Source: Government of South Africa
30 Years of Democracy Booklet
Please click here to access the 30 Years of Democracy booklet: https://www.sanews.gov.za/sites/default/files/2012/multimedia/30-years-of-development-sanews.pdf.
It’s a collection of highlights that showcase the achievements and special moments in democratic South Africa.
Matona
Source: APO
Dr. Khalifa Abdulsadek, Minister of Oil and Gas of Libya, has joined this year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference as a speaker. This year’s event will host a dedicated Invest in Libyan Oil & Gas Summit – highlighting Libya’s push to open up its sector for foreign investment. With Libya’s latest licensing round drawing interest from over 40 prospective applicants – including leading energy operators – the country is on track to meet its ambitious goal of producing two million barrels per day (bpd)
Minister Abdulsadek’s participation comes as Libya opens up the sector for foreign investment, with its latest licensing round piquing the interest of over 40 prospective applicants. With leading energy operators announcing that they are competing in the round, Libya is well-positioned to meet its goals of two million barrels per day (bpd).
Libya launched its 2025 licensing round in March as part of its 25-year strategy to add 8 billion barrels of crude oil to its proven reserves. The licensing round offers 22 exploration blocks – 11 onshore and 11 offshore – with contracts set to be signed by the end of 2025. Featuring newly-selected blocks based on geological viability and proximity to existing infrastructure, the licensing round represents a compelling opportunity for investors seeking early returns, given the blocks lower entry costs and quicker development timelines. Multinational energy corporation Chevron and integrated multi-energy company TotalEnergies have both announced that they are competing in the round, alongside energy majors ExxonMobil and Eni.
Currently producing 1.4 million bpd, Libya’s latest licensing round is expected to play an instrumental part in enhancing national output. To support a transparent and streamlined bidding process, the country’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) introduced a dedicated online platform for managing the bid round. The platform offers secure, confidential access to technical, legal and financial data. The bid openings and announcement of successful applicants will take place on November 15, 2025, while the contract signings will take place between November 22-30. This clear and structured timeframe has boosted investor confidence in the sector. Further enhancing confidence, Libya has introduced the fifth generation of its Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA V). The agreement is a modernized contractual framework designed to attract international oil companies with more competitive fiscal terms, thereby transitioning the country from a concession-based system to state-partnered agreements. The EPSA V balances investor appeal with national interest, offering companies greater predictability and a stronger return on investment.
These developments come as Libya sees renewed interest by foreign operators in its oil and gas opportunities. ExxonMobil, for example, returned to the country after a decade-long hiatus, signing an MoU to carry out a technical study evaluating the hydrocarbon potential of four offshore blocks. The geological and geophysical surveys will be conducted along Libya’s northwest coast and within the Sirte Basin. Shell and bp entered into agreements with Libya’s NOC in July 2025 to carry out studies on hydrocarbon exploration and production at three oilfields in the country. Under the agreement with bp, the company will explore redevelopment opportunities at the Mature Darir and Messla oilfields. bp will also pursue exploration prospects in nearby areas. Meanwhile, the agreement with Shell will see the company conduct a detailed feasibility study for the development of the al-Atshan oilfield and other fields fully owned by the NOC.
Beyond greenfield opportunities, Libya is working to revitalize production at legacy assets. Notably, companies to the likes of Waha Oil Company and Mellitah Oil & Gas are breathing new life into mature assets, using advanced technology, well stimulation programs and upgrades to gathering systems and processing facilities. In the infrastructure space, the country is making significant strides towards modernizing projects with a view to bolster exports and reclaim its place as a major global supplier. Key projects include the Structures A&E development led by Eni. The project will transport gas from two offshore fields to the Mellitah complex for processing, with offshore drilling commencing in 2025. Other projects include the Sabratha Compression project and the Bouri Gas Utilization Project. During AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025, Minister Abdulsadek is expected to share further insight into the impact these projects play in Libya. His participation will facilitate new collaborations, support production growth and accelerate development across strategic basins.
“Libya is rapidly positioning itself as a major global supplier, targeting two million bpd through fresh investment in greenfield and brownfield block opportunities. This ambitious strategy has already begun to yield positive results, with a host of foreign operators committing to investing,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
About African Energy Week (AEW):
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.
