Press Release provided by Stats SA.



Highlights of the results 



The working-age population increased by 149 000 or 0,4% in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the fourth quarter of the previous year. Compared to Q1: 2018, the working-age population increased by 605 000 or 1,6%. The number of employed persons decreased by 237 000 to 16,3 million in Q1: 2019, while the number of unemployed persons increased by 62 000 to 6,2 million compared to Q4: 2018, resulting in a decrease of 176 000 (down by 0,8%) in the number of people in the labour force. The absorption rate decreased by 0,7 of a percentage point to 42,6% and the unemployment rate increased by 0,5 of a percentage point to 27,6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2018. 



Employment decreased in all four of the sectors in Q1: 2019; with the Formal sector recording the largest employment losses of 126 000, followed by the Informal sector (68 000), Private households (31 000) and Agriculture (12 000). The number of discouraged work-seekers and the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement increased by 156 000 and 169 000, respectively, between the fourth quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019, resulting in a net increase of 325 000 in the not economically active population.



Compared to a year ago, employment decreased by 0,5% (86 000), while unemployment increased by 3,7% (220 000). The number of persons who were not economically active increased by 3,1% (470 000). 







Unemployment and Not in employment, education or training (NEET) 



After a decrease of 70 000 in the number of unemployed persons in Q4: 2018, the number of unemployed persons increased by 62 000 in Q1: 2019. The number of unemployed persons has increased in every first quarter of each year since 2013. The largest increase was recorded in Q1: 2015 (up by 626 000), followed by Q1: 2016 (up by 530 000) and Q1: 2017 (up by 433 000).



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Unemployment-table.png1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-336029"/></figure>



The official unemployment rate increased by 0,5 of a percentage point in Q1: 2019 compared to Q4: 2018. The official unemployment rate increased in six of the nine provinces, with the largest increase in Mpumalanga (up by 2,2 percentage points), Limpopo and Free State (up by 2,0 percentage points each), and Eastern Cape (up by 1,3 percentage points). 



KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Gauteng were the only provinces that recorded decreases in the unemployment rate (0,5 of a percentage point, 0,2 of a percentage point and 0,1 of a percentage point, respectively). Year-on-year, the official unemployment rate increased by 0,9 of a percentage point. The official unemployment rate increased in six of the nine provinces; the largest increase was observed in KwaZulu-Natal (up by 2,8 percentage points), followed by Free State (up by 2,1 percentage points), Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape (up by 1,8 percentage points each). 



The expanded unemployment rate increased by 1,0 percentage point from 37,0% in Q4: 2018 to 38,0% in Q1: 2019. The largest increase was recorded in Limpopo (up by 4,3 percentage points), followed by Northern Cape and Mpumalanga (up by 2,9 percentage points and 1,9 percentage points, respectively). The expanded unemployment rate for Gauteng remained unchanged, while Western Cape was the only province that experienced a decrease in the expanded unemployment rate (down by 0,4 of a percentage point). Compared to the same period last year, the expanded unemployment rate increased by 1,3 percentage points in Q1: 2019. All provinces recorded an increase in the expanded unemployment rate except for Gauteng where it remained unchanged. The largest increase was recorded in Limpopo (up by 5,5 percentage points), followed by North West and Eastern Cape (up by 2,6 percentage points and 2,3 percentage points, respectively).

South Africa’s unemployment rate rises to 27,6% in Q1

HARARA (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe’s state power utility imposed the worst rolling blackouts in three years on Monday, with households and industries including mines set to be without electricity for up to eight hours daily.



The power cuts are bound to stoke mounting public anger against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government as Zimbabweans grapple with an economic crisis that has seen shortages of U.S. dollars, fuel, food and medicines as well as soaring inflation that is eroding earnings and savings.



Many Zimbabweans say life is getting harder and that Mnangagwa is failing to deliver on pre-election promises last year to rebuild an economy shattered during Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule.



The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), citing reduced output at its largest hydro plant and ageing coal-fired generators, said power cuts would start on Monday and last up to eight hours during morning and evening peak periods.



The country last experienced such serious blackouts in 2016 following a devastating drought.



Isaac Kwesu, chief executive of Chamber of Mines, which groups Zimbabwe’s biggest mining companies said critical industries like mining should be spared from the black-outs, locally known as load shedding.



“Mining requires electricity for both operations and safety. It will be very costly to have production stoppages, that is why we will be engaging ZETDC to find ways to minimize any costly disruptions due to the electricity cuts,” Kwesu told Reuters.



Mining accounted for more than two-thirds of Zimbabwe’s $4.8 billion in total export earnings last year and any power cuts in the sector will affect production and exports.



In the past, some of the big mines, including platinum and gold producers, have resorted to directly importing electricity from neighbouring countries like Mozambique and South Africa.



“The power shortfall is being managed through load shedding in order to balance the power supply available and the demand,” ZETDC said in a public notice.



