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South Africans are flourishing more than you might expect – here’s why

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Richard G. Cowden, Research Scientist, Harvard University

South Africa is often portrayed in the media as a country struggling with inequality, corruption, crime, infrastructure collapse and public health challenges. But this isn’t the whole story.

When South Africans are asked to describe their own lives, they often reveal signs that they are flourishing in vital ways. According to the Global Flourishing Study, many South Africans are in fact showing resolve by striving to move forward from the country’s difficult past and maintaining hope for a better future.

Human flourishing is sometimes used to describe an ideal state in which all aspects of a person’s life are good, including the environments and communities they’re part of. The global study was launched in 2021 to better understand human flourishing around the world.

Over 200,000 people in 22 countries from Argentina to Japan participated in the first wave of the Global Flourishing Study. They completed a survey about their background, upbringing, health, well-being, and other areas of life.

Recently, we analysed the data from 2,561 South Africans in the study to drill deeper. We explored how they are doing across nearly 70 health, well-being and related outcomes. The analysis offers the first comprehensive overview of flourishing in South Africa.

So, what does flourishing look like in South Africa right now?

Contrary to a gloomy view of the country, adult South Africans are flourishing in many ways that mirror the broader world. The country even has some notable strengths it could capitalise on. There are also lingering struggles that may be hindering flourishing in South Africa.

These findings show that some flourishing is still possible amid adversity. Insights from South Africa could offer clues about how to support the well-being of people living in places that are going through significant social and structural challenges.

What South Africa has in common with others

Part of our analysis compared South Africa’s average for each indicator of flourishing to the average across all other countries in the study.

For example, consider the question, “In general, how happy or unhappy do you usually feel?” (rated on a scale from 0-10, with 0 being extremely unhappy and 10 being extremely happy). The average response was 6.95 in South Africa and 7.00 across the other countries. This suggests average happiness in South Africa is about the same as in the other countries, taken together.

The findings were similar for more than 30 of the main outcomes, including sense of purpose, social belonging, depression, gratitude, and general health.

Read more: What makes people flourish? A new survey of more than 200,000 people across 22 countries looks for global patterns and local differences

Despite deep-seated societal problems, many South Africans report experiences of well-being that are not very different from the rest of the world. This doesn’t mean that the country’s social and structural challenges should be minimised or overlooked. However, it does show that many people can still experience high levels of well-being in circumstances of material fragility and deprivation.

It raises questions for South African leaders, policymakers and citizens to reflect on. For example, what might the flourishing of South Africans look like if these social-structural constraints were loosened or lifted?

South Africa’s strengths

The findings also suggest that South Africans have several strengths. Compared with the combined averages of the other countries, South Africans reported lower pain and suffering, greater inner peace, hope and forgiveness of others, and greater religious or spiritual engagement. On many of these, South Africa was ranked among the top five countries.

This shines a light on the enormous potential for flourishing in South Africa. For instance, many South Africans say they have the capacity to reckon with wounds from the oppressive system of racial segregation that shaped society for decades (through forgiveness).

South Africans tend to stay grounded amid the challenges of daily life (through inner peace), which puts them in a position to transcend adversities. And they generally hold onto the possibility of a brighter future despite enduring social-structural vulnerabilities (through hope).

Read more: Christianity is changing in South Africa as pentecostal and indigenous churches grow – what’s behind the trend

Perhaps the most inspiring of these findings is forgiveness. This is a strength that appears to have been cultivated through South Africa’s protracted reckoning with the legacy of apartheid. It may reflect a general societal commitment to pursuing peace and healing over discord and bitterness.

Faith may be a foundational source for the strengths seen in South Africa. For many South Africans, religion or spirituality is something they lean on to navigate the struggles they face in one of the most unequal societies in the world.

The challenges

Like many countries in the Global Flourishing Study, South Africa has clear opportunities to strengthen and expand the conditions that support human flourishing.

South Africans also tended to report lower well-being on several outcomes. These included satisfaction with life, meaning in life, place satisfaction, social trust, experiences of discrimination, charitable giving, and several socioeconomic factors such as employment and financial well-being.

Read more: Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being

These point to actionable areas that government, civil society, and private sector leaders can prioritise to improve flourishing in the country. Special attention should be directed toward supporting vulnerable groups that the analysis showed are struggling in many aspects of flourishing, including women, divorced people, and those with lower levels of education.

What this all means

The concept of flourishing invites South Africa to envision the highest ideals for its people and the kind of society those ideals might sustain. This does not mean that everyone will agree on what those ideals are, or how best to achieve them.

But the language of flourishing offers a way to unite different sectors and stakeholders around a shared goal: harnessing South Africa’s strengths while addressing challenges that hold back deeper forms of human flourishing in the country.

