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Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

Source: APO

Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Holds Telephone Conversation with Acting President of Venezuela

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha | June 25, 2026

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani held Thursday a telephone conversation with HE Acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed the State of Qatar’s solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the wake of the two earthquakes that struck the country. He offered his sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims, the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and its friendly people, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

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Minister of State at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Holds Phone Call with Foreign Minister of Venezuela

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha | June 25, 2026

HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi held a phone call on Thursday with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Yvan Gil.

During the call, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen and develop them, in addition to the latest developments in the Latin America region.

HE the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed the State of Qatar’s solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the wake of the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela. He offered sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims, the government and people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, wishing the injured a speedy recovery

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Advisor to Prime Minister, Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Takes Part in Gulf-Mediterranean Summit

Source: Government of Qatar

Rome | June 25, 2026

Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Majed Mohammed Al Ansari participated in the Mediterranean and Gulf Summit organized by the Italian Institute for International Affairs in Rome, Italy.

Dr. Al Ansari spoke during two main sessions, titled “Mediation Paths After the Iran-Israel-Gulf Crisis” and “Regional Hotspots Post-Iran: Palestine and Lebanon.

“Discussions addressed current regional developments and their impact on the region’s security and stability, as well as the role of dialogue and mediation in containing crises and strengthening regional cooperation.

During his remarks, Dr. Al Ansari emphasized that recent developments in the region, including the understandings reached between the United States and Iran, necessitate the development of a more comprehensive and cooperative regional security architecture based on dialogue, diplomacy, and confidence-building among the region’s countries. This would contribute to addressing common challenges and enhancing regional security and stability.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining the security and stability of waterways, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, as a cornerstone of global energy security and trade.

He emphasized that the stability of these vital waterways not only benefits the countries of the region but also extends to international partners, especially European countries, given the interconnectedness of their economic and trade interests with the region’s security and stability.

Dr. Al Ansari pointed out that achieving sustainable stability in the region requires strengthening diplomatic channels and dialogue, and developing frameworks for regional and international cooperation that serve the common interests of the region’s countries and their partners, and contribute to consolidating security and prosperity at both the regional and international levels.

It is worth noting that the sessions addressed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, international and regional efforts aimed at de-escalation and supporting stability, besides discussing the future of the region in light of the rapid geopolitical shifts and their repercussions on regional and international security, and prospects for strengthening Gulf-European relations and expanding areas of cooperation between the two sides.

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Radisson Hotel Group shapes the future of healthcare meeting design

Source: APO

Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) (www.RadissonHotels.com) is helping drive a new era in healthcare meeting planning, contributing to the industry’s evolution from operational event delivery to a structured, strategic discipline focused on improving scientific exchange, decision-making, and healthcare outcomes.

The findings emerge from the Radisson Hotel Group Knowledge Exchange: Healthcare Planning, Design and Strategy Summit held in Florence, Italy, where 75 experts from across the pharmaceutical, healthcare agency, and venue production sectors came together to explore the future of healthcare meeting design. Built to drive tangible outcomes, the two-day summit centered on collaborative working sessions and practical workshops that translated industry insights into actionable frameworks, rather than a traditional conference format.

The resulting report identifies a clear industry shift: healthcare meetings are increasingly being recognized not as standalone events, but as strategic communication systems that require structured design, measurable methodologies, and continuous improvement.

“Healthcare meetings are no longer simply logistical exercises—they are strategic communication platforms that can drive measurable educational, scientific, and organizational outcomes,” said Muriel Poulenc, Senior Director, Sales Strategy at Radisson Hotel Group. “Across the industry, we are seeing growing recognition that better outcomes require more than flawless execution. They require structured design, integrated workflows, and a more deliberate approach to how meetings are planned, delivered, and measured. The organizations embracing this shift will be best positioned to create meaningful impact.”

