Holocaust Centre Urged to Recognise Genocide in Gaza
Centre director alarmed by humanitarian situation, but says “the designation of genocide is a legal matter”
Images
“Fact-Finding” MPs Must Answer for Their Silence Over Starvation in Gaza
GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,GOOD Secretary-General 30 July 2025 As images of starving children emerge from Gaza and the International Court of Justice continues to weigh evidence of genocide, the GOOD Party calls on the Members of Parliament who travelled to Israel in April under the guise of a “fact-finding” mission to answer one simple […]
The post STARVATION IN GAZA: “FACT-FINDING” MPS MUST ANSWER FOR THEIR SILENCE appeared first on For Good.
Cape Town Protesters Bang Pots
Over 100 people have starved to death in Gaza
Soweto Gallery Brings Photographic Art to the People
Photography is not just for the elite, says Gopolang Ledwaba
Judge Mbenenge Inquiry: Expert Questions Authenticity of Explicit Images
Andiswa Mengo, who made the allegations, said Mbenenge had deleted the pictures, but not before she had saved them on her phone
Belal Khaled’s Photographs Bring the Horror of Life in Gaza to Johannesburg
Haunting images of the war through the lens of Palestinian photojournalist
Party Turns on Figland to Save Face
GOOD Statement by Chantelle Kyd,GOOD George Councillor 25 June 2025 The George Council is expected to support a recommendation for disciplinary action against DA Councillor Raybin Figland. While GOOD has long called for accountability, the DA’s sudden willingness to act should not be mistaken for integrity; it is political self-preservation, not principle. The disciplinary recommendation […]
The post GEORGE MUNICIPALITY: DA TURNS ON FIGLAND TO SAVE FACE appeared first on For Good.
Survivor Tells How Trapped Miners Ate Human Flesh and Cockroaches to Survive
Patrick Ntsokolo hopes to testify before the Human Rights Commission probe into the Stilfontein tragedy
On This Day, We Celebrate the Many South African Fathers and Sons Who Love Cricket
LONDON: The Protea Men’s team awoke in London on Sunday to one of the happiest Father’s Days ever. It could...
New Play Challenges Xenophobia
Graveland is running at the Market Theatre until Sunday, 1 June
FHS Africa 2025 Honours David Green, William E. Heinecke and Hala Matar Choufany for Visionary Leadership and Lasting Impact on the Hospitality Industry
The 2025 Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa Awards will honour three exceptional individuals whose leadership, vision, and integrity have profoundly shaped the hospitality industry in Africa and beyond. David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, will be recognised with the FHS Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality Award; William E. Heinecke, Founder and Chairman of Minor Hotels, will receive the FHS Leadership Award and Hala Matar Choufany, President of HVS Middle East, Africa & South Asia, will be presented with the FHS Excellence Award.
The awards were nominated by the FHS Africa Advisory Board, a group of senior industry leaders who collectively represent decades of insight and influence across the global hospitality ecosystem. Their selections reflect not only individual excellence, but also the values that FHS Africa seeks to champion: ethical leadership, inclusive development, and long-term impact.
William E. Heinecke, one of Asia's most influential entrepreneurs, was honoured with the FHS Leadership Award in recognition of a nearly six-decade-long career that began with a bold idea and just US$1,200. At the age of 17, Heinecke registered his first company under the name ‘Minor'- a nod to being underage at the time - and went on to create Minor Hotels, a diversified hospitality group that today operates more than 530 hotels across 56 countries under brands including Anantara, Avani, Oaks, Elewana, and Tivoli. His acquisition of NH Hotel Group in 2018 marked a turning point for global expansion and established Minor as a powerhouse in the international hospitality scene. A vocal advocate for sustainability and social impact, Heinecke also founded the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, the Heinecke Foundation for education, and the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation. His accolades include HOTELS Magazine's Corporate Hotelier of the World and Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards. Now Chairman of the Board of Minor International, Heinecke continues to guide the group's long-term strategy and philanthropic mission.
David Green's recognition reflects more than a decade of transformative leadership at the helm of Cape Town's iconic V&A Waterfront. Since his appointment in 2009, Green has guided the historic precinct through a R8 billion reinvention, turning it into one of Africa's most successful mixed-use destinations. Under his stewardship, the Waterfront has become a blueprint for sustainable urban development - supporting nearly 80,000 jobs, empowering local entrepreneurs, and embedding environmental and social responsibility at the core of every initiative. From the launch of the Zeitz MOCAA Museum and Makers Landing to the expansion of the hotel and hospitality portfolio now comprising 14 hotels and over 1,800 rooms, Green's legacy lies in his deep commitment to inclusivity, innovation, and purpose-driven development. “Everything we do is viewed through the lenses of job creation, inclusivity, and sustainability,” Green reflected.
“It's about ensuring that our work aligns with the values of our people, our community, and our environment.”
Hala Matar Choufany, recipient of the FHS Excellence Award, has set new benchmarks in hospitality advisory through her role as President of HVS Middle East, Africa & South Asia. The first woman to hold this position, she has led over 5,000 advisory engagements that have shaped hotel investments, asset strategies, and valuations across key markets. Her leadership is grounded in transparency, ethical decision-making, and long-term value creation - principles she champions not just in boardrooms, but also in classrooms and industry forums worldwide. A respected voice in global hospitality discourse, Choufany is committed to nurturing talent, supporting sustainable development in emerging markets, and driving responsible investment practices across Africa and beyond. “True leadership is not about titles or accolades,” she said. “It's defined by trust, integrity, and the impact created through knowledge-sharing and collaboration.”
All three recipients will be featured in exclusive one-to-one interviews live on the FHS Africa stage, offering delegates a rare and intimate opportunity to hear their personal stories, leadership lessons and career highlights first-hand. These are not-to-be-missed sessions that will anchor the thought leadership agenda of FHS Africa 2025.
Commenting on the announcement, Matthew Weihs, Managing Director of The Bench, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be recognising William, Hala, and David at FHS Africa this year. Each of them represents the very best of our industry - visionary leadership, resilience, and a deep commitment to positive change. Their stories are a testament to what is possible when passion meets purpose. FHS Africa continues to be the premier hospitality investment platform on the continent, and honouring these individuals reflects the exceptional calibre of conversation and connection that defines this event.”
FHS Africa 2025 continues its mission to elevate the continent's hospitality potential by spotlighting the people and ideas driving sustainable growth. Through these awards, the Summit honours those who not only lead with distinction but also shape the future of hospitality across Africa and around the world.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Bench.
For further information and high-resolution images, please contact:
David Tarsh
+44 (0) 20 7602 5262
+44 (0) 7770 816 070
Email: David@Tarsh.com.
About FHS Africa:
For over a decade, the Future Hospitality Summit Africa (FHS Africa – formerly the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum) has been the launchpad for hospitality investment in Africa, driving growth, connecting visionaries, and transforming the continent's tourism and hospitality landscape. As a beacon of opportunity, FHS Africa brings together global investors, developers, operators, and industry leaders committed to turning potential into reality.
