The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
South Africa rejected a tweet by Donald Trump about the country's land reform policy and the "large scale killing" of farmers saying the US president was "misinformed". Trump said on Wednesday he directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to "closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures". "The presidency …
The Vaal River has been described as an open sewer, most frequently by people who live on its banks, despite protestations to the contrary by the department of water & sanitation. It smells of dead things and faeces. SA’s water crisis is not confined to the Vaal River, though it …
Holidaymakers are being warned against scam “orphan” lion cub attractions that are a front for the lucrative trade in shooting the animals dead. Parks in South Africa where tourists can take selfies with big cats or bottle-feed, pet or walk with them are nothing but breeding centres that profit from …
A herbicide that is believed to cause cancer is widely in use in South Africa. And, according to organic farmer Angus McIntosh, it can be found "in every loaf of bread sold in every shop in this country" and "in all processed foods, tinned foods and ready-made meals… consumed by …
Cape Town's rainfall for August has been way below average so far with some of the mountain areas that feed the city's storage dams getting less than a third of their normal rainfall. Some areas have received only a quarter of their long-term average rainfall for August to date. This …
The first group of at least 30 SA rhinos is set to emigrate to Australia in 2019 to help ensure the survival of the species. Zookeepers and conservationists have been fencing and vegetating a 560ha open-plains area for a new "insurance population" of African rhinos at Monarto Zoo, about 60km …
The department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries is calling for the reopening of environmental courts, where cases of illegal fishing, including abalone poaching, would be prioritised. SA’s first green court dates back to 2003 in Hermanus, Western Cape, where it was established as a pilot project run by the then …
There are some major moves afoot in South Africa and Mozambique, as conservationists and researchers try moving elephants to help protect them from ivory poaching and habitat loss. So far this summer, the “Moving Giants” project has relocated four dozen elephants from the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve (VLNR), a conservation …
In Southern Africa‚ Malawi has the most medicines commonly sold in substandard or falsified condition‚ according to pharmacists from the University of North Carolina. SA’s problem is relatively small‚ they reported on Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open‚ after analysing 96 previous studies of falsified and substandard medicines in …
Lack of sanitation is one of the world's leading development challenges. Globally, around two billion people don't have access to appropriate sanitation, with around a billion of them having no toilet. Provision of a hygienic sanitation solution, coupled with regular handwashing and access to clean, drinkable water, is known to …
Over 50 wildlife rangers from throughout Africa were honoured for their contribution to conservation on the continent during a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa. The awards event was attended by the winning rangers, organising company Paradise Foundation co-chair and Alibaba group executive chairman Jack Ma who praised the brave …
Over the past few decades there has been a growing worldwide interest in examining the relationship between weather and various types of crime. Most research in this area has however produced inconsistent and often paradoxical results. For example, some studies have found no seasonal fluctuations in crime. Others have however …
The government has set up a task team to look at imposing a total ban on microbeads – the tiny plastic beads used in cosmetics, toothpaste and sandblasting. This comes after a Water Research Commission study found microplastic pollution in tap water in Johannesburg and Tshwane, as well as in …
Water will be cut off in the towns of Hankey and Patensie in the Eastern Cape from Monday and only switched on again for short periods to stretch what little is left in the Kouga Dam, the municipality has announced. "We have been trying to delay the need for water …
The ANC has targeted 139 selected farms that they plan to expropriate without compensation in the coming weeks as it moves to make good on its commitment to test out section 25 of the Constitution. The governing party emerged from a two-day lekgotla of its highest decision-making body, the national …
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Monday urged African countries to adopt a green procurement system whereby they purchase products and services that cause minimal environmental impacts. Ernest Kamala, a program officer at the UNEP Africa office, told participants at a workshop held here, 40 km south of the …
Residents have been advised not to drink water from the Vaal River due to pollution. Officials say various levels of government are tackling the crisis. Water and sanitation department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said the pollution is mostly from municipal sewage. The department's tests show the river is poisonous. “Preliminary results …
South Africa's president says the ruling African National Congress (ANC) will push ahead with plans for the expropriation of land from white farmers, without compensation. Cyril Ramaphosa says the ANC will try to amend the Constitution with the support of the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters. The issue of land ownership …
The economically depressed Vaal River district is facing catastrophe as sewage from the Emfuleni water waste works continues to spill into the river, with the area’s core agricultural and tourism industries facing imminent ruin. GDP growth in Emfuleni — the biggest local municipality on the north shore of the Vaal …
South Africa will push ahead with plans to amend the constitution to allow land expropriation without compensation, its president says. In a recorded address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ruling ANC will "finalise a proposed amendment" allowing the move. He said the reform was "of critical importance" to the economy. …