Zimbabwe is also experiencing shortages of fuel, forcing motorists to queue for hours and the government has so far failed to deliver on previous promises to end the shortage.



The southern African nation, which is producing 969 MW daily against peak demand of 2,100 MW, is entering its peak winter power demand season, which will increase electricity consumption.



Energy and Power Development Minister Joram Gumbo was quoted by a local newspaper saying he would travel to Mozambique this week to try to agree an electricity supply deal with that country’s power utility Hydro Cahora Bassa.



Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise

Here’s why Zimbabwe faces worst power cuts in 3 years

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-fitchett-317966">Jennifer Fitchett</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-witwatersrand-894">University of the Witwatersrand</a>

The Indian Ocean has made its mark on the global news cycle this year. In March, <a href="https://theconversation.com/tropical-cyclone-idai-the-storm-that-knew-no-boundaries-113931">tropical cyclone Idai</a> made headlines as one of the most severe storms to have made landfall in Mozambique. Current estimates <a href="https://ewn.co.za/2019/04/15/cyclone-idai-s-death-toll-over-1-000-hundreds-of-thousands-displaced">indicate</a> that more than 1,000 people died. This makes it the most deadly tropical cyclone ever to have made landfall on the southern African subcontinent. 

Until Idai, <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/full/10.1175/1520-0434%282004%29019%3C0789%3ATCEAIU%3E2.0.CO%3B2">tropical cyclone Eline</a>, which struck in 2000, was the most devastating tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique.

After Idai, Eline was the strongest – though not the deadliest – cyclone to have hit the southern east African cost. This ranking as the strongest was soon after challenged by <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deadly-cyclone-kenneth-wallops-mozambique-as-life-threatening-flooding-persists/70008064">tropical cyclone Kenneth</a>, a category 4 tropical cyclone that made landfall over the border of Mozambique and Tanzania six weeks after Idai. 

Kenneth, in many regards, took the region by surprise. The storm was the northernmost tropical cyclone to make landfall on Mozambique, and the first to make landfall on Tanzania. It occurred very late in the season. Most cyclones in the region occur from January to March. It was also unusual for the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mozambique-Channel">Mozambique Channel</a> to experience two severe tropical cyclones that made landfall within one season.

The third major cyclone to emerge out of the Indian Ocean came a few weeks after Kenneth, when <a href="https://www.enca.com/news/cyclone-fani-death-toll-rises-42-india-bangladesh">cyclone Fani</a>, a tropical cyclone on the border of Category 5 intensity wind speeds, hit the east coast of India. Category 5 tropical cyclones were only first recorded in the North Indian Ocean <a href="http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&amp;pid=S0038-23532018000600018">from 1989</a> so, again, this storm is unusually severe in the context of the longer historical records.

These high intensity storms have been tied to the very warm sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean. Temperatures of 30°C are occurring more often and over longer periods of time. This is a result of gradual warming on a global scale, which has resulted in a net increase in ocean temperatures. 

Warmer ocean temperatures <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03906">allow</a> stronger storms to form. These conditions are exacerbated by global forcing mechanisms including <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/1999GL900072">El Niño</a> and the Indian Ocean Dipole, which concentrates warm ocean waters in smaller geographic areas. 

High intensity storms have been a frequent feature along the coast of the US throughout recorded history. Their increased frequency in the Indian Ocean should be raising alarm bells because countries like the US are much better equipped to help people prepare ahead of time, and to handle the fallout.

<h2>Measuring intensity</h2>

Tropical cyclone intensity is classified according to the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php">Saffir Simpson scale</a>. Categories are measured on the basis of the sustained wind speed and the storm’s central pressure. Each category is accompanied by estimates of the likely severity of damage and possible storm surge height. 

Tropical cyclones form and intensify due to a combination of seven primary climatological conditions. Among other things, these include warm sea surface temperatures, high humidity levels and atmospheric instability. 

For a storm to intensify, these conditions have to be maximised while the storm remains over the ocean. 

Tropical cyclones require a sea surface temperature of 26.5°C to form, while the highest intensity storms require much warmer sea surface temperatures of 28-29°C. This is important because it’s one of the reasons why southern Africa is experiencing more intense tropical cyclones. 

The South Indian Ocean is <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/309/5732/284">warming rapidly</a>. This means that regions that previously experienced the temperatures of 26.5°C that facilitated tropical cyclone formation are now experiencing temperatures as warm as 30-32°C. 

Simultaneously, regions further from the equator which didn’t previously have sufficiently warm water for tropical cyclone formation, with sea surface temperatures of 24-26°C are more regularly experiencing the threshold temperature. This increases the range in which these storms occur, making storms like <a href="https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1427761/severe-tropical-storm-heading-to-sa-warns-weather-service/">tropical cyclone Dineo</a>, which made landfall in February 2017 in southern Mozambique, more common. 