Source: Government of South Africa
Business leaders push for partnerships to tackle water investment gap
The business sector has emphasised the need for stronger partnerships with government and heightened investment in water infrastructure, especially at the local government level, which is perceived as the engine of service delivery.
Speaking at a plenary session focused on closing the investment gap at the local government level during the African Union–Africa Water Investment Programme (AU-AIP) summit on Thursday, Kobie Brand, the Deputy Secretary-General and Regional Director for Africa at ICLEI said Africa must embrace the principle of multisectoral governance in tackling water challenges.
“Providing water, anywhere in any country, is only possible through partnerships, not only between different levels of government working together but also in collaboration with the private sector. We in the water sector understand that we cannot address global challenges without addressing nature issues – the origins of our water resources, and protecting them,” Brand said.
ICLEI provides technical consulting to local governments to identify and meet sustainability objectives.
Addressing perceptions that local governments are high-risk partners, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) Head of Transacting for Municipalities and Water Boards, Ben Mokheseng, said effective partnerships and co-created solutions can yield positive results, making it possible for municipalities to honour their obligations.
Mokheseng said most development finance institutions tend to focus more on sustainability but often overlook the development aspect.
He said DBSA has been financing municipal infrastructure, with the bank’s local government loan book at around R33 – R35 billion, and R110-R115 billion is in local government.
“Contrary to popular belief, that book is the best performing book,” he said.
However, Mokheseng noted that poor governance remains a major challenge in municipalities, often leading to dysfunction, despite qualified individuals occupying key positions.
“If you don’t have political backing and proper asset maintenance, administrations are bound to suffer.”
The AU-AIP Water Investment Summit is running from 13-15 August 2025. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Source: Government of South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has encouraged South Africans to keep engaging in discussions that lay bare their concerns, hopes for the future, and how they envision a better tomorrow for themselves and the country.
“This initiative [the National Convention] is about what all South Africans must do together to make our lives and country better,” President Ramaphosa said on Friday.
Speaking at the first National Convention of the National Dialogue, current underway at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in Pretoria, President Ramaphosa said people must meet in homes and community halls.
“We want them to meet in churches, synagogues, mosques and temples. Our people must meet in schools and lecture halls, in boardrooms and on the shopfloor, on the pathways of our villages and the streets of our townships and our cities,” he said.
President Ramaphosa said the struggle for freedom from apartheid proved that unity in diversity is not an abstract slogan.
“It is a powerful force for transformation,” he said.
The President said no voice is too small and no perspective is too inconvenient to be heard.
“We are gathered here to listen to each other; to understand one another and to chart a common path forward for our country. We meet at a time of profound challenges, economic hardship, unemployment, inequality, growing poverty and a crisis of confidence in our institutions.
“We also meet at a time when the world is rapidly changing and our ability to adapt and renew ourselves will define the next generation,” President Ramaphosa said.
South Africans, the First Citizens said, are sons and daughters of the same soil.
“We share a common past. We share the same inheritance of division, of inequality and of injustice. We share the same pride at ending the crime of apartheid and establishing a constitutional democracy. We also share a common future.
“Because each one of us, regardless of our differences, is committed to work together to build the future of which we all dream. We believe that if we share our concerns and fears, we can conquer them,” the President said.
In her welcoming remarks, Unisa Vice Chancellor, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, said the National Convention marks a turning point in the history of South Africa.
“This is the process that will culminate in the National Dialogue. The process will help to reclaim our peace. As a country, we came from a painful past,” she said.
Chair of the Convention Organising Committee, Boichoko Ditlhake, said the National Convention is a process that allows the country to acknowledge its challenges.
“It is only us as South Africans who are meant to find solutions to our challenges.”
Ditlhake emphasised the importance of communities getting together to discuss their concerns.
“This is the beginning of the many engagements in our communities. We are looking at engagements that will involve more than 10 million South Africans to explore different issues,” he said.
He expressed hope that everlasting solutions will be found for all South Africans.
The two-day National Convention, in which stakeholders and representatives from all quarters of society are participating, aims to outline and agree on key themes for the National Dialogue.
The dialogue has been described by the Presidency as a call to action for citizens to lead an inclusive dialogue on the challenges facing the country. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: APO
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org/), the voice of the African energy sector, is proud to announce that Abiola Lukman Lawal, Chairman, Digital Connect Infrastructure & Telecom (DCIT), has been appointed as the newest Board Member of the Chamber. A seasoned executive with over three decades of experience in the oil and gas, infrastructure, telecoms and aviation sectors, Lawal’s appointment reaffirms the Chamber’s commitment to uniting visionary leaders to drive Africa’s energy and infrastructure transformation.