Healthcare meeting design is becoming a discipline

A central theme emerging from the Florence summit is the growing professionalization of healthcare meeting planning. As regulatory requirements, stakeholder expectations, and organizational complexity continue to increase, the industry is moving toward shared methodologies, frameworks, and measurement systems that support more consistent and effective outcomes.

Building on discussions first initiated at the 2025 Knowledge Exchange, participants worked to translate industry insight into practical, repeatable tools designed to improve meeting effectiveness, compliance, and stakeholder engagement. The report argues that healthcare meetings should no longer be viewed as isolated events, but as intentionally designed systems that support learning, collaboration, and decision-making across the healthcare ecosystem.

The healthcare meeting planner is becoming a decision architect

As healthcare meetings become more complex, the role of the planner is evolving beyond coordination and logistics. The report highlights the emergence of meeting planners as strategic decision architects, responsible for aligning stakeholders, structuring workflows, and helping organizations make better decisions throughout the planning lifecycle.

Workshop discussions revealed that many organizational challenges, including delays, inefficiencies, and rework, are often the result of fragmented decision-making rather than execution shortcomings. Participants concluded that better meetings depend on better decision structures, greater alignment, and earlier strategic involvement from planners.

AI won’t fix healthcare meetings. Better systems will

While artificial intelligence (AI) continues to dominate industry conversations, the Florence summit challenged the assumption that technology alone will solve healthcare meeting challenges. According to discussions and data presented during the summit, while AI adoption across the industry is high, relatively few organizations are achieving its full value. Participants agreed that the real challenge is not technology adoption, but the integration of AI into coherent workflows, governance models, and decision-making systems.

The report identifies fragmented processes, disconnected workflows, and inconsistent planning structures as some of the industry’s most significant barriers to progress. In many organizations, as much as 40–60% of planning activity remains focused on non-value-creating work.

To address these challenges, RHG advocates for the adoption of structured methodologies, including Lean Six Sigma, Agile, and Sprint thinking, to redesign healthcare meeting planning around flow, efficiency, and measurable outcomes.

Build. Measure. Learn.

One of the report’s key contributions is the introduction and exploration of the Meeting Flow Efficiency Ratio (MFER), a framework designed to measure the balance between value-creating activity and reactive planning effort. The model demonstrates how organizations can increase productive planning time by improving workflow design, reducing friction, and creating greater alignment across teams and stakeholders.

The report also reinforces the need to move beyond one-off event thinking toward a continuous engagement model. This evolution is particularly important given the report’s finding that 66% of healthcare professionals change their clinical practice or prescribing behavior following participation in industry-sponsored symposia, highlighting the significant influence healthcare meetings can have on professional decision-making and patient outcomes.

An industry ready to evolve

A panel featuring senior leaders from Inizio Engage XD, MCI, Emota, and Open Audience reinforced the report’s conclusions.

Drawing on longitudinal industry data spanning 2018 to 2026, the panel identified a common challenge: not structural failure, but structural inertia. While participation remains strong and investment continues, many traditional meeting formats have failed to evolve alongside changing expectations and technological capabilities.

The report concludes that the future of healthcare meetings will belong to organizations that combine methodology, intelligent orchestration, and strategic design to create more impactful, measurable, and scalable engagement.

By combining sector expertise, collaborative industry engagement and methodology-driven approaches, Radisson Hotel Group continues to support the advancement of healthcare meeting design and contribute to the ongoing development of the discipline globally.

Read the full report here (https://apo-opa.co/4alYzGl).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Radisson Hotel Group.

Media Contact:    
Roberto Tamayo 
Director Global PR, Social Media & Influencer Marketing
Roberto.tamayo@radissonhotels.com

Amber April
Manager, Global Corporate PR
Amber.april@radissonhotels.com

Connect with Radisson Hotels on:
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About Radisson Hotel Group: 
Radisson Hotel Group is a rapidly expanding international hotel group, operating in EMEA and APAC with more than 1,600 hotels in operation and under development in +100 countries. The Group’s overarching brand promise is Every Moment Matters with a signature Yes I Can! service ethos.