– South Africans are flourishing more than you might expect – here’s why
– https://theconversation.com/south-africans-are-flourishing-more-than-you-might-expect-heres-why-268695

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Ciara’s Beninese citizenship: marketing ploys can’t heal the past

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kwasi Konadu, Professor in Africana & Latin American Studies, Colgate University

African American singer Ciara received citizenship from the Republic of Benin in 2025 as a descendant of enslaved Africans. The images of her ceremony at Ouidah’s slave route memorial site, “Door of No Return”, were broadcast worldwide. Surrounded by drummers and dignitaries, she held a new Beninese passport aloft, a gesture hailed as both homecoming and healing.

As a historian of Africa, the African diaspora and Ghana, I see Ciara’s citizenship as part of a broader, complex story about how African states are reengaging with their diasporas. These are the global communities of people whose ancestors were displaced through slavery, migration and colonialism.

Several African countries have offered national identity to these descendants.

For many in the global African diaspora, Ciara’s ceremony felt like justice finally taking physical form. It was a symbolic reversal of forced displacement, affirming that descendants of the enslaved can now return as citizens rather than commodities. But behind the symbolism lies a deeper set of questions about power, inequality, and the politics of belonging.

At stake is whether Africa’s experiment with citizenship based on ancestry – what might be called citizenship diplomacy – represents genuine repair for past injustices or a ploy by governments to rebrand themselves.

A new wave of diaspora citizenship

Benin enacted a new law in 2024 which offers nationality to adults who can prove they descend from people enslaved and shipped from African shores. Proof may include DNA testing, genealogical documentation, or oral testimony. Recipients must finalise the process in person within three years.

The initiative follows similar efforts elsewhere. Ghana’s “Year of Return” in 2019 granted citizenship to dozens of African Americans; Sierra Leone has extended passports to descendants using DNA verification. Rwanda and The Gambia have launched programmes to attract “repatriates”.

These policies share a powerful moral ambition: to repair the rupture of slavery and reconnect global Africans with the continent.

Yet as Africa transforms its history into diplomacy, its diplomacy runs the risk of being less about genuine reuniting and more about using identity as a marketing strategy – selling the idea of “returning home” to improve an African nation’s global image.

This tension gives rise to four key issues revealed in my research: unequal access, genealogical governance, heritage commodification, and domestic inequality.

The unequal path to return

The first tension is access. DNA tests and ancestral research are expensive. The documentation required to verify lineage privileges those with resources, education and digital literacy. Celebrities can easily navigate this process; millions of others cannot.

In fact, those whose family histories were most violently erased are least able to prove descent.

These programmes are often promoted as open arms to the world’s Black descendants. However, they rely on technologies and bureaucracies rooted in western data regimes.

As scholars have shown, genetic ancestry databases are overwhelmingly managed by companies in the United States and Europe. These companies market and sell DNA while claiming to restore identity. The proof of African belonging is, once again, mediated by foreign tools and global capital.

Genealogy as governance

This reliance on genetics and archives revives colonial ways of classifying identity. European empires once defined African subjects through blood, “tribe” and lineage. Today, the state risks reinstating similar categories.

To decide who “counts” as African, governments are outsourcing moral authority to laboratories and paperwork. Instead, they could focus on community-based verification. This uses local historical societies, oral historians and cultural institutions that recognise shared heritage without reducing it to data.

The bureaucracy of belonging threatens to eclipse the politics of solidarity.

From memory to marketing

Another layer of complexity is economic. Governments market these citizenship programmes as engines of tourism, philanthropy and investment. Ghana’s Year of Return generated millions of dollars in tourism revenue, prompting other states to follow suit.

But when heritage becomes an industry, memory risks turning into merchandise. The descendants of the enslaved become consumers of identity rather than coauthors of the continent’s future.

There is nothing wrong with diaspora investment or travel. However, reparation should not be measured in flight packages and photo opportunities.

Inequality on the ground

Citizenship by ancestry can also create new inequalities within African societies. Returnees with foreign capital might purchase prime land, establish gated enclaves, or get privileges unavailable to locals.

In Ghana, tensions have surfaced between diaspora residents and citizens over property rights and cultural authority.

If unaddressed, these disparities could reproduce the very economic divides that colonialism imposed.

Citizenship as reparation must not translate into citizenship as entitlement. The moral gesture of inclusion loses meaning when it mirrors the social exclusions of global wealth.

Confronting historical complicity

Benin deserves recognition for acknowledging its historical role in the Atlantic slave trade, when the Kingdom of Dahomey captured and sold captives to European traders. The current government has invested in memorial tourism and educational projects around Ouidah’s slave route sites.

But recognition is only the first step. Apology without transformation leaves history unhealed. A citizenship programme can value memory only if it also builds institutions that dismantle the legacies of exploitation.

