<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="602" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LYNXMPEG0F1AI-820x602.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-542577" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LYNXMPEG0F1AI-820x602.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LYNXMPEG0F1AI-300x220.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LYNXMPEG0F1AI-122x90.jpg 122w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LYNXMPEG0F1AI-768x564.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LYNXMPEG0F1AI-1536x1129.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LYNXMPEG0F1AI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Victims of Cyclone Idai receive food aid at Siverstream Estates in Chipinge, Zimbabwe March 24 ,2019. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



GENEVA, Oct 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Millions of people across southern Africa are facing the worst food crisis in decades, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday, warning that its ability to provide relief risks being stymied by funding shortfalls.



Amid unprecedented drought conditions, a record five countries &#8211; Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe &#8211; have declared a state of disaster and called for international humanitarian support, the U.N. agency said. Angola and Mozambique are also badly affected and around 21 million children are malnourished.



&#8220;Unless we receive additional resources, millions of people risk going through the worst lean season in decades without assistance,&#8221; WFP spokesperson Tomson Phiri told a Geneva press briefing.



The agency is planning to provide food and, in some cases, cash assistance to more than 6.5 million people in the seven hardest-hit countries to cover the period until the next harvest in March.



The WFP said, however, that it had only received about a fifth of the $369 million it needed.



&#8220;Crops failed, livestock has perished and children are lucky to receive even one meal per day. The situation is dire, and the need for action has never been clearer,&#8221; said Phiri.



(Reporting by Emma Farge, editing by Ed Osmond)

LYNXMPEG0F1AI

Millions in southern Africa facing worst food crisis in decades, warns WFP

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="558" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/I7C3XAJPIJIFJO4UI73JPMT24U-820x558.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-540670" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/I7C3XAJPIJIFJO4UI73JPMT24U-820x558.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/I7C3XAJPIJIFJO4UI73JPMT24U-300x204.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/I7C3XAJPIJIFJO4UI73JPMT24U-132x90.jpg 132w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/I7C3XAJPIJIFJO4UI73JPMT24U-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/I7C3XAJPIJIFJO4UI73JPMT24U-1536x1045.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/I7C3XAJPIJIFJO4UI73JPMT24U-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Workers load lithium concentrate at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe mine in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe, January 9, 2024. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Oct 10 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwean miners expect profits to decline on the back of anticipated high costs of production and a weak outlook for platinum and lithium in 2025, according to a report.



A confluence of global and local factors will eat into the southern African country&#8217;s mining revenue and profit next year, said the report by the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (COMZ).



Zimbabwe is known for abundant deposits of platinum group metals (PGMs), gold and lithium.



&#8220;The issue of costs continue to dampen the spirit of profitability,&#8221; said Isaac Kwesu, COMZ&#8217;s chief executive.



Costs of production are expected to increase by an average of 8% in 2025. Miners expect energy needs to grow to 800 megawatts per day in 2025 from 600 megawatts this year.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s mining industry, one of its highest foreign currency earners alongside tobacco and horticulture, continues to be blighted by rolling power cuts and exchange losses.



In 2024, the mining sector lost around $500 million in potential revenue to power outages, the report said.



Miners however expect gold prices to remain bullish, increasing by an average of 12% in 2025 with PGMs and lithium declining 15%, the report said.



Business confidence is also expected to improve with capital expenditure seen exceeding $600 million in 2025.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Bhargav Archaya and Ros Russell)

Workers load lithium concentrate at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe mine in Goromonzi

Zimbabwean miners expect profits to fall in 2025, report says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="562" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/MDGNNNW45RL23ECVBDK6NGTPTE-820x562.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-537954" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/MDGNNNW45RL23ECVBDK6NGTPTE-820x562.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/MDGNNNW45RL23ECVBDK6NGTPTE-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/MDGNNNW45RL23ECVBDK6NGTPTE-131x90.jpg 131w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/MDGNNNW45RL23ECVBDK6NGTPTE-768x527.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/MDGNNNW45RL23ECVBDK6NGTPTE-1536x1053.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/MDGNNNW45RL23ECVBDK6NGTPTE.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo of fuel tanks at the edge of a miltary airstrip on Diego Garcia, largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean leased from Britain in 1966. clh/HO/U.S. CLH/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Britain said on Thursday it would give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal that would allow people displaced decades ago to return home while London retains use of the UK-U.S. military base on Diego Garcia.



Britain said that the operation of Diego Garcia, a strategic military base jointly operated with the United States, was protected by the agreement, which also allows Mauritius to resettle the rest of the islands after its population was displaced.



&#8220;This government inherited a situation where the long-term, secure operation of the Diego Garcia military base was under threat, with contested sovereignty and ongoing legal challenges,&#8221; British Foreign Minister David Lammy said in a statement.



&#8220;Today’s agreement secures this vital military base for the future. It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security, shut down any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous illegal migration route to the UK, as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius.&#8221;



Britain, which has controlled the region since 1814, detached the Chagos Islands in 1965 from Mauritius &#8211; a former colony that became independent three years later &#8211; to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.



In the early 1970s, it evicted almost 2,000 residents to Mauritius and the Seychelles to make way for an airbase on the largest island, Diego Garcia, which it had leased to the United States in 1966.



