Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO – Report:

The Diamond Walk at Sandton City (www.SandtonCity.com) in Johannesburg is Africa’s most iconic luxury shopping destination, attracting discerning shoppers from across the continent, with South Africa being such a convenient travel destination for luxury shopping. Known for bringing together many of the world’s most prestigious brands, several of which are the only boutiques of their kind in the country, the Diamond Walk offers an exclusive and effortlessly world-class experience.

For many visitors, it is not only about access to global names, but about how these brands are experienced. Personal shopping, bespoke services and carefully curated store environments ensure that each visit is an experience, setting the Diamond Walk apart as a destination in its own right.

A concentration of global luxury power houses

The strength of the Diamond Walk lies in its exceptional line-up of internationally recognised maisons. Shoppers move between opulent boutiques such as Alexander McQueen, Amiri, Balmain, Burberry, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Tod’s, Versace and the newly renovated Zegna.

The appeal goes well beyond access to these luxury names. Many of the boutiques offer in-store style consultations, bespoke tailoring and personalisation, elevating each purchase into a considered, high-end shopping experience. From luxury timepieces at Breitling, IWC, Patek Philippe and the new Rolex boutique, to the highly sought after ranges sold at Coach, local luxury brand MaXhosa, Montblanc, Yawa and Skins, the Diamond Walk caters to every facet of a luxury lifestyle, bringing together heritage craftsmanship, exclusivity and contemporary design in one address.

Luxurious new names and renewed spaces

The Diamond Walk recently welcomed Africa’s first stand-alone Rolex boutique. This exciting arrival adds further affluence to the Diamond Walk’s watch and jewellery category, attracting collectors who cherish the prestige of this world-renowned brand.

At the same time, the centre’s established brands continue to refine their presence, to stay at the forefront of  global positioning. Salvatore Ferragamo has reopened following a recent renovation, while Ermenegilda Zegna has introduced an updated new-look store environment.  Plus, the iconic Tory Burch will soon be opening a boutique housing timeless and versatile items, reflecting the brand’s passion for travel, colour and distinctive details. These changes ensure that the experience remains in line with what international luxury shoppers expect.

A broader luxury offering at Sandton City

Beyond the Diamond Walk, Sandton City has recently welcomed new international brands into the centre. Recent arrivals include Kate Spade, one of only two stores in South Africa, and Marc Jacobs. Plus, FIFA formal wear outfitter Boggi Milano will be opening soon. Situated close to the Diamond Walk, these stores reinforce Sandton City’s standing as the country’s most extensive shopping destination, with over 300 stores.

With its established line-up of global houses, continued investment from leading brands and the intentional introduction of new names, the Diamond Walk remains the place where luxury retail in Africa is experienced at its highest level.

For regular updates go to www.SandtonCity.com or follow Sandton City on social media @sandtoncitymall.

– on behalf of Sandton City.

ABOUT SANDTON CITY:
Sandton City Shopping Centre is renowned amongst both local and international visitors as one of Africa’s leading retail destinations. With an impressive retail, office and leisure space ranking as South Africa’s top performing retail destination in terms of trading density, Sandton City has an effective tenant leasing strategy and a low vacancy level. The shopping centre is home to over 300 of the most exciting local and international brands and presents you with a world of luxury in the exclusive Diamond Walk.

Sandton City is a green-star rated by the Green Building Council of South Africa. This is the first super-regional shopping centre on the African continent to achieve such a prestigious rating, representing world leadership in environmentally sustainable operational efficiencies.

Adjacent to world-class hotels and mega corporate headquarters, winning multiple Best Shopping Mall awards each year, Sandton City continues to be a leader in mixed-use properties.

Sandton City is co-owned by Liberty (which is wholly owned by the Standard Bank Group) and Pareto Limited.  L2D performs the asset management function and the property management services are done by Excellerate JHI Retail. 

For more information, please visit either www.SandtonCity.com, www.Pareto.co.za.

