May 9 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The International Monetary Fund&#8217;s executive board on Monday approved a three-year, $456 million extended credit facility arrangement for Mozambique, with about $91 million available for immediate disbursement, the Fund said.



The facility is the southeast African nation&#8217;s first program since the global lender suspended support six years ago.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2VV4W0&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The IMF said the three-year arrangement will help support economic recovery and policies to reduce public debt and financing vulnerabilities, while creating space for public investments in human capital, climate adaptation and infrastructure.



The Fund said the program will support a reform agenda centered on establishing a sovereign wealth fund to manage the country&#8217;s liquefied natural gas wealth, mobilizing tax revenue and strengthening public finances.



&#8220;Mozambique has managed the COVID pandemic relatively well, maintaining macroeconomic stability and reform momentum even as the country has weathered a series of shocks, culminating with the effects of the war in Ukraine,&#8221; IMF&nbsp;Deputy&nbsp;Managing&nbsp;Director Bo Li said in a statement. &#8220;With policy space now limited, sustaining the economic recovery underway and tackling debt vulnerabilities are priorities.&#8221;



(Reporting by Rami Ayyub and David Lawder; Editing by Sandra Maler and Christopher Cushing)

Mozambique records first COVID-19 death

IMF board approves $456 mln program for Mozambique

<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>South Africa&#8217;s Aspen facing poor demand for shots</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Could slash production without orders</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>WHO, Gavi say supplies for COVAX initiative already secured</li></ul>



By Promit Mukherjee and Jennifer Rigby



JOHANNESBURG/LONDON, May 9 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The World Health Organization (WHO) and its COVID-19 vaccine partner Gavi have no immediate plans to buy shots made by Aspen Pharmacare&nbsp;APNJ.J, the two bodies said, dealing a blow to Africa&#8217;s efforts to develop its own vaccine production capacity.



Aspen completed a deal in March to package, sell and distribute Johnson &amp; Johnson&#8217;s&nbsp;JNJ.N&nbsp;vaccine in what was lauded as a game-changing moment for an under-vaccinated continent frustrated by sluggish Western handouts.



But the South African company&#8217;s expectations of high demand in Africa, where just a sixth of adults are fully vaccinated, have not materialised. Its CEO warned last week it would be forced to re-purpose about half of its vaccine production capacity if orders did not pick up.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N2WU0ZX&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Africa&#8217;s top public health body, has called upon organisations procuring shots for the continent to prioritise sourcing from African producers.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2WX4A6&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



However, COVAX &#8211; the global COVID-19 vaccine-sharing programme instrumental in Africa&#8217;s pandemic response &#8211; has no current plans to place orders with Aspen because of oversupply.



COVAX is backed by the WHO, the global vaccine alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).



&#8220;In the case of Aspen, the current overall demand situation means we are currently not in a position to buy large quantities of vaccines,&#8221; a Gavi spokesperson said.



&#8220;However, we are in discussion to see if a collaboration would be feasible as part of expanding regional supply.&#8221;



Kate O&#8217;Brien, the WHO&#8217;s Director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, said COVAX had already secured the 380 million vaccine doses required for the global programme for the second and third quarters of this year.



&#8220;COVAX &#8230; has more supply than is at present being demanded by countries, and that&#8217;s a good place to be in,&#8221; she told Reuters.



LOCAL PRODUCTION AT RISK?



As wealthy countries used their purchasing power to corner early supplies, Africa initially struggled to source COVID-19 shots, leading to calls for a boost to the continent&#8217;s vaccine production capacity.



The African Union&#8217;s goal is to produce 60% of all routine vaccines &#8211; covering everything from COVID to measles &#8211; administered in Africa locally by 2040, up from the current 1%, and several such plants are being set up.



The WHO and European Union are backing regional vaccine manufacturing initiatives. And South Africa, Senegal, Rwanda and Kenya are all seeking to establish vaccine production hubs.



Recently, however, acute shortages of COVID-19 vaccines have given way to a glut of doses as donations to COVAX and supplies from drugmakers have picked up and African governments&#8217; vaccination campaigns struggle to keep pace.



Aspen CEO Stephen Saad warned that the current lack of demand called into question the viability of local production, endangering Africa&#8217;s future vaccine security.



&#8220;There&#8217;s lives at stake here,&#8221; he told Reuters, adding that if Africa, and the rest of the world, didn&#8217;t support its capabilities the continent would remain at the back of the queue in the next pandemic.



Last year, the Biovac Institute, another South African vaccine producer, struck a deal with Pfizer&nbsp;PFE.N&nbsp;and BioNTech&nbsp;22UAy.DE&nbsp;to manufacture around 100 million doses a year of their COVID-19 vaccine for the African Union (AU). Production is due to start later this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2OX0VN&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;The lack of demand is certainly worrisome to all,&#8221; Biovac Institute CEO Morena Makhoana said. &#8220;This emphasises why we need dedicated vaccine capability so that we have entities that can go through the ups and downs of the vaccine industry.&#8221;



Ayoade Alakija, co-chair of the AU-backed African Vaccine Delivery Alliance, said it was unfair to blame purchasing organisations for the demand shortfall.