The World Court said in 2019 that Britain should give up control of the islands and said it had wrongfully forced the population to leave in the 1970s to make way for a U.S. air base.



In a joint statement, Britain and Mauritius said that the political agreement had the support and assistance of the United States and India.



(Reporting by Alistair Smout, William James, Muvija M and Michael Holden; Editing by Kate Holton)

FILE PHOTO OF FUEL TANKS ON INDIAN OCEAN ISLAND OF DIEGO GARCIA

Britain agrees Chagos Island sovereignty deal with Mauritius

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="573" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/RWX7GTOMDNPMJHIAC5WECATPMQ-820x573.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-537951" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/RWX7GTOMDNPMJHIAC5WECATPMQ-820x573.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/RWX7GTOMDNPMJHIAC5WECATPMQ-300x210.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/RWX7GTOMDNPMJHIAC5WECATPMQ-129x90.jpg 129w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/RWX7GTOMDNPMJHIAC5WECATPMQ-768x537.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/RWX7GTOMDNPMJHIAC5WECATPMQ-1536x1073.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/RWX7GTOMDNPMJHIAC5WECATPMQ-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Workers load lithium concentrate at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe mine in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe, January 9, 2024. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Oct 3 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe has softened its requirements for lithium miners to process the mineral locally, a government official said on Thursday, as the industry battles to survive a price slump over the past year.



Africa&#8217;s top lithium producer, Zimbabwe had last year given producers up to March 2024 to submit plans of how they would produce battery-grade lithium in the impoverished southern African country.



Prices of lithium, which is mainly used in battery technologies, have fallen more than 80% in the past year largely due to overproduction from China and a drop in demand for electric vehicles.



The price collapse has forced companies like Chinese battery giant CATL to suspend production at certain mines. Albemarle, the world&#8217;s top lithium miner, implemented a second round of cost cuts earlier this year and laid off workers.



In Zimbabwe, lithium miners including Sinomine Resource Group&#8217;s Bikita Minerals, have been forced to cut production and lay off workers as the impact of weak prices has been compounded by the country&#8217;s poor infrastructure, currency volatility and policy inconsistencies.



The Zimbabwe government would now take a measured approach in its quest to localise lithium processing, deputy mines minister Polite Kambamura told Reuters.



&#8220;We are now considering them on a case by case basis and also considering the level of investments already put in the country,&#8221; Kambamura said.



Chinese firms including Sinomine, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Chengxin Lithium Group, Yahua Group and Canmax Technologies have spent more than $1 billion over the past three years to acquire and develop lithium projects in Zimbabwe.



&#8220;Some commenced mining operations five months before the deadline, so we are considering where the project is,&#8221; he added.



Sinomine has said it plans to spend up to $500 million building a lithium sulphate plant at Bikita within the next five years.



Huayou has said it is conducting feasibility studies for a lithium sulphate plant at its Arcadia mine.



Kambamura said the government was open to dialogue with lithium miners over their struggles.



&#8220;We understand the prices are low but they are beginning to firm up. The fact that there are upcoming projects means the environment is favourable,&#8221; he added.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Nelson Banya and Angus MacSwan)

Zimbabwe softens stance on local lithium processing after price collapse

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="575" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-1-820x575.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-454022" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-1-820x575.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-1-300x210.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-1-128x90.jpg 128w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-1-768x539.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-1-1536x1078.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: A man shows off Zimbabwean currency notes outside a grocery store in Harare, Zimbabwe, March 17, 2022. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Oct 2 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe&#8217;s President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday vowed to implement corrective measures to protect people&#8217;s incomes after the country&#8217;s new gold-backed currency slid on the black market five months after it was introduced.



The ZiG, short for Zimbabwe Gold, was devalued 43% last Friday after it lost nearly 47% on the black market.



&#8220;We note with concern the resurgence of the parallel market activities driven by speculative tendencies. Corrective measures are being instituted to protect Zimbabweans from disruptions,&#8221; Mnangagwa said in an address to the parliament.



Since the devaluation, the ZiG has again weakened from Friday&#8217;s rate of 24.3902 to 25.2824 on Wednesday, while on the black market it has slipped to 32 per U.S. dollar.



Mnangagwa said the devaluation of the ZiG will allow &#8220;greater flexibility&#8221; and encourage people holding forex to trade on the official market.



&#8220;Government remains committed to backing the currency through setting aside 50% of royalties to build reserves,&#8221; he said.



The ZiG is the southern African country&#8217;s sixth attempt at a stable currency in 15 years after a bout of hyperinflation under former longtime leader Robert Mugabe.



Following a meeting with central bank officials, the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe on Wednesday said last week&#8217;s move would cause price hikes and weaken confidence.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono, Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Andrea Ricci)

FILE PHOTO: Zimbabwe’s poor feel the impact of far away Ukraine war

Zimbabwe’s president vows to implement measures to stop currency slide

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="572" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-820x572.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-532434" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-820x572.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-300x209.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-129x90.jpg 129w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-768x535.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-1536x1071.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A vendor shows a ten Zimbabwe gold-backed (ZiG) note along a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 17, 2024. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Oct 1 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe&#8217;s bankers on Tuesday warned the central bank about the impact of any future shocks to the local currency to avoid eating into people&#8217;s incomes and eroding public confidence after a 43% devaluation last week.



