KingMakers team combined with the strength of the SuperSportBet brand and exclusive partnerships uniquely positions the group to leverage the opportunity for future revenue and gain market share in this large and growing addressable market.
KingMakers is focused on optimising the profitability of its agency business and growing its higher-margin online business that, together with the opportunity presented by the new South African business, will support its path to sustainable profitability.
The product and market expansion plans are fully funded with KingMakers having USD134m (ZAR2.5bn) of cash at period end (being June 2023).
Moment (Fintech)
The Moment joint venture made significant progress in integrating with group core payments infrastructure and remains on track to commercialise its local services in 2H FY24.
In addition, Moment prioritised payment service integrations for the Showmax business to support the streaming platform's launch in 2H FY24. The platform is set to deliver returns equal to the initial investment within a 20-month timeframe and will become increasingly important to the success of the group's ecosystem in future, providing simplicity to customer payment options, more integrated rewards platforms and B2B revenue opportunities.
Future Prospects
“MultiChoice has a compelling growth strategy in place, which is partly driven by the opportunity to capture sustainable long-term growth through our targeted investment in streaming and partly by the need to absorb increased external economic pressure on the business and its consumers in the short-term. Our priority is to navigate both sets of demands to ensure the group operates sustainably through the current economic cycle and long into the future, while delivering attractive shareholder returns.” says Mawela.
The focus remains on driving further efficiencies in operating expenditure, as well as working capital and capex decisions, to ensure consistent and optimal returns on all capital deployed. At the same time, the group continues to seek ways to support or improve the economics of the business through pricing decisions, optimising customer mix and content monetisation, as well as calibrating decoder subsidies according to the macro-economic backdrop.
The group is also carefully investing behind nascent or future business lines, taking into account the strategic importance and prospects of success.
“The second half of FY24 will be an important period in our journey to expand our ecosystem beyond Africa's leading linear pay-TV operator into a broader ecosystem of interactive entertainment and consumer services to enable us to double our customer base to 50 million over the next five years. The relaunch of Showmax, combined with KingMakers' entry into the South African market with SuperSportBet, and Moment's platform launch are all important milestones as we accelerate growth and drive additional scale, creating a ‘world of more' for customers and additional value for shareholders.” Mawela concluded.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MultiChoice Group.
Good Heart Kosher MK Certification
In a significant development for South Africa’s kosher food market, Good Heart has announced an expansion of its product range with a new lineup of MK kosher-certified products. This diversification is a boon for the burgeoning kosher community, providing a variety of options from coated rice cakes in exotic flavours to a selection of …
FIFA+ to stream every Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 26™
First two matchdays of CAF qualifying will be played from 15 to 21 November; All matches will be streamed on FIFA+; Find out below which countries the matches will be available in.
Africa's qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 26™ kick off on Wednesday 15 November and you'll be able to watch them all live on FIFA+.
Nine African teams are guaranteed to compete at the World Cup. Another will participate in the FIFA Play-off Tournament as the global showpiece will host 48 teams for the first time ever.
Everything you need to know about African qualifying (https://apo-opa.co/47xtb3H)
Where to watch the CAF qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 26™
You will be able to watch all Matchday 1 African qualifiers on FIFA+ with English commentary from anywhere in the world, with the exception of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, sub-Saharan Africa*, India and Portugal.
* It will be possible to follow the matches live in sub-Saharan Africa in the following countries: Benin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Sao Tome e Principe, Seychelles, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Highlights of all the matches will also be available on FIFA+ worldwide.