African governments, she said, were now largely responsible for a glut of vaccines, having failed to establish successful mass vaccination campaigns and ensure their countries&#8217; ability to absorb vaccine supplies.



&#8220;African political leadership &#8230; seems to have jumped from &#8216;we have no vaccines&#8217; to manufacturing vaccines, and forgotten the two steps in between,&#8221; she said.



(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby in London, Promit Mukherjee in Johannesburg and Emma Farge in Geneva; Additional reporting by Wendell Roelf in Cape Town; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Josephine Mason and Kirsten Donovan)

A pack of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines is seen as the country receives its first batch of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines under COVAX scheme, at the international airtport of Accra, Ghana February 24, 2021. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko

WHO, Gavi not planning COVID vaccine buys from S.Africa’s Aspen

CAPE TOWN, May 9 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Angola&#8217;s state-run diamond miner Endiama could face a hit to its operations as Western sanctions on Russia could delay supplies of parts and machinery, according to a government brochure released on Monday.



Western nations have unleashed crippling economic sanctions against Russia after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N2X1018&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Endiama, which holds the exclusive concession for diamond mining rights in Angola, has already flagged an almost one-third reduction in diamond output to 10.05 million carats this year, from a forecast 13.8 million carats.



The company expects revenue of around $1.42 billion from the sale of its diamonds this year.



&#8220;One of the great challenges for 2022 will certainly be to maintain the sustainability of the mines while the war between Russia and Ukraine lasts,&#8221; said the government publication, which was made available at the Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town.



&#8220;Since the sanctions that the United States and Western countries have imposed on Russia may affect some national mining companies, delaying the supply of some machinery, parts and spares,&#8221; it said.



Endiama has signed contracts with Rio Tinto&nbsp;RIO.L&nbsp;to explore its Chiri mine in the Angolan province of Lunda-Norte, while another project, Luaxe, was also expected to begin pilot production, it added, without providing a timeline.



Last month, diamond miner De Beers signed two mineral investment contracts with the Angolan government, the Anglo American&nbsp;AAL.L&nbsp;subsidiary said ahead of a return to the country it left in 2012.&nbsp;nL2N2WI0II



(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Susan Fenton)

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Angola’s Endiama says sanctions against Russia could hurt its diamond operations

KEY POINTS



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The Oscar-winning actor, producer and screenwriter co-founded nonprofit Water.org in 2009 with former civil and environmental engineer-turned-global water and sanitation expert, Gary White.</li><li>Together they have already helped more than 43 million people access safe water and sanitation through WaterCredit, an affordable financing program which empowers those in need to help themselves through small loans.</li></ul>



Hollywood superstar Matt Damon told CNBC that a visit to rural Zambia in 2006 first opened his eyes to the impact of a global water crisis that nobody was talking about.



The Oscar-winning actor, producer and screenwriter co-founded nonprofit Water.org in 2009 with former civil and environmental engineer-turned-global water and sanitation expert, Gary White.



Together they have already helped more than&nbsp;<a href="https://water.org/our-impact/all-stories/story-watercredit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">43 million people access safe water</a>&nbsp;and sanitation through&nbsp;<a href="https://water.org/solutions/watercredit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WaterCredit</a>, an affordable financing program which empowers those in need to help themselves through small loans.



Damon was speaking in early April following the release of their new book, “The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World’s Greatest Challenge.” The globally acclaimed star of the “Jason Bourne” blockbuster movie franchise told CNBC he first understood the enormity of the crisis on the visit which was&nbsp;<a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2006/05/178212-actor-matt-damon-visits-un-anti-poverty-project-advocacy-tour-zambia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arranged by advocacy organization DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa)</a>, co-founded by U2 frontman Bono.



“I found myself &#8230; waking up at 35 years old with this bizarre platform and really wanted to do something positive with it and was really on that trip trying to investigate all these issues of extreme poverty and to try to understand how I could be useful,” he said.



“And this was just an issue that was so enormous and underpinning everything, and yet nobody was talking about it, and that really kind of sparked my interest at first.”



A 14-year-old local girl took Damon on her daily mile-long walk after school to collect clean water pumped from a well. As they walked and talked, she told him through an interpreter that when she was older, she was going to the Zambian capital Lusaka to become a nurse.



“And I just really connected to this kid because she reminded me of how I felt when I was 14 and Ben Affleck and I were going to go to the big city of New York, and we were going to be actors, and, you know that feeling that all 14-year-old’s should have, that the world is kind of their oyster,” Damon said.



He told the latest episode of CNBC’s “Sustainable Future” that the Zambia trip made him realize that the water crisis was not only responsible for the “senseless” deaths of millions of children who don’t have access to clean water, but it was also stopping millions more from realizing their full potential.



“Had it not been for somebody having the foresight to sink a borewell near this girl’s house, she wouldn’t be in school, she would be spending her entire day collecting water for her family,” he said.



“So that really got me, that kind of really landed with me and, you know, the enormity of this issue and how deeply it affects so many people, beyond the sickness and death.”