Source: APO

By Herbert Mensah, President of Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) and Chairman of World Rugby’s Regions

Rugby cannot afford to speak only to those who already love it. We cannot expect the next generation to simply inherit our passion. We must earn it, inspire it and give fans reasons to come back.

As President of Rugby Africa and a Member of World Rugby’s Executive Board, I believe rugby is the best product in the world. But belief alone does not fill stadiums, attract broadcasters or build sustainable unions. Great products must be presented, promoted and made accessible.

During the opening weekend of the Nations Championship and the inaugural Nations Cup, I saw the future of our beautiful sport being tested in real time.

This new structure brings together the world’s 12 leading rugby countries in the Nations Championship and an additional 12 other Rugby World Cup-qualified nations in the Nations Cup, creating meaningful matches, greater opportunity and more stories for the world to discover.

For 24 hours, I was engrossed and riveted. Rugby delivered the kind of entertainment people dream about: physicality, skill, uncertainty, courage and national pride.

Japan beat Italy 27-10. Ireland edged Australia 33-31. New Zealand beat France 34-32. South Africa defeated England 45-21. Wales beat Fiji 39-24. Samoa beat Hong Kong China 66-19. Chile beat Romania 48-31. Tonga beat Zimbabwe 36-26. The USA beat Portugal 30-29. Canada and Spain drew 42-42.

The results mattered, but the meaning mattered more. The reality is simple: sport is big business. Rugby can no longer behave as if it operates outside the world of money, audiences, media rights, partnerships and consumer choice.

If our game is to thrive, it must inspire the lifelong supporter and captivate the person watching for the very first time. Opportunity cannot remain concentrated in the hands of a few; the future of our sport must be built by the many.

People have a right to choose how they spend their time and money. Rugby must therefore offer a product that appeals not only to the converted, but also to those discovering the game for the first time.

For too long, rugby has relied heavily on the Rugby World Cup as its biggest commercial engine every four years. But what happens in between? How do we create revenue, structure and meaning across the rest of the calendar?

A global sport cannot survive only through occasional moments. It must build consistency. It must create anticipation. It must give fans reasons to follow the journey, not only the destination.

In October 2023, World Rugby approved the new global calendar structure following a close and contested Council vote after years of debate and work.

At the time, many regions were asked not to support it. I was told Africa was not guaranteed more places and therefore should resist. But for me, that was not the point. The point was the future.

For us in Africa, talent is not the issue. What Africa needs is structure, investment and opportunity.

Zimbabwe’s performance against Tonga gave me hope. To compete as they did, especially after the challenges Zimbabwe faced, showed character and potential. However, potential must be supported by systems: better competitions, stronger pathways, improved logistics, better welfare and a commercial model that allows unions to grow.

That is why the Nations Cup matters to Africa. It gives emerging nations meaningful competition and a clearer connection to the global game. It reminds us that talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not. Our responsibility is to close that gap.

If we want a stronger seat at the table by 2031, we must prepare now.

The Nations Cup arrives during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and rugby is paying attention.

Football is not perfect. There are many things to criticise: the excess, the politics and the money. But football understands the event economy. It knows how to turn matches into global moments, commercialising national pride, rivalry and community.

With 48 teams participating for the first time in the FIFA World Cup, the lesson is clear: be unapologetic about reach. Football wants more countries, more fans, more stories and more markets.

Rugby should not copy football blindly. We must remain rugby. But we must learn from football’s confidence. We must package our product better. We must make casual fans care.

Women’s rugby has already shown what is possible when rugby gets the structure and presentation right. I attended the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham Stadium and felt goosebumps. The historic match set a world record for attendance at a women’s rugby match, with 81,885 fans in the stadium. It showed that when we invest properly, promote properly and stage events properly, the audience will come.

I commend World Rugby’s Chief Executive Officer, Alan Gilpin, and his team for delivering a memorable show on the first weekend of the Nations Cup. Now we must turn entertainment into enterprise. We must sell the stories better. We must build the rivalries. We must promote the players. Rugby has the product. The question is whether we have the courage to commercialise it properly and reinvest the returns.