Strategic Partners: Accor, BWH Hotels, Hilton, Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group
Headline Sponsors: ACT, CHIC, Hansgrohe, TUI Hotels & Resorts
Sponsors: Aleph Hospitality, CityBlue Hotels, EQUATE, Knight Frank, JLL, St Helena Government, STR, TIME Hotels, TV5 Monde, Valor Hospitality Partners
Event Ambassadors: Develop Hotels Inc, Hotel Partners Africa, Voltere by Egis, W Hospitality Group
Official Carriers: Discover Airlines, Kenya Airways
Supported By: South Africa Tourism
About The Bench:
The Bench has a legacy of delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these events has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way businesses connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meetings for the industry.
For over two decades, government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups, and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events. These include FHS Africa, FHS World, FHS Saudi Arabia and AviaDev, where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right individuals, opportunities and knowledge.
Learn more at www.TheBench.com
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Must Push for Reforms to Protect Women and Girls, Urges Equality Now
Equality Now (www.EqualityNow.org) is urging the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to call upon African Union (AU) member states to urgently address rising sexual violence and exploitation of women and girls across the continent.
In its statement to the 83rd Ordinary Session of the Commission this month, the human rights organisation called on the Commission to use its mandate to underscore the importance to governments about the need to provide reparations for survivors of sexual violence, criminalise femicide, boost efforts to end child marriage, and strengthen laws to stop digital violence.
Equality Now wants the Commission to remind States of their obligations under the Maputo Protocol on Women's Rights (http://apo-opa.co/4mnt56T). Of the 55 member States, 45 have ratified or signed the protocol.
Deborah Nyokabi, a legal equality and gender policy expert at Equality Now, explains, “Women and girls across Africa are enduring violence in all its forms - including rape, child marriage, femicide, trafficking, and digital abuse - while legal systems too often fail to protect or deliver justice. These are not isolated issues but symptoms of a broader failure to uphold the rights enshrined in the Maputo Protocol.”
“African governments must prioritise legal reform, provide reparations to survivors, and close the protection gaps that leave so many women and girls vulnerable and without access to assistance when their rights have been violated, especially in conflict zones where the breakdown of services intensifies harm.”
Sexual violence reparations
According to figures (http://apo-opa.co/4jctrKY) released by UNICEF last year, more than 79 million girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa have been subjected to rape or sexual assault as children. The region has the highest number of child sexual violence victims in the world.
Yet research by Equality Now found that survivors of sexual violence are being denied justice. In its report, “Barriers to Justice: Rape in Africa, Law, Practice and Access to Justice” (http://apo-opa.co/4moIxj6), the NGO exposed key gaps in rape laws in 45 African countries, which included allowing rape in marriage, perpetrators to walk free from court if they agree to marry their victims, and judges to define evidence based on the complainant's behaviour.
In its statement, Equality Now called on the Commission to urge member States to urgently integrate the Niamey Guidelines (http://apo-opa.co/4jeCsTE) on combatting sexual violence, adopted by the Commission in 2017, emphasising governments' obligation to provide reparations to survivors.
Criminalising femicide
The NGO called on the Commission to implore governments to criminalise femicide - the most extreme and brutal manifestation of violence against women.
Equality Now's report “Gender Inequality in Family Laws in Africa: An Overview of Key Trends in Select Countries” (http://apo-opa.co/3SJVkPy) revealed that the most devastating facet of inequality within the family is sexual and gender-based violence, including domestic violence, marital rape, economic violence and femicide, which is the intentional murder of a woman or girl because of their gender.
In 2023, an average of 140 women and girls were killed (http://apo-opa.co/3FfMOEV) by a partner or family member every day. Current and former intimate partners were the most likely perpetrators. Yet not enough is being done to end the crisis or hold offenders to account.
In South Africa, a national femicide study (http://apo-opa.co/3HhFEAv) found that three women a day were killed by an intimate partner in 2020/21, but in 44% of cases, police had failed to identify a perpetrator. In Kenya, 170 cases of femicide (http://apo-opa.co/4kuOVUs) were reported in 2024. A petition (http://apo-opa.co/4kuOVUs) calling on the government to make femicide a distinct crime has received more than 78,000 signatures.
In Cameroon last month, Bekobe Eric, accused of murdering his wife Diane Yangwo, received (http://apo-opa.co/4mfd9n8) a five-year suspended sentence and a fine of 52,000 CFA (approximately $90). The sentence was immediately denounced by women's rights advocates.
Earlier this year, the African Union took a significant step to address the crisis by adopting the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (http://apo-opa.co/4kuPjCk), which included an explicit definition of femicide. Equality Now wants the Commission to seize the momentum to encourage governments to recognise and criminalise femicide as a distinct crime, and outlaw marital rape and domestic violence.
Safeguarding rights in Sudan and the DRC
Equality Now urges the Commission to encourage Sudan to ratify the Maputo Protocol to provide essential legal protections for women and girls. Sudan is now in its third year of conflict, facing widespread destruction, significant civilian casualties and an unparalleled humanitarian crisis.
Women and girls are bearing the brunt of Sudan's war (http://apo-opa.co/434bmd9), with sexual violence being weaponised by both sides. The destruction of healthcare infrastructure, however, means there are inadequate medical and reproductive health services to support survivors of violence, which has led to more unintended pregnancies, miscarriages and maternal deaths.
Increasing rates of maternal mortality are also being recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where decades of conflict have severely damaged healthcare services.
The Commission should encourage both countries to integrate sexual and reproductive health rights into their humanitarian response.
End child marriage
In its statement to the Commission, Equality Now expressed deep concern at the continued high rates of child marriage across the continent. Fourteen of the 20 countries with the highest prevalence rates are in Africa. Child marriage is a serious human rights violation (http://apo-opa.co/3SLkD3G). Girls are often forced to drop out of school, restricting their life chances, and are likely to give birth at a young age, which poses severe health risks.
One of the reasons child marriage is continuing unchecked is because of weak legal protections, which must be addressed, said Equality Now. All AU member States should raise the minimum age of marriage to 18, without exceptions, and implement measures and programmes to end child marriage in line with recommendations (http://apo-opa.co/4mpDrDo) made in 2017 by the Commission and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
End sexual exploitation
The Commission was also asked to encourage member States to address the surge in trafficking of women and girls across the continent.
UNODC's 2024 global report on trafficking (http://apo-opa.co/4kMq3Yv) found that a third of all cross-border trafficking flows involved Africans. In sub-Saharan Africa, 98% of victims were trafficked within the region, 21% for sexual exploitation. About 42% of trafficked victims in sub-Saharan Africa were girls.
Member States have enacted anti-trafficking laws and policies, but they are not being adequately enforced. Meanwhile, the systemic factors that make women and girls vulnerable to sexual exploitation have not been meaningfully addressed.
Digital spaces are also becoming more dangerous for women and girls. Online abuse, including sexual harassment and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, is rising in tandem with increased internet penetration. Technology is increasingly being weaponised to attack women and girls, including women politicians, journalists and human rights defenders.