These very warm sea surface temperatures are not a factor of global scale warming alone. They’re further influenced by a range of global and local forcing mechanisms. These include <a href="https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.3932">El Niño Southern Oscillation</a>, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the <a href="https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.3932">Southern Annular Mode</a>. For this particular cyclone season, <a href="https://twitter.com/pppapin/status/1123756048769269760">scientists are seeing</a> the strongest impact from the [Madden-Julian Oscillation]. 

This is a band of moisture in the tropical regions which moves eastward over a 30 to 90 day period. The strong <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-03/madden-julian-oscillation-causing-wa-cyclones-to-vanish/10855032">Madden-Julian Oscillation</a> is also affecting tropical cyclones in Australia.

<h2>Comparing storms</h2>

Ranking storms on the basis of their Saffir Simpson classification is not always the most valuable measure. That’s because it can’t take the characteristics of the location of landfall into consideration.

This results in two key shortcomings. First, it doesn’t take the flooding potential into account. This is difficult to identify for a particular storm, because it’s not only a function of how much rain is experienced and over what period – or even the height of storm surge – but also the nature of the region of landfall. 

Lower-lying, relatively flat areas are more prone to flooding than higher elevation regions or those with rugged topography. This is part of the reason that Idai caused such severe flooding. Some regions will have better suited storm water infrastructure. And when flooding does occur, some regions are better able to warn and evacuate people to prevent or minimise the loss of life. 

Another factor which determines the devastation resulting from a tropical cyclone is the population density of the area of landfall. The higher the population density, the more people who are at threat of losing their life, their homes and livelihoods. 

This also means more people who would need to be evacuated in a short period, and more people who need shelter until the storm’s immediate effects have subsided. This is why Idai and Eline resulted in far greater losses and fatalities than the stronger intensity Kenneth, and why the total damage from Fani is projected to be particularly devastating. We need to start measuring storm destructiveness in addition to climatological metrics.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116559/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-fitchett-317966">Jennifer Fitchett</a>, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-witwatersrand-894">University of the Witwatersrand</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-indian-ocean-is-spawning-strong-and-deadly-tropical-cyclones-116559">original article</a>.

Here’s why the Indian Ocean is creating strong and deadly tropical cyclones

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s mobile phone operator Vodacom reported a 6.6% drop in full-year earnings due to one-off costs related to a share scheme offered to black investors.



Headline earnings per share (EPS) for the full-year ended March fell to 862 cents from 923 cents a year earlier.



Headline EPS is the main profit measure in South Africa and strips out certain one-off items.



Vodacom, which is majority owned by Vodafone, concluded a broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) ownership deal in September, which saw Vodacom issue additional shares.



Under black economic empowerment rules, South African companies are encouraged to meet quotas on black ownership, employment and procurement as part of a drive to reverse decades of exclusion under apartheid.



It also updated its medium-term capital expenditure target to reflect the IFRS 15 accounting standard and also changed its profitability target to operating profit from earnings before interest and taxes to include the benefits of the Kenyan Safaricom acquisition.



Medium-term group capex is now expected to be in the range of 13%-14.5% from 12%-14%, while the operating profit target is expected to be in the mid-high single digit growth rate.



Vodacom, which competes with MTN group and Telkom, said group service revenue jumped 5 percent, led by a strong performance overseas.



“It was a stellar year for our International portfolio where economic and political environments have improved,” group Chief Executive Officer Shameel Joosub said in a statement.



Vodacom grew service revenue there by 15.6 percent and expanded margins, while in South Africa service revenue inched up by 2.1 percent due to price cuts and a stagnant economy.



South Africa has been considering regulating the price of internet data as well as out-of-bundle charges as part of efforts to bring costs down.



Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Louise Heavens

South Africa’s Vodacom reported a 6.6% drop in earnings, here’s why

PRETORIA (Reuters) &#8211; South African elections officials counted ballot papers early on Thursday, a day after a vote seen as the toughest test yet for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party 25 years after it swept to power at the end of white minority rule.



The elections for a new parliament and nine provincial legislatures are the first barometer of national sentiment since President Cyril Ramaphosa replaced scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma as head of state in February 2018.



Ramaphosa is trying to arrest a slide in support for the ANC, which has won every parliamentary vote since the end of apartheid in 1994 but whose image has been tarnished by corruption scandals and a weak economy in the past decade.



Opinion polls suggest the ANC will again win a majority of the parliament’s 400 seats, but analysts say its margin of victory may fall from the 62 percent of the vote it secured in the last election in 2014 because of frustration with slow progress addressing racial disparities in income and wealth.



The ANC’s biggest challengers at these elections are the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The DA won 22 percent of the parliamentary vote in 2014 and the EFF six percent.



Most polling stations closed around 1900 GMT on Wednesday.