According to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef),&nbsp;<a href="https://washdata.org/sites/default/files/2021-07/jmp-2021-wash-households.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one in 10 people in the world lack access to safe water</a>, with one in four lacking access to a toilet.&nbsp;



Internationally recognized water and sanitation expert and CEO of Water.org, White, told CNBC the Covid-19 pandemic had been a challenging time for the organization, with donations going down.



He said it also “drove home” the disparity between those with and without water around the world.



“This crisis .. with Covid, started with us being told to wash our hands with soap and water and to do that frequently and vigorously and to stay at home,” he said.



“And what I knew was the people that we were helping needed us more than ever, because one, they didn’t have access to water to wash their hands, they didn’t have access to soap, they couldn’t choose to stay home, they had to go out and find water. You know, every morning when you wake up, nothing else matters until you find water. It’s that simple.”

shutterstock_318371045

How a trip to rural Zambia, backed by U2 singer Bono, led Matt Damon to campaign for clean water

JOHANNESBURG, May 5 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Angola is expecting to record its lowest rate of inflation in 18 months when April data is released, the oil-producing Southern African country&#8217;s central bank governor said on Thursday, while economic growth was estimated at over 2% in the first quarter.



While price pressures are rising sharply worldwide driven by spikes in food and energy prices, Jose De Lima Massano told a Reuters on-line event that inflation had been falling since the start of this year. He said he expected inflation and the GDP growth rate trends to continue throughout the year.



Angola has suffered from double digit inflation since mid-2015, with the headline number coming in at 27% year-on-year in March.



Analysts have warned that rising global food prices are a concern for consumers&#8217; pockets, given Angola&#8217;s dependence on imported food, but also point to the strength of the kwanza currency which could give some reprieve.



Under President João Lourenço, who took office in 2017, the former socialist state is implementing a broad strategy to modernise its economy that includes widespread privatisation of state-owned assets.



BAI, Angola&#8217;s largest private bank, plans to list a 10% stake currently held by state oil company Sonangol via an initial public offering (IPO) on the country&#8217;s BODIVA stock exchange in June.



&#8220;Our expectation is that at least another two banks will do it in a very short period of time and then we will see other sectors are going to come,&#8221; De Lima Massano said, adding that one bank was likely to list this year.



&#8220;We are very happy with this development. This is a very good sign on how good the banking sector in Angola is,&#8221; he added.



Sonangol, diamond miner Endiama and airline TAAG are also slated for partial privatisation, though the process for selling those stakes is expected to take longer.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2U43AC&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Asked whether the government planned to request from China an extension to a debt moratorium, the governor said this was the decision of the finance ministry, adding though that he was not anticipating any changes to the current arrangements.



&#8220;My perception is there is room just to get back to normality,&#8221; he said.



Africa&#8217;s second-largest oil exporter and the continent&#8217;s biggest recipient of Chinese lending over the past two decades had previously sought payment relief from Beijing.



It announced in early 2021 that it had secured a three-year reprieve from Chinese lenders, to whom Angola owed more than $20 billion at the time.



(Reporting by Joe Bavier and Karin Strohecker; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

texture-sackcloth-with-image-angola-flag_158023-1119

Angola expects April inflation to be lowest in 18 months

By Rachel Savage



LONDON, May 4 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Inflation in South Africa is set to rise to 8% this year, overshooting the central bank&#8217;s target amid the global impact of the Ukraine conflict and rising U.S. interest rates, credit rating agency Moody&#8217;s forecast in a report on Wednesday.



Moody&#8217;s said inflation was set to be higher than the South African Reserve Bank&#8217;s 3-6% target range this year, before falling in 2023 and 2024, with the central bank likely to continue to tighten monetary policy after it raised interest rates in March.<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2VR4YO&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



South Africa&#8217;s finances were already under strain before the COVID-19 pandemic and worsened during&nbsp;successive waves of the virus, but have improved thanks to bumper prices for the country&#8217;s&nbsp;mineral&nbsp;commodity exports. But South Africa&#8217;s finance minister warned last month that the negative impact of high energy prices could outweigh this.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2WK4WG&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Moody&#8217;s cited risks to the country&#8217;s economy from&nbsp;highly indebted&nbsp;state-owned companies&nbsp;such as power utility Eskom, a rigid labour market and high social spending.



&#8220;The electricity sector poses the greatest risks to economic growth prospects, with generation capacity already insufficient to cover the economy&#8217;s needs,&#8221; Moody&#8217;s said in the report.



Power outages implemented by state-owned Eskom have constrained economic growth in Africa&#8217;s most industrialised country for more than a decade.



