Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Capital: Pretoria

Total Area: 1,219,912 sq km'

Population: appox. 48,577,00048,577,000

Languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, ZuluAfrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Currency: Rand (ZAR) Rand (ZAR)

Independance Day: 31 May 1910 (from UK)

Date Joined: Rejoined 1994, (South Africa withdrew from the Commonwealth on its own accord in 1961)

Head of Government: President HE Cyril Ramaphosa (since 15 February 2018)



President

HE Cyril Ramaphosa


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Moody’s warns that South Africa is heading for trouble

Ratings agency Moody’s says that low economic growth and rising debt burden in South Africa could see socioeconomic tension intensify and impede policy reforms.

In a research note published on Tuesday (18 May), the agency said that the country’s credit profile was balanced, with its low level of foreign currency debt and a strong core of institutions counting in its favour, Reuters reported.

However, it warned that a number of growing fiscal and employment issues could lead to trouble.

“Credit challenges include structurally very weak growth and a high government debt burden that will continue to rise without comprehensive economic and fiscal reforms,” Moody’s said.
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BUSINESSTECH
South Africa's Redefine Properties expanding further into logistics on e-commerce boom

South Africa's Redefine Properties (RDFJ.J) is accelerating an expansion into the logistics space in Poland and at home, its chief executive officer said after the company reported a 62.7% decline in half-year headline earnings on Monday.

Redefine is positioning itself to benefit from rising demand for logistics facilities driven by a boom in online shopping in fast-growing e-commerce markets of Poland and South Africa as vacancies in its office portfolio rise.

Redefine’s total property assets under management are valued at R75.3 billion, with 84% invested in South Africa. Of the 16% held offshore, 81% is in Poland.
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Reuters
South Africa's trade surplus grows to $3.67 billion in March

South Africa recorded its largest trade surplus on record in March, data showed on Friday, with sales of commodities and minerals rising sharply as global demand driven by the economic recovery from the coronavirus continued.

South Africa's trade surplus widened to 52.77 billion rand ($3.67 billion) in March from a revised surplus of 31.22 billion rand in February, the South African Revenue Service said.

The surplus was the widest on record, topping the record seen in June last year and well above a market forecast of 25 billion rand.

Exports increased by 28.9% on a month-on-month basis to 168.29 billion rand, while imports rose 16.3% to 115.52 billion rand, the revenue Service said.
Sales in the precious metals and stones category climbed 41% in the month, followed by a 22% jump in mineral exports and 32% increased in vehicle exports.

Some analysts are predicting that the current boom in commodity prices may be the beginning of a commodities super cycle, like the one seen in the early 2000s, driven by the release of pent-up demand, especially from China.

Global gold, platinum and copper prices have hit record highs in 2021. The first two are among South Africa's chief exports.

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Reuters
HIGH COMMISSIONER DUMSILE SUKATI PASSES ON

High Commissioner to South Africa Dumsile Sukati has died of COVID-19 related complications.

The sad news of Sukati’s passing on was  confirmed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Thulisile Dladla in a government statement yesterday.

“The ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation notifies the diplomatic community and the public of the sad passing of Eswatini High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa Her Excellency Dumsile Sukati,” reads the statement in part.

Sukati passed away on Thursday at a South African hospital from COVID-19 related complications.

 Sukati is former minister of housing and urban development.  She also served as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.  
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Eswatini Observer
South Africa eyes enhanced economic cooperation with Turkey

South Africa aspires for enhanced relations as well as further economic cooperation with Turkey in the future, the country’s charge d’affaires, Tshepo Ranamane, said Saturday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the two countries’ bilateral relations, Ranamane said South Africa, the leading power in its region and one of the largest economies on the African continent, has important opportunities for Turkish investors.

The strength of the Turkish textile and industrial agriculture sector offers significant opportunities for Turkish businesspeople to participate in the mainstream of the South African economy, Ranamane pointed out.
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Daily Sabah
Vaccine production in South Africa

The issue of vaccine production has become a topic of hot debate following the approval of treatments for Covid-19. In South Africa angry exchanges have been spurred by the country’s lagging access to Covid-19 vaccines.