Digital violence is being exacerbated by weak legal protections, underreporting and the limited capacity for law enforcement to investigate tech-related crimes. Governments need to enforce and tighten existing laws on online sexual exploitation and invest in digital safety initiatives, in line with the recently adopted UN Global Digital Compact (http://apo-opa.co/4kxzb33), said Equality Now.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equality Now.
Notes to editors:
For media enquiries, contact:
Tara Carey
Global Head of Media
Equality Now
Tcarey@equalitynow.org
T. +44 (0)7971556340 (available on WhatsApp and Signal)
About Equality Now:
Equality Now (https://EqualityNow.org) is an international human rights organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of all women and girls worldwide. Its work is organised around four main program areas: Achieving Legal Equality, Ending Sexual Violence, Ending Harmful Practices, and Ending Sexual Exploitation, with a cross-cutting focus on the unique challenges facing adolescent girls.
Equality Now combines grassroots activism with legal advocacy at the international, regional, and national levels to achieve systemic change, and collaborates with local partners to ensure governments enact and enforce laws and policies that uphold women's and girls' rights.
For more information about Equality Now, visit www.EqualityNow.org, and find us on Bluesky @ equalitynow.bsky.social (https://apo-opa.co/3H4U6fb), on Instagram @ equalitynoworg (http://apo-opa.co/3S9vxAb), Linkedin at Equality Now (https://EqualityNow.org).
Adv Duma Nokwe honoured for fighting against apartheid
Adv Duma Nokwe honoured for fighting against apartheid
President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to the late Advocate Duma Nokwe for dedicating his life to the liberation of South Africa from the tyranny of apartheid.
“In court, Duma Nokwe was an advocate for justice. Outside the court, in the streets of our nation, in the capitals of the world, he was a respected and beloved advocate for freedom,” the President said on Saturday.
The late struggle veteran and human rights lawyer was reburied in West Park Cemetery, Johannesburg, with his wife, Vuyiswa Malangabi-Nokwe who passed away in 2008.
Nokwe passed away in Zambia in 1978, at the age of 50. He had lived in exile since 1963. His mortal remains were repatriated to South Africa in 2024.
“Duma Nokwe’s legal expertise was brought to bear in shaping the views of the liberation movement around constitutionalism and democracy.
“He was a mentor to young black lawyers, and today this noble legacy lives on with the Duma Nokwe Group, the advocates’ chambers,” President Ramaphosa said.
In recognition of the eminent position he occupied in the legal profession, the President on Friday honoured him with the posthumous conferral of the honorary title of Senior Counsel (Silk).
“In doing so, we are correcting a grave injustice done to one of our foremost legal practitioners. We are making a declaration that his legal legacy did not end in exile, nor does it end today.
“We are confirming our belief in his conviction that the law is to be used not merely to secure courtroom victories, but to achieve profound, lasting change,” the President said.
He described Nokwe’s voice as emphatic, compelling and sincere – resonating as powerfully through the halls of the United Nations as it did across the airwaves of Radio Freedom.
“He wielded his words as instruments of liberation. He sought to persuade, to empower and to inspire.
“As a person, as an activist, as a leader, he was known for his humility and understanding, for his integrity and his unyielding commitment to the cause of humanity,” the President said.
Nokwe was a youth activist who rose to become the Secretary General of the African National Congress.
“The apartheid regime tried in vain to thwart his activism. He was jailed, banned and restricted. He was dismissed as a teacher for his involvement in the Defiance of Unjust Laws Campaign. Yet nothing could crush his spirit nor temper his determination.
“He decided to enter the legal profession, believing in the power of the law as a shield for the vulnerable, as an instrument of change. He entered a profession that was designed to exclude black people. And yet he persevered, becoming the first black advocate to be admitted to the Johannesburg Bar,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President noted that the late George Bizos said that Nokwe’s admission to the bar was a moment that cracked the façade of white legal supremacy.
“Even as he reached this pinnacle, the regime continued to hound him, refusing to allow him to take chambers with his white colleagues in Johannesburg. He would not be cowed. He used his legal skills to defend those who stood up against tyranny,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President called on South Africa to embrace all that Nokwe represented and embodied.
“At this time, when we strive to make a fundamental break with the many ghosts of our past, let us hold to the values that defined him and that make us so unique as a people: courage, empathy, understanding, tolerance.
“We still have many more journeys to undertake. Our freedom is not yet fully formed. Let us affirm that as South Africans we are all of the same soil.
“We will never renege on the promise of equality, justice and freedom for all, as promised by our Constitution,” the President said.
He said government will continue to build a South Africa in which no-one – neither black nor white, neither woman nor man – feels themselves a pariah in the land of their birth.
“We owe this to the spirit and legacy of the great Duma Nokwe, who stood for non-racialism throughout his life. May his spirit rise. May it guide us in the hard work that lies ahead and may it inspire us.
“Nokwe was a revolutionary. He was a servant of the people. He was a man of unwavering principle, of great courage and of unmatched selflessness.
“As we honour Nokwe today, let us rededicate ourselves to fulfilling his dream of a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa that will forever remain democratic and free,” the President said. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/18/2025 - 11:50
334 views
SA participates in Education World Forum
SA participates in Education World Forum
The Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, is to lead a South African Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector delegation to the Education World Forum (EWF) 2025 taking place in London.
“The Education World Forum offers a valuable platform for collaboration among global education leaders. By sharing innovative practices and insights, we can strengthen our higher education system, equipping youth with essential skills to drive economic growth and reduce unemployment,” the Deputy Minister said on Sunday.
EWF 2025 is the world’s largest annual gathering of education leaders and ministers. Gondwe is scheduled to participate in the event from 18 to 21 May 2025.
The Deputy Minister will champion South Africa’s commitment to equitable access and quality education for all by taking part in key discussions and engagements, at the EWF, relating to themes such as girls' education, preventing gender-based violence, fostering public-private partnerships to drive innovation in education, and promoting vocational education and skills development as pathways for youth employment and economic growth.
“Deputy Minister Gondwe has expressed hope and excitement that the insights gained at EWF 2025 will help provide solutions and guidance for some challenges facing the local higher education sector,” the Ministry of Higher Education and Training said. -SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/18/2025 - 12:52
113 views
SA calls for Gaza ceasefire
SA calls for Gaza ceasefire
South Africa has reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and for the resumption of a political process to end the occupation in the Gaza Strip by Israel.
This comes after the killing of 143 Gazans by the Israel Defence Force on 15 May 2025, as Palestinians commemorated the 77th anniversary of Nakba Day, which marks the beginning of the displacement of Palestinians in 1948.
“The international community must act decisively to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law, pertinently international humanitarian, and human rights law.
“This includes the implementation of effective measures to bring an end to the occupation, the ongoing policies and practices of collective punishment, and the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said on Friday.
Furthermore, DIRCO said there must be an immediate halt to the practices of arbitrary and administrative detention, as well as to acts of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, particularly children.
“These actions are in clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and international human rights norms/standards as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
“It is imperative that all Palestinian detainees held without due process be released, and that all victims – especially children – be provided with adequate compensation and rehabilitation, in accordance with international law and justice.