Lawal’s appointment to the AEC Board follows a major milestone for DCIT, which recently partnered with U.S.-based Vanu Inc. to launch solar-powered mobile network sites in underserved Nigerian communities. This collaboration leverages Vanu’s low-power, off-grid systems and DCIT’s infrastructure capabilities to deploy scalable, renewable energy-driven connectivity solutions. With proof-of-concept sites now live, plans are underway for expansion across Nigeria and into other African markets – signaling a major leap in energy-tech convergence on the continent.
Prior to his leadership at DCIT, Lawal served as Managing Director and CEO of Eterna PLC, where he spearheaded one of Nigeria’s most significant downstream energy turnarounds. Under his leadership, Eterna joined a consortium that delivered Nigeria’s largest airside aviation fuel depot – the Joint User Hydrant Installation 2 – at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The 15-million-liter capacity facility now stands as a key asset in West Africa’s aviation infrastructure.
Further accomplishments under his tenure include restoring Eterna to profitability in FY 2024 after a N12 billion loss in 2023; projecting 27% revenue growth; achieving a 166% increase in operating profit in H1 2024; and driving a 117% year-to-date rise in share price – placing Eterna among the Nigerian Exchange’s top-performing stocks. Lawal also championed significant investments in LPG and CNG, enabling long-term resilience and diversification in volatile market conditions.
Recognized as one of BusinessDay’s Top 25 CEOs in Nigeria for 2024, Lawal’s strategic leadership continues to bridge traditional and emerging energy sectors. His prior roles include Deputy Managing Director and CFO at Eroton Exploration & Production, Executive Director at Oando Gas & Power and Group Chief Strategy Officer at Oando Plc – where he played a pivotal role in the company’s downstream-to-upstream expansion strategy.
“The African Energy Industry is honored to welcome Abiola Lukman Lawal to our Board of Directors. He knows how to turnaround companies with his vary data driven and pragmatic leadership approach. His ability to connect infrastructure development, energy innovation and commercial strategy across both the public and private sectors makes him an invaluable addition to our leadership. Lawal’s appointment comes at a critical time as we accelerate investment, technology deployment and inclusive growth across Africa’s energy value chain,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC.
As a Board Member, Lawal will support the Chamber’s mission to foster a results-oriented business environment and promote private sector-led energy development across Africa. His leadership will be instrumental in driving cross-border collaboration, advancing infrastructure-led growth and helping to make energy poverty history across the continent.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor, SOAS, University of London
South Africa finds itself in a dangerous historical moment. The world order is under threat from its own primary architect. The US wants to remain the premier global political power without taking on any of its responsibilities.
This dangerous moment also presents opportunities.
South Africa’s response has been one of strategic autonomy. This involves taking independent and non-aligned positions on global affairs, to navigate between competing world powers. But South African policymakers lack the political acumen and bureaucratic ability required to navigate this complex global order and to exploit the new possibilities.
Strategic autonomy is not the norm in global affairs. It is very rare for small countries to succeed at it without at least some costs.
Drawing from our expertise – as a political scientist and an economist working on the international economy – we conclude that if South Africa is to succeed in its strategic autonomy ambitions the country must do three things. First, its economic and foreign policy priority must be the African continent. Second, it must pursue bureaucratic excellence, especially in its diplomatic and security apparatus. Third, it must prepare for reprisals that are likely to follow its choice of an independent path to global affairs.
A handful of countries have been able to pursue strategic autonomy in navigating the international system. They include Brazil, India and the Republic of Ireland.
These countries have four necessary assets: global economic importance; leverage; bureaucratic capability; and political will and agency manifested in foreign policy cohesiveness and agility.
India’s size – over 1.4 billion people and the fourth largest market in the world – makes it a location of both production and consumption. This has become more important given the US and western desire to create a counter balance to China as a low-cost producer and a market for exports.
Brazil’s assets are its geographic size, its mid-size population (three times South Africa’s), its mineral wealth, and its political importance to South America. It is also the tenth largest economy in the world.
Ireland is a small country, but it uses its strategic location in the European Union to influence global affairs.