The Radisson brand portfolio includes Radisson Collection, art’otel, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and Prize by Radisson — brought together under one commercial umbrella brand, Radisson Hotels.

Radisson Rewards (https://apo-opa.co/3R5O3fL) is Radisson Hotel Group’s loyalty program, which delivers an elevated experience that makes Every Moment Matter, counting more than 29 million members. As the most streamlined program in the sector, members enjoy exceptional advantages and can access their benefits from day one across a wide range of hotels in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Radisson Meetings (https://apo-opa.co/4oKXIVo) provides tailored solutions for any event or meeting, including hybrid solutions, placing guests and their needs at the heart of its offer. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional, and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and being uniquely Carbon Compensated.

At Radisson Hotel Group, we care for people, communities, and planet (https://apo-opa.co/4eGTsBB) and aim to be Net Zero by 2050 based on the approved Science Based Targets. With unique solutions such as carbon-compensated Radisson Meetings, we make sustainable hotel stays easy. To facilitate sustainable travel choices, all our hotels are becoming verified on Hotel Sustainability Basics.

The health and safety of guests and team members remain a top priority for Radisson Hotel Group. All properties across the Group’s portfolio are subject to health and safety requirements, ensuring we always care for our guests and team members.

For more information, visit our corporate website www.RadissonHotels.com 

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Morocco’s hidden history: archaeology, DNA and carbon dating rewrite the story of the ancient world

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hamza Benattia, Prehistory, University of Cambridge

For decades, stories about the ancient Mediterranean have centred on the grand cultures of Greece, Rome, Phoenicia and Egypt. North-west Africa seldom enters the picture before the arrival of Phoenician traders on the Moroccan coast about 3,000 years ago.

But archaeology is now revealing a different story.

Long before the first Phoenician ships (from today’s Middle East) sailed the western Mediterranean (between today’s north Africa and southern Europe), communities in what is now Morocco were farming and herding animals. They were also crossing the Strait of Gibraltar and participating in long-distance exchanges.

Map of the study area. Author provided

Over the past decade, I’ve worked on archaeology projects across Morocco. We’ve been investigating the origins of farming, long-distance exchange and the emergence of complex societies there. In my most recent study, I brought together archaeological evidence, radiocarbon dates and genetic data spanning nearly three millennia.

The study reveals that between roughly 3800 and 500 BCE – a period that saw the construction of Stonehenge, the flourishing of New Kingdom Egypt and the rise of Phoenician maritime trade – north-west Africa was not a marginal frontier. It was a crossroads linking the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Saharan worlds.

This has important implications for how we understand Africa’s past. For too long, interpretations of the continent’s history have underestimated the complexity and dynamism of its societies. By bringing north-west Africa back into the picture, archaeology is helping to correct that imbalance and reveal a richer, more interconnected reality.

A centre of multiple worlds

Geography helps explain why north-west Africa occupied such a strategic position in Mediterranean prehistory. The Strait of Gibraltar, which separates present-day Morocco and Spain, is only about 14km wide at its narrowest point. It served as a natural corridor linking Africa and Europe.

Strait of Gibraltar from Africa. Hamza Benattia, CC BY

Far from being isolated, communities in today’s northern Morocco were embedded in long-distance networks for millennia. They maintained contacts with Iberia and other Atlantic regions and they interacted with Saharan populations. Later, they engaged with Mediterranean traders and settlers.

They were not passive participants in these exchanges. Archaeological evidence increasingly suggests that local communities actively participated in the networks that connected the western Mediterranean.

Early farmers and innovation

Farming was present in north-west Africa from at least 5400 BC, during the Neolithic period when agriculture was spreading across much of the western Mediterranean.