“The credibility of the international order depends on the consistent application of international law and accountability for all violations, regardless of the perpetrator,” DIRCO said.
South Africa’s assertion during its recent presentations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) during the hearings regarding the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other international organisations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, were that Gaza has become a killing field and warned of the human-made famine in Gaza due to the deliberate blockade of humanitarian aid by the Israeli Government.
“As famine conditions worsen in Gaza, and the ceasefire efforts remain stalled, Israel’s complete blockade of aid into Gaza and its restrictions on humanitarian access contravene Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“Israel’s persistent grave violations are part of a broader strategy to remove Palestinians from their land by subjecting them to starvation and making the Gaza Strip uninhabitable,” DIRCO said. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/18/2025 - 13:48
72 views
Minister condemns killing of eight people in Umlazi
Minister condemns killing of eight people in Umlazi
The Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, has strongly condemned the senseless and brutal killing of eight people - six men and two women - in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal on Friday evening.
It is reported that the victims were indoors when an unknown number of suspects entered and opened fire, killing them at the scene.
“The attack which claimed the lives of innocent individuals is a horrific act of violence that has no place in our society. We condemn this heinous crime in the strongest possible terms. Such calculated and cold-blooded violence tears at the fabric of our communities.
“A dedicated team of investigators has been assigned to pursue every lead, gather critical evidence, and bring those behind this atrocity to book. We will not rest until those responsible face the consequences of their actions,” the Minister said on Saturday.
Police in KwaZulu-Natal have launched a manhunt for an unknown number of suspects.
“We call on members of the community to stand together with law enforcement during this time. If you have any information—no matter how small—that may assist in identifying or locating the perpetrators, we urge you to come forward,” the Minister said.
Members of the public can contact their nearest police station or call the Crime Stop number anonymously at 08600 10111. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/18/2025 - 10:49
171 views
Seven people arrested for Clarens ATM bombing
Seven people arrested for Clarens ATM bombing
Police have arrested seven suspects in connection with an ATM bombing that happened in Clarens in the Free State earlier this week.
The seven individuals, aged between 24 and 36, were arrested on Saturday in Ficksburg after the South African Police Service (SAPS) spotted a Toyota Fortuner parked near an ATM at about 1am.
“Two males were seen tampering with the ATM. Upon noticing the police presence, the suspects attempted to flee the scene. A vehicle pursuit ensued, culminating in the successful apprehension of the Fortuner’s five occupants, including one woman,” the SAPS said in a statement.
All suspects are foreign nationals. Four of them have been confirmed as undocumented immigrants.
The suspects were wanted for allegedly bombing an ATM located at a petrol station in Clarens on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, four suspects were seen near an ATM located at a petrol station in Clarens. Moments later, an explosion occurred, followed by gunfire. Upon receiving the alert, members of the Clarence SAPS responded swiftly.
“Preliminary investigations confirmed that explosives had been used to destroy the ATM and an undisclosed sum of money was stolen.
“Initial reports pointed to four suspects travelling in a blue Toyota Fortuner with Gauteng registration plates. This vital information was immediately circulated and a coordinated manhunt was launched,” SAPS said.
The blue Toyota Fortuner has been seized as evidence in the ongoing investigation.
“The suspects will appear in the Clarens and Ficksburg Magistrate’s Courts in due course. The provincial Serious, Violent and Murder Unit has taken over the investigation, focusing on charges of business robbery and other possible related offenses. Further inquiries are ongoing to determine any links to additional criminal activities,” the police said. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/18/2025 - 11:13
62 views
South Africa reaffirms commitment to building an inclusive society
South Africa reaffirms commitment to building an inclusive society
South Africa has reiterated its commitment to building an inclusive society, where everyone can participate and contribute through the National Strategic Framework on Universal Design and Access, a guiding tool aimed at ensuring accessibility for all.
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, made the commitment as the country joined the global community in observing Global Accessibility Awareness (GAAD) Day, on Thursday.
GAAD is an annual global observance held on the third Thursday of May, to raise awareness and promote the significance of digital accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Chikunga highlighted that, as digital transformation increases, particularly with the advancement of systems, like artificial intelligence (AI), it is becoming increasingly urgent to advocate for accessible web development, software design, policy-making, and everyday digital communication.
“This day will be used to emphasise and encourage everyone to engage with, think about, and learn about digital accessibility and inclusion for the 1 billion global community with disabilities and the 3.3 million persons with disabilities in South Africa,” Chikunga said.
While acknowledging AI technologies’ significant contribution to accessibility by providing features, including automatic captions, alternative text generation, and voice assistants, the Minister stressed the need for human oversight.
“These tools must be reviewed and validated by humans to prevent errors and ensure their relevance. Accessibility is a fundamental to Human Rights, promoting equal opportunities for persons with disabilities,” the Minister said.
She said the National Strategic Framework on Universal Design and Access is premised on the principle that universal design is not a compromise but a necessity.
The framework serves as a prescriptive guide for the promotion and eventual enforcement of universal design and access standards, using a disability inclusion perspective as its motivating force.
As part of its efforts, the department highlighted common digital accessibility barriers that can be addressed as quick wins, and these include:
• Poor Colour Contrast: Ensure text stands out against the background.
• Missing Text: All meaningful images and links should include descriptive alt text.
• Keyboard Navigation Gaps: All functionalities should be accessible via keyboard.
• Lack of Focus Indicators: Let users know where they are on the page. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 05/16/2025 - 10:58
985 views
SA’s G20 Presidency to aid recovery of global economy
SA’s G20 Presidency to aid recovery of global economy
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli says the primary focus of the G20 platform is to increase multilateral cooperation for the recovery of the global economy.
“Since President Ramaphosa took over the Presidency of the G20 in December 2024, a lot of public discourse has already gone into what this could potentially mean for South Africa, particularly in a post-COVID-19 era where developing economies are still on a path to recovery,” Mhlauli said.
Mhlauli explained that the G20 initially focused largely on broad macro-economic issues but has since expanded its agenda to inter-alia include trade, climate change, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change and anti-corruption.
“The G20 was upgraded to the level of Heads of State/Government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007, and in 2009, when it became apparent that the necessary crisis coordination would only be possible at the highest political level,” Mhlauli said.
In her address at a G20 public lecture held at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) south campus in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, Mhlauli said that since then, the G20 leaders have met regularly, and the G20 has become the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
“The primary focus of the forum is to increase multilateral cooperation for the recovery of the global economy, bring stability to the global financial system, promote long-term sustainable growth and strengthen global economic governance,” she said on Friday.
Mhlauli said South Africa will use the G20 Presidency to focus on inclusive and sustainable economic growth that benefits its citizens.
“Through the G20 Presidency, we will foster inclusive economic growth, industrialisation and employment.
“This Presidency is about demonstrating that our country is open for business. South Africa is an attractive destination for business services, and has sophisticated digital infrastructure, including mobile networks and high-speed broadband.”
On the economic front, the G20 will provide a massive boost, especially in areas such as tourism and hospitality.
“The over 200 expected G20 related meetings have already commenced in our country presenting opportunities for the country’s tourism, manufacturing, trade and other investment growth.