Results from some smaller voting districts started to trickle in on Thursday morning. As of 0330 GMT, more than 1.3 million votes had been processed out of around 26.8 million registered voters.



In the parliamentary vote the ANC was on around 53 percent, with the DA on 28 percent and the EFF on seven percent, with a turnout of 64 percent. Given that less five percent of the potential number of votes had been processed, it was too early to make an accurate prediction about the final result.



A full tally may not be known until Saturday.



Elections officials said voting had in general progressed smoothly but that there had been isolated incidents where bad weather, unscheduled power outages or community protests had caused disruptions. The electoral commission said it was investigating two potential instances of double-voting.



“The Electoral Commission will not allow the potential misconduct of one or two individuals to taint the overall outcome of these elections,” the commission said in a statement.



The ANC achieved its best parliamentary election result in 2004, under former president Thabo Mbeki, when it won 69 percent of the vote. But its support fell under Zuma, and it lost control of big cities like the commercial capital Johannesburg in local government elections in 2016.



The ANC currently controls eight of the country’s nine provinces, with the DA in power in the Western Cape. Analysts predict the provincial races for Gauteng, where Johannesburg and the administrative capital Pretoria are located, and the Western Cape, home to Cape Town, will be close.



Ramaphosa, who became ANC leader in December 2017 after narrowly defeating a faction allied with Zuma, has promised to improve poor public services, create jobs and fight corruption.



But he has been constrained by divisions within his own party, where some Zuma supporters still retain influence and oppose his agenda.



Reporting by Alexander Winning and Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Peter Cooney and Michael Perry

#SAElections2019: Will Ramaphosa’s ANC retain power ?

PARIS (Reuters) &#8211; French energy major Total said on Sunday it had reached a binding agreement with Occidental to acquire Anadarko assets in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa for a consideration of $8.8 billion. 



The firm said the transaction was contingent upon Occidental entering into and completing its proposed acquisition of Anadarko and approval of relevant authorities. The deal is expected to close in 2020.



Total said the assets represented around 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of 2P reserves, of which 70 percent is gas, plus 2 billion boe of long term natural gas resources in Mozambique.



It added that despite the capital investment in Mozambique LNG, the acquisition is expected to be free cashflow positive from 2020 even at a Brent price of less than $50 per barrel and to generate more than $1 billion a year of free cashflow from 2025 onwards after start-up of Mozambique LNG.



The firm confirmed its previously announced shareholder return policy from 2018 to 2020.



Reporting by Bate Felix, editing by Sybille de La Hamaide

What you need to know about Total’s $8.8 billion deal with Occidental for Anadarko’s Africa assets

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-kelly-705777">Daniel Kelly</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a>

The South African athlete, Caster Semenya, has <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/48102479">lost her case</a> against the athletic governing body, IAAF, which means that she will have to take medication to lower her testosterone levels if she wishes to continue competing internationally in running events. 

Last year, the IAAF introduced <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/eligibility-regulations-for-female-classifica">new regulation</a> for female athletes with “difference of sexual development” (DSD). Athletes with circulating testosterone of five nanomoles per litre of blood (5nmol/L) or above and who are androgen-sensitive, have to meet certain criteria if they wish to compete internationally. One criterion is that DSD athlete must use medication to reduce their blood testosterone level to below 5nmol/L for a continuous period of at least six months. 

Semenya felt that the IAAF was targeting her, specifically. She took her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the court rejected the 28-year-old athlete’s challenge against the IAAF’s new rules. Although CAS found the rules to be discriminatory, it also said that they were “necessary, reasonable and proportionate”.

<h2>Difference of sexual development</h2>

So what exactly is DSD and does a serum testosterone level above 5nmol/L really confer an unfair advantage in running events? DSDs are a group of <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/disorders-sex-development/">rare conditions</a> that are acquired before birth, where the reproductive organs and genitals don’t develop as expected. While the condition can be inherited, it usually occurs at random. 

A person with DSD may have a mix of both male and female sexual characteristics. For example, they may be genetically female, but with reproductive organs that are of the opposite sex (or the other way around), a combination of both male and female, or not clearly either.

As the testes are the primary site of testosterone production, if a female is born with these male reproductive organs, their testosterone level will be high, often reaching <a href="https://theconversation.com/testosterone-why-defining-a-normal-level-is-hard-to-do-113587">male levels</a>. 

Testosterone is involved in many factors that may confer athletic benefit including increased muscle size and strength, along with the ability for the blood to deliver oxygen to those working muscles. This is why elite male athletes are generally faster and stronger than females – and also why males don’t compete against females in most sports. Semenya has high levels of testosterone so she will undoubtedly have at least some associated metabolic benefits.