By around 3800 BC, communities in what is now Morocco were practising increasingly intensive farming and animal husbandry. One striking example is Oued Beht. At this large open-air settlement people cultivated crops, raised livestock and stored surplus food in hundreds of large underground pits.

Painted pottery from Oued Beht. OBAP

Recent excavations reveal this was no small farming village. Covering around ten hectares, Oued Beht is among the largest agricultural settlements known in prehistoric Africa. The site may have supported a population of more than a thousand people, pointing to a level of organisation rarely documented in north-west Africa at this time.

These developments coincided with broader environmental changes, including the Sahara gradually becoming a desert. The dryness may have encouraged communities to invest more heavily in agriculture, food storage and long-term settlement in order to adapt to a less predictable environment.

Read more: A 5,000-year-old farming society in Morocco fills a major gap in history – north-west Africa was a central player in trade and culture

At the same time, there’s clear evidence of interaction with Iberia, the peninsula that includes today’s Spain and Portugal. Shared painted pottery styles, together with ivory and ostrich eggshell objects, point to regular contacts across the Strait of Gibraltar. These local communities were already active participants in wider networks of exchange.

New influences and local continuity

During the third millennium BC, north-west Africa became part of the wider Bell Beaker phenomenon. It takes its name from distinctive bell-shaped drinking vessels which appear across a network of communities that stretch across Atlantic Europe and the western Mediterranean.

Beaker vessel. Wikimedia Commons

For decades, the presence of Bell Beaker pottery in the region was interpreted as evidence that local communities were simply adopting cultural innovations from Europe.

Yet in Morocco, Bell Beaker objects are found alongside distinctive local traditions. This suggests local communities were selectively integrating new elements into existing cultural frameworks.

Copper objects from Morocco. Ignacio Montero

This was clearly a process of exchange, adaptation and local agency.

The elusive Bronze Age

The second millennium BC remains one of the least understood periods in north-west African prehistory. In Iberia, large, fortified settlements and clear social hierarchies emerge. The archaeological record in north-west Africa is more fragmentary.

Even so, there are important clues.

Burial practices such as stone-built cist graves point to changes in social organisation. At sites like Kach Kouch, there is evidence for settled farming communities with round houses, storage facilities and animal herding.

Ballintober sword found in Morocco. Claudia Plamp

There are also signs of long-distance connections continuing into this period. For example, a bronze sword recovered from the bed of a river in northern Morocco has close parallels in the British Isles. This suggests links extending far beyond the Mediterranean.

Encounters with the Phoenicians

By the early first millennium BC, Phoenician traders and settlers from the eastern Mediterranean – today’s Lebanon – began establishing settlements along the north African coast. Traditionally, this has been interpreted as a process of colonisation, with local populations as passive recipients of a more advanced culture.

Recent archaeological evidence challenges this.

Aerial image of the hilltop settlement at Kach Kouch, Morocco. Hamza Benattia, CC BY

At sites like Kach Kouch, local communities continued their own architectural traditions and lifestyle. They selectively adopted new elements, like wheel-made pottery and iron tools.

Kach Kouch and other settlements suggest that these societies negotiated encounters with incoming groups. They incorporated new ideas into existing cultural traditions on their own terms.

The arrival of the Phoenicians, then, did not mark the beginning of complex societies in Morocco. It was a new chapter in a much longer history of interaction, adaptation and exchange.

Read more: Discovery of a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age settlement in Morocco rewrites history

These advances reflect decades of work by Moroccan and international research teams. Much remains for archaeologists to do. Large parts of the region are still underexplored and new discoveries have the potential to transform our understanding even further.

What is already clear, however, is that the prehistory of north-west Africa is a story of local communities actively shaping their own place in the ancient world.