“We are also intently focusing on youth employment, closing the gender gap, reducing inequality and protecting the environment.
“The G20 will unlock new possibilities in artificial intelligence (AI), which has the potential to provide unprecedented economic and social opportunities,” Mhlauli said.
Meanwhile, Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) Acting Deputy Director-General, Sandile Nene, said South Africa’s hosting of the G20 will improve the economy.
“We are hoping that the G20 will make people invest in the country,” he said.
Kutlwano Mahosi, a first year Journalism student at TUT, told SAnews that G20 meetings will play a role in increasing the country’s economy as many people will be coming into the country.
“As people come to our country, they will be spending their money which will play a role in job creation,” she said.
Echoing same sentiments was fellow Journalism student, Andiswa Mchunu, who said hosting the G20 gives the country an opportunity to attract investors, thereby improving the economy.
“A better economy means more jobs and better life for South Africans,” Mchunu said.
South Africa assumed the role of Presidency of the G20 on 1 December 2024, taking over from Brazil. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Fri, 05/16/2025 - 14:41
1039 views
Giants of Africa Festival 2025
Giants of Africa (https://GiantsOfAfrica.org/), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering African youth through basketball, alongside its founder Masai Ujiri, Vice-Chairman and President of the Toronto Raptors, has announced Giants of Africa Festival 2025. Returning to the vibrant city of Kigali, Rwanda from July 26-August 2, the event will bring together 320 young athletes from 20 African nations, and more than 20,000 spectators for a week of community, culture, basketball, education, and entertainment. The festival will unite communities, spark potential, and drive transformative change across the continent.
“Like these kids, I grew up on the continent,” says Ujiri. “As Africans, we know the landscape of what the kids go through. We know they dream just like we did and it really inspires me because, those kids have so much more talent and intelligence, they have ways to communicate now that we didn't. This festival is about showing them there is a path. We want them to never stop dreaming.”
Giants of Africa Festival 2025 will begin with an exhilarating Opening Show, as the athletes unite in an inspiring parade to kick off the weeklong celebration. South African international DJ sensation Uncle Waffles, MTV Video Music Award-winning choreographer Sherrie Silver, and Rwandan singer and songwriter, Kevin Kade will bring electrifying performances as Ujiri and special guests welcome all to the festivities. The awe-inspiring event will mark the beginning of life-changing journeys for Africa's leaders of tomorrow.
Taking place across Kigali Sports City's BK Arena, Amahoro National Stadium, Petit Stade, and Paralympic Gymnasium, the festival will showcase the full potential of Africa's sports and entertainment ecosystem, highlighting its social and economic value for the next generation and the continent at large. Giants of Africa Festival 2025 will also serve as the grand opening of Zaria Court. Founded by Ujiri, the new mixed-use sports, entertainment, and cultural district includes an 80-room hotel, sports bar, basketball court, event space, retail outlets, gym, five-a-side football pitch, and outdoor public areas.
The festival will conclude with a spectacular Closing Concert featuring performances from Nigerian Afrobeats artist Kizz Daniel and award-winning Nigerian singer/songwriter Timaya. Celebrity guests in attendance throughout the week will include Chris Tucker, Candace Parker, Robin Roberts, Chiney Ogwumike, Didier Drogba, Michael Blackson, Boris Kodjoe and more. Additional performers for both the Opening Show and Closing Concert will be announced in the coming weeks.
Since 2003, Giants of Africa has empowered youth through basketball, hosting camps and building courts across 20 African countries. The foundation not only teaches game fundamentals but connects young people with inspirational mentors who show how determination, leadership, and integrity can transform dreams into reality. Also central to their mission is basketball's unique power to transcend barriers and unite diverse communities. The Giants of Africa Festival is a culmination of this vision, featuring a weeklong youth basketball camp and tournament that brings together young men and women from 20 nations. Youth campers will represent Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Gabon, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, D.R. Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, Morocco, Botswana, and South Africa. Giants of Africa and NBA/WNBA coaches and personnel will lead training sessions, with assistance from local coaches from the participating countries. A round-robin tournament will determine which countries and players will compete in the festival's championship and all-star games.
This year, Giants of Africa will also present its inaugural Threads of Africa Fashion Show, celebrating culture, fashion, and design from across Africa. The show will spotlight the work of three talented fashion designers, each from a different region of the continent. Cameroon's Hortense Mbea (Afropian: https://apo-opa.co/4d97Od4), Niger's Alia Baré (Alia: https://apo-opa.co/3GMuRyk), and Rwanda and South Africa's Nyambo (Masa Mara: https://apo-opa.co/4377tTx) will each present their new collections, and come together for a moderated discussion.
Additionally, festival highlights include the International Youth Day Forum, presented in partnership with the Imbuto Foundation, Ministry of Youth and Arts and ALX, bringing together over 2,000 Rwandan youth and festival campers to hear from esteemed leaders. The Women's Community Outreach Program will take place in Rwanda and across all 20 represented countries, offering leadership and education sessions in local communities to empower women and girls with knowledge, resources, and inspiration.
Giants of Africa Festival 2025 follows the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival (https://apo-opa.co/42RZZFe) which took place in Kigali in 2023 in celebration of the non-profit's 20th anniversary. The event united over 250 youth basketball players from 16 African nations, drew in over 14,000 spectators, and saw an estimated $1.5M invested into Kigali's local economy. The festival culminated in a closing concert featuring performances from Afrobeats icon Davido, Queen of Afrobeats Tiwa Savage, Rwanda's own Bruce Melodie, and South African superstar Tyla. It was a beacon of unity, inspiration, and transformation that ignited the continent. Building upon their bold ambitions, Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa are poised to make an even more powerful statement in 2025.
Tickets for Giants of Africa Festival 2025's Opening Show and Closing Concert will go on sale beginning Thursday, May 8 at 3:00PM Central Africa Time. To learn more about the festival, its other initiatives and to purchase tickets or VIP and corporate packages, please visit www.GOAFestival.org or email info@giantsofafrica.org.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Giants of Africa.
For the festival launch video and still images:
https://apo-opa.co/430fZUd
For more information, please contact:
Tamara Kamaka - Giants of Africa
tamara@giantsofafrica.org
Emmanuel Ainamani - SRC Agency
emmanuel@srcagency.com
Social Media:
Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/4d7L5Og
Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/44t3xik
X: https://apo-opa.co/4dbdpj9
YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/4k6P14f
About Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa:
Masai Ujiri, an award-winning and barrier-breaking NBA executive, is the founder of Giants of Africa. Started in 2003, Giants of Africa draws upon Ujiri's unique basketball journey to achieve its goal of uplifting African youth with programs focused on empowerment and leadership. As the first African general manager in North American professional sports who was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2013, Ujiri's ascent to the top of the basketball world began in his native Nigeria and took him around the world as a player, scout and executive, culminating in 2019 when he served as the architect of a Toronto Raptors team that became the first franchise outside the United States to be crowned NBA champions. Ultimately, he believes his work with Giants of Africa will prove to be the most meaningful and rewarding of his life.