Moody&#8217;s upgraded South Africa&#8217;s outlook from &#8220;negative&#8221; to &#8220;stable&#8221; in April, keeping the government&#8217;s Ba2 rating and stating high commodity prices and fiscal consolidation would help to stabilise debt at around 80% of GDP in the&nbsp;medium term.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N2VZ3E2&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Rachel Savage. Editing by Jane Merriman)

Zimbabwe tightens coronavirus lockdown in capital Harare as cases hit 203

Zimbabwe govt expects 43% decline in maize harvest this year￼

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/106970721-1636033270223-gettyimages-1232591117-AFP_98Y9XM.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-415885" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/106970721-1636033270223-gettyimages-1232591117-AFP_98Y9XM.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/106970721-1636033270223-gettyimages-1232591117-AFP_98Y9XM-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/106970721-1636033270223-gettyimages-1232591117-AFP_98Y9XM-160x90.jpeg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>A doctor monitors a Covid-19 patient in the Covid-19 intensive care unit of the community hospital in Germany on April 28, 2021.
RONNY HARTMANN | AFP | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>

106970721-1636033270223-gettyimages-1232591117-AFP_98Y9XM

South Africa may be entering fifth COVID wave – health minister

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="615" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/5467804950_7daf685c3e_b-820x615.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-405681" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/5467804950_7daf685c3e_b-820x615.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/5467804950_7daf685c3e_b-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/5467804950_7daf685c3e_b-107x80.jpg 107w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/5467804950_7daf685c3e_b-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/5467804950_7daf685c3e_b.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



HARARE, Feb 4 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe has reduced the portion of taxes payable in foreign currency, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Friday, as the country tries to reduce U.S dollar demand and stop the rapid devaluation of the local currency.



The southern African country reintroduced its currency in 2019 after a decade of dollarisation, but it has declined sharply under pressure from acute foreign currency shortages and low confidence in the economy.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s economy is struggling to revive after years of hyperinflation and erratic policymaking. It bounced back in 2021 and Ncube has forecast economic growth of 5.5% this year.



After initially outlawing the use of foreign currencies for domestic transactions in June 2019, the government now allows the local currency to circulate alongside the U.S. dollar and other currencies.



It also charges a raft of taxes &#8211; including mineral royalties, vehicle import duty and on export earnings &#8211; in foreign currency, a policy which critics say shows the government has no confidence in its own currency.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-nigeria-to-prioritise-taxes-from-digital-non-resident-firms-in-2022">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/nigeria-to-prioritise-taxes-from-digital-non-resident-firms-in-2022/">Nigeria to prioritise taxes from digital non-resident firms in 2022</a></h3>



But on Friday, Ncube said exporters would now pay up to 40% of their taxes in local currency, while miners can pay 50% of royalties in Zimbabwe dollars. Previously, royalties and export taxes were 100% taxed in foreign currency.



Tax on vehicle imports, also previously charged entirely in foreign currency, can now be paid in both local and foreign currency on a 50-50 basis.



&#8220;The measures reflect government&#8217;s commitment to promote the wider use of the Zimbabwe dollar and to continuously strengthen the economy so as to build long lasting macro-economic stability,&#8221; Ncube said in a statement.



Exporters, especially miners, have complained that the payment of tax in foreign currency has affected their viability.



The local currency has weakened from 2.5 against the U.S. dollar when it was re-introduced, to current levels of 116 against the dollar on the official market. It trades as low as 240 to the U.S. dollar on a the black market. 



(Reporting by Nelson Banya. Editing by Jane Merriman)

Zimbabwe Dollar

Zimbabwe eases forex tax rules to shore up local currency

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="513" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CWPVWJCWMZMCRM6OXHPBHXVZQQ-820x513.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413255" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CWPVWJCWMZMCRM6OXHPBHXVZQQ-820x513.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CWPVWJCWMZMCRM6OXHPBHXVZQQ-300x188.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CWPVWJCWMZMCRM6OXHPBHXVZQQ-144x90.jpg 144w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CWPVWJCWMZMCRM6OXHPBHXVZQQ-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CWPVWJCWMZMCRM6OXHPBHXVZQQ.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>The symbolic last piece of stone coal harvested in a German mine to mark the end of coal mining in Germany is pictured after miners handed it over to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue palace in Berlin, Germany, April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch </figcaption></figure>



GABORONE, Nov 5 (Reuters) &#8211; Work is due to begin on Botswana&#8217;s second privately-owned coal mine in the first quarter of next year, the CEO of Maatla Resources told Reuters, despite calls to abandon coal.



At the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/cop">COP26 climate conference</a> in Glasgow , the southern African country signed up to a global commitment to reduce the use of heavily-polluting coal, but opted out of a pledge to stop issuing new licences to mine the fossil fuel.



Botswana is edging ahead with developing its coal resources, which are estimated at 200 billion tonnes, as it looks to wean its economy off a dependence on diamonds.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-nations-make-new-pledges-to-cut-methane-save-forests-at-climate-summit">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/leaders-at-global-climate-talks-pledge-to-cut-methane-and-save-forests/">Nations make new pledges to cut methane, save forests at climate summit</a></h3>



Maatla was awarded a licence in February and had hoped to start building the 1.2 million tonnes per annum mine this year, but was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic and regulatory delays.



Now, Maatla is looking to proceed after a funding deal with Frankfurt-listed HMS Bergbau, which in a $45 million debt and equity deal concluded in April took a 51% stake in it.