The future of rugby will not be decided only by those already inside the stadium. It will be decided by those who have never bought a ticket, never watched a match and have not yet discovered the game. Our responsibility is to give people every reason to choose rugby.

To Download Official Opinion Piece: Click Here (https://apo-opa.co/4wDikBS)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rugby Africa.

Media Contact:  
Nicole Vervelde  
Communications Manager   
nicole.vervelde@rugbyafrique.com  

About Rugby Africa:  
Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) is the governing body of rugby in Africa and one of the regional associations under World Rugby. It unites all African countries that play rugby union, rugby sevens, and women’s rugby. Rugby Africa organizes various competitions, including the qualifying tournaments for the Rugby World Cup and the Africa Sevens, a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games. With 40 member unions, Rugby Africa is dedicated to promoting and developing rugby across the continent. World Rugby highlighted Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia as three of the six emerging nations experiencing strong growth in rugby. 

Source: APO

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Nigerian integrated energy company Renaissance Africa Energy (Renaissance) has announced a new oil discovery at the JK-004 exploration well in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 74, offshore Nigeria. The discovery marks another milestone for indigenous participation in the country’s upstream sector and supports Nigeria’s strategy to expand crude oil reserves, increase production and strengthen long-term energy security.

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – as the voice of the African energy sector – commends Renaissance for the discovery, which demonstrates the increasing technical capability of Nigerian companies to lead complex offshore exploration campaigns traditionally dominated by international operators.

As African countries seek to unlock new hydrocarbon resources and attract upstream investment, the success of JK-004 highlights the critical role indigenous companies can play in sustaining upstream sector growth and fast-tracking projects development.

The JK-004 well encountered light oil-bearing intervals across seven reservoirs spanning approximately 1,000 feet, confirming the prospectivity of the acreage and strengthening the exploration potential within OML 74.

The discovery comes at a pivotal time for Nigeria’s upstream sector. The country is pursuing an ambitious strategy to increase crude oil production to 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in the near term, two million bpd by 2027 and four million bpd by 2030, while simultaneously expanding its reserve base to sustain production over the long term. Nigeria currently holds 37.01 billion barrels of proven crude oil and condensate reserves, with a reserve life of approximately 59 years, making continued exploration and new discoveries – such as JK-004 – essential to maintaining future output.

“I commend Tony Attah and the entire Renaissance Energy team for this remarkable achievement. The JK-004 discovery demonstrates that exploration remains the lifeblood of our industry and reinforces the importance of continued investment in unlocking Nigeria’s hydrocarbon potential,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC.

The discovery also reflects the broader transformation taking place across Nigeria’s upstream sector following regulatory reforms aimed at improving the investment climate and encouraging greater participation by indigenous companies. The country attracted $17 billion in foreign direct investments since the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021. The country’s Licensing Round launched in 2025 – which is offering 50 new oil and gas blocks for exploration and production – alone is expected to attract $10 billion in investments over the next decade.

The JK-004 discovery sends a strong signal to investors that Nigeria’s upstream sector continues to offer significant exploration potential.

“Many Western independents have increasingly prioritized production optimization over frontier exploration. Renaissance’s success shows that sustained investment in exploration can still deliver transformational discoveries capable of supporting long-term production growth, strengthening investor confidence and enhancing Nigeria’s energy security,” adds Ayuk.

For Africa more broadly, the success of JK-004 highlights the importance of sustained exploration in unlocking the continent’s estimated 125.3 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves.

“The Nigerian ‘Drill Baby Drill’ revolution is increasingly being driven by indigenous companies that understand the value of long-term exploration. Renaissance’s achievement demonstrates the innovation, technical expertise and commitment required to unlock Africa’s energy potential. These are the kinds of investments that create jobs, strengthen local capacity and position Nigeria as a globally competitive upstream destination,” he concludes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.