Partners:
Giants of Africa Festival 2025 would like to express its gratitude to all sponsors and partners who have contributed to making this event possible:
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● The Lake Family's All One Fund ● RwandAir ● ALX Africa ● Kensington ● Sport Court International, LLC
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● BK Arena ● DHL Express Canada ● Imbuto Foundation ● Ministry of Sports ● Visit Rwanda |
● Volkswagen Move ● Zaria Court ● Bralirwa PLC ● Toronto Raptors ● Marriott
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Wiring Africa’s Industrial Future
The Botswanan town of Lobatse, some 70 km south of Gaborone, has been transformed into a vibrant manufacturing centre. Across sprawling factory floors, hundreds of skilled hands meticulously assemble intricate wiring harnesses - components that will eventually power Volkswagen and Nissan vehicles across Africa and beyond.
In the automotive industry, wire harnesses are an intricate arrangement of wires, connectors, and components. They serve as vehicles' central nervous systems, enabling the transmission of electrical signals and power throughout the automobile.
This is Delta Automotive Technologies, where strategic financing from the African Development Bank has catalysed a manufacturing renaissance that extends far beyond the factory wallsThe company makes wiring harnesses primarily for Volkswagen and Nissan.. For decades, Botswana's economic history was written in diamonds. Today, a new chapter is unfolding as the African Development Bank's $80 million credit line to the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) for businesses in the country fuels Delta Automotive's transformation into a manufacturing powerhouse.
"This funding hasn't just built infrastructure - it's built opportunity," says Darryn Hattingh, Delta's Director of Manufacturing. "We've built a world-class operation that competes globally while creating opportunity locally. The support enables us to industrialise not just today's production lines, but tomorrow's innovations. It will support us to industrialise future businesses obtained through Volkswagen.”
The firm, which is based in Botswana, makes wiring harnesses for Volkswagen's Polo Vivo and Polo 270, and Nissan's H60 brands.
It currently makes 120 vehicle harness sets for Volkswagen South Africa per day. By 2027, it hopes to create 340 vehicle sets for Volkswagen and 111 for Nissan in South Africa.
Women powering an industrial revolution
As one walks through Delta's expansive manufacturing facility, one fact is immediately apparent: in a traditionally male-dominated industry, women's expertise is driving this operation forward. An impressive 75% of Delta's workforce is female, shattering glass ceilings with every wire harness assembled.
For Clara Kaekane, a product and process engineer at Delta, the significance goes beyond personal achievement: "Every component we make is a challenge to outdated assumptions about gender and engineering work. I'm not just building car parts - I'm building a new perception of what is possible for women in manufacturing across Africa.”
Kaekane feels empowered to work at the management level in the automotive industry, which is normally male-dominated.
“This is a great opportunity for our country and company,” she says.
Connecting communities to global value chains
The hum of activity at Delta's plant represents more than manufacturing - it is the sound of Botswana's integration into sophisticated global supply networks. Currently producing 120 vehicle wiring harnesses daily, with plans to nearly triple output by 2027, Delta is an example of how African manufacturers can excel in precision-demanding global industries.
"What is happening here is the physical manifestation of our High 5 development priorities, particularly ‘Industrialize Africa' and ‘Integrate Africa'. It also provides skills to the people of Africa," said the African Development Bank's Deputy Director General for Southern Africa, Moono Mupotola. "Each wire harness connects not just vehicle components, but Botswana's workforce to global value chains, rural communities to industrial opportunities, and traditional economies to a diversified future."
Scaling impact: From hundreds to thousands
The numbers tell a compelling story: There are 327 employees today, expected to grow to 1,000 within four years. Behind those numbers are families supported, skills developed, and communities transformed. With 95% of the workforce Botswana nationals, the company has become a major driver of local economic empowerment.
"We're seeing multiple development dividends from this single investment," says Benedicta Abosi of BDC. "Delta's growth is generating export earnings, creating quality jobs, developing technical skills and, perhaps most importantly, demonstrating what's possible when development finance meets entrepreneurial vision."
She explained that five years ago, the Botswana Development Corporation supported multiple businesses, including Delta Automotive Technologies, through a $80 million line of credit facility from the African Development Bank.
A blueprint for African industrial transformation, Delta's success offers a replicable model for industrial development across the continent. By strategically supporting companies integrated into global supply chains, development finance can simultaneously address unemployment, gender inequality, economic diversification, and regional integration.
As workers at Delta Automotive Technologies continue to assemble the components that will power vehicles across the region; they're also creating a template for how African development finance can catalyse inclusive industrial transformation.
“This has definitely been a good investment for the African Development Bank, and this is how we see development financing working in Africa, Mupotola added.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
More images:
https://apo-opa.co/42JGePY
https://apo-opa.co/3GL0NTB
About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org
Africa’s Leading Hospitality Investors and Visionaries Come to Cape Town in June
Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa 2025 comes to Cape Town from 17–19 June 2025, bringing together the most influential voices in hospitality investment, development, and sustainability from across the globe.
This year's speaker lineup features major investors, visionaries, strategists, and dealmakers who are actively reshaping the landscape of hospitality across Africa.
William E. Heinecke, Founder and Chairman of Minor Hotels, will headline the summit. A self-made entrepreneur who launched his first business at 17, Mr Heinecke has built one of the world's most respected hospitality groups. His keynote will explore the lessons behind that legacy and what's next for hotel expansion in Africa.
Guy Hutchinson, President of Hilton MEA, and Haitham Mattar, Managing Director of IHG for MEA & Southwest Asia, will delve into how global hotel groups adapt their strategies for Africa's evolving markets. Meanwhile, Jerome Briet (Chief Development Officer EMEA, Marriott International), Jean-Baptiste Recher (CDO Luxury Brands, Accor), and Esteban Lozada (MD North, West & South Africa, Hilton) will highlight expansion plans and pipeline insights from the region's top brands.
On the investment side, the programme features heavyweights like Folaseto Akin-Olugbade (Principal, Actis), Olivier Granet and David Damiba (Co-CEOs, Kasada Capital Management), Rahul Chaudhary (MD & CEO, CG Corp Global), Magdaline Osei Baffour (Investment Director, Westmont Hospitality Group), Nyawira Kariuki (CEO, Janus Continental Group), and Jameel Verjee (Founder & CEO, CityBlue Hotels). They'll share unfiltered insights on how they evaluate opportunities, manage risk, and unlock long-term value in different African markets.
Graham Wood (CEO, Sun International), Marcel von Aulock (CEO, Southern Sun), and Tony Romer-Lee (Managing Partner AMEA, Valor Hospitality Partners), David Green (CEO, V&A Waterfront) add further firepower to the operator perspective, joining sessions on operating strategies, sustainability, and navigating development constraints.
Conservation and tourism sustainability will also take centre stage with Dr Morne du Plessis (CEO, WWF South Africa) and Mark Read (former WWF SA Chairman) exploring how hospitality can be a vehicle for positive environmental impact. Brooke Friswold of Bring The Elephant Home and Joe Pietersen of Nkombe Rhino will share field perspectives on ecotourism's potential.