– Morocco’s hidden history: archaeology, DNA and carbon dating rewrite the story of the ancient world
– https://theconversation.com/moroccos-hidden-history-archaeology-dna-and-carbon-dating-rewrite-the-story-of-the-ancient-world-279226

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Government intensifies immigration crackdown, strengthens borders

Source: Government of South Africa

Government intensifies immigration crackdown, strengthens borders

Government has unveiled a wide-ranging and coordinated migration management strategy aimed at strengthening border security, intensifying enforcement against illegal immigration, addressing asylum system backlogs, and closing legal and administrative gaps in the country’s immigration framework. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined the measures while responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday, where he said government had adopted a comprehensive approach to managing migration challenges.

He said illegal immigration has been identified as a significant national concern.

“The government has identified illegal immigration as a significant challenge in our country, which has implications for social cohesion, national security, and the provision of services to our people,” he said. 

The President said Cabinet adopted a comprehensive migration management approach on 3 June 2026, which has since been endorsed through various governance structures, including the Presidential Coordinating Council, and engagements with social partners.

The first pillar of the strategy focuses on strengthened enforcement of immigration and labour laws.

“Law enforcement agencies are intensifying the identification and deportation of undocumented foreign nationals. This work will be supported by dedicated immigration courts,” he said. 

He said compliance monitoring at workplaces will also be increased through inspections and stricter penalties for employers who violate immigration laws.

“The Department of Employment and Labor is recruiting 10 inspectors, as I announced in the State of the Nation address, and will increase penalties for employers breaching the immigration act,” he said.

The second pillar focuses on border management and infrastructure upgrades.

“We are directing resources to border infrastructure technology, as well as bringing in more personnel to guard our borders,” the President said. 

President Ramaphosa said government will redevelop the country’s six busiest ports of entry, while refugee reception centres will be relocated closer to border posts to improve efficiency and control.

The third pillar of the approach is the modernisation and digitisation of the immigration system.

“We are establishing an intelligent population register with biometric data underpinned by a digital ID and phasing out the green ID books that enable identity theft,” he said.

He added that the electronic travel authorisation system will be expanded to all airports and major land ports of entry.

Government is also taking steps to address corruption and inefficiencies in the system through increased use of technology and data integration across departments.

The fourth pillar focuses on legal and policy reforms.

Cabinet has approved a revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, which will guide a unified legal framework for migration management.

The National Labour Migration Policy and the Employment Services Amendment Bill are expected to introduce quotas for the employment of foreign nationals as part of efforts to regulate labour migration more effectively.

On asylum management, the President said government is working to resolve long-standing backlogs in the system.

“The Refugee Appeal Authority has recruited a number of advocates as additional adjudicators and continues to receive capacity support from the UN High Commission for Refugees to determine and finalize outstanding appeals,” he said. 

The fifth pillar focuses on regional and continental cooperation, recognising that migration pressures cannot be addressed in isolation.

“South Africa cannot address migration alone through SADC, the African Union and bilateral relations that we have with many countries, we will work together to tackle political instability, conflict, and economic hardships that drive people to leave their homes and to come here,” he said.

President Ramaphosa emphasised that migration enforcement must remain a state function and warned against vigilantism.

“We’ve made it clear that every person within the borders must be here more. We have also said that responsibility for enforcing our laws rests with the state and the state law, and that no individual may stop any person to demand documentation or proof of identity or nationality,” he said.

He warned against discrimination and intolerance. The President said government remains prepared to deal with any attempts to destabilise the country.

“As government, as government, we have put in place security and other measures to deal with any attempts to destabilize our country, whether by citizens or foreign nationals, and we will not tolerate any attempts to destabilize the country by anyone, whether marching or otherwise.”

“Our security forces are ready, and those who transgress the measures that we are putting in place will definitely meet the might of the law,” the President said.

On labour enforcement, President Ramaphosa said government will continue strengthening compliance mechanisms, including inspections and enforcement actions against exploitative practices.

He also addressed the recruitment of labour inspectors, confirming that government remains committed to deploying 10 000 inspectors announced in the State of the Nation Address, but said implementation will be phased due to fiscal constraints.