South Africa is currently lacking on all these fronts. But, with strategic planning and reforms, and in partnership with other African countries, it is possible to enhance the country’s strategic importance to the global economy.
If South Africa is to succeed as a nation, become globally relevant, and have autonomy in the global economy, it must recognise its challenges, understand their drivers and address them pragmatically.
So what should it do?
First, it’s important to recognise that South Africa is a small country. Its economy is marginal to the rest of the world. The continent of Africa has a population of around 1.5 billion people, which is likely to double by 2070 – the only part of the global economy in which demographic growth will occur.
Purely in terms of population size, Africa will be more important than ever before.
This can only be a strategic lever if countries across the continent integrate their economies more strongly. Thus, South Africa’s economic and foreign policy should focus on Africa and on building the African Continental Free Trade Area. Without this, its long-term economic development is in danger and it can’t develop the political leverage that enables independence in global affairs.
With its African partners, South Africa should be rebalancing its international trade. It should shift from being an exporter of raw materials to being a manufacturing and service economy.
Many countries across Africa have deposits of minerals that are strategically important to the global economy, especially as the climate transition shapes relations. This must be used to build integration across the continent so the region engages with powerful economies as a regional bloc.
Second, professional excellence must be taken seriously. South Africa’s political stewardship of the economy has been poor, and driven by narrow political objectives of the ruling party-linked elite. For example, policy in the important mining sector has been chaotic, at best. It has not served as a developmental stimulant or as a political lever for strategic autonomy.
Specific to international affairs, South Africa has to professionalise the diplomatic corps. It has been significantly weakened and its professional capability eroded through political appointments. These make up the vast majority of ambassadorial deployments.
There should be limits to the political appointments of ambassadors from the cohort of former African National Congress politicians and their family members.
In addition, South Africa should have fewer embassies, located in more strategic countries, with appropriate budgets to their job. It is embarrassing that embassies in places like London don’t have enough budget to market the country, undertake advocacy and advance the country’s national agenda.
But professional excellence needs to be extended far beyond the diplomatic corps.
South Africa cannot continue to be compromised by incompetent municipal and national governance. And this is not solely the result of corruption and cadre deployment. It’s also tied to a transformation agenda that eschews academic and professional excellence.
In addition, South Africa cannot pretend to be leading an independent path in global affairs without having the security apparatus that goes with such leadership. On this score, the country is sadly lacking.
Its security apparatus – the South African National Defence Force, police and intelligence service – needs attention. The defence force is poorly funded and, like the police and intelligence, largely a “social service” for former ANC operatives combatants.
Third, South Africa needs to prepare for the reprisals that are likely to follow if it charts an independent path in global affairs, such as the current response from the Trump administration to discipline South Africa for taking an autonomous position on Gaza.
This requires understanding the form that such reprisals could take and their consequences and being prepared for them. This would require diplomatic agility to proactively seek new markets, alternative sources of investment and additional political allies.
In contrast, South Africa’s responses have largely been reactive.
While it’s a dangerous and uncertain world, it is also full of new possibilities. A new bipolar or multipolar world could enable South Africa and Africa to play off global powers against each other, to maximise opportunities for national economic development and independence.
This will only happen if South Africans collectively become agents of their own change. It will require developing leverage which others take seriously, and a government and public administration that works for the people of the country.
– South Africa has chosen a risky approach to global politics: 3 steps it must take to succeed
– https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-chosen-a-risky-approach-to-global-politics-3-steps-it-must-take-to-succeed-262370
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Magnus Killander, Professor, Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
South Africa instituted a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague in late December 2023, claiming Israel was violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide through its actions in Gaza, and requesting provisional measures. Human rights law scholar Magnus Killander explains the process and why it’s so slow. International law, including the ICJ’s provisional measures, are binding on states. However, international law does not enforce itself and all states have an obligation to attend to the situation.
On 5 April 2024, the ICJ set two deadlines. It wanted to receive memorials, that is the full arguments related to the case, from South Africa by 28 October 2024 and counter-memorials from Israel by 28 July 2025. Following a request by Israel, the court on 14 April 2025 extended the time for submission of Israel’s counter-memorials to 12 January 2026.
It is likely that Israel, in a bid to delay the proceedings, will file preliminary objections, such as dealing with the jurisdiction of the ICJ to hear the case. South Africa would then have a few months to respond. Then an oral hearing on preliminary objections would be held, probably towards the end of 2026 or early 2027.