These national programmes expose a broader governance gap. The African Union (AU) officially designates the diaspora as Africa’s “sixth region”, yet there is no unified policy guiding diaspora citizenship. Each nation improvises its own standards, often shaped by domestic politics or diplomatic ambitions.

The absence of coordination creates a patchwork of eligibility rules and inconsistent rights. In some states, new citizens can vote or own property; in others, their status remains largely symbolic.

A continental framework could establish shared legal, ethical and economic principles for diaspora citizenship. Coordination would protect migrants from exploitation, prevent nationality shopping, and turn symbolic gestures into coherent policy.

Beyond ancestry: towards agency

The most profound shift must be philosophical. The descendants of the enslaved do not simply seek to return to Africa. They seek to return with Africa, to participate in a collective rethinking of freedom, belonging and justice.

Drawing from my research on diaspora reconstruction and transatlantic history, I argue that reconnecting should not be a sentimental pilgrimage. It should be a political partnership. Governments can collaborate with diaspora communities to build archives and fund educational exchanges. They can also invest in cultural institutions that preserve collective histories.

In that sense, citizenship as reparation can succeed only when it becomes citizenship as responsibility. That is, a mutual pact to build societies more equitable than the world that slavery and colonialism created.

Homecoming is an unfinished conversation. It is one that begins each time the continent and its diasporas meet not as strangers or symbols, but as partners in building the world that history denied them.

– Ciara’s Beninese citizenship: marketing ploys can’t heal the past
– https://theconversation.com/ciaras-beninese-citizenship-marketing-ploys-cant-heal-the-past-269213

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G20 African Energy Investment Forum Set to Shape Africa’s Investment Agenda

Source: APO – Report:

The G20 African Energy Investment Forum – hosted by the African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org/) – is set to play a defining role in shaping Africa’s energy investment landscape ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa. Taking place on November 21, 2025, in Johannesburg, the forum brings together African policymakers, global investors, financiers and energy executives to address the continent’s most pressing energy and infrastructure financing needs. With Africa facing annual infrastructure requirements of $130–170 billion across energy, water and transport, the event provides a targeted platform to convert political commitments into bankable projects, catalyze high-level partnerships and accelerate solutions that drive energy access and industrial growth. 

As South Africa’s G20 presidency places the continent’s development at the center of the global agenda, the forum offers investors an early window into policy priorities, regulatory adjustments and investment objectives expected to shape the Summit’s outcomes. Discussions will center on de-risking investment, scaling clean and affordable energy, modernizing supply chains and leveraging gas and renewables to anchor long-term economic growth. For participants seeking market intelligence, project pipelines and structured deal flow, the Forum aligns national goals, regional requirements and global capital-market interests.

Strategic Priorities and High-Level Engagement

The program features a full day of keynotes, fireside conversations and technical panels offering practical guidance for investors navigating Africa’s energy markets. South Africa’s Minister of Energy and Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, will deliver opening remarks outlining South Africa’s policy direction as G20 host. A fireside conversation with Wale Tinubu, CEO of Oando, will explore corporate growth strategies, diversification and upstream expansion, while Godfrey Moagi, CEO of the South African National Petroleum Company, will discuss refinery modernization and supply-chain resilience.

A series of high-level panels will examine policy tools that balance affordability, sustainability and security; regulatory interventions required to unlock private capital; and mechanisms to mitigate currency, sovereign and macroeconomic risks. Additional sessions will address national LPG and clean-cooking strategies, investment in storage and refining capacity and financing structures supporting gas, power and industrialization goals. Speakers include senior executives from Standard Bank, S&P Global, the African Refiners & Distributors Association, Eskom, Anglo American, PetroSA and Petredec, alongside moderators from SABC, Channel Africa and CLG.

The Forum will spotlight a range of investment-ready opportunities across the energy value chain: upstream acreage, gas monetization projects, refinery upgrades, national LPG expansion programs, utility-scale solar and wind, gas-to-power, baseload generation, grid modernization and emerging opportunities in digital energy systems, battery storage and carbon markets. With governments and sponsors present, investors gain direct exposure to bankable projects aligned with Africa’s industrialization and energy-security priorities.

Investment, Innovation and the Road to G20

With the G20 Leaders’ Summit taking place days later, the forum serves as a key platform feeding into global-level negotiations. Core discussions will align with South Africa’s push for a G20 action plan on affordable and just energy transitions, enhanced multilateral financing and a new investment pact for Africa. The program will highlight how blended finance, public-private partnerships and risk-mitigation tools can accelerate implementation across hydrocarbons, renewables and next-generation energy technologies.

By convening decision-makers across government, finance and industry, the G20 African Energy Investment Forum offers participants clear insight into upcoming policy shifts, bankable investment prospects and technology trends shaping the future. For investors, developers and financiers seeking clarity, access and actionable deal flow, it stands as a must-attend platform defining Africa’s energy agenda in the G20 era.