“Regarding immigration, we have determined that indeed we will be bringing in all those 10,000. We are doing it in phases. We’re doing it in phases largely because of the budgetary concerns and restrictions that we have,” he said.

He said training will be prioritised to ensure inspectors are properly equipped for their responsibilities.

Responding to concerns over migrant deaths in the Northern Cape, the President expressed condolences and emphasised the need for humane treatment of all people within South Africa’s borders.

“As South Africans, we pay our condolences to their families and to the governments of their countries, and we want this whole process of immigration to be handled within the parameters of our law and as smoothly as possible, for they too are human, and as South Africans we must handle all these matters in accordance with our human rights culture and in accordance with our values,” the President said. 

President Ramaphosa also noted that a number of undocumented migrants have opted for voluntary return processes.

“A number of them have opted to leave on a voluntary basis, and so therefore we are facilitating that almost 10,000 of them, particularly from Malawi, have opted to leave, and our officials are processing all that through the various reception centers in a number of our provinces,” the President said. 

He added that government’s Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, through NatJoints, has developed contingency plans to respond to any potential unrest linked to migration enforcement operations.

The President concluded by stressing that migration reform must be balanced, lawful and coordinated across all spheres of government and regional partners. – SAnews.gov.za

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No place for xenophobia, vigilantism in South Africa – President Ramaphosa

Source: Government of South Africa

No place for xenophobia, vigilantism in South Africa – President Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned against vigilantism, xenophobia and any attempts to destabilise the country, stressing that the enforcement of immigration laws remains the responsibility of the state.

The President said this while responding to questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday on government’s response to illegal immigration and migration management.

President Ramaphosa said while government had identified illegal immigration as a significant challenge, South Africans should not take the law into their own hands.

“We have also said that responsibility for enforcing our laws rests with the state and the state law, and that no individual may stop any person to demand documentation or proof of identity or nationality,” the President said. 

He emphasised that South Africa remains committed to upholding human rights and protecting all people within its borders.

“There is no place for sexism, for xenophobia, for Afrophobia, or any other form of intolerance,” the President said. 

The remarks come amid growing public debate around illegal immigration and calls by some groups for stronger action against undocumented foreign nationals.

President Ramaphosa said government had already put measures in place to address illegal immigration through strengthened law enforcement, border security, immigration reforms and regional cooperation. 
At the same time, he cautioned against actions that could fuel social tensions or undermine the rule of law.

“As government, we have put in place security and other measures to deal with any attempts to destabilise our country, whether by citizens or foreign nationals, and we will not tolerate any attempts to destabilise the country by anyone, whether marching or otherwise.”

The President said security agencies remain on high alert and are prepared to respond to any threats to public order.

“Our security forces are ready, and those who transgress the measures that we are putting in place will definitely meet the might of the law,” he said. 

Responding to a supplementary question on contingency plans to prevent possible violence and attacks against foreign nationals on the 30 June, President Ramaphosa said government was prepared to maintain law and order.

This as the South African Police Service (SAPS) working closely with other law enforcement agencies, including the metro and private security stands fully prepared for the planned demonstrations on 30 June.

“Our security forces are ready. Natjoints is firmly in charge of what could happen. Therefore, it is our responsibility collectively and it is all of us who are accountable, particularly all of us who are here as leaders,” he said. 

The President expressed confidence that South Africans would reject violence and unlawful conduct.

“I am a strong believer that South Africans are peaceful people. They are not xenophobic, they are not Afrophobic as well, and they want peace,” he said.

He said citizens want to go about their daily lives without disruption and that leaders across society have a responsibility to promote calm and stability.

President Ramaphosa called on political leaders and communities to work with government and law enforcement agencies to prevent any attempts to destabilise the country.

“Where there might be people who want to destabilise the country, we should speak out. We should take whatever action that is necessary on a legal basis, and work with our security forces, and work with our government officials.” 