A few months after the hearing, the ICJ would deliver a judgment on the preliminary objections. Preliminary objections are unlikely to be successful, so the ICJ would then set a new deadline for Israel’s counter-memorial on the merits, which might again be extended. When Israel’s counter-memorial has been submitted, there may be a request from South Africa for a reply and from Israel for a rejoinder.
At some point, the court would consider requests from states to intervene, and set timelines for their submissions.
So far, the following states have filed requests to intervene: Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, Türkiye, Chile, the Maldives, Bolivia, Ireland, Cuba and Belize. Nicaragua subsequently revoked its request.
After the written submissions, the ICJ will schedule an oral hearing. Following this the judges will write the final judgement on the merits of the case. The judgment will be hundreds of pages of detailed factual and legal analysis with separate opinions from many of the 16 judges. The court has 15 permanent judges (including South Africa’s Dire Tladi) and an Israeli ad hoc judge in the South Africa v Israel case.
It is this final judgement that will decide whether Israel breached the Genocide Convention through its actions in Gaza.
Given these lengthy procedures, it is unlikely that the final judgement in the case will be handed down before 2028.
Yes.
The South Africa v Israel case can be compared to the Gambia v Myanmar case. In November 2019 The Gambia brought the case that Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya constituted genocide.
The ICJ handed down a judgment on preliminary objections on 22 July 2022. A hearing on the merits is yet to be scheduled. The case is likely to be concluded in 2026.
The first case brought to the ICJ under the Genocide Convention, Bosnia and Herzegovina v Serbia and Montenegro, was submitted in 1993. The final judgment was delivered in 2007.
The second case, Croatia v Serbia, was submitted in 1999 and the final judgment was delivered in 2015.
The ICJ has so far held a state accountable for genocide in one case.
In its 2007 case, it held Serbia and Montenegro responsible for the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica. The ICJ case had limited impact. However, it should be noted that Ratko Mladić, a Bosnian Serb military leader, was arrested in Serbia in 2011 and transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia as called for in the ICJ judgment. In 2017 he was convicted by the tribunal for the genocide in Srebrenica, a judgment which was confirmed on appeal in 2021, 26 years after the Srebrenica massacre.
In the two cases against Serbia, the court held that, apart from the Srebrenica massacre, the mens rea, the “specific intent” to destroy a group or part of a group, had not been proven. The main difference with the Myanmar and Israel cases is that the state of Serbia did not participate itself directly in the conflict.
In both the Gambia v Myanmar and the South Africa v Israel final judgments, the main discussion will likely be in relation to whether the mens rea requirement has been met.
In my view most of the ICJ judges will find that both acts of genocide and incitement to genocide have taken place.
The orders of the ICJ are binding on states, but are often ignored. This is in line with the general difficulty of enforcing international law, in particular international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Only political pressure from outside and inside Israel will bring about change, as it is clear that the Israeli government considers only itself as the judge of its actions. In addition, enforcement measures by the UN security council are not possible given the position of the United States. It is a permanent member of the council, with veto power, but does not want to criticise Israel and is its main supplier of weapons.
The issue of Palestine has also been raised in a case before the ICJ that does not directly involve Israel. In March 2024, Nicaragua instituted a case against Germany in relation to its export of weapons to Israel, which it argued facilitated genocide in Gaza. On 30 April 2024, the court decided not to issue provisional measures against Germany since it had shown the measures it had taken to restrict weapons exports to Israel following the invasion of Gaza.
It was only in August 2025, however, that Germany declared it would suspend the export of weapons that could be used in the war in Gaza.
Another international court based in The Hague is also trying to hold violators of international crimes to account. The International Criminal Court (ICC) deals with international criminal responsibility as opposed to state responsibility – the purview of the ICJ. Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant have been indicted by the ICC. The three Hamas leaders against whom the ICC prosecutor sought indictments have been killed by Israel.
It is unlikely that we will see Netanyahu in the dock in The Hague since he avoids travelling to countries that are parties to the ICC Statute and would thus be obliged to surrender him to the ICC.
Of course, the ICC is not the only possibility in relation to criminal accountability. For example, prosecutors in Sweden are investigating war crimes in Gaza.
The wheels of international justice grind exceedingly slowly and will never be sufficient on their own to bring about lasting change.