– on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Aberdeen Capabilities Underpin Altera’s Offshore Success in Ivory Coast

Source: APO – Report:

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Aberdeen’s role as a strategic base for companies operating beyond the North Sea was highlighted yesterday as Altera Infrastructure detailed how its UK capabilities are supporting major offshore developments in Africa.

Speaking at the Wider African Energy Summit – hosted in partnership with the African Energy Chamber – this week, Stig Bøtker, Director of Business Development at Altera Infrastructure, said the company increasingly relies on Aberdeen as a center of expertise that directly underpins its work on fast-growing African projects. “Aberdeen is a strategic base for Altera’s operations,” he said, noting that the city’s technical depth and offshore heritage have been instrumental in driving recent successes.

Bøtker pointed to the FPSO Petrojarl Kong, currently operating at the Baleine Field offshore Ivory Coast, as a leading example of how these competencies are being leveraged abroad. The project was completed on a fast-track schedule, with redevelopment beginning in late 2022 and first oil achieved in December 2024 – an overall timeline of just 24 months. The FPSO is producing 40,000 barrels of oil per day along with 44 million standard cubic feet per day of gas, which is supplied to an onshore power plant to deliver affordable and stable energy to the region.

Altera also secured $464 million in post-delivery financing for the Petrojarl Kong FPSO through a U.S. private placement, marking one of the first transactions of this kind for a West African offshore project. The company hopes this success will pave the way for continued activity in Ivory Coast, with Bøtker saying, “We hope to get more projects in Ivory Coast.”

Local content has been a core focus for the company, which has achieved 85% Ivorian employment onshore and 46% offshore. This has been driven by training programs in the shipyard, partnerships with educational institutions and hands-on development on existing FPSOs. “It’s about strengthening local suppliers, promoting transparency, getting local suppliers to understand how we operate and our core values,” Bøtker said, adding that building Ivorian-led capabilities remains a priority. “It’s important for us to continue developing people.”

Bøtker also noted that Altera is transferring emissions-reduction technologies to the region, several of which are already deployed on the Petrojarl Kong. He said the company aims to supply as much as possible locally, linking technical delivery with long-term capacity building.

– on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Breaking News: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Patrice Talon, Duma Gideon Boko Among Nominees for the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) African Persons of the Year 2025

Source: APO – Report:

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Voting Now Open on the ALM Website (www.AfricanLeadershipMagazine.Co.UK)

African Leadership Magazine (ALM) proudly unveils the nominees for the highly anticipated African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year (POTY) 2025, following a resounding response to the open call for nominations across the continent and its diaspora. After a rigorous evaluation by the ALM Editorial Board, the final list of nominees has been confirmed — and public voting is now officially open on the ALM website, running until midnight (GMT+1) on 30 November 2025.

The ALM POTY Awards remain Africa’s foremost public-choice honour, spotlighting leaders whose courage, innovation, and decisive actions in 2025 are shifting the continent’s development trajectory. The awards follow a rigorous three-stage process that combines credibility with wide public participation: an open call for nominations from across Africa and the Diaspora; a meticulous shortlist by the ALM Editorial Board assessing measurable impact and continental relevance; and a continent-wide online vote that empowers Africans everywhere to choose the personalities driving Africa’s progress and reshaping its global narrative.

The 2025 nominees of the African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year showcase extraordinary leadership across governance, business, education, peace and security, philanthropy, youth, and public service. Their work and impact in 2025 and beyond is driving real, measurable change — from economic transformation and stronger institutions to social progress and inclusive, sustainable growth. These leaders are shaping policies, inspiring communities, championing innovation, and redefining Africa’s narrative on the global stage. Each nominee embodies bold action, vision, and impact, turning challenges into opportunities and leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.

The winners, determined by public vote, will be recognised and honoured at the 15th African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Awards Ceremony, scheduled for 27–28 February 2026 in Accra, Ghana, under the theme: “Leadership for a New Africa: Forging Our Peace, Owning Our Narrative.”

The African Persons of the Year (POTY) Awards is the continent’s most prestigious leadership recognition event — often described as the African Oscars of Leadership and Achievement. Organised by African Leadership Magazine (ALM), Africa’s leading voice on leadership and impact, the event celebrates trailblazers whose vision, innovation, and integrity continue to shape Africa’s progress in governance, business, and society. Now in its 15th edition, the POTY has become a magnet for Presidents, Ministers, CEOs, Diplomats, and Innovators — uniting Africa’s foremost changemakers under one roof. 