The President reiterated that while government remains committed to tackling illegal immigration, all actions must be carried out within the confines of the law and in a manner consistent with South Africa’s constitutional values and human rights culture. – SAnews.gov.za.

 

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African Development Bank Group and La Francophonie Sign Partnership Agreement to Promote Youth Employment in Francophone Africa

Source: APO

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on Wednesday entered a strategic partnership to strengthen digital skills, employability, and entrepreneurship of young people and women in five African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France. The agreement will address a major challenge faced by countries in the Francophone world and across Africa: providing young people with access to opportunities offered by the digital economy and fostering the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The partnership calls for the implementation of training programs in digital professions and entrepreneurship, in fields such as web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Participants will also receive guidance toward employment and self-employment, as well as support for innovation and business creation, notably through training camps, prototyping activities, and partnerships with incubators and accelerators.

The African Development Bank Group and OIF will also work with national authorities in these five countries and training institutions to sustainably strengthen local capacities and promote ownership of the programs by national stakeholders. An initial pilot phase, lasting 12 to 24 months, will be rolled out in the five partner countries, followed by a gradual expansion to other member states depending on the results achieved.

The African Development Bank Group is pursuing a bold agenda based on “Four Cardinal Points” developed by Dr Ould Tah, the third of which is ‘Turning Demographics into a Dividend.’ This is about strategically converting Africa’s rapidly growing and youthful population into a decisive engine of inclusive growth, productivity, and innovation through large-scale investment in human capital—particularly youth and women.

It sees Africa’s growing young population not as a risk, but as a major asset. With the right policies and investments, this potential can create jobs, help small businesses grow, bring more informal businesses into the formal economy, and equip young people with the skills needed for the future. By investing more in education, science and technology, vocational training, entrepreneurship, finance, and digital tools, Africa can help its people drive economic transformation, stay competitive, and build lasting, resilient growth.

The OIF said the agreement marked the first concrete step in its initiative to mobilize innovative and additional funding for its most impactful projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Communication and External Relations Department
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European Union commence Dialogue with the Sudanese Private Sector

Source: APO


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The European Union Delegation to the Republic of Sudan hosted its first meeting in Cairo with representatives of the Sudanese private sector as part of efforts to strengthen the Sudanese European dialogue. This meeting marks the beginning of a series of meetings to be held in various capitals focusing on the role of the Sudanese private sector in reconstruction, development, state-building, strengthening stability, and creating job opportunities for Sudanese youth.

Yacine Hichem Tekfa, Deputy Head of Delegation and Chargé d’Affaires, told the participants at the meeting that the European Union is keen to hear the views of the financial and business sectors regarding the EU’s role in Sudan in the coming period and looks forward to a robust dialogue with the private sector that will positively impact relations between Sudan and the European Union.

Yacine Tekfa emphasized that political and security instability, exchange rate volatility, weak infrastructure, bureaucracy, overlapping fees and taxes, lack of information available to European investors, and the government’s commitment to curbing corruption and enhancing transparency are the reasons for the flight of European capital. He added that there are international and regional efforts underway to achieve peace and a civilian transition in Sudan, which is key to normalizing relations. He emphasized that the continuation of the war is a waste of the Sudanese people’s resources and that the collapse of Sudan, its state institutions, and its unity is a red line for the European Union.

The Chargé d’Affaires of the EU added that the EU sees a pivotal role for the Sudanese private sector to play in post-war economic and social development, serving as the primary driver for development, job creation, attracting investment, fostering innovation, improving infrastructure and services, building vital economic partnerships with the world, raising per capita income levels, and improving the quality of life for Sudanese citizens. The involvement of women business owners and young people will be key to the success of such ventures. 

 However, Sudan needs peace and a genuine civilian transition to unlock these untapped opportunities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Union External Action: The Diplomatic Service of the European Union.