Other voices enriching the dialogue include Gillian Saunders, one of Africa's leading tourism consultants, Kevin Teeroovengadum (Proptech Africa), Thami Nkadimeng, Paul Gardiner (CEO, Terra Nova), Bani Haddad (Aleph Hospitality), Tadiwos G. Belete (Kuriftu Resorts), Euan McGlashan (Valor Hospitality), Wayne Godwin (JLL Africa), and many more.
An Investor Powerhouse
FHS Africa 2025 will once again host the region's most active capital partners, including:
Berkeley Properties, Cameroon Hotels Corporation, CityBlue Hotels, Cresta Marakanelo Limited, DEG, FROS Capital, Fundo Soberano de Angola, IFC, Janus Continental Group, Oak & Satin Properties, Proparco, Rockshieldburg-City, The Midwest Company, and UAG Investments.
Together, these investors represent billions in active projects, acquisitions, and greenfield development across the continent. With over $4 billion in hospitality deals signed at FHS Africa since its inception, the event remains a catalyst for serious deal-making and investment.
Matthew Weihs, Commercial Director of the Bench, which organises FHS Africa, said: “We're incredibly proud to bring FHS Africa to Cape Town for the first time. It's a city that represents innovation, diversity, and growth — the perfect backdrop for an event that connects the brightest minds in hospitality and drives real investment across the continent. The 2025 programme is bold, dynamic, and focused on action."
FHS Africa 2025 promises unparalleled opportunities to build meaningful relationships through various formats tailored for real engagement. From high-energy speed networking sessions and curated closed-door investor councils to exclusive offsite visits showcasing Cape Town's latest hospitality developments, every moment is designed to foster strategic connections. The event also features a community-focused charity Run, offering a lighter way to meet other delegates while supporting a worthy cause.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Bench.
Further Information:
For further information and high-resolution images, please contact:
David Tarsh
+44 (0) 20 7602 5262
+44 (0) 7770 816 070
email: David@Tarsh.com
About FHS Africa:
For over a decade, the Future Hospitality Summit Africa (FHS Africa) has been the launchpad for hospitality investment in Africa, driving growth, connecting visionaries, and transforming the continent's tourism and hospitality landscape. As a beacon of opportunity, FHS Africa brings together global investors, developers, operators, and industry leaders committed to turning potential into reality.
Strategic Partners: Accor, BWH Hotels, Hilton, Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group
Headline Sponsors: ACT, CHIC, Hansgrohe, TUI Hotels & Resorts
Sponsors: Aleph Hospitality, CityBlue Hotels, EQUATE, Knight Frank, JLL, St Helena Island, STR, TIME Hotels, TV5 Monde, Valor Hospitality Partners
Event Ambassadors: Develop Hotels Inc, Hotel Partners Africa, Voltere by Egis, W Hospitality Group
Official Carriers: Discover Airlines, Kenya Airways
Supported By: South Africa Tourism
About The Bench:
The Bench has a legacy of delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these events has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way businesses connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meetings for the industry.
For over two decades, government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups, and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events. These include FHS Africa, FHS World, FHS Saudi Arabia and AviaDev, where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right individuals, opportunities and knowledge.
Learn more at TheBench.com
Hotel Development Booms in Africa
This year's Hotel Development Pipeline Report, the definitive study of international hospitality development projects in Africa, reveals record activity. There are 577 hotels and resorts, with 104,444 rooms, in the development pipeline, up by 13.3% on 2024, way ahead of the single digit pipeline growth reported globally by the leading international chains.
The report, compiled by Lagos-based W Hospitality Group, with data from 50 international and regional hotel chains, shows that development activity has been growing impressively in North Africa, which saw a 23% year-on-year increase, compared to a 6% increase in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past five years, the hotel development pipeline has grown at an annualised rate of 4% in sub-Saharan Africa, 12% in North Africa and 7% overall.
Egypt continues to lead the way in terms of development, with 143 hotels and 33,926 rooms in the pipeline there. This is almost four times the number of rooms in second-placed Morocco, which has 8,579 rooms in 58 hotels. The following eight countries, ranked by number of rooms, comprise Nigeria, 7,320; Ethiopia, 5,648; Cape Verde, 5,565; Kenya, 4,344; Tunisia, 4,336; South Africa, 4,076; Tanzania, 3,432; and Ghana, 3,125. International hotel chains have deals signed in 42 of Africa's 54 countries.
Despite its clear leadership in the absolute pipeline numbers, Egypt has fewer than 50% of rooms under construction, a significantly lower proportion than second-placed Morocco, with over 72%. Of the top 10 countries, Ethiopia has the highest ratio of rooms “on site”, followed by Morocco and Ghana. Cape Verde, Nigeria and Tanzania have some of the lowest percentages. However, “under construction” does not necessarily mean that there is activity and progress towards completion and opening – many of the sites in Nigeria and Ghana, for example, have been closed for several years, with hardly a hard hat in sight.
A more granular analysis, looking at the location of planned properties, reveals an extraordinary boom in Cairo, with 17,757 new rooms projected in over 70 hotels. The contrast with the second-placed location, Sharm El Sheikh, is dramatic, where 4,231 rooms are planned in fewer than 10 properties. The cities and resorts with the next largest pipelines by number of rooms are Lagos, 3,709; Boa Vista, 3,650; Addis Ababa, 3,369; Casablanca, 2,939; Accra, 2,652; Abuja, 2,570; Zanzibar, 2,523; and Dakar, 2,334.
The growth is being driven strongly by the major international hotel chains, with Marriott International leading the way, 165 hotels with 29,639 rooms. It is followed by Hilton, 93 hotels with 17,040 rooms; Accor, 73 hotels with 15,013 rooms; IHG, 40 hotels with 7,951 rooms; Radisson Hotel Group, 32 hotels with 6,346 rooms; TUI Hotels & Resorts, 11 hotels with 2,954 rooms; Barceló Hotels & Resorts, 7 hotels with 2,193 rooms; The Ascott, 15 hotels with 1,897 rooms; Kerten Hospitality, 13 hotels with 1,881 rooms and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, 7 hotels with 1,706 rooms.
In the race for dominance, Hilton added slightly more rooms to its African pipeline last year than Marriott International and achieved a higher percentage growth. Barceló Hotels & Resorts recorded the largest percentage growth, more than doubling its pipeline to 2,193 rooms, with three large resort signings in North Africa.
Below the headline numbers, there are three notable trends. First, the actualisation rate (actual openings vs. expected openings), which has nearly doubled from 21% in 2023 to 38% in 2024. While it's substantially less than the 75% actualisation rate achieved in 2019, it shows a continuing recovery from the economic devastation of COVID-19. Of the total 104,444 rooms in the pipeline, over 50,000 rooms (nearly 50%) in 304 hotels are expected to open in 2025 and 2026.
Second, resort projects are increasing much faster than city or airport hotels, both in percentage terms and in absolute numbers, driven by the number of signings and by the larger average size of the developments, 210 keys vs. 170. Also, almost half of the rooms that opened last year were in resorts.