The 2025 Persons of the Year nominees are as follows:

African Political Leader of the Year

  1. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah — President of Namibia
  2. Patrice Talon — President of Benin
  3. Duma Gideon Boko — President of Botswana
  4. José Maria Neves — President of Cape Verde

African Female Leader of the Year

  1. Esperança da Costa — Vice President of Angola
  2. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (Ghana)— Secretary-General, Commonwealth of Nations
  3. Mandisa Maya — Chief Justice, South Africa
  4. Hend El Sherbini — CEO, Integrated Diagnostics Holdings (IDH), Egypt

African Educationist of the Year

  1. Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir — Minister for Education, Culture & Higher Education, Somalia
  2. Tetteh Nettey — Founder & President, Marshalls University College, Ghana
  3. Barnabas Nawangwe — Vice Chancellor, Makerere University, Uganda
  4. Owunari Georgewill — Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Africa Peace & Security Leader of the Year

  1. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun — Inspector General of Police, Nigeria
  2. Mbaye Cissé — Chief of the General Staff, Senegalese Armed Forces
  3. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf — Chairperson, AU Commission, Djibouti
  4. Mohammed Berrid — Inspector General, Royal Moroccan Armed Forces & Southern Zone Commander

African Industrialist of the Year

  1. Samuel Dossou Aworet — Founder & Chairman, Petrolin Group (Benin) & Chair, African Business Roundtable
  2. Yacoub Sidya — Founder & CEO, MSS Security, Mauritania
  3. Edson R. dos Santos — Chairman & CEO, Etu Energias, Angola
  4. Phuthuma Nhleko — Chairman/Co-Founder, Phembani Group, South Africa
  5. Nassef Sawiris — Executive Chairman, Orascom Investment Holding, Egypt

African Philanthropist of the Year

  1. Jim Ovia — Founder & Chairman, Jim Ovia Foundation
  2. Dr. Mensa Otabil — Founder, International Central Gospel Church (ICGC)
  3. Rali Mampeule — Founder, South African Housing & Infrastructure Fund (SAHIF)
  4. Samuel Tafesse — Founder, Sunshine Investment Group, Ethiopia

Young African Leader of the Year

  1. Khalil Suleiman Halilu — Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, NASENI, Nigeria
  2. Darshan Chandaria — Group CEO, Chandaria Group, Kenya
  3. Adut Salva Kiir Mayardit — Senior Presidential Envoy (Special Programmes), South Sudan
  4. Azarel Ernesta — Speaker, National Assembly, Seychelles
  5. Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo — Founder & CEO, Intratrek Zimbabwe

African Public Sector Leader of the Year

  1. Charles Anosike — Director General/CEO, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet)
  2. Monique Gieskes — Director General/CEO, Plantations & Oil Mills of the Congo (PHC), DR Congo
  3. Ireneu Camacho — Chairman/CEO, ENAPOR, Cape Verde
  4. Avomo Assoumou Paule Koki — Director General, Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority
  5. Debele Kabeta — Commissioner, Ethiopian Customs Commission

African Public Health Champion of the Year

  1. Esperance Luvindao — Minister of Health & Social Services, Namibia
  2. Mekdes Daba Feyssa — Minister of Health, Ethiopia
  3. Jean Kaseya — Director General, Africa CDC (DR Congo)
  4. Aaron Motsoaledi — Minister of Health, South Africa
  5. Paulin Basinga — Director of Health (Africa), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Rwanda)

African Agricultural Development Leader of the Year

  1. Tinotenda Mhiko — CEO, Zimbabwe Agricultural & Rural Development Authority
  2. Queta Baldé — Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Guinea-Bissau
  3. Bruno Linyiru — Director General, Agriculture & Food Authority (AFA), Kenya
  4. Girma Amente — Minister of Agriculture, Ethiopia
  5. Alaa Farouk — Minister of Agriculture & Land Reclamation, Egypt
  6. Arvin Boolell — Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy & Fisheries, Mauritius

African Government Minister of the Year

  1. Lee Maiyani Kinyanjui — Cabinet Secretary, Investments, Trade & Industry, Kenya
  2. Estevão Pale — Minister of Mineral Resources & Energy, Mozambique
  3. Seedy K.M. Keita — Minister of Finance & Economic Affairs, Gambia
  4. Nyesom Wike — Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
  5. Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura — Minister of Finance, Sierra Leone

African Lawmaker of the Year

  1. Celmira Sacramento — Speaker, National Assembly, São Tomé & Príncipe
  2. Shirin Aumeeruddy Cziffra — Speaker, National Assembly, Mauritius
  3. Austelino Tavares Correia — President, National Assembly, Cape Verde
  4. Tlohang Sekhamane — Speaker, National Assembly, Lesotho
  5. Benjamin Okezie Kalu — Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Nigeria

Voting is now open at www.AfricanLeadershipMagazine.Co.UK — have your say and champion Africa’s finest leaders today!

– on behalf of African Leadership Magazine.