The provisional measures issued by the ICJ on 26 January 2024, 28 March 2024 and 24 May 2024 remain in force and are binding. These included the provision of
urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.
Clearly this measure and and others have not been complied with.
South Africa has not requested any additional provisional measures since the last ones were issued in May 2024. However, advisory proceedings provide another way to address the situation.
On 23 December 2024, the UN general assembly requested an advisory opinion on the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organisations and third states in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Hearings were held from 28 April to 2 May 2025. The advisory opinion is likely to be delivered soon and address the issue of access to humanitarian aid.
This is the third advisory opinion proceedings dealing with Palestine. In December 2003, the UN general assembly requested an advisory opinion on Israel’s construction of a wall separating it from the occupied territories in the West Bank. The advisory opinion of the ICJ was delivered on 9 July 2004, finding that the construction of the wall was in violation of international law. On 19 January 2023, the UN general assembly requested an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. The court delivered its advisory opinion on 19 July 2024, confirming its view that the occupation was illegal and that Israel had an obligation to leave the occupied territory.
– Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza? International court will take years to decide, but states have a duty to act now
– https://theconversation.com/is-israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza-international-court-will-take-years-to-decide-but-states-have-a-duty-to-act-now-263076
Source: Government of South Africa
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has met with all public transport operators in Soweto as part of efforts to find lasting solutions to issues affecting the sector.
Stakeholders included local taxi associations, e-hailing service operators and law-enforcement officials.
This comes in the wake of resurging violence which left one person dead and two others injured near the Maponya Mall, in Soweto, on Wednesday night.
The MEC described the attack as “senseless, unacceptable, and a direct threat to the safety and stability of our public transport system”.
She said such acts undermined public safety, tarnished the image of the transport sector, and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.
Thursday’s meeting resolved that all public transport operators must be allowed access and operate inside the mall and that the mall will remain operational to protect jobs.
The meeting also called for law-enforcement agencies to prioritise the investigation into Wednesday night’s incident and bring those involved to book.
Stakeholders agreed that no operator or passenger should endure intimidation or fear of any form.
The department will set up a temporary office to assist operators with licensing issues.
Lastly, the gathering agreed that a meeting will be convened with industry leaders to discuss all issues affecting the sector.
The MEC urged the public transport sector – minibus taxi and e-hailing operator associations – to resolve disputes through platforms facilitated by the department.
The Public Transport Crisis Committee, chaired by the MEC, was initially formed to collaborate with the taxi industry and support the Gauteng Provincial Regulatory Entity (GPRE) to clear the operating license backlog.
It has since expanded to include all public transport stakeholders. This inclusive approach ensures representation from all public transport operators including learner transport, e-hailing services, bus and meter taxi operators.
Local government and various provincial sister departments are also represented in the committee. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: APO
The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) launched by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, has officially welcomed the Bank of Algeria into its growing network. Algeria now becomes the 18th country of presence for PAPSS, marking a significant step in advancing Africa’s journey towards deeper financial integration. This development is expected to further support cross-border payments and enhance the regulatory framework governing intra-African trade.
Algeria’s accession to PAPSS comes at a moment when the nation prepares to host the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) from 4th to 10th September 2025 in Algiers. This premier event, another flagship initiative of Afreximbank, is projected to bring together over 35,000 participants from more than 140 countries, creating an unrivalled platform for business, investment, and the realization of the AfCFTA vision.
Mike Ogbalu III, Chief Executive Officer of PAPSS, celebrated this landmark event, stating: “We are delighted to welcome the Bank of Algeria to the PAPSS network. Algeria’s entry not only strengthens our presence in North Africa but also demonstrates the continent’s rising confidence in our system as the engine for Africa’s payment transformation. So far, PAPSS has reduced intra-Africa cross-border transaction costs among participating countries and enabled savings of up to 27% for end users, while helping banks experience transaction volume surges of over 1000% through digital channels integration. As our network grows, we’re making African payments faster, more affordable, and accessible, catalysing economic growth and unlocking new opportunities for businesses and communities across Africa.”
Mohamed Benbahane, Deputy Governor of Bank of Algeria, remarked: “In support of Algeria’s commitment to contribute to accelerating African economic integration, the Bank of Algeria has joined the Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS). This membership, which aims in particular to improve payment efficiency and facilitate intra-African trade, represents an essential lever for strengthening Algeria’s role within the African financial ecosystem and supporting sustainable economic development in Africa.”