How much benefit testosterone gives female athletes is difficult to define as women cannot convert testosterone into its more potent form and do not possess the same numbers of testosterone receptors (to carry out its actions) as men. The IAAF level of 5nmol/L is still high for female levels, which <a href="https://theconversation.com/testosterone-why-defining-a-normal-level-is-hard-to-do-113587">normally range from 0.1 &#8211; 1.8nmol/L</a>. Judging the actual benefit of testosterone and where to draw these lines would require a lot more research and investigation.



<h2>Where does it stop?</h2>

However, Semenya hasn’t artificially altered her testosterone levels and while her condition is rare – and gives her a large advantage as a track athlete, they are naturally occurring – so is it not discrimination to make her change her body to compete? Does this take the phrase “all men are equal” to the extreme and try to make everyone the same, even by artificial measures? And where does this stop? Many genetic physical attributes can contribute to athletic performance such as height, muscle composition and aerobic capacity.

Dutee Chand, the female sprinter who was also barred from competing against women in 2014 because her natural levels of testosterone exceeded guidelines for female athletes, publicly expressed her disbelief as to why she was penalised for her natural body when she competes against women who are taller and from wealthier backgrounds, which certainly put them at an advantage.

Cases like Semenya and Chand will always be contentious and generate more questions than solutions, and there will always be disagreement among athletes and fans over the right way to approach this sensitive issue in elite sport.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116391/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-kelly-705777">Daniel Kelly</a>, Lecturer in Biochemistry, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/caster-semenya-how-much-testosterone-is-too-much-for-a-female-athlete-116391">original article</a>.

After #CasterSemenya loses case against IAAF, how much testosterone is too much for a female athlete ?

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s rand was little changed early on Friday as limited liquidity after a mid-week holiday, closed Asian markets and upcoming national elections kept investors on the sidelines. 



At 0630 GMT the rand was 0.09 percent weaker at 14.5525 per dollar after dipping to 14.5675 overnight, as the market focussed on U.S. job numbers due later in the session.



The dollar strengthened as markets scaled back bets the Fed would cut rates. Some traders speculated the jobs data would come in stronger than expected, putting emerging-market currencies under more pressure.



South Africans vote next week, and while an all-out victory for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ruling African National Congress looks certain, the margin of the victory remains uncertain as the country tries to emerge from of a decade-long growth slump.



Bonds were also weaker, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year debt adding 2.5 basis points to 8.635 percent.



Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana, editing by Larry King

South Africa’s rand weakens as country’s presidential elections approach

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s public enterprises ministry on Thursday said that a China Development Bank (CDB) loan to struggling state power company Eskom was not in jeopardy.



Eskom had expected to draw down 7 billion rand ($481 million) from a $2.5 billion CDB loan facility by late March, but South Africa’s finance ministry said in a report to parliament last month that the drawdown had been delayed.



The South African government and Eskom are working to ensure the transfer of funds from CDB to Eskom, the public enterprises ministry said in a statement.



($1 = 14.5500 rand)



Reporting by Alexander Winning; Editing by David Goodman

Is Chinese loan to South Africa’s Eskom in jeopardy?

MAPUTO (Reuters) &#8211; The United Nations will grant Mozambique and the Comoros Islands $13 million in emergency funds to help provide food and water and repair damage to infrastructure, the organisation said late on Sunday, after the second cyclone in a month slammed into the region.



Cyclone Kenneth crashed into the northern province of the southern African nation on Thursday just as it was recovering from Cyclone Idai that hit further south last month.



Idai, the worst tropical storm to hit the region in decades, moved into neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi, killing more than 1,000 people.



Weather experts are warning that Kenneth could dump twice as much rain on northern Mozambique as Idai did. It has already killed five people as it unleashed heavy rains and flooding that has seen rivers burst their banks and smash whole villages.



Cyclone Kenneth hit the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado late on Thursday, flattening entire villages with winds of up to 280 kph (174 mph).



The World Bank estimates Mozambique and other countries affected by the tropical storm will need over $2 billion to recover.



Mozambique also faces a cholera epidemic after the cyclone wiped out water and sanitation facilities.



“This new allocation of Central Emergency Response Fund funds will help humanitarian partners to scale up the response to address the needs of those most vulnerable in the aftermath of Cyclone Kenneth”, said UN Humanitarian Chief Mark Lowcock in a statement.



Earlier in April The International Monetary Fund granted the southern African nation a $118.2 million credit facility.



Writing by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Toby Chopra

Mozambique to receive $13 million from UN for Cyclone Kenneth damage

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/seth-asare-okyere-279492">Seth Asare Okyere</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/osaka-university-1303">Osaka University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-abunyewah-469315">Matthew Abunyewah</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-kofi-diko-267891">Stephen Kofi Diko</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cincinnati-1717">University of Cincinnati </a> 

Sub-Saharan Africa is already experiencing the realities of <a href="https://report.ipcc.ch/sr15/pdf/sr15_spm_final.pdf">a changing climate</a> – and the situation is only going to get worse. 