For media and other enquiries, contact:
Ehis Ayere,
Group General Manager, African Leadership Magazine UK
ehis@africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk
+44 203 051 1883

About African Leadership Magazine:
The African Leadership Magazine is the flagship publication of the African Leadership Organisation (UK) Limited. For more than 19 years, ALM has been dedicated to promoting impact-driven leadership in Africa, strengthening African voices globally through Afro-positive editorial content, trade facilitation, business networking, and public-sector capacity-building. With over 30 million readers across 35+ countries, ALM has become a trusted convener of conversations that define Africa’s trajectory, illuminating the stories of Africa’s finest — from boardrooms to State Houses — building bridges between African leadership and global recognition. Hosting the 2026 edition in Accra, Ghana — a symbol of peace, democracy, and Pan-African pride — reaffirms the Magazine’s commitment to unity, purpose, and African-led transformation.

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Repo rate reduced to 6.75%

Source: Government of South Africa

Repo rate reduced to 6.75%

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to reduce the policy rate by 25 basis points, to 6.75%, with effect from 20 November 2025.

Delivering the last MPC statement of the year on Thursday, SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the decision to reduce the policy rate was unanimous. 

“Members agreed there was scope now to make the policy stance less restrictive, in the context of an improved inflation outlook. The risks to the growth outlook are assessed as balanced. Inflation has accelerated somewhat over the past few months, reaching 3.6% for October. This is higher than the 3% average for the first half of the year. 

“The uptick is mainly due to non-core items: meat, vegetables, and fuel. We continue to see this pressure as temporary, with inflation heading lower again from the beginning of next year. Indeed, recent outcomes have undershot our forecasts slightly,” the Governor said.

Due to a stronger rand, and a lower oil price assumption, there is a small downward revision to the inflation outlook, for both 2025 and 2026.

“For inflation expectations, we do not have an update from our usual survey this meeting, but market rates and surveys of analysts both show further progress towards the 3% objective. 

“Core goods prices are benefitting from exchange rate strength. Food price inflation seems to have peaked, although we have a small upward revision to this forecast, mainly from beef prices. 

“Services inflation is unchanged from the last meeting: the announced medical aid increases are lower than last year’s; at the same time, housing inflation has accelerated, which warrants ongoing scrutiny,” Kganyago said.

The MPC assessed the risks to the inflation outlook as balanced.

“The Quarterly Projection Model continues to forecast gradual rate cuts as inflation subsides. As before, this rate path remains a broad policy guide. Our decisions will continue to be taken on a meeting-by-meeting basis, with careful attention to the outlook, data outcomes, and the balance of risks to the forecast.

“Domestic growth is looking better than last year. The second quarter data surprised on the upside and the third quarter indicators are looking broadly positive. Household consumption has also been rising but investment continues to disappoint,” he said.

For this meeting, the MPC considered two risk scenarios.
“The first scenario featured a US dollar rebound, recognising that while the rand has appreciated this year, this partly reflects broad dollar weakness, not just rand strength. In this scenario, the rand depreciates back to its 2023 levels against the dollar, rather than holding on to its recent gains, as in our baseline.

“The second scenario was based on higher administered prices, linked to a rapid correction of the R54 billion electricity pricing error disclosed a few months back. The scenario also had inflation expectations staying higher for longer, in response,” the Governor said.

Both scenarios featured tighter monetary policy, with rates coming down more slowly compared to the baseline. 

The administered price scenario in particular shows that if price setters take on board the 3% target, South Africa will have space to get to lower rates faster.

At its second last meeting of the year in September, the central bank kept the repo rate unchanged at 10.5%.
READ | SA Reserve Bank keeps repo rate unchanged

At the tabling of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) earlier this month, National Treasury announced a new inflation target for South Africa of 3% with a 1 percentage point tolerance band. The announcement followed agreement between the Governor and the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana.

Godongwana had further consulted with the President and Cabinet on the decision.
The new target immediately replaces the previous target range of between 3 and 6%, and will be implemented over the next two years. –SAnews.gov.za 
 

 

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President Ramaphosa hails G20 Social Summit as ‘possibly the best of all G20 summits’

Source: Government of South Africa

President Ramaphosa hails G20 Social Summit as ‘possibly the best of all G20 summits’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the G20 Social Summit as “possibly the best of all the G20 summits” praising it as a global gathering defined by inclusiveness, unity and the spirit of Ubuntu.

Delivering his address at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said the Summit’s strength lay in the breadth of voices brought together. 

He added with humour that South Africa was effectively hosting a “G-million,” after some had joked that the country was hosting a G100 and G1000 due to the number of related G-processes happening alongside the main summit. 

“That is true. We are having a G-million because we are about inclusiveness, bringing people together. And this summit is possibly the best of all the G20 summits that we are going to have. I want to applaud you and thank you all for being here. Thank you for your contributions which have ended up with a beautiful declaration. Beautiful things are happening in South Africa,” the President said. 