Since its debut in West Africa in 2022, PAPSS has rapidly expanded its reach, with significant momentum in Northern Africa, with Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, and now Algeria on board. Today, PAPSS connects 18 countries across four African regions, more than 150 commercial banks, and 14 switches, evidence of growing trust in a solution that is revolutionizing how money moves within Africa and beyond.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.
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About PAPSS:
The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System – PAPSS is a centralised Financial Market Infrastructure that enables the efficient flow of money securely across African borders, minimising risk and contributing to financial integration across the regions. PAPSS collaborates with African central banks to offer payment and settlement solutions that commercial banks and licensed payment service providers (switches, fintechs, aggregators, etc.) across the continent can connect to, making these services accessible to the public. To date, PAPSS has developed and launched 3 payment solutions: PAPSS Instant Payment System (IPS), PAPSS African Currency Marketplace (PACM), and the PAPSSCARD.
Afreximbank and the African Union (“AU”) first announced PAPSS at the Twelfth Extraordinary Summit of the African Union held on July 7, 2019, in Niamey, Niger Republic, therefore adopting PAPSS as a key instrument for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Further, in its thirteenth (13th) extraordinary session, held on December 5, 2020, the assembly of the African Union directed Afreximbank and the AfCFTA secretariat to finalise, among others, work on the Pan-African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS). The 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU further directed the AfCFTA and Afreximbank to deploy the system to cover the entire continent. PAPSS was officially launched in Accra, Ghana, on January 13, 2022, thus making it available for use by the public.
For more information, visit: www.PAPSS.com.
Source: APO – Report:
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African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies is proud to announce that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has joined as an Official Partner of the continent’s leading energy event, taking place in Cape Town from September 29 to October 3. This milestone marks a decisive step forward in positioning Africa not only as a supplier but as a strategic partner in global energy decision-making. With OPEC now fully engaged in AEW 2025, Africa’s priorities – from oil and gas to development and energy access – will be shaped on its own terms.
OPEC’s participation comes at a pivotal moment for African energy. Countries such as Nigeria, Algeria, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Libya – as well as emerging producers like Senegal and Namibia – already play central roles in OPEC’s global agenda. The partnership further extends to African OPEC+ members like South Sudan and observing participants such as Egypt, forming a powerful bloc of African producers with the potential to shape upstream policy, mobilize investment and drive regional integration. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s deepening energy ties with Africa – from infrastructure and renewables investments like Egypt’s Kom Ombo solar plant to South Africa’s Project DAO hybrid facility, alongside strategic partnerships through ACWA Power – underscore a broader, long-term commitment to the continent’s energy future.
A critical dimension of Africa’s energy agenda is clean cooking. Nearly one billion Africans still lack access to clean cooking solutions, posing a major health, environmental and gender equity challenge. For African OPEC and OPEC+ producers, expanding access to cleaner fuels like LPG represents both a development imperative and an untapped market opportunity. As the continent ramps up gas production and infrastructure, prioritizing clean cooking access can create jobs, reduce deforestation, improve public health and drive inclusive growth.
In strategic alignment with AEW 2025, OPEC’s involvement is also set to catalyze critical dialogue on unlocking upstream investment across Africa while bolstering global advocacy against bans on fossil fuel financing – policies that have long stunted the continent’s development. As the African Energy Chamber has emphasized, OPEC members can play a constructive role in pressing institutions like the World Bank to reconsider restrictive financing frameworks and support equity-based development agendas across African producer states.
“Having OPEC officially partner with AEW 2025 is a game-changer – not just for the event, but for the entire continent,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. “At a time when global markets are navigating deep uncertainty and rising demand, this partnership sends a clear message: Africa is ready to lead, ready to produce and ready to take its rightful place at the center of global energy discussions. AEW 2025 will be the platform where Africa’s energy priorities are aligned with global dynamics, and where African voices don’t just participate – they lead.”
With OPEC and Saudi Arabia now deeply invested in Africa’s energy trajectory – both through fossil fuel and clean energy channels – AEW 2025 presents a strategic opportunity to convert policy influence into capital, regional development, clean cooking access and energy security. From high-level ministerial participation to deal‑signing and dialogue on the sidelines, this collaboration will elevate AEW into a true continental showcase for African energy ambition.
– on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
About AEW: Invest in African Energies:
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