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It is hard to be optimistic when one is adrift in a small boat in a sea of crime. There is some good news for South Africa, though, there does not seem to be any new leaks in this small boat. The harsh reality of the South African crime crisis is that the country’s rape […]

The post Crime: Cautiously optimistic about slight improvement appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.

19 May 2025

Unlocking Africa’s $180 Billion Digital Trade Economy

Location: Business

The future of African trade is digital, and it's unfolding. From Dakar to Durban, a quiet but steady transformation is taking shape. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global trade hit a record $33 trillion in 2024, with developing economies, including Africa, playing a growing role in that expansion.

The African Free Continental Trade Area offers the largest free market, including 55 countries, a population of 1.3 billion and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. The opportunities are vast, yet the strategies required for industrial players to source, move and manage raw materials and finished goods remain a challenge.

“The continent's digital economy is projected to reach $180 billion by 2025, up from $115 billion in 2020, thus contributing significantly to Africa's GDP, creating new job opportunities, and expanding regional trade. Digital trade is transforming the continent's economic landscape, creating new opportunities for real economic growth, productive job creation, and poverty reduction.” H.E. Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment

“Building on this rapid expansion, our focus must shift from isolated digital initiatives to a fully integrated ecosystem that streamlines every step of trade—sourcing, supplying, logistics and payments. By integrating these functionalities on a single platform, Matta enables manufacturers to navigate sourcing headaches and suppliers to manage cross-border complexities with confidence and unlocks new markets in Africa in real time. This holistic approach is what will transform digital trade's potential into tangible, inclusive economic growth across Africa.” Mudiaga Mowoe, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Matta.

Launched to enable sustainable African economies, Matta's integrated ecosystem—today powered by the Matta digital marketplace (www.Matta.Trade) and the Flux logistics management tool, with Oxide Finance (Matta's upcoming trade-financing and cross-border payments platform) arriving soon—empowers manufacturers and suppliers across food & beverage, home & personal care, paints & coatings, agro-processing, automotive assembly, textiles, construction, and beyond with truly end-to-end sourcing, movement, and settlement. Rather than supplanting traditional trade networks, this unified platform amplifies human partnerships through real-time visibility, traceability, and seamless transactions.

This evolution in digital trade and industrial growth is one of the key conversations that will take centre stage at the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing & Trade (West Africa IMT) Summit and Exhibition, set to take place from October 21-23, 2025. West Africa IMT is a high-level platform for government leaders, investors, manufacturers, and technology innovators to align practical solutions and policy frameworks for accelerating Africa's industrial transformation.

Matta, Africa's integrated ecosystem for industrial trade, will join other industry stakeholders across the continent at West Africa IMT 2025 to discuss the potential opportunities for industrial growth in the West African sub-region. As manufacturers increasingly seek more innovative, more efficient ways to power production beyond physical infrastructure and policy support, there's an urgent need for systems that simplify sourcing, enhance transparency, and ensure supply chain reliability. Matta addresses these challenges by connecting African manufacturers directly to verified suppliers of raw materials and commodities, ensuring business continuity in an environment where procurement bottlenecks often slow production timelines.

Digital platforms address multiple challenges simultaneously: procurement complexities, logistics coordination, payment processing, and data-based planning. By integrating these capabilities into industrial operations, West African economies can accelerate development timelines and establish competitive manufacturing centres that participate effectively in global markets.

As African nations chart independent economic paths, digital trade platforms like Matta will significantly influence how quickly and effectively new industrial capabilities develop. The transformation in African trade is already underway, with effects that will continue to reshape economic relationships for years to come.

West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing & Trade Summit & Exhibition

21-23 October 2025 I Landmark Centre | Lagos | Nigeria

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of dmg Nigeria events.

Contact Details:
Roshan Jan-Mahomed
Head of Marketing – Africa
Email: info@westafricaimt.com
www.WestAfricaIMT.com

About the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing & Trade Summit and Exhibition 2025:
The Pre-eminent Global Gathering Driving West Africa's Industrial Revolution

The West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing and Trade (West Africa IMT) Summit and Exhibition will unite the industrialisation ecosystem, including energy, finance, infrastructure, manufacturing, raw materials, logistics/supply chain, technology, trade and security, to accelerate a sustainable industrial revolution for West Africa. As governments across the region have declared industrialisation as a key priority, the Strategic Summit will feature the visions from Heads of government seeking public–private partnerships to drive industrial revolution across the region. Decisive action is at the core of the agenda, providing solutions for sustainable resource valorisation and opening up trade pathways for economic development and prosperity.

Participation is expected from across the global industrialisation value chain including the following industries: Aerospace, Agriculture, Automotive, Chemicals, Construction, Energy & Utilities, FCMG, Heavy Industries, ICT & Electronics, Infrastructure, Logistics & Transportation, Machine & Equipment, Maritime, Medical, Mining, Plastics & Rubber, Pharmaceuticals, Retail, Technology Solution Providers, Textiles, Water & Utilities.

● 15+ African ministers

● 25+ countries represented from around the globe

● 70+ expert industry speakers

● 250+ exhibiting companies

● 500+ conference delegates

● 2,500+ attendees

About dmg Nigeria events:
dmg Nigeria events is a subsidiary of dmg events. dmg events is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT), an international portfolio of information, media and events businesses.

DMGT manages a diverse, multinational portfolio of companies, with total revenues of around £1 billion, that provide businesses and consumers with compelling information, analysis, insight, events, news and entertainment. Its venture capital business, dmg ventures, holds minority stakes in early-stage businesses and focuses particularly on disruptive consumer media propositions.

Headquartered in Dubai, UAE since 1989 with offices in Canada, Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and the UK. dmg events is an international exhibition, conference and intelligence company, attracting more than 1,000,000 attendees to a portfolio of over 80 events each year.

This global portfolio works closely with key stakeholders across the industry to facilitate pragmatic dialogue, serving as a platform for the latest discussions at the forefront of change.

For more information on dmg events, visit: www.dmgevents.com

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18 May 2025

Adv Duma Nokwe honoured for fighting against apartheid

Location: News

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.

Location: Sport

Friday, 09 May 2025 JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Shukri Conrad as the...