&#8220;The target is to reach financial close by February next year and then immediately start building the mine. First production is expected within 12 to 15 months,&#8221; Maatla CEO Jacques Badenhorst said in an interview late on Thursday.



Badenhorst said the target market for the mine included cement manufacturers and boiler operators in South Africa, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia.



(Reporting by Brian Benza; Editing by Alexander Smith)

CWPVWJCWMZMCRM6OXHPBHXVZQQ

Work set to start on Botswana coal mine in 2022 despite pressure

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="530" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/D7SMKWXRJZIFNKG6MCABH656AA-820x530.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413151" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/D7SMKWXRJZIFNKG6MCABH656AA-820x530.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/D7SMKWXRJZIFNKG6MCABH656AA-300x194.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/D7SMKWXRJZIFNKG6MCABH656AA-139x90.jpg 139w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/D7SMKWXRJZIFNKG6MCABH656AA-768x497.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/D7SMKWXRJZIFNKG6MCABH656AA.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>People queue to recieve coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccinations at a clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 1 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe&#8217;s health ministry has approved the use of China&#8217;s Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds, it said on Monday, adding that the country aimed to achieve herd immunity by the end of December.



The ministry said in a statement that it had taken the decision after a recommendation from specialist paediatricians and was still considering whether to vaccinate younger children.



&#8220;All the provinces, secondary schools, colleges, universities and vaccination centres are hereby required to commence the vaccination campaign of this age group with immediate effect,&#8221; the minister said.



A growing number of countries have approved, or are considering approving, <a href="https://reut.rs/3BzSQZb">COVID-19 vaccinations for children and adolescents.</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-south-africa-to-open-up-covid-19-vaccinations-to-18-35-year-olds-from-friday">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/south-africa-to-open-up-covid-19-vaccinations-to-18-35-year-olds-from-friday/">South Africa to open up COVID-19 vaccinations to 18-35 year olds from Friday</a></h3>



Neighbouring South Africa, for example, is already administering shots to those aged 12 and over as it looks to ramp up the level of COVID-19 protection within its population.



Zimbabwe said the Sinovac shot would be the only vaccine eligible for use on teenagers. The country has predominately used Sinovac and another Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm, in its vaccination campaign so far.



The country&#8217;s medicines authority had only registered vaccines from China, Russia and India until it approved J&amp;J&#8217;s vaccine for emergency use in July.



The health ministry said Zimbabwe was determined to reach herd immunity by the end of the year and that 38% of the targeted population had been vaccinated by the end of October.



The country has recorded 132,926 cases of COVID-19 and 4,675 deaths overall.



(Reporting by Emma Rumney; Editing by David Clarke)

D7SMKWXRJZIFNKG6MCABH656AA

Zimbabwe approves Sinovac shots for older teenagers

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="580" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1177723490-820x580.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-412917" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1177723490-820x580.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1177723490-300x212.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1177723490-127x90.jpg 127w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1177723490-768x543.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1177723490-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1177723490-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>SOCHI, RUSSIA OCTOBER 23, 2019: King Mswati III of Eswatini gets in a car at Sochi International Airport as he arrives to take part in the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit. Dmitry Feoktistov/TASS Host Photo Agency (Photo by Dmitry Feoktistov\TASS via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Oct 21 (Reuters) &#8211; Envoys from Southern African countries are expected to travel to Eswatini this week, South Africa said on Thursday, after protests against the kingdom&#8217;s absolute monarch flared up again.



Anger against King Mswati III has been building for years.



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/pro-democracy-protests-flare-up-eswatini-2021-10-14">It broke out into the open during demonstrations</a> in June and July which the local authorities quashed with tear gas and water cannon, and another round of protests erupted in recent weeks.



South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed the envoys to Eswatini in his capacity as chair of regional bloc SADC&#8217;s organ on defence, politics and security cooperation, Ramaphosa&#8217;s office said in a statement.



The envoys include South Africa&#8217;s deputy foreign minister, a special adviser to Ramaphosa and a former South African cabinet minister, as well as representatives of Botswana and Namibia.



Campaigners say 53-year-old Mswati III has consistently ignored calls for reforms that would nudge Eswatini, which changed its name from Swaziland in 2018, in the direction of democracy.



The king denies accusations of autocratic rule and of using public money to fund a lavish lifestyle in the impoverished nation that borders South Africa. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eswatini-protests-idAFKBN2EM107">In July he called protests against his rule &#8220;satanic&#8221;</a>.



&#8220;The Special Envoys will be accompanied by SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi, senior officials of the SADC Secretariat and senior officials of the South African Government,&#8221; the statement from Ramaphosa&#8217;s office read. &#8220;The envoys are expected to travel to the Kingdom this week.&#8221;



In protests in Eswatini schools Pro-democracy protests flare up in Eswatini last week students chanted &#8220;Mswati must fall&#8221; and &#8220;Release our MPs,&#8221; a reference to two lawmakers arrested during earlier protests. Bus drivers blocked some main roads in the city of Manzini.