The reasons for this are complex. And they’re exacerbated by <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-90975-2_6">deficits</a> in the region’s infrastructure, services and socio-economic dynamics. <a href="https://theconversation.com/policymakers-have-a-lot-to-learn-from-slum-dwellers-an-accra-case-study-96940">Urbanisation</a> is another major factor. The continent’s current urban population is only <a href="https://population.un.org/wup/Publications/Files/WUP2018-KeyFacts.pdf">43%</a> – but it’s rising fast. About <a href="https://unhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02-old/Slum%20Almanac%202015-2016_EN.pdf">10 million</a> people move into towns and cities each year. 

It’s a <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-04873-0?fbclid=IwAR3KjI_gCsdrsHPgkf1JIoXQqmyh1GhH_r8BZsEWi25Xj407h7rFKvxSIzI#toc">well established fact</a> that good climate change adaptation strategies can reduce urban areas’ vulnerability and strengthen cities’ resilience.

But there’s a problem. 

Global agendas acknowledge the critical role that urban adaptation plays towards sustainable development and poverty reduction. However, they <a href="https://citiesipcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Informality-background-paper-for-IPCC-Cities.pdf">focus on</a> national governments and to a lesser extent urban governments. Citizens and civil society end up in subsidiary roles. This flies in the face of established <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eet.1795">evidence</a>: urban adaptation to climate change is more effective where local citizens participate and own the process.

How can this participation and ownership be nurtured? Our <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-04873-0_14">research</a> examined the conditions that can support citizen 
led urban climate adaption in Sub-Saharan Africa through the lens of “<a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781134143191">machizukuri</a>”. This is a Japanese term which literally translates as “community building”. It sees <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781134143191/chapters/10.4324/9780203961728-8">citizens and residents</a> take ownership of the issues that affect their local environment. 

We assessed Japan’s successful Machizukuri system to unearth the key principles needed to engage urban residents in climate adaptation in urban Africa. We found that there is potential for citizen-led urban adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa. Learning from the Machizukuri system, we can improve existing pockets of local activities, like tree planting and recycling, and identify new ones for climate adaptation.

<h2>The research</h2>

The Machizukuri system is considered to have <a href="http://www.usp.br/fau/iphs/abstractsAndPapersFiles/Sessions/36/WATANABE.pdf">emerged</a> from Japan’s citizen environmental movements in the 1960s and 1970s. 

In essence, this system underlines two critical points. First, that national governments must prioritise the role of citizens in urban climate adaptation. And second, the state should demonstrate commitment by actively working with citizens, community organisations and other stakeholders. 

By studying the system, we were able to draw out four key points. These could be considered by governments in sub-Saharan Africa that want to centralise the role of citizens in urban climate change adaptation. 

First, there’s the need for support networks and cooperation. Support networks include community groups or associations, civil society, local government, business organisations, researchers and professionals. Cooperation among these groups can strengthen technical support. It can also build local adaptive capacity and provide legitimacy to citizens’ role.

Secondly, urban climate change adaptation planning and processes must integrate existing citizen activities. This is crucial for legitimacy. It is a prerequisite to build trust and cooperation between communities and local government or related agencies. It also promotes a sense of value. Local people come to feel that their opinions and initiatives matter.

Thirdly, social capital in local areas could be harnessed to support citizens’ collective activities for urban climate change adaptation. Strong social ties and relationships in local urban communities can be highly beneficial. 

The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305900612000803">Yasu city</a> of Shiga prefecture in Japan offers a good example. Its local government worked with the leaders of residents’ networks to draw attention to climate change issues and communicate with individuals within these networks. This made it possible for different residents’ groups to organise around various interest areas. They then initiated various environmental activities. These included restoring the city’s green areas, cleaning its rivers and encouraging recycling.

Harnessing social capital in this way also fosters collective organising. It keeps communities enthusiastic about what they’re doing.

Finally, the extent to which citizen-led urban climate change adaptation could be prioritised depends on the availability of resources – especially financial support. Access to regular finance is important for sustaining citizen-led urban climate change adaptation. Governments that are prepared to bring citizens on board in a meaningful way must also be willing to provide at least some of the money they need to be sustainable and successful.

<h2>Applications in Africa</h2>

There are already some examples of citizen engagement in climate adaptation in a few African cities.

<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-in-african-cities-are-taking-charge-of-their-water-supplies-and-its-working-91758">Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia</a> are tackling seasonal drought and its effects by forming community networks and associations. In some cases, governments have noticed these initiatives and partnered with communities. They’ve provided technical and financial support to successfully implement the projects.