Third, there is a definite movement by the chains towards the franchise model, with 108 projects representing almost 19% of the total, compared to less than 10% in 2020. A major factor is the emergence of quality, international, white-label operators such as Aleph Hospitality and Valor Hospitality, and some indigenous operators in Nigeria, Kenya and elsewhere, that are increasing confidence that brand standards will be met.
The full report will be discussed at FHS Africa (formerly AHIF) 17-19 June in Cape Town. It is the leading hospitality investment conference in the region, which brings together senior decision-makers to shape the future of the industry. Matthew Weihs, Managing Director of the Bench, which organises FHS Africa, said: “The growth in hotel development across Africa is a testament to the continent's economic and tourism potential. Furthermore, the commitment from the international hotel chains makes it clear that global players see Africa as a strategic opportunity."
Trevor Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group, concluded: “Despite the various trials that the continent faces, the fact that hotel chains signed 125 new deals last year, with 21,000 rooms, is evidence that opportunities for further development abound. According to the Global Cities Institute, by the year 2100, 10 of the world's 16 largest cities will be in Africa, with all but one of them (Cairo) in sub-Saharan Africa. So, one might say that development activity in Africa has barely scratched the surface.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Bench.
For further information and high-resolution images, please contact:
David Tarsh
+44 (0) 20 7602 5262
+44 (0) 7770 816 070
Email: David@Tarsh.com.
About W Hospitality Group:
The W Hospitality Group, a member of Hotel Partners Africa, specialises in the provision of advisory services to the hotel, tourism and leisure industries, providing a full range of services to clients who have investments in the sector, or who are looking to enter them through development, acquisition or other means. In sub-Saharan Africa W Hospitality Group is regarded as the market leader due to the market and financial expertise of its staff, its worldwide knowledge, and its commitment to its clients. In Africa, W Hospitality Group has to date worked in 40 countries on the continent, from its Lagos and Addis Ababa offices.
About FHS Africa (Formerly AHIF):
For over a decade, the Future Hospitality Summit Africa (FHS Africa) has been the launchpad for hospitality investment in Africa, driving growth, connecting visionaries, and transforming the continent's tourism and hospitality landscape. As a beacon of opportunity, FHS Africa brings together global investors, developers, operators, and industry leaders committed to turning potential into reality.
Strategic Partners: Accor, BWH Hotels, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Radisson Hotel Group
Headline Sponsors: CHIC, Hansgrohe, TUI Hotels & Resorts
Sponsors: Aleph Hospitality, CityBlue Hotels, Equate, JLL, Knight Frank, St Helena Island, STR, TIME Hotels, TV5 Monde, Valor Hospitality Partners
Official Carriers: Discover Airlines, Kenya Airways
Supporter: South Africa Tourism
About The Bench:
The Bench has a legacy of delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these events is "dealmaking'. Transforming the way businesses connect; the Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact industry meetings.
For over two decades, government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups, and consultants have been participating in the Bench's events. These include FHS Africa, FHS World, FHS Saudi Arabia and AviaDev, where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders and innovators, and connect with the right individuals, opportunities and knowledge.
Learn more at TheBench.com
G20 must tackle inequality, gender gaps to build just labour markets – Minister Meth
G20 must tackle inequality, gender gaps to build just labour markets – Minister Meth
Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has called on G20 member states to urgently address growing inequality and the erosion of labour income share, warning that these trends threaten global economic stability and social cohesion.
The Minister was delivering the keynote address at the second G20 Employment Working Group meeting in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.
“The growing erosion of labour's share of national income poses a significant threat to broader economic resilience and inclusivity goals by widening wealth disparities, weakening the social fabric, and limiting upward mobility. Addressing this trend is crucial for global progress,” the Minister said.
Meth emphasised that economic progress must not be measured solely by GDP or trade metrics, but by the ability to uplift vulnerable communities through decent work, fair wages, and inclusive opportunities.
She underscored the need to close gender gaps in employment and pay, describing it as both a moral imperative and a driver of innovation and prosperity.
“We find ourselves at a critical juncture, where the global landscape is marked by increasing disparities threatening the fundamental principles upon which just and dignified societies are built.
“Millions of workers worldwide remain mired in precarious employment conditions, receiving stagnant wages and experiencing shrinking opportunities for social mobility. Policies and initiatives that aim to alleviate poverty and economic despair encounter resistance from those who prioritise narrow economic interests over workers' inherent dignity and rights,” she said.
However, Meth said it must be clear that economic growth must not be evaluated solely through GDP metrics, trade balances or other numerical indicators. While such measures are important, she said, they cannot be the only barometers of success.
“Genuine progress must be evident in our collective commitment to uplift the most vulnerable of our society. The real test of our achievements is ensuring that economic expansion leads to substantive social justice, employment figures correspond to quality jobs with decent pay, and that work provides financial stability, dignity, fulfilment and security,” the Minister said.
She emphasised that at the core of the discussions was the principle that labour is not a commodity, workers are human beings with rights, not disposable economic inputs.
Meth stressed that an international system prioritising profit over people is unsustainable and unethical, calling for the rejection of transactional approaches that compromise fairness, equity, and dignity.
As the G20 President, South Africa remains steadfast in upholding the values of solidarity, equality and sustainability.
“These are not abstract ideals or rhetorical flourishes; they serve as the foundation upon which our policies, governance structures and international engagements are built. We categorically reject any notion that human suffering can be reduced to a mere footnote in pursuing political expediency or economic dominance,” she said.
Youth jobs and gender equality top of the labour agenda
The Minister said that the Employment Working Group was prioritising youth employment and women’s economic empowerment, with bold targets such as the Nelson Mandela Bay Goal to reduce global youth unemployment by 5% by 2030.
“This is not merely an employment target; it represents an investment in the future of our societies. We must actively create quality jobs, foster skills development and champion youth-led innovation to ensure young people have a place in the evolving labour market,” she said.
The group is also pushing to renew and expand commitments like the Brisbane-eThekwini Target to close gender gaps in labour force participation.
Minister Meth emphasised that workplace equality and youth inclusion are essential for sustainable growth, warning that the cost of inaction would be far greater than intervention.
Call for resilient labour policies amid global trade shifts
Minister Meth raised concern over disruptive global trade developments, warning they risk driving economic stagnation and widespread job losses, especially in developing countries.
She urged G20 like-minded G20 countries to rise to the occasion and forge resilient labour market policies that protect jobs, safeguard economic stability, and ensure that economies remain viable despite mounting global uncertainties.
“South Africa stands firm and shall not waver in pursuing fairness, inclusion and social justice. We will continue to advocate for decent work, robust labour protections and equitable economic opportunities for all.
“We will resist any effort, whether domestic or international, that seeks to undermine our sovereignty, our people’s dignity and the fundamental rights of workers,” she said.
The Minister told delegates to remain mindful that deliberations have profound real-world implications.
“The decisions we make today will shape the future of work for millions of people across the globe. Our efforts must not be confined to policy frameworks alone, but must translate into tangible, measurable improvements in people’s lives,” Meth said. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Tue, 04/08/2025 - 14:35
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