&#8220;Every time you have such big shocks there are people who will lose out. The proper thing is to avoid significant huge shocks and maybe have small movement in the rate going forward,&#8221; Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) president Lawrence Nyazema told Reuters.



The ZiG, which stands for Zimbabwe Gold, is the southern African country&#8217;s sixth attempt at a stable currency in 15 years after a bout of hyperinflation under former longtime leader Robert Mugabe.



But authorities have struggled to persuade a sceptical population to stop carrying out transactions in foreign currencies.



The ZiG&#8217;s devaluation comes follows it losing more than 47% on the black market in the five months after its launch, with some economists saying its death was imminent.



Nyazema said it was too early to call the demise of the new unit, describing last week&#8217;s move by the central bank as a &#8220;reset&#8221; to the economy.



&#8220;I don&#8217;t think we are seeing the death of the currency but we have our work cut out for us. We have to do more work in terms of convincing the citizens that the money is stable. We needed to reset, and now that we have reset we need to stick to our promises,&#8221; Nyazema said.



He added: &#8220;It is up to the monetary authorities to come up with the right set of measures to bring stability and make sure that such significant movements are not frequent.&#8221;



Since the devaluation, the ZiG has further slipped from Friday&#8217;s rate of 24.3902 to 25.1305 on Tuesday.



Bankers also warned against a rushed move to remove the U.S dollar from circulation before a 2030 deadline, saying it sent the wrong signal to investors.



&#8220;If we were to wake up tomorrow morning and say we are back to mono currency there is likely going to be confusion not only internally but the rest of the world, whom we have told we will have a multi currency up to 2030,&#8221; Nyazema said.



Before the ZiG began its big slide, the government had been hoping to make the gold-backed currency the sole currency unit by 2026.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono, editing Nelson Banya and Hugh Lawson)

A vendor shows a ten Zimbabwe gold-backed (ZiG) note along a street in Harare

Zimbabwe bankers wary of more shocks after sharp ZiG devaluation

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PF3JNZQUQ5M65OD7XXTYURHSSI-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-536822" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PF3JNZQUQ5M65OD7XXTYURHSSI-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PF3JNZQUQ5M65OD7XXTYURHSSI-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PF3JNZQUQ5M65OD7XXTYURHSSI-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PF3JNZQUQ5M65OD7XXTYURHSSI-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PF3JNZQUQ5M65OD7XXTYURHSSI-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PF3JNZQUQ5M65OD7XXTYURHSSI.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Construction work is seen opposite a statue of Samora Machel, the first President of Mozambique, and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, a Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Maputo, Mozambique, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



MAPUTO, Sept 30 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Mozambique&#8217;s central bank cut its main interest rate for the fifth meeting in a row on Monday, saying the inflation outlook remained favourable.



The central bank reduced its MIMO interest rate&nbsp;MZMIMO=ECI&nbsp;by 75 basis points to 13.50%.



The southern African country&#8217;s inflation slowed to 2.75% year on year in August&nbsp;MZCPIY=ECI&nbsp;from 2.97% in July, statistics agency data showed.



The Bank of Mozambique reiterated in a statement that it expected to continue to lower the MIMO rate over the medium term.



(Reporting by Manuel Mucari; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning)

PF3JNZQUQ5M65OD7XXTYURHSSI

Mozambique central bank cuts main interest rate again

<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="556" data-id="536704" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JS3L4TS4WZNK7PZF537SLXXZMY-820x556.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-536704" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JS3L4TS4WZNK7PZF537SLXXZMY-820x556.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JS3L4TS4WZNK7PZF537SLXXZMY-300x204.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JS3L4TS4WZNK7PZF537SLXXZMY-133x90.jpg 133w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JS3L4TS4WZNK7PZF537SLXXZMY-768x521.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JS3L4TS4WZNK7PZF537SLXXZMY-1536x1042.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JS3L4TS4WZNK7PZF537SLXXZMY-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Isabel Dos Santos, daughter of Angola’s former President sits for a portrait during a Reuters interview in London, Britain, January 9, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



LONDON, Sept 30 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos on Monday lost an appeal to overturn an order freezing up to 580 million pounds ($778 million) of her assets as part a lawsuit at London&#8217;s High Court.



Dos Santos – Africa&#8217;s first female billionaire, whose father Jose Eduardo dos Santos ruled Angola for 38 years until 2017 – is being sued by Angolan telecoms operator Unitel.



Unitel was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3DF2F0&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">granted</a>&nbsp;a worldwide freezing order over dos Santos&#8217; assets in December and&nbsp;the Court of Appeal on Monday rejected&nbsp;her appeal against that decision.



Dos Santos has faced corruption accusations in Angola for years. She denies the allegations and says she is the target of a long-running political vendetta.



She is being sued by Unitel over loans it made to separate Dutch company Unitel International Holdings (UIH) in 2012 and 2013, when she was a Unitel director, to fund UIH&#8217;s acquisition of shares in telecoms companies.



Dos Santos owns and controls UIH, the Court of Appeal said in its ruling.



Unitel and UIH are not related despite bearing the same name, and dos Santos resigned as a director of Unitel in 2020.



The loans were not repaid and around 300 million pounds is outstanding, Unitel&#8217;s lawyers argued at the High Court.