This suggests that the Machizukuri system, or variations of it, hold great promise for African cities. As Africa continues to <a href="https://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CDKN_Maputo-Mozambique_BP.pdf">experiment</a> with different ways to ensure adequate citizen engagement in climate adaptation, the Machizukuri system offers a useful blueprint. Citizen-led action can make all the difference for cities trying to adapt to the realities of climate change.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115726/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/seth-asare-okyere-279492">Seth Asare Okyere</a>, Assistant Professor, Division of Global Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/osaka-university-1303">Osaka University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-abunyewah-469315">Matthew Abunyewah</a>, Sessional lecturer, School of Architecture and Built Environment, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-kofi-diko-267891">Stephen Kofi Diko</a>, Adjunct Instructor and PhD Candidate in Regional Development Planning, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cincinnati-1717">University of Cincinnati </a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-japanese-system-can-help-african-cities-adapt-to-climate-change-115726">original article</a>.

Can this Japanese system help African cities adapt to climate change?

MAPUTO (Reuters) &#8211; Another tropical cyclone is expected to make landfall on Mozambique’s coast on Thursday, just over a month after a more powerful storm struck the Mozambican port city of Beira further south and killed hundreds of people.



Weather forecasters say Cyclone Kenneth will bring heavy rainfall, strong winds and waves of several metres to the southern African nation, which is still reeling from the effects of devastating Cyclone Idai.



International energy companies such as Exxon Mobil have been developing huge natural gas fields off the coast of northern Mozambique.



“It’s going to make landfall tomorrow afternoon in Cabo Delgado (province), on the northeastern coast of Mozambique, and it is going to be a cyclone with wind speeds which could be 140 km per hour (87 miles per hour),” said Jan Vermeulen, from the South African Weather Service.



A cyclone report issued by a regional cyclone-monitoring centre on the French island of La Reunion said parts of southern Tanzania could also be affected by Cyclone Kenneth.



Authorities in southern Tanzania ordered evacuations of residents from low-lying areas and the closure of some schools and offices before the cyclone makes landfall on Thursday.



“We’ve decided to evacuate all residents of valleys and other low-lying areas, and we advise them to seek refuge at public spaces,” Mtwara regional commissioner Gelasius Byakanwa told reporters.



Mozambique’s National Institute of Disaster Management said that about 682,500 people could be at risk from the storm in the northern Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces. About 112,000 people were in areas where winds could be in excess of 120 km per hour, it said.



The rivers Rovuma, Messalo, Montepuez, Megaruma, Lurio and coastal waterways in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces could overflow, affecting more than 70,000 people, according to a separate presentation from the National Directorate for the Management of Water Resources.



The directorate issued a recommendation that people living in areas at risk should move immediately to high ground, while disaster management official Augusta Maita said warnings were being broadcast in local media.



The International Federation of the Red Cross said its volunteers in northern Mozambique were alerting communities in areas where concerns of flooding, erosion and landslides were high. The World Food Programme said it was working with other agencies and the Mozambican government on an emergency plan.



More than 1,000 people were reported killed by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.



That storm lashed Beira with wind speeds of up to 170 km per hour on March 14 and heavy rains prompted flooding which submerged entire villages. Mozambican health officials and international aid agencies have been battling cholera in the wake of the cyclone.



Reporting by Manuel Mucari in Maputo, Tanisha Heiberg and Emma Rumney in Johannesburg, and Stephanie Ulmer-Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Gareth Jones

Mozambique expected to be hit with another cyclone, what you need to know

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s Gold Fields Ltd said on Thursday its quarterly bullion production increased by 10 percent with a recovery in production at its South Deep mine after a six-week strike.



Gold production for the quarter ended March. 31 rose to 542,000 from 490,000 ounces a year earlier.



“Gold Fields is now well placed to maintain a production profile of approximately 2 million ounces a year at our international operations in Australia, Ghana and the Americas over the medium to long term,” Chief Executive Officer Nick Holland said in a statement.



Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg; editing by Jason Neely

South Africa’s Gold Fields production up 10 % in Q1

LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; South African telecoms firm MTN has converted its Nigerian unit into a public company before its planned listing on the Nigerian bourse in the first half of the year.



MTN Nigeria said on Wednesday the conversion was a legal requirement to prepare for the listing and it was engaging with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Nigerian Stock Exchange.



“Our conversion to a Plc is a major step towards listing by introduction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in the first half of 2019,” MTN Nigeria chief executive Ferdi Moolman said.



Nigeria is MTN’s biggest market, with 52.3 million users in 2017, and accounts for a third of the company’s annual core profit, but has proven problematic in recent years.



In December, MTN agreed to make a $53 million payment to resolve a dispute in Nigeria. The move ended a four-month multi-billion dollar dividend repatriation row that hammered its share price.



Moolman said last month he expected the listing on the Nigerian bourse to be “probably more towards April and May”.



The company expects to list the unit without raising money from investors immediately, and has said it would simplify its capital structure before the listing.



Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Edmund Blair and Mark Potter

What you need to know about MTN converting its Nigerian unit to public company before planned listing

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; More than 50 people were killed in southern and eastern parts of South Africa after heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides, authorities said on Wednesday.