Ramaphosa arrived to loud cheers from delegates, who welcomed him with a reception fit for a G20 President. The atmosphere set the tone for a session focused on unity, people-centred development and reshaping global cooperation.

A summit rooted in history and solidarity

The President drew parallels between this year’s Social Summit and two historic gatherings held in 1955, the Bandung Conference, where the Global South found its collective voice, and the Congress of the People in Kliptown, where South Africans adopted the Freedom Charter.

He said the 2025 Summit should similarly be remembered as a moment where ordinary people across nations helped shape a new direction for global cooperation.

“One of our greetings, sanibonani, literally means ‘we see each other’,” he said, invoking the principle of Ubuntu. 

“We are acknowledging the personhood, value and dignity of the one we are greeting. This is the spirit in which this G20 Social Summit is being held.”

People speaking for themselves

Echoing the deliberations from civil society, President Ramaphosa said the summit ensured global action would be informed by the voices of those most affected by poverty, inequality, climate change and exclusion, instead of decisions being made on their behalf.

He emphasised South Africa’s commitment to ensuring that developing nations’ priorities, including just energy transitions, financial reform, inclusive trade and protection of the vulnerable, remain at the heart of the G20 Presidency.

Over the past year, delegates from Women20, Youth20, Media20, Labour20, Parliament20, Business20, and other formations contributed to what President Ramaphosa called a “beautiful declaration” that will feed directly into the G20 Leaders’ Summit, later this week.

Call for global solidarity

With today marking World Children’s Day, President Ramaphosa stressed the urgency of global investment in children, women and marginalised communities. 

He warned that gender-based violence remains a crisis that undermines development and fractures societies, calling for men and boys to be active partners in challenging harmful norms.

“No society can thrive for as long as gender-based violence and femicide continues and the agency of women is denied. The violence perpetrated by men against women erodes the social fabric of nations. Here in South Africa, we have declared gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) a national crisis. 

“The collective perspectives that have been expressed at this Summit on all these issues and more will enable governments and decision-makers to better understand people’s practical, lived experiences,” he said.

The President said the G20 Social Summit must now serve as the compass that guides the G20 Leaders’ Summit, a reliable tool ensuring that decisions reflect the needs of all nations, not only the most powerful.

“No matter the headwinds, no matter the geopolitical shifts, we will keep our eyes fixed on the horizon of progress and shared prosperity. We will set a new course for the world, and we will create a new future for its people,” the President said. 

As the crowd once again erupted in applause, the message was unmistakable – South Africa’s G20 Presidency is not just historic; it is redefining the meaning of global cooperation through unity, humanity and inclusion. – SAnews.gov.za

DikelediM

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G20: weather outlook

Source: Government of South Africa

G20: weather outlook

As South Africa prepares to welcome the world for its first-ever G20 Leaders’ Summit in Gauteng this weekend, delegates can look forward to a cool, partly cloudy backdrop, with the chance of scattered showers for this historic gathering. 

The weather outlook for the weekend shows partly cloudy and cool conditions for the central and eastern parts of the country. 

“It will be warm in places in the northern parts of Limpopo, as well as into the lowveld of Mpumalanga, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers possible from the afternoon over Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga and the eastern parts of the Free State,” South African Weather Service (SAWS) Meteorologist, Lehlohonolo Thobela said on Thursday.

Global leaders will gather in Johannesburg on Saturday and Sunday to discuss key economic and financial issues under South Africa’s Presidency theme: ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’.

“The area [Gauteng] will be affected by a surface high pressure in the east, with a surface trough over the western interior of the country. 

“The influence of these weather systems usually results in thundershowers over the eastern parts of the country, which is common the for spring and summer seasons. However, the weather conditions will be better than the previous week,” Thobela said.

Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are possible over Gauteng as a whole and it will be a bit windy in Johannesburg on Sunday.

The summit will be taking place at NASREC, also known as the Johannesburg Expo Centre. Weather conditions for the area are follows:

  • Friday, 21 November: Min/max – 12/23 C; cloudy at times with a 30% chance of storms.
  • Saturday, 22 November: Min/max – 11/23 C; cloudy conditions and a 30% chance of storms in the afternoon.
  • Sunday, 23 November: Min/max – 13/25 C; partly cloudy becoming cloudy in the evening with a 30% chance of storms in the late afternoon and early evening.

The public is advised to stay informed by monitoring weather warnings and updates from SAWS website (www.weathersa.co.za), and broadcasts on local radios and television channels. 

Furthermore, intermediate updates may be followed on X (@SAWeatherServic), Facebook (South African Weather Service) or other SAWS-supported social media platforms. – SAnews.gov.za

nosihle

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NW police arrest 994 suspects during Operation Shanela II

Source: Government of South Africa

NW police arrest 994 suspects during Operation Shanela II

Police in the North West have arrested 994 suspects during the weekly Joint Law Enforcement high density Operation Shanela II, conducted between Monday, 10 November and Sunday, 16 November 2025, across all five districts.