But dos Santos – who claims to be the victim of a &#8220;campaign of oppression&#8221; by Angola – says Unitel is itself responsible for UIH&#8217;s inability to repay the loans because of its alleged role in Angola&#8217;s unlawful seizure of UIH assets.



(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar)

Isabel Dos Santos, daughter of Angola’s former President and Africa’s richest woman, sits for a portrait during a Reuters interview in London, Britain

Angola’s Isabel dos Santos loses appeal against freezing order over assets

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="575" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-2-820x575.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-535605" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-2-820x575.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-2-300x210.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-2-128x90.jpg 128w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-2-768x539.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-2-1536x1078.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-2-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: A man shows off Zimbabwean currency notes outside a grocery store in Harare, Zimbabwe, March 17, 2022. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Sept 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe&#8217;s central bank allowed the local gold-backed currency to fall over 40% against the dollar on Friday and hiked its policy rate, giving in to weeks of sustained pressure on the currency which was only launched in April.



The central bank&#8217;s website gave the mid rate for the ZiG currency as 24.3902 to the dollar on Friday versus 13.9987 on Thursday, a 42.6% fall, according to Reuters calculations.



The ZiG, which stands for Zimbabwe Gold, is the southern African country&#8217;s sixth attempt at a stable currency in 15 years after a bout of hyperinflation under then longtime leader Robert Mugabe.



But authorities have struggled to convince a sceptical population to stop transacting in foreign currencies.



The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said in a statement that its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on Friday and decided to allow greater exchange rate flexibility.



MPC members increased the bank&#8217;s policy rate from 20% to 35% with immediate effect.



&#8220;The MPC is convinced that the above measures will go a long way in addressing the emerging exchange rate risks, anchor the inflation expectations and stabilise prices in the near to short term,&#8221; the central bank said.



Bloomberg News earlier reported that Zimbabwe was said to have devalued the ZiG by 44% against the dollar, citing four treasury dealers.



Independent Zimbabwean economist Hapi Zengeni said it was important to note that the central bank had not said whether it was allowing the currency to float freely or would still control the exchange rate after the devaluation.



This &#8220;highlights the complexities in Zimbabwe &#8230; where the official exchange rate does not reflect the realities of the parallel market, leading to more challenging economic implications for trade, investment and more importantly consumer behaviour&#8221;, Zengeni said.



(Additional reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning and Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan)

Zimbabwe allows currency to slump over 40%, hikes policy rate

<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="538" data-id="534082" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JOTI3ZVACRID7LGCY2HKAAOB2U.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-534082"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canadian First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Aris Martínez/File Photo <a href="https://www.reutersagency.com/en/licensereuterscontent/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purchase Licensing Rights</a></figcaption></figure>
</figure>



Sept 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals&nbsp;FM.TO&nbsp;said on Monday it has temporarily suspended operations in the area of a fatal accident at its Kansanshi copper mine in Zambia.



The company said it has launched an internal investigation into the accident in which one of its employees died following an incident involving a tracked dozer and a light vehicle.



&#8220;The site of the accident was immediately secured and operations in the area of the accident have been temporarily suspended and will resume once it is determined that it can be done so in a safe manner,&#8221; the Toronto-based miner said in a statement.



The Kansanshi mine, which produced 134,827 tonnes of copper and 68,970 ounces of gold last year, has faced safety challenges in the past.



Two of First Quantum&#8217;s contractors at its Zambia operations, including one at the Kansanshi,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N3CS25H&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">had died in November</a>&nbsp;last year in separate accidents.



(Reporting by Sourasis Bose in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canadian First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Aris Martínez/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

First Quantum suspends some work at Zambia mine after fatal accident

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1427" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-532434" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-scaled.jpg 2048w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-300x209.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-820x572.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-129x90.jpg 129w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-768x535.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHZVFDZVK5KOFC5CAW3CU3SPAI-1536x1071.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A vendor shows a ten Zimbabwe gold-backed (ZiG) note along a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 17, 2024. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Sept 19 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Five months after its launch, Zimbabwe&#8217;s new currency is under pressure as increased grain imports eat away at foreign reserves, putting at risk the government&#8217;s plan to make it the only currency in the market by 2026.



The gold-backed ZiG, which stands for Zimbabwe Gold, is the country&#8217;s sixth attempt at a stable currency in 15 years. It was introduced in April at a rate of 13.6 ZiG per U.S. dollar and has since lost almost 80% of its value on the black market.



Independent economist Prosper Chitambara said the devaluation pointed to a lack of confidence in the new currency, that locals have been reluctant to embrace.



Persistence Gwanyanya, a member of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe&#8217;s Monetary Policy Committee, told Reuters that although uptake had been slow, it was too soon to consider the new currency a failure.



Gwanyanya said the government could increase use of the ZiG by charging more taxes in the local currency. &#8220;Government more than any other should show preference for its own currency and there is need for urgent intervention by injecting more foreign currency on the market,&#8221; he said.



But market traders are not convinced.



&#8220;The ZiG has been getting weaker so it does not make business sense to transact with it. I do not have faith in the ZiG. We have been here before with the Zimdollar,&#8221; Maynard Maketo, a street hawker selling candy and recharge cards said.



