China and Brazil have agreed to trade in the Chinese currency renminbi and Brazilian real before the visit of Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to China. This shift away from the US dollar is regarded as pragmatic and rational in the face of the current global financial fiasco. Reports suggest that the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) may need to provide an alternative and support a rebalancing of the financial system. The current uncertain…

Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism MEC Rodgers Monama has raised concerns about foreign nationals who arrive in the country as asylum seekers but end up committing crime. Monama raised the concerns during the demolition of 240 illegal gambling machines, mostly Chinese Roulettes, that were confiscated at various spaza shops across the province through the help of “community spy networks.” The event took place in Ladine, Polokwane, this morning, exactly six months since 226 illegal gambling machines were demolished in November…

Businesswoman Nothemba Mlonzi, the CEO of fuel supply company Econ Oil, has rejected Eskom boss Andre De Ruyter’s claims that her firm overcharged the power utility to the tune of billions of rands.   Maintaining that De Ruyter had weaponised his alleged anti-corruption crackdown at Eskom, Mlonzi has accused him of misrepresenting facts and peddling “falsehoods” about her company.  Econ Oil was contracted to supply fuel to Eskom between 2012 and 2017. Mlonzi also labelled De Ruyter’s claims as defamatory, adding her…

THE launch of Madagascar’s flagship infrastructure project paves the way for the acceleration of a scheme to provide access to electricity for more than 2 million citizens. That equates to approximately 8 percent of the island country’s population. Upon completion in 2028, the Vobe Among project is also anticipated tospeed Madagascar’s energy transition with up to 750 GWh producedrenewably per year. This amounts to about 40 percent of yearly energyconsumption. It will create approximately 1 500 direct and indirect jobs…

NKWE Platinum Limited has spent R53 million ($2,675 million) in a community empowerment initiative in South Africa’s northernmost Limpopo province. Initiatives include contracts awarded to communities and local businesses, such as R7,6 million for the site preparation work for the box cut in 2021, and R36 million of crushers material supply, tipper truck and diesel supply as well as various other projects in 2022. There is also the upgrading of the Garatau Community Access Road, as well as adult training…

VODACOM spent R300 million during the 2022/23 financial year into its network in the Limpopo province. This went towards expanding broadband coverage in remote areas without access to internet services. The mobile network operator has commissioned R6 million worth of 4G and 5G base station sites in five of 13 rural hospitals in the province. “Working together with Vodacom, we are addressing some of the challenges the Limpopo province faces. These network base station sites will help to accelerate better…

THE expansion and frequency of routes by international airlines into Zimbabwe is a boost to the country’s Open Skies policy. Nunurai Ndawana, Fastjet Zimbabwe spokesperson, said the new routes area testament to the airline’s commitment to the growth of tourism and the sustainability of air services in the markets. These planned additional routes to the airline’s domestic network will offer seamless connections for travelers from Harare and Victoria Falls to Zimbabwe’s top domestic tourism destinations of Kariba and Hwange, with…

A PROBE into corruption in the procurement of mosquito nets and irregular release of 500 tons of imported sugar represent a major step in the fight against corruption by the new government in Kenya. The government of President William Ruto came into power last August on a campaign to rid East Africa’s biggest economy of graft. One of the probes is into the US$27 million tender for mosquito nets, which the Global Fund had commissioned the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority…

ABUJA, May 22 (Xinhua) — Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday inaugurated the world’s largest single-train refinery in the country’s southwestern state of Lagos, hailing it as a significant milestone for the country’s economy and a “game changer” for the petroleum products market in Africa. Speaking at the ceremony for commissioning the Dangote Refinery which cost 19 billion U.S. dollars, Buhari emphasized the transformative impact of the refinery on Nigeria’s economic prosperity, noting the public-private partnership project will not only…

In an exclusive interview with TV BRICS, South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa talks about the group’s priorities for the upcoming event Anil Sooklal is a diplomat, historian and religious scholar. He is currently the South African Sherpa to BRICS. He has taught at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of South Africa. During this time he has published more than 20 articles in both local and international journals.  Sooklal has served as Deputy Director General of the Asia and Middle…