The arrests build a strong foundation for the Safer Festive Season Operations, aimed at addressing the heightened risk of criminality associated with increased movement of people and elevated social activity during the holiday period.

According to the police, out of the 994 arrested suspects, 366 were arrested by the detectives after being traced from circulated wanted suspects’ lists. The operation also led to the arrest of 15 undocumented foreign nationals.

The operations also addressed identified crime generators through compliance inspections to enforce the provisions of the Liquor and Second-Hand Goods Acts. 

The multi-disciplinary teams conducted compliance inspections targeting identified crime generators, including liquor outlets and second-hand goods dealers. A total of 151 licensed liquor outlets were inspected, resulting in 56 arrests for illegal liquor trading, while large quantities of liquor were confiscated. 

“Moreover, the operations led to the confiscation of a variety of drugs, firearms, ammunition, vehicles, precious metals and tobacco products,” the police said in a statement.

In Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit, Provincial Proactive Drug Operations, Ventersdorp Crime Prevention and Community Police Forum (CPF) members executed search and seizure warrants at Boikhutsong and Goedgevonden villages, and Tshing location, Ventersdorp on Friday, 14 November 2025. 

Silengene Tokwana (35) and Molefi Elliot Sakhachane (35) were arrested for dealing in drugs and possession of suspected illegal substances. Police seized dagga and crystal meth with estimated street value of R32 000. 

The pair appeared in the Ventersdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 17 November 2025, and were remanded in custody until 20 and 24 November2025, respectively.

“A multidisciplinary Inter-Provincial roadblock was conducted on Friday, 14 November 2025, on the N12 road between Potchefstroom and Fochville culminated in the arrest of five individuals for contravening Section 49 (1)(a) of the Immigration Act, 2002. (Act No. 13 of 2002). 

In a separate operation, a multidisciplinary Inter-Provincial roadblock was conducted on the N12 between Potchefstroom and Fochville on Friday, 14 November 2005, resulted in the arrest of five suspects for contravening immigration laws. 

Two others were arrested for drug-related offences after police confiscated about 8kg of dagga. Nine traffic fines were also issued to motorists.

In Bojanala Sub-District 2, Rustenburg police responded on Saturday, 15 November, to a local hospital, where a man was found with multiple stab wounds on his upper body.

“Initial investigations indicated that the deceased, Dumile Patrick Mthunzana (45) was fatally stabbed during an argument. The police tracked down and arrested the suspect shortly after the incident.

“Phathilizwe Malongwane (46) appeared before the Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, on a charge of murder. Malongwane was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Thursday, 27 November 2025,” the SAPS said.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the North West, Major General (Dr) Ryno Naidoo commended all law-enforcement agencies for working together in enhancing safety and security across the province. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin

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Wider African Energy Summit Highlights Role of Service Companies in Boosting Local Content

Source: APO – Report:

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Global service companies were highlighted as a potential vehicle for local content development in Africa during the recent Wider African Energy Summit in Aberdeen, hosted in partnership with the African Energy Chamber (https://EnergyChamber.org).

The value of local content in driving economic growth was a key focus – emphasizing that as the continent’s oil and gas value chain evolves, opportunities for service companies to strengthen local content become increasingly apparent. This was showcased in a presentation delivered by Ileana Ferber, CEO and Founder of Colibri Business Development LLC.

“Service companies can become a key enabler of local content in Africa. In addition to upstream opportunities in Africa, we have a lot of prospects in midstream infrastructure. As the sector grows, there are a lot of opportunities for service companies. Service companies are the bridge between operators and suppliers,” she said.

While Africa’s oil and gas sector has been largely focused on upstream activities, a recent shift is being seen across the continent, with nations prioritizing mid- and downstream infrastructure under efforts to strengthen trade, fuel access and domestic market development. This has not only created business prospects for service companies but opened new doors for local content development – from job creation to supplier contracts to workforce training and technology transfer.

“There are different elements associated with local content. We want to train people – in both soft and hard skills -; we want to enhance supplier development, to ensure they have the capabilities to meet industry standards; and we want technology transfer, strengthening tacit knowledge and know-how as well as research and development,” Ferber shared.

Many countries across the continent are implementing local content regulations with the aim of generating economic opportunities for local populations. Ferber pointed to some of the challenges with local content requirements, highlighting the need for greater coordination between government and industry in the development of these policies.

“Local content requirements can be prescriptive, with minimum engagement with the industry. They can feature unrealistic targets that exceed local capability and skills. They can also be unfeasible in certain project phases,” she said. However, she also described the opportunities, stating that “local content requirements can develop infrastructure to strengthen the economy, create incentives to develop other industrial sectors and enable programs to develop SMEs as well as unrepresented groups.” 

– on behalf of African Energy Chamber.