According to Pricecheck, a website that tracks the exchange rate, the ZiG is trading between 20 ZiG and 26 ZiG to $1 on the black market and 13.9 ZiG to $1 on the official exchange.



Carol Munjoma, a trader in downtown Harare who sells groceries, transacts exclusively in U.S dollars.



&#8220;Where I buy these groceries, they do not accept ZiG. So to protect my business I charge in U.S dollars. The ZiG would have to be stable to be accepted here,&#8221; the mother of two said.



In July, central bank chief John Mushayavanhu told Reuters that authorities would stick to promises to build trust in the new currency, a sentiment echoed by Gwanyanya.



&#8220;It is too early to consider that this may be the death of the ZiG,&#8221; said Gwanyanya.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; editing by Kopano Gumbi and Christina Fincher)

Zimbabwe’s new currency faces headwinds five months on

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="526" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/U5Z5ZR6XYJLGBNYBTQN2PA4UEI-820x526.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-531702" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/U5Z5ZR6XYJLGBNYBTQN2PA4UEI-820x526.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/U5Z5ZR6XYJLGBNYBTQN2PA4UEI-300x192.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/U5Z5ZR6XYJLGBNYBTQN2PA4UEI-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/U5Z5ZR6XYJLGBNYBTQN2PA4UEI-768x492.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/U5Z5ZR6XYJLGBNYBTQN2PA4UEI-1536x985.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/U5Z5ZR6XYJLGBNYBTQN2PA4UEI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises from chimneys at Hwange Power station in Hwange, Zimbabwe, October 19, 2021. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Sept 17 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe is struggling to get independent energy projects built to help ease a prolonged power shortage due to lack of funding and economic instability, a government official has said.



The southern African country, which battles lengthy power blackouts, generates about 1,200 megawatts of electricity, mostly from its coal-fired Hwange plant, against peak demand of nearly 2,000 megawatts.



To plug the deficit, the government has licensed private investors to generate a combined 2,920MW from coal and solar plants.



Of these, about 250MW in private power generation is expected to come on stream this year, energy secretary Gloria Magombo told an economic conference on Monday.



&#8220;We have natural energy resources but what we need is financing. That financing needs macroeconomic stability,&#8221; Magombo said.



Independent power producers also need government assurances that they will be able to remit dividends and loan repayment funds, she added.



Zimbabwe continues to experience episodes of high inflation, mainly due to a volatile local currency it reintroduced in 2019, a decade after abandoning it for the U.S. dollar.



The country&#8217;s foreign currency shortages mean investors struggle to remit dividends or repay international loans.



Independent power producers are also deterred by the prospect of selling power at what they see as an overvalued official exchange rate, which would lead to losses.



Zimbabwe generates at least 80% of its electricity from coal, with output from the 1,050-MW Kariba hydropower plant now capped at 215 MW due to low water levels after last year&#8217;s devastating drought. Small independent power producers routinely contribute between 20 MW and 50 MW to the national grid.



Power demand is expected to surge mostly due to expansion in mining projects as Africa&#8217;s top lithium producer Zimbabwe seeks to capitalise on the expected increase in demand for the battery metal.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Nelson Banya and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises from chimneys at Hwange Power station in Hwange

Zimbabwe’s volatile economy stalls independent power projects, energy official says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="528" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BDNQOZYSKNKJNLIDZUC6W7K4MY-820x528.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-530187" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BDNQOZYSKNKJNLIDZUC6W7K4MY-820x528.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BDNQOZYSKNKJNLIDZUC6W7K4MY-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BDNQOZYSKNKJNLIDZUC6W7K4MY-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BDNQOZYSKNKJNLIDZUC6W7K4MY-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BDNQOZYSKNKJNLIDZUC6W7K4MY-1536x988.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BDNQOZYSKNKJNLIDZUC6W7K4MY-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Botswana President Ian Khama looks on during the Botswana-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Pretoria, South Africa, November 11, 2016. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



GABORONE, Sept 13 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Botswana&#8217;s ex-president Ian Khama appeared in court on Friday to face charges of illegally owning a gun and receiving stolen property, after returning from three years in exile ahead of an election in which his bitter rival is seeking a second term.



The magistrate suspended two arrest warrants against him on Friday for failing to turn up to answer the charges back in April 2022. Khama had been in exile, mostly in neighbouring South Africa, since late 2021.



The allegations include unlawful possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property and procuring the registration of a firearm by false pretence. The former president has denied them and says they are politically motivated.



Khama, whose father Seretse Khama was Botswana&#8217;s founding president, quit the ruling Botswana Democratic Party in 2019 after falling out with his successor President Mokgweetsi Masisi.



Khama backs the opposition Botswana Patriotic Front and had previously said he would return to Botswana to help oust the incumbent in a national election on Oct. 30.



He will next appear in court on Sept. 23, magistrate Mareledi Dipate said.