Generally, vaccines are produced by private companies who sell the vaccine under contracts. In some cases, producers will make provisions for access in particular markets. This is sometimes as a condition for receiving early development funding or for allowing parts of production to occur in a particular country. Some middle-income countries, particularly India, Argentina and Mexico, have sufficient production capacity to be partly indispensable. These countries have strategic leverage to get vaccines because of their own vaccine manufacturing capacity.
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Moneyweb
South Africa Desperate to See Biden Change US Position on Western Sahara

Rabat – South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor said earlier this week that she hopes to see the new US President Joe Biden “reverse” former president Donald Trump’s proclamation on Western Sahara and Morocco-US relations.

On December 10, Trump announced the decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.

The decision angered Polisario supporters, who described it as a “violation” of the UN-led political process.

Amid the debate about whether the new US administration will undo recent developments in Western Sahara, Algeria and South Africa were the only countries to have ardently embraced and promoted the Polisario Front’s independence claims.
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Morocco World News
South African jazz ‘giant’ Jonas Gwangwa dies aged 83

Jonas Gwangwa, a South African musician and anti-apartheid icon, has died aged 83.

President Cyril Ramaphosa led the tributes on Saturday to the legendary trombonist and composer who was nominated for an Oscar for the theme song of the 1987 film Cry Freedom.

“A giant of our revolutionary cultural movement and our democratic creative industries has been called to rest,” Ramaphosa said.

“The trombone that boomed with boldness and bravery, and equally warmed our hearts with mellow melody has lost its life force,” he added.

There were no immediate details on how or where Gwangwa died.

He passed away on the third anniversary of the death of the “father of South African jazz” Hugh Masekela and the second anniversary of the death of Zimbabwean musical legend Oliver Mtukudzi.

January 23 had become “the day the music died,” The South African and other media outlets said.
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ALJAZEERA
South African President announces extension of Covid-19 restrictions, closes land borders

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended coronavirus restrictions in the country Monday, citing a "massive increase" in Covid-19 cases driven by a variant discovered there last year.

The current measures were were due to expire on January 15 and include closing beaches and public parks, and banning the sale of alcohol.
"The pandemic in our country is now at its most devastating. The number of new infections, the number of hospital admissions, and the deaths that continue to take place come far higher than it has ever been since the first case was recorded in our country in March of 2020," Ramaphosa said in a live national address.
In addition to extending the existing measures, Ramaphosa announced that 20 land borders will be closed until February 15. The closures will have several exceptions such as those traveling for medical emergencies, he said.

Ramaphosa said that the speed and intensity of the second wave in South Africa is due to the 501.v2 variant discovered by genomic scientists late last year.

"We do know that this new variant of the virus tends to spread much faster than the earlier variant. This explains that many more people have become infected in a far shorter space of time," he said, adding that there was no evidence that the new strain caused people to get sicker.

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CNN
African genomics: The scientists unlocking cures encoded in DNA

How scientists in Africa – the most genetically diverse continent on earth – looked deep into the data in 2020 to make headway in understanding diseases that affect millions.

Dr Ambroise Wonkam carries hundreds of thousands of years of history in his blood. The impacts of pathogens, migration, environment and geography are written into the braids of DNA he inherited from tens of thousands of generations of ancestors.

This richness, he remarks, is not unique. It is a shared legacy for more than one billion people: in South Africa, where he works; in Cameroon, where he is from; and across the African continent – the most genetically diverse landmass on earth. With such wealth all around him, how could he not spend his life studying it?

Wonkam is one of several scientists from Africa who made significant gains in 2020 towards understanding diseases that affect millions – and are not novel pandemic viruses. He and others lead large experiments that analyse whole genome data from thousands of African volunteers in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and beyond.
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ALJAZEERA
South Africa’s Ramaphosa Prepares to Ease Lockdown Rules

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is preparing to ease lockdown restrictions, including the possible scrapping of an alcohol sales ban, according to people familiar with the matter. The country will move to so-called alert level 2, although details of which curbs will be retained are still being worked out, said four of the people, asking not to be identified because the information hasn’t been made public. Two said a decision had been taken to allow alcohol to be sold,
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bloomberg
Government to discuss new lockdown rules for South Africa this week

Government is expected to review some of South Africa’s lockdown regulations when the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) meets on Tuesday (11 August), with early signs pointing to a relaxation in rules. The Sunday Times reports that president Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation no later than Saturday, when the state of disaster is also due to expire. The paper spoke to a number of experts which indicated that the pandemic
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