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Tag: South Africa

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South Africa protests travel restrictions amid new covid-19 variant

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , 0 comment

– – The South African government has complained that it is being punished instead of being  applauded for discovering new covid-19 variant Omicron. The  country’s foreign ministry made the statement as countries around the world restrict travel from southern African countries as the variant spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the  new variant was being considered as “of concern” due to higher re-infection risk. The new variant  first reported to the WHO from South Africa has  been detected in Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel. Several cases have also been…

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AfricArena ends 2021 event circuit in Cape Town with a bang

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , , 0 comment

– – AfricArena, which provides open innovation challenges, research and dealflow services to help accelerate the work of founders, investors and corporates, hosted its fifth annual Summit from 16 – 17 November in Cape Town. It was preceded by its Founders’ Bootcamp and VC Unconference Weekends, attended by 60 high level international investors and 40 startups from 15 African countries, as well as the elite of the continent’s ecosystem builders. During the Grand Summit, major announcements took place, including the new partnership between AfricArena, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

Why South Africa is a very violent country

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , , 0 comment

– – Latest statistics in South Africa showed a very worrying trend of a surge in crime rates, with officials describing the country as very violent. According to the police, murder cases had increased by almost 21% this year when compared to the same period last year. When it came to sexual violence, 10,000 people were raped in the three months – amounting to four rapes an hour. That is a 7% rise from last year. Police Minister Bheki Cele who presented the statistics at a media briefing said the…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

South Africa’s Former President de Klerk dies

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , 0 comment

– – Former President of South Africa and the last white person to lead the country, FW de Klerk has died at the age of 85. Mr de Klerk, who was also a key figure in the nation’s transition to democracy, had been diagnosed with cancer this year. Mr de Klerk was head of state between September 1989 and May 1994. In 1990 he announced he was releasing anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, leading to multi-party polls in 1994. A statement from the former president’s FW de Klerk Foundation read: “Former President…

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New Crypto Regulations in SA – What Does it Mean for Local Traders?

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , 0 comment

– – Amid the increasing popularity of the crypto trading market and faster crypto adoption, there are many countries around the world that are working on plans to regulate the Forex trading market. While some have decided to take a friendly approach towards the crypto industry, this is not the case for every country. Recently, South Africa’s National Treasury published a report where it talked about the money laundering activities in the region and examined the counter-terrorist measures that can be taken to go against the money laundering issues. The…

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Municipal Payments Essential for South Africa’s Future Cities

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – The urban population in Africa has swelled from 15% of the total population in 1960, to over 40% in 2010 and is set to exceed 60% by 2050. It is anticipated that South Africa will follow suit. In fact, current projections indicate that an additional 19 to 24 million people will be added to the national population over the next three decades, and that the vast majority of this growth will be confined to cities and towns. But what is needed by the country’s municipalities to cope with…

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Protection of Personal Information Act: How will it impact SA’s payments landscape?

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – The Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) came into full effect from 1 July 2021. The Act is the comprehensive data protection legislation that obliges organisations to lawfully process the personal information of data subjects (both natural and juristic persons) by applying specific principles and conditions. But how will it affect the payments space specifically? “As businesses in the payments industry process copious amounts of personal information, they now have to change many elements of the way they operate in order to accommodate the Act,” says Cecil…

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Africa Business South Africa Southern Africa World 

Cannabis production as source of revenue for pandemic-stricken countries

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – Medical and adult use cannabis production could provide new sources of taxable revenue for countries seeking to recover financially in the aftermath of the pandemic. Recent legal developments in South Africa point to a growing attempt to harness the plant’s potential and ensure adequate control of the cultivation and sale of cannabis products. In April 2021, the South African Government proposed a draft national master plan with the aim of loosening regulations in the cannabis industry in order to boost economic development. The plan looks at the prospect…

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Africa South Africa Sports World 

South African footballers first to have Covid at Olympic village

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – Two South Africa footballers have become the first competitors to test positive for coronavirus in the athletes’ village in Tokyo – five days before the start of the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, six athletes and two staff members from Team GB’s athletics team are self-isolating after being identified as close contacts of an individual who tested positive on their flight to Japan on 15 July. South Africa’s Football Association confirmed Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi as their positive cases. The South Africa football team’s video analyst Mario Masha also tested…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

African Union calls for peace in South Africa amid deadly unrest

Elwin Mandowa, , , , ,

– – Firefighters are also cleaning up the mess, helped by local residents wielding brooms. Police have also arrested hundreds of people for the violent unrest as the military makes efforts to bring the rioting under control. South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa met with leaders of political parties on Wednesday to discuss ways to address the unrest. “President Ramaphosa welcomed proposals made by political leaders and said expanded deployment of the South African National Defence Force was being addressed,” a government statement said. The jailing of a former president is…

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