(Reporting by Alexander Winning, Editing by William Maclean)

King Mswati III of Eswatini arrives in Sochi for Russia-Africa Summit

Southern African envoys due to travel to Eswatini after anti-monarchy protests

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1235711257-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-412549" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1235711257-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1235711257-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1235711257-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1235711257-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1235711257-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-1235711257-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>South African President and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairperson on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation Cyril Ramaphosa (L), Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi (2ndL), Botswanas President Mokgweetsi Masisi (2ndR) and Namibia&#8217;s President Hage Geingob (R) arrive for the Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Organ Troika Plus the Republic of Mozambique at the OR Tambo Building in Pretoria, on October 5, 2021. The Summit will receive a progress report on the operations of the SADC Mission to Mozambique since its deployment and will consider the way forward as the deployment to combat acts of terrorism and violent extremism in the Northern Region of Cabo Delgado Province comes to an end on 15 October 2021. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / POOL / AFP) (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Oct 5 (Reuters) &#8211; Southern African regional bloc SADC agreed at a summit on Tuesday to extend a troop deployment in Mozambique to help the government fight an Islamic State-linked insurgency.



&#8220;Summit approved the extension of the SAMIM (SADC Mission in Mozambique) to continue with offensive operations against terrorists and violent extremists,&#8221; the bloc said in a communique after top officials met in Pretoria, South Africa.



The SADC troop deployment was initially for three months and due to end on Oct. 15. The communique did not say how long the extension was approved for.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-southern-african-nations-agree-to-deploy-forces-to-mozambique-communique">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/southern-african-nations-agree-to-deploy-forces-to-mozambique-communique/">Southern African nations agree to deploy forces to Mozambique – communique</a></h3>



Southern African nations agreed in June to send troops to help Mozambique respond to the insurgency, which is concentrated in the northern province of Cabo Delgado and has claimed thousands of lives since beginning in 2017.



Rwanda, which is not a SADC member, began deploying soldiers in Mozambique a month later.



The fighting brought a $20 billion natural gas project led by French energy company TotalEnergies to a halt, after fighters attacked the town of Palma in March.



The communique on Tuesday said three soldiers on the SADC mission to Mozambique had lost their lives, from Botswana and Tanzania. 



(Reporting by Wendell Roelf and Alexander Winning; Editing by Chris Reese and Bill Berkrot)

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Southern African bloc extends troop deployment in Mozambique to fight insurgency -communique

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="597" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3BQGOIKAEZINHDXZBV3SPPS32U-820x597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-412495" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3BQGOIKAEZINHDXZBV3SPPS32U-820x597.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3BQGOIKAEZINHDXZBV3SPPS32U-300x218.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3BQGOIKAEZINHDXZBV3SPPS32U-124x90.jpg 124w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3BQGOIKAEZINHDXZBV3SPPS32U-768x559.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3BQGOIKAEZINHDXZBV3SPPS32U.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>People walk past the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe building in Harare, Zimbabwe, February 25, 2019. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Oct 4 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe&#8217;s annual inflation rate could end the year between 35% and 53%, up from an earlier estimate of 25% to 35%, the central bank said in a statement shared with reporters on Monday, as the local currency has dropped sharply on the black market.



Policymakers in the southern African country still haunted by memories of hyperinflation and currency collapses had initially wanted to bring inflation to below 10% by year-end but have revised that target higher twice now.



Inflation fell steeply in the first half of the year, from around 363% year on year in January to 56% in July, before stabilising above 50% in August and September.



&#8220;Developments on the parallel market for foreign exchange are likely to exert further inflationary pressures in the economy,&#8221; the central bank&#8217;s governor, John Mangudya, said in the statement dated Sept. 27.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-zimbabwe-prices-spiral-after-businesses-told-to-stop-pricing-in-dollars">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/zimbabwe-prices-spiral-after-businesses-told-to-stop-pricing-in-dollars/">Zimbabwe prices spiral after businesses told to stop pricing in dollars</a></h3>



&#8220;In view of recent developments, annual inflation is likely to end the year between 35 percent to 53 percent, up from the revised year-end targets of between 25 percent and 35 percent.&#8221;



On the black market, the Zimbabwe dollar has weakened from around 130 to the U.S. dollar in April to 170 currently for electronic transactions.



Over that time the official rate has gone from about 84 to 87 to the U.S. currency.



Much of Zimbabwe&#8217;s economy relies on the black market to source scarce foreign currency, despite the central bank insisting the economy is generating enough dollars to meet demand.



Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said in July that gross domestic product was expected to grow 7.8% this year after two years of recession, helped by higher commodity prices and an improved crop harvest.



(Reporting by Nelson Banya Editing by Alexander Winning, Kirsten Donovan)

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Zimbabwe central bank revises year-end inflation forecast upwards as currency weakens

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="461" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Botswana_Gaborone_Central_Business_District-820x461.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-411756" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Botswana_Gaborone_Central_Business_District-820x461.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Botswana_Gaborone_Central_Business_District-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Botswana_Gaborone_Central_Business_District-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Botswana_Gaborone_Central_Business_District-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Botswana_Gaborone_Central_Business_District-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Botswana_Gaborone_Central_Business_District-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Central Business District (CBD) in the capital Gaborone Photo: via Wikipedia</figcaption></figure>



GABORONE, Aug 30 (Reuters) &#8211; Botswana now expects economic growth of 9.7% in 2021, compared with the 8.8% forecast in February, helped by higher diamond sales and a recent rebasing of GDP accounts, Finance Minister Peggy Serame told Reuters on Monday.