(Reporting by Brian Benza; Editing by Tim Cocks and Alison Williams)

Botswana President Ian Khama looks on during the Botswana-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Pretoria

Botswana’s exiled ex-leader Khama returns home, court suspends warrants

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="569" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEAHYNTWGJP2ZOZCNL6X2EGVRA-820x569.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-529690" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEAHYNTWGJP2ZOZCNL6X2EGVRA-820x569.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEAHYNTWGJP2ZOZCNL6X2EGVRA-300x208.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEAHYNTWGJP2ZOZCNL6X2EGVRA-130x90.jpg 130w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEAHYNTWGJP2ZOZCNL6X2EGVRA-768x533.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEAHYNTWGJP2ZOZCNL6X2EGVRA-1536x1065.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEAHYNTWGJP2ZOZCNL6X2EGVRA-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A woman arrives to harvest blueberries at Talana farm in rural Chegutu district, Zimbabwe, September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Sept 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwean farmers aim to capitalize on increasing global demand for blueberries, but self-funded growers like Willard Zireva cite a lack of finance and minimal government support as barriers.



Despite being one of the fastest growing blueberry producers globally, with production doubling to 7,000 metric tons last year due to a favourable climate, Zimbabwean farmers are struggling to secure financing for their operations.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s horticultural exports, driven in part by blueberries, exceed $100 million annually. The sector&#8217;s exports, which peaked at $140 million in 1999, were disrupted when former President Robert Mugabe began the seizure of white-owned farms to resettle landless Black citizens.



Despite the sector&#8217;s recent growth, banks remain wary of financing agriculture due to uncertain land tenure, making it challenging for Black farmers like Zireva to expand.



Blueberry farming in Zimbabwe is currently dominated by the few remaining local white farmers, many of whom are looking for foreign investment to expand operations.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s banks do not accept the 99-year leases handed by the government to resettled farmers as collateral for borrowing.



The banks also tend to be reluctant to lend to farmers because the state has in the past arbitrarily acquired farmland, including from some Black commercial farmers.



Zireva cultivates 12 hectares of blueberry crops at his Talana farm 100 km (62 miles) west of capital city Harare, which he bought freehold in the 1990s before the land seizures.



He said that he had to rely on personal savings to plant his first crop after a local bank denied him funding.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-massive-growth-opportunity">&#8216;MASSIVE GROWTH OPPORTUNITY&#8217;</h2>



&#8220;If funding is available, there is a massive growth opportunity,&#8221; he told Reuters.



Growing a hectare of blueberries in Zimbabwe requires at least $100,000 to import plants, peat pots from Europe, and special shades for the crops.



Other costs include refrigerated packaging warehouses and water resources.



&#8220;We need interventions and interventions have to come from government. Nobody else,&#8221; said Zireva, referring to concessional funding for farmers.



The finance and agriculture ministries, as well as the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ), did not immediately respond to requests for comment.



Zireva&#8217;s farm aims to export 120 metric tons of blueberries to the United Kingdom and East Asia this year, but he says the demand far exceeds their ability to supply.



His farm requires $1.2 million to double output, he added.



&#8220;We are hoping that we can get funding next year to put in eight hectares so that we get to 20 (hectares),&#8221; Zireva said.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s Horticultural Development Council (HDC) said the lack of long-term finance was a significant barrier to the sector&#8217;s plans to double blueberry hectarage to 1,500 hectares by 2030.



HDC CEO Linda Nielsen told Reuters that without funding &#8220;we will see growth in the blueberries sector coming off on the tonnage side. We really need to grow the hectarage and maintain our market share.&#8221;



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, William Maclean)

A woman arrives to harvest blueberries at Talana farm in rural Chegutu district

Zimbabwe blueberry farmers chase booming demand but face funding woes

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="536" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/KIHNVAE5M5NLLFD5WGKGLZZIDA-820x536.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-527142" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/KIHNVAE5M5NLLFD5WGKGLZZIDA-820x536.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/KIHNVAE5M5NLLFD5WGKGLZZIDA-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/KIHNVAE5M5NLLFD5WGKGLZZIDA-138x90.jpg 138w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/KIHNVAE5M5NLLFD5WGKGLZZIDA-768x502.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/KIHNVAE5M5NLLFD5WGKGLZZIDA-1536x1003.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/KIHNVAE5M5NLLFD5WGKGLZZIDA-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: The sun is reflected on railway tracks during sunrise in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 4, 2018. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Sept 5 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe&#8217;s state-owned railway operator has opened its network up to private players, including a unit of South Africa&#8217;s Grindrod, as it seeks to boost freight volumes that had collapsed after decades of underinvestment, an official said.



National Railways of Zimbabwe hauled 12 million tons of cargo annually at its 1990s peak, but now manages less than 3 million tons owing to a lack of locomotives and poor maintenance of its rail infrastructure.



The collapse also followed a sharp decline in agricultural and mineral output, triggered by the violent seizure of white-owned farms championed by Zimbabwe&#8217;s former leader Robert Mugabe in 2000.



However, mineral output is on the rebound, mainly driven by chrome and lithium demand from China.



Chinese companies such as Tsingshan Holdings, Sinosteel, Sinomine 002738.SZ, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt 603799.SS and Chengxin Lithium 002240.SZ have in recent years established iron ore, steel, chrome and lithium operations in Zimbabwe.



They export the minerals to China through Mozambique&#8217;s ports, and the growing commodity export volumes exceed the NRZ&#8217;s current capacity. The state-owned group is now looking to restore its capacity with the aid of private companies.



&#8220;Last year we uplifted 2.8 million tons against available business of 3 million tons,&#8221; NRZ spokesperson Andrew Kunambura told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.