Where can I watch FIFA+ content? (https://apo-opa.co/40FfYDJ)
CAF qualifiers schedule
Click on the links for each match to go to the streaming page. (all kick-off times local)
Matchday 1
15 November
Equatorial Guinea v Namibia (Group H) | 1400 | Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Rwanda v Zimbabwe (Group C) | 1500 | Butare, Rwanda
Congo DR v Mauritania (Group C) | 1500 | Kinshasa, Congo DR
Ethiopia v Sierra Leone (Group A) | 2000 | El Jadida, Morocco
16 November
Botswana v Mozambique (Group G) | 1500 | Francistown, Botswana
Burundi v The Gambia (Group F) | 1600 | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Gabon v Kenya (Group F) | 1700 | Franceville, Gabon
Nigeria v Lesotho (Group C) | 1700 | Uyo, Nigeria
Algeria v Somalia (Group G) | 1700 | Baraki, Algeria
Cape Verde v Angola (Group D) | 1800 | Praia, Cape Verde
Egypt v Djibouti (Group A) | 1800 | Cairo, Egypt
Sudan v Togo (Group B) | 1800 | Benina, Libya
17 November
Guinea v Uganda (Group G) | 1400 | Berkane, Morocco
Eswatini v Libya (Group D) | 1500 | Nelspruit, South Africa
Liberia v Malawi (Group H) | 1600 | Paynesville, Liberia
Ghana v Madagascar (Group I) | 1600 | Kumasi, Ghana
Comoros v Central African Republic (Group I) | 1600 | Moroni, Comoros
Zambia v Congo (Group E) | 1800 | Ndola, Zambia
Côte d'Ivoire v Seychelles (Group F) | 1900 | Ebimpe, Côte d'Ivoire
Mali v Chad (Group I) | 1900 | Bamako, Mali
Tunisia v Sao Tome e Principe (Group H) | 2000 | Rades, Tunisia
Cameroon v Mauritius (Group D) | 2000 | Douala, Cameroon
Burkina Faso v Guinea Bissau (Group A) | 2000 | Marrakesh, Morocco
18 November
South Africa v Benin (Group C) | 1500 | Durban, South Africa
Niger v Tanzania (Group E) | 1700 | Marrakesh, Morocco
Senegal v South Sudan (Group B) | 1900 | Diamniadio, Senegal
Matchday 2
19 November
Zimbabwe v Nigeria (https://apo-opa.co/49CLrKF) (Group C) | 1500 | Butare, Rwanda
Mozambique v Algeria (Group G) | 1500 | Maputo, Mozambique
Burundi v Gabon (Group F) | 1600 | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Sierra Leone v Egypt (Group A) | 1600 | Paynesville, Liberia
Sudan v Congo DR (Group B) | 1800 | Benina, Libya
20 November
Djibouti v Guinea Bissau (Group A) | 1500 | Cairo, Egypt
Liberia v Equatorial Guinea (Group H) | 1600 | Paynesville, Liberia
Seychelles v Kenya (Group F) | 1900 | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
The Gambia v Côte d'Ivoire (Group F) | 1900 | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Mali v Central African Republic (Group I) | 1900 | Bamako, Mali
Chad v Madagascar (https://apo-opa.co/40E03p4) (Group I) | 2000 | Oujda, Morocco
21 November
Somalia v Uganda (Group G) | 1400 | Berkane, Morocco
Botswana v Guinea (Group G) | 1500 | Francistown, Botswana
Malawi v Tunisia (Group H) | 1500 | Lilongwe, Malawi
Eswatini v Cape Verde (Group D) | 1500 | Nelspruit, South Africa
Rwanda v South Africa (Group C) | 1500 | Butare, Rwanda
Lesotho v Benin (Group C) | 1500 | Durban, South Africa
South Sudan v Mauritania (Group B) | 1600 | Diamniadio, Senegal
Togo v Senegal (Group B) | 1600 | Lome, Togo
Sao Tome e Principe v Namibia (https://apo-opa.co/49E13NY) (Group H) | 1700 | Agadir, Morocco
Libya v Cameroon (Group D) | 1800 | Benina, Libya
Comoros v Ghana (https://apo-opa.co/3G4ObTu) (Group I) | 1900 | Moroni, Comoros
Niger v Zambia (Group E) | 2000 | Marrakesh, Morocco
Mauritius v Angola (Group D) | 2000 | Saint Pierre, Mauritius
Ethiopia v Burkina Faso (Group A) | 2000 | El Jadida, Morocco
Tanzania v Morocco (Group E) | 2200 | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Live streaming on FIFA+
During this international break, FIFA+ will be your point of reference for World Cup 2026 streaming, with all the African qualifiers and the CONMEBOL qualifier between Bolivia and Peru.
CAF schedule
- 15-21 November, 2023: 1st and 2nd matchdays
- 3-11 June, 2024: 3rd and 4th matchdays
- 17-25 March, 2025: 5th and 6th matchdays
- 1-9 September, 2025: 7th and 8th matchdays
- 6-14 October, 2025: 9th and 10th matchdays
- 10-18 November, 2025: CAF play-off tournament
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FIFA.
Contact for African media:
AfricanMedia@fifa.org
Load shedding requires urgent intervention, Ramokgopa tells Parliament
Load shedding requires urgent intervention, Ramokgopa tells Parliament
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has told the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises that load shedding is an existential problem, both in economic and social terms, which requires urgent intervention.
The Minister said the South African economy could be losing up to R1 billion a day, depending on the intensity of load shedding.
“This is severe. The amount of jobs that have been lost as a result of load shedding are projected to be upwards of 800 000 just for the current year, if you were to go by the modelling that has been done by some of the reputable institutions.
“I'm trying to convey the message that we are dealing with a major problem that undermines the overall growth of the South African economy,” he said on Wednesday.
Ramokgopa said as a result of this, President Ramaphosa found it appropriate to provide a comprehensive and compelling response to the crisis by unveiling the Energy Action Plan (EAP), which has about five outcomes.
The five priority outcomes, Ramokgopa said, are to fix Eskom and improve the availability of existing supply; enable private investment in new generation capacity; accelerate procurement of new capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage; unleash investment in rooftop solar PV for businesses and households, and to "undermine the political interest calculation, ensuring that there's transparency in how costs are located and how tariffs are determined".