She added the 2021 budget deficit was expected to widen to 3.9% from the 2.8% seen in February.



In July, Botswana revised its real GDP accounts base year to 2016 from 2006, seeking to improve the accuracy of its measurement of economic growth.



Due to the rebasing, last year’s economic contraction is now much deeper &#8211; at 8.5% &#8211; rather than the 7.9% originally reported, while nominal GDP is now 4.6% lower at 172,552 million pula ($15.5 billion).



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-botswana-s-7-5-billion-pension-fund-appoints-south-african-administrator">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/botswanas-7-5-billion-pension-fund-appoints-south-african-administrator-2/">Botswana’s $7.5 billion pension fund appoints South African administrator</a></h3>



&#8220;The larger than forecast contraction in 2020 is, however, expected to be offset by an improvement in growth in 2021 which has now been revised upwards to 9.7 percent growth for the year,&#8221; Serame said in response to emailed questions.



She said the upward revision was due to a combination of technical changes resulting from the rebasing of GDP by Statistics Botswana in July 2021, alongside the strong performance of the diamond sector in the first half of 2021.



After falling by 30% in 2020, sales of rough diamonds by Debswana Diamond Company, a joint venture between the government and Anglo American’s De Beers, jumped 41% in the first half of 2021, fuelled by demand from major markets the United States and China.



Serame said the government was in advanced talks for a $130 million budget support loan from the African Development Bank, part of plans to tap external and domestic borrowing sources to help fund its budget deficit.



($1 = 11.1359 pulas) 



(Reporting by Brian Benza Writing by Wendell Roelf Editing by Alison Williams and Mark Potter)

Botswana_Gaborone_Central_Business_District

Botswana lifts 2021 economic growth forecast to 9.7%

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/OBDNP3TWJRIFXDD247UJOYPN24-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-411631" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/OBDNP3TWJRIFXDD247UJOYPN24-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/OBDNP3TWJRIFXDD247UJOYPN24-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/OBDNP3TWJRIFXDD247UJOYPN24-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/OBDNP3TWJRIFXDD247UJOYPN24-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/OBDNP3TWJRIFXDD247UJOYPN24.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Hope Ramokotjo gives a ski lesson at Kapoko Snow Park at Afriski Mountain Resort in Butha Buthe, Lesotho, July 31, 2021. REUTERS/Sumaya Hisham</figcaption></figure>



BUTHA-BUTHE, Lesotho, Aug 23 (Reuters) &#8211; Suggest a holiday in Africa and most people picture baking hot sun, palm-fringed beaches or herds of wildebeest galloping across the savannah. Few think of skiing.



Yet the continent contains five mountain ranges with enough seasonal snow to make potential slopes, of which two host rudimentary ski resorts.



Tucked into South Africa&#8217;s stunning Drakensburg range, one such resort in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho attracts tourists seeking a more adventurous skiing destination &#8211; despite visitor numbers being drastically slashed by COVID-19.



&#8220;Africa is, you know, you wouldn&#8217;t even actually think of it. I think that&#8217;s what actually amazes most people,&#8221; snowboard instructor Hope Ramokotjo told Reuters TV, after sliding through a section of perfect powder snow on his board.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-south-africa-s-tcta-raises-1-bln-for-lesotho-water-project">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/south-africas-tcta-raises-1-bln-for-lesotho-water-project/">South Africa’s TCTA raises $1 bln for Lesotho water project</a></h3>



&#8220;Yes, it isn&#8217;t much,&#8221; he said, glancing over his shoulder at bare brown hills beyond a lone white slope. &#8220;But people come here and have a whole lot of fun. For me, as a local, I don&#8217;t have to fly out: I&#8217;ve got a vacation right here.&#8221;



As with other tourist spots, the COVID-19 pandemic &#8211; and severe travel restrictions enforced worldwide to try to curb it &#8211; has drastically slashed visitor numbers.



They fell to virtually nothing last year and are still only half the usual 17,000 this year, owner of the nearly two-decade old Afriski Resort, Pieter Peyper, said. Regional hub South Africa has been badly hit by the pandemic, with 2.64 million recorded coronavirus cases, and is on most country&#8217;s red lists.



&#8220;It was something very different. My knees and feet are in pain&#8230; but it was mad fun,&#8221; said Kevin Kava, a Ghanaian first-time skier who lives in Cape Town, shortly after wiping out. 



(Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Alex Richardson)

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Skiing in Africa? Tourists hit Lesotho slopes despite COVID-19 woes

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="518" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/LUK6X5R5MFKNJAT34QFMHY2PBA-820x518.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-411609" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/LUK6X5R5MFKNJAT34QFMHY2PBA-820x518.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/LUK6X5R5MFKNJAT34QFMHY2PBA-300x190.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/LUK6X5R5MFKNJAT34QFMHY2PBA-142x90.jpg 142w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/LUK6X5R5MFKNJAT34QFMHY2PBA-768x486.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/LUK6X5R5MFKNJAT34QFMHY2PBA.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>People queue outside a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination centre as the country opens vaccinations for everyone 18 years old and above in Cape Town, South Africa, August 20, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Aug 20 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africans formed queues hundreds of metres long to get their COVID-19 shots on Friday, after the government made vaccinations available to all adults in order to hasten a rollout beset by challenges and delays.



South Africa has been battered by three coronavirus waves, infecting at least 2.65 million people, killing 78,000 &#8211; by far the continent&#8217;s worst toll &#8211; and pummelling an already struggling economy with lockdowns and travel restrictions.



<a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/south-africa-to-open-up-covid-19-vaccinations-to-18-35-year-olds-from-friday/">On Friday, authorities opened up vaccinations to 18 to 35 year-olds</a>. About 8% of South Africa&#8217;s population of 60 million is fully vaccinated, and 14% have received one shot.



&#8220;I just wanted to get it out the way. I&#8217;ve been waiting so long for it,&#8221; 23-year-old medical student Lisa Heyneke said, shortly after receiving her shot in Johannesburg.



South Africa&#8217;s campaign got off to a slow start, owing to bureaucratic hiccups, a failure to start early talks with pharmaceutical companies, and bad luck &#8211; it ditched a million AstraZeneca shots on evidence they may not work against its dominant variant, only for that evidence to be later overturned.



Like other African countries, it also been at the back of a queue favouring rich Western nations.



At Cape Town&#8217;s convention centre, the line of people was a mile long, while dozens of cars queued at a drive vaccination venue at converted car racing track in north Johannesburg.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-south-africa-targets-35-mln-people-vaccinated-against-covid-19-by-christmas">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/south-africa-targets-35-mln-people-vaccinated-against-covid-19-by-christmas/">South Africa targets 35 mln people vaccinated against COVID-19 by Christmas</a></h3>



Challenges remain such as vaccine hesitancy and the difficulty of getting vaccines out to remote areas, Mary Kawonga, chair of the COVID-19 Advisory committee for Gauteng, the province around Johannesburg, told Reuters at the venue.



On Thursday, a Johannesburg University survey showed vaccine acceptance improving to nearly three quarters of the population last month, compared with two thirds at the start of the year.



Donald Mgimeti, 45, was initially unsure. Then, in May, he was shocked by the death of a friend from COVID-19.



&#8220;It made me realise how serious this is,&#8221; he said, rolling down his sleeves after his jab.



(Additional reporting by Mike Hutchings in Cape Town Editing by Raisa Kasolowsky)

LUK6X5R5MFKNJAT34QFMHY2PBA

South Africans form long queues as COVID-19 jabs opened to all adults

Southern Africa

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Angola expects April inflation to be lowest in 18 months

Zimbabwe govt expects 43% decline in maize harvest this year

South Africa may be entering fifth COVID wave – health minister

Zimbabwe eases forex tax rules to shore up local currency

Work set to start on Botswana coal mine in 2022 despite pressure

Zimbabwe approves Sinovac shots for older teenagers

Southern African envoys due to travel to Eswatini after anti-monarchy protests

Southern African bloc extends troop deployment in Mozambique to fight insurgency -communique

Zimbabwe central bank revises year-end inflation forecast upwards as currency weakens

Botswana lifts 2021 economic growth forecast to 9.7%

Skiing in Africa? Tourists hit Lesotho slopes despite COVID-19 woes

South Africans form long queues as COVID-19 jabs opened to all adults

DBSA’s Zodwa Mbele on how to accelerate accessibility & inclusion in SA’s infrastructure industry

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IMF board approves $456 mln program for Mozambique

WHO, Gavi not planning COVID vaccine buys from S.Africa’s Aspen

Angola’s Endiama says sanctions against Russia could hurt its diamond operations

How a trip to rural Zambia, backed by U2 singer Bono, led Matt Damon to campaign for clean water

Angola expects April inflation to be lowest in 18 months

Zimbabwe govt expects 43% decline in maize harvest this year￼

South Africa may be entering fifth COVID wave – health minister

Zimbabwe eases forex tax rules to shore up local currency

Work set to start on Botswana coal mine in 2022 despite pressure

Zimbabwe approves Sinovac shots for older teenagers

Southern African envoys due to travel to Eswatini after anti-monarchy protests

Southern African bloc extends troop deployment in Mozambique to fight insurgency -communique

Zimbabwe central bank revises year-end inflation forecast upwards as currency weakens

Botswana lifts 2021 economic growth forecast to 9.7%

Skiing in Africa? Tourists hit Lesotho slopes despite COVID-19 woes

South Africans form long queues as COVID-19 jabs opened to all adults

DBSA’s Zodwa Mbele on how to accelerate accessibility & inclusion in SA’s infrastructure industry

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Zimbabwe govt expects 43% decline in maize harvest this year