&#8220;So these private companies are coming in with their locomotives and wagons to augment what we have.&#8221;



Grindrod, through its Zimbabwean subsidiary Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway, has deployed three locomotives and 150 wagons since March as part of the arrangement.



The South African logistics company is positioning itself for freight rail partnerships in southern Africa as under-funded state-owned operators open up their creaking networks to private investors.



The mineral-rich region holds some of the world&#8217;s biggest deposits of copper and lithium, needed for cleaner energy, and is seeing growth in new mining projects which require expanded rail capacity.



Grindrod has restructured its rail business to take advantage of emerging market opportunities in the region, CEO Xolani Mbambo told analysts last week.



The company has recently agreed a partnership with the DRC&#8217;s inland railway company and says it is ready to partner South Africa&#8217;s Transnet, which also plans to open up its network to private players.



(Reporting by Nelson Banya)

The Wider Image: Zimbabwe’s dingy trains mirror economic decline

Zimbabwe turns to private firms to boost freight rail volumes

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="615" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Impala-chief-sees-no-new-platinum-mines-built-in-South-Africa-amid-EV-threat-820x615.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524604" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Impala-chief-sees-no-new-platinum-mines-built-in-South-Africa-amid-EV-threat-820x615.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Impala-chief-sees-no-new-platinum-mines-built-in-South-Africa-amid-EV-threat-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Impala-chief-sees-no-new-platinum-mines-built-in-South-Africa-amid-EV-threat-120x90.jpg 120w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Impala-chief-sees-no-new-platinum-mines-built-in-South-Africa-amid-EV-threat-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Impala-chief-sees-no-new-platinum-mines-built-in-South-Africa-amid-EV-threat-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Impala-chief-sees-no-new-platinum-mines-built-in-South-Africa-amid-EV-threat-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An aerial view of Shaft 11 at Impala Platinum Mine, in Rustenburg, South Africa, November 28, 2023. REUTERS/Shafiek Tassiem/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Aug 29 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Impala Platinum&nbsp;IMPJ.J&nbsp;sees little prospect of new platinum mines being built in South Africa as the industry struggles with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3JU24E&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">price slump</a>, its Chief Executive Nico Muller said on Thursday.



Johannesburg-based Impala said projects it had halted in South Africa and Zimbabwe were unlikely to be revived due to the growing market for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3FE9AH&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">electric vehicles</a>&nbsp;&#8211; which don&#8217;t need platinum-group catalysts in their engines.



&#8220;It&#8217;s highly improbable that you&#8217;re going to see material investment in new PGMs (platinum group metals) production in South Africa,&#8221; Muller said on a media call.



Impala, which has mines in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Canada, is curbing new investment after headline earnings in the year through June 30 plunged 87% to 2.4 billion rand ($135.4 million).



Impala has also shortened the life of its Canadian palladium operations due to a slump in prices and Muller said investors were balking at spending on new mines, which take as many as 20 years to build.



Platinum, of which South Africa is the world&#8217;s top supplier, and palladium prices will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3JE1U4&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">continue to hover below</a>&nbsp;$1,000 an ounce this year due to overstocking, according to a Reuters poll.



Platinum was trading around $940.85 an ounce and palladium at $946.16 on Thursday.



Platinum miners are bound by antitrust rules which prohibit them from voluntarily cutting output to stimulate prices, Muller said.



&#8220;We are not (as an industry) in a position where we can sit around a cigar table and agree to cut production in order to rebalance the market,&#8221; the CEO said. &#8220;That is the dilemma we sit with.&#8221;



The industry&#8217;s plight also reflects &#8220;the long-term state of electrification (of vehicles)&#8221;, Muller said.



&#8220;I&#8217;m not convinced that any shareholder or company is going to see a clear and attractive return for development in new assets,&#8221; he added.



Impala will place its Two Rivers project on &#8220;care and maintenance&#8221; after halting a planned 5.7 billion rand investment, in addition to spending curbs at the North Hill project in Zimbabwe where a $134 million investment was initially planned, and job cuts in South Africa.



($1 = 17.7210 rand)



(Reporting by Nelson Banya and Felix Njini in Johannesburg; Editing by Helen Popper and David Holmes)

An aerial view of Shaft 11 at Impala Platinum Mine, in Rustenburg

Impala chief sees no new platinum mines built in South Africa amid EV threat

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AWYW6U6DUVK4ZG27GR6R4GCY7I-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524168" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AWYW6U6DUVK4ZG27GR6R4GCY7I-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AWYW6U6DUVK4ZG27GR6R4GCY7I-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AWYW6U6DUVK4ZG27GR6R4GCY7I-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AWYW6U6DUVK4ZG27GR6R4GCY7I-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AWYW6U6DUVK4ZG27GR6R4GCY7I-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AWYW6U6DUVK4ZG27GR6R4GCY7I-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A general view of the city and Christ Church in Windhoek, Namibia, February 24, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



Aug 28 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The discovery of increased reserves of crude oil in Namibia has sparked interest in Namibian assets, with an index fund tracking local government bonds poised for its biggest annual jump on record.



The Exchange Traded Fund tracking local government bonds is listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange and in South Africa and has jumped over 20% in U.S. dollar terms since Portugal-based Galp&#8217;s discovery in April that the Mopane field could hold at least 10 billion barrels of oil.