Expanding on the first priority, the Minister said they have to improve the availability of existing suppliers.
“So the focus will be on the existing fleet of Eskom coal-fired power stations, a focus on Koeberg Nuclear Power Station and also the importation of hydro that we are getting from Mozambique, ensuring that first we address the reliability of this unit... [and reduce] the rate of abrupt failure of these units, and address their efficiency as they run, then approximate their design capacity,” he said.
Turning to the second priority, Ramokgopa said that it exists to ensure that significant private sector investment is attracted, and this is supported by the reforms that were introduced on the generation side.
He said there is a significant amount of project pipeline as a result of the reforms that have been introduced on the generation side, which focuses on the private sector and new generation capacity.
Generation performance
On the overall performance of units, Ramokgopa told the portfolio committee that the trendline has essentially been going up.
"If you look at the available capacity, you can see that it is beginning to pick up from what the situation was in May, which was used as a baseline."
The Minister said they were addressing factors that have contributed to increased load shedding over the past week.
"... There is the good and there's also the bad. The good is that the trendline is going up and the bad is that there are things that we admit that we can improve on, especially better planning, returning the units on time, and ensuring that gradually, we continue to reduce the intensity of load shedding,” the Minister said.
He said they are taking advantage of the warmer period the country is now in.
“We have been ramping up planned maintenance... [We need to] make sure that we fix [the units] and when they come back, they're healthier and they're able to perform,” he said.
As part of improving the issues at Eskom, Ramokgopa said they have returned two of the three units that failed at Eskom last year in October as a result of challenges related to the Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) unit, which is a mechanical component that houses a chemical process meant to reduce the amount of sulphur content that is emitted into the environment.
“We asked for a special dispensation to bypass that Flue-gas desulfurization unit and then we accepted that there are environmental costs, and that's why we put together a comprehensive health plan to... mitigate the environmental costs, and those were approved by the Minister of Environment.
“Of course, we are going to return to normality, essentially to go back to the original design of going through the Flue-gas desulfurization by the end of the year 2024.
“But now we've got that relief and two of those three units are back. Unit 1 and 3 are back, and we anticipate to bring Unit 2 by end of the month, and then we'll be firing Unit 5 at Kusile by the third week of December. So we project to get another 1 600 megawatts,” the Minister said.
The Minister told the portfolio committee that they are currently focusing on four broad areas, which include the facilitation of renewables.
"It's important to not just over rely on Eskom, which is aging. We have committed to a decarbonisation agenda. We're committed to the nationally determined contribution the net zero path. Of course, we have extended the life of these power stations as a result of the challenges that we're currently facing.
“So we [have] delayed the decommissioning. It will happen but it's delayed. The key is facilitating renewables, and transmission is a big part of that." – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 12:51
318 views
King Price donates nearly 40% of annual profits to charity via shareholding
According to The Trialogue Business in Society Handbook, South African companies invested around R10.9 billion into corporate social investment (CSI) in the 2022 financial year – a 6% increase from 2021. Contributing to this, South African insurer King Price has donated nearly 40% of its profit to charities across southern Africa via its main shareholder …
SA Emerging Women To Face Zimbabwe In Six-Match T20 Series In Harare
JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is pleased to unveil the SA Emerging Women squad set to compete against Zimbabwe in...
Mashatile to participate in the Annual National Men’s Parliament
Mashatile to participate in the Annual National Men’s Parliament
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Sunday, 19 November 2023, participate at the 3rd National Men’s Parliament in Limpopo.
The Deputy President will take part in the Men’s Parliament in his capacity as Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC).
According to the Presidency, the 3rd National Men’s Parliament is organised through a partnership which includes government, Parliament and SANAC Men’s Sector and brings together leaders from across all spectrums of society.
Deputy President Mashatile will use the occasion to launch the 2023-2025 Takuwani Riime Programme of Action scheduled to take place at Masia Village, Collins Chabane Local Municipality, Vhembe District.
The programme represents a pivotal milestone in the Men’s Parliament efforts to address the scourge of violence against women, advance socio-economic development and promote men’s health, with a special focus on the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
This year, the gathering will focus on the term of community men’s Parliaments and men championing change.
“Takuwani Riime” is a Tshivenda expression meaning “let us stand up together”.
“This is a clarion call for all men to stand up and be counted as meaningfully organised partners in the advancement of community safety, health and socio-economic development across the country.”
The 3rd National Men’s Parliament will be preceded by the Traditional Council Men’s Dialogue led by the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders.
In recognition of organisations committed to the Men Championing Change Programme, the Department of Social Development will present certificates of recognition to community-based organisations dedicated to developing and implementing programmes that support men and boys to deal with multiple social ills.
Deputy President Mashatile be supported by Ministers, Deputy Ministers, the Premier of Limpopo, Members of the Limpopo Provincial Executive Council, Mayors and senior government officials. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 09:39
125 views