Since then there has been interest from at least 12 other oil majors.



The fund is on track for its biggest annual gain &#8211; nearly 12% in U.S. dollar terms. Meanwhile, an ETF tracking the closely watched JPMorgan emerging markets bonds index has gained 3.6% year-to-date.



Yields on local sovereign bonds have dropped further following the discovery, with those on bonds maturing in 2037 declining around 150 bps since April, while those on papers maturing in 2050 down around 200 bps.



&#8220;Most of the bonds issued are held by Namibian pension funds, but we are seeing some foreign buying now. We have seen massive yield compression &#8230; since the oil discoveries were first announced,&#8221; said Rowland Brown, co-founder of Cirrus Capital based in Windhoek.



Brown added that Namibian government bonds were still paper- settled, leaving foreign investors looking to the ETF to increase exposure to the resource-rich country.



The southwest African nation has garnered attention from major international energy companies following several major discoveries in recent years along its coast, although the country has not yet produced any oil or gas.



TotalEnergies and Shell say they expect production in 2029-2030.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-presidential-election">PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION</h2>



The local equities index has gained over 19% year-to-date in U.S. dollar terms, compared with a 7.5% gain in MSCI&#8217;s index tracking emerging markets equities.



On the currency front, the Namibian dollar has strengthened 4.5% against the greenback this year, snapping a four-year losing streak, with total central bank reserves soaring nearly $1 billion since December 2019, as per LSEG data.



Against the backdrop of Namibia&#8217;s economic potential following its oil discoveries, attention will be on any changes to the economic policy after a presidential election due at the end of the year.



Graham Hopwood, executive director at Institute for Public Policy Research in Windhoek, expects the ruling left-leaning South West Africa People&#8217;s Organisation candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to win.



&#8220;One signal to watch is whether she keeps the level-headed finance minister in his post. He is cautious and sees the importance of reducing debt and avoiding outlandish promises to the electorate,&#8221; he said.



Namibian debt stands at over 60% of its gross domestic product, but analysts say that the fact that a majority of the bonds are issued domestically still remains a positive for the country.



Earlier this year, ratings agency Fitch affirmed a &#8220;stable&#8221; outlook for Namibia on expectations that the government debt to GDP ratio will stabilise in the medium term, while Moody&#8217;s lifted the country&#8217;s outlook to &#8220;positive&#8221; from &#8220;stable&#8221;.



The Namibian economy is heavily dependent on mineral exports including diamonds and rare earths. But following recent discoveries, energy could eventually overtake mining in terms of significance to the middle-income country&#8217;s economy.



&#8220;Oil exports per capita out of Namibia will look like a Gulf state in the 2040s, provided they are competitive globally &#8230; which should be a positive for debt to GDP ratios in the country,&#8221; said Charlie Robertson, head of macro strategy at FIM Partners.



In South America, a similar oil boom in Guyana has been key to its economic growth that is expected to increase by 34.3% in 2024, its fifth straight year of GDP growth above 20%.



(Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison Williams)

Southern Africa

Millions in southern Africa facing worst food crisis in decades, warns WFP

Zimbabwean miners expect profits to fall in 2025, report says

Britain agrees Chagos Island sovereignty deal with Mauritius

Zimbabwe softens stance on local lithium processing after price collapse

Zimbabwe’s president vows to implement measures to stop currency slide

Zimbabwe bankers wary of more shocks after sharp ZiG devaluation

Mozambique central bank cuts main interest rate again

Angola’s Isabel dos Santos loses appeal against freezing order over assets

Zimbabwe allows currency to slump over 40%, hikes policy rate

First Quantum suspends some work at Zambia mine after fatal accident

Zimbabwe’s new currency faces headwinds five months on

Zimbabwe’s volatile economy stalls independent power projects, energy official says

Botswana’s exiled ex-leader Khama returns home, court suspends warrants

Zimbabwe blueberry farmers chase booming demand but face funding woes

Zimbabwe turns to private firms to boost freight rail volumes

Impala chief sees no new platinum mines built in South Africa amid EV threat

Namibian asset demand soars ahead of election and amid oil discoveries

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Southern Africa

Millions in southern Africa facing worst food crisis in decades, warns WFP

Zimbabwean miners expect profits to fall in 2025, report says

Britain agrees Chagos Island sovereignty deal with Mauritius

Zimbabwe softens stance on local lithium processing after price collapse

Zimbabwe’s president vows to implement measures to stop currency slide

Zimbabwe bankers wary of more shocks after sharp ZiG devaluation

Mozambique central bank cuts main interest rate again

Angola’s Isabel dos Santos loses appeal against freezing order over assets

Zimbabwe allows currency to slump over 40%, hikes policy rate

First Quantum suspends some work at Zambia mine after fatal accident

Zimbabwe’s new currency faces headwinds five months on

Zimbabwe’s volatile economy stalls independent power projects, energy official says

Botswana’s exiled ex-leader Khama returns home, court suspends warrants

Zimbabwe blueberry farmers chase booming demand but face funding woes

Zimbabwe turns to private firms to boost freight rail volumes

Impala chief sees no new platinum mines built in South Africa amid EV threat

Namibian asset demand soars ahead of election and amid oil discoveries

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Newsletters