Rescue workers were digging through collapsed homes and other buildings in coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal province, where the death toll stood at 51, local officials said.



The region has been hit by heavy rains for days, but authorities did not anticipate the extent of the downpour late on Monday, said Lennox Mabaso, a spokesman for the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs department.



“As a result there was flooding and some structures were undermined and collapsed on people,” Mabaso said, adding some people were swept away by the water.



Multiple dwellings and houses collapsed in the mudslides, said KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services spokesman Robert McKenzie.



Some major roads in and around the port city of Durban were closed on Wednesday, local media reported.



Flooding also killed at least three people in the Eastern Cape province, state broadcaster SABC said on Wednesday.



President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit communities in both provinces, his office said on Twitter on Wednesday.



Last week, 13 people were killed during an Easter service in KwaZulu-Natal when a church wall collapsed after days of heavy rains and strong winds.



Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg and Olivia Kumwenda-mtambo; Editing by Alexandra Zavis and Janet Lawrence

Flooding in South Africa leaves 50 dead

<figure>
 <img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269588/original/file-20190416-147499-q95twj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&#038;q=45&#038;auto=format&#038;w=754&#038;fit=clip" alt="File 20190416 147499 q95twj.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1" />
 <figcaption>
 Young people view agriculture more positively than often assumed.
 Shutterstock
 </figcaption>
 </figure>

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-daum-413470">Thomas Daum</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-hohenheim-2767">University of Hohenheim</a>

Africa has the youngest population of any continent – <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brookings-now/2019/01/18/charts-of-the-week-africas-changing-demographics/">60% are under age 25</a>. While this has evoked both hope and fear, it is clear that jobs are needed for the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-agriculture-tech/africa-bets-on-technology-to-lure-youth-to-farming-idUSKCN1MD1Y6">12 million people</a> entering the workforce every year. 

Agriculture is <a href="http://blogs.worldbank.org/jobs/energy/africa-more-not-fewer-people-will-work-agriculture">best suited to provide a great many jobs</a> as it can <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/as290e/as290e.pdf">absorb</a> much labour, and because prospering farms trigger employment opportunities in the rest of the economy. But agriculture is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X14001727">often unattractive for the youth</a>. 

To lure young people into farming, policymakers and development actors emphasise the need for modern technology, including <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-agriculture-tech/africa-bets-on-technology-to-lure-youth-to-farming-idUSKCN1MD1Y6">agricultural mechanisation</a>. But surprisingly little is known about the opinion of young people in rural areas. Few have asked them what farming and rural areas need to look like to be more attractive.

I conducted a <a href="https://research4agrinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ZEF_WP_171.pdf">study in Zambia</a> and asked people in rural areas aged between 12 and 20 what would make farming attractive for them. I used two research methods to explore their aspirations and perceptions: interviews as well as drawing exercises.

The results show that young people find more positive aspects in agriculture than often assumed and that the attractiveness of farming doesn’t only hinge on modern technologies. While some technologies are needed, having diverse and sustainable farms, a healthy environment and an attractive rural life is equally important. 

<figure class="align-center ">
 <img decoding="async" alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=417&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=417&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=417&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=523&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=523&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=523&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
 <figcaption>
 The ideal farm.
 Provided by author
 </figcaption>
 </figure>

<h2>The findings</h2>

Most of the people interviewed for the study were proud of the fact that they came from farming families that owned land and worked close to the nature. Ruth (15) expanded on this and said: 

<blockquote>
We do not pay for maize, land, water and fruits such as mangoes. We have nutritious food. 
</blockquote>

The respondents also commented on the attractiveness of the rural space. Asked where they want to live in the future, rural or urban, 53% preferred rural areas, because of their freedom and social networks. 

In contrast, urban life was often perceived as bad, characterised by road accidents, pollution, Satanism, thieves and drunkards. According to Talunsa (15) people are “poisoned by alcohol and fight”. 

Many also found farming unattractive, citing drudgery and weather dependence as reasons. They said they would rather aim for jobs with a regular salary such as teachers. Lozi (16) said: 

<blockquote>
I want to work with the government. Then I’ll get paid monthly. 
</blockquote>

Around half of the respondents preferred a future in urban areas rather than in rural areas. These respondents were “pulled” away from rural areas because they were attracted by the perceived positive sides of urban areas. But they were also “pushed” away from rural areas which they associate with a lot of challenges. These included the high labour burden and risks associated with farming. This is what some of the respondents said about these “push” factors:

<blockquote>
In the village, we always eat the same, beans and nshima, and we need to work hard.“ (Elina, 16)

In the village, you can be bewitched over small disputes and the fields are very small. I prefer to live in town.” (Jakob, 15).
</blockquote>

It’s important to note that the decision to reside either in a rural or urban area was rarely perceived as a lifetime decision. Respondents highlighted that one could work in town after harvest or for some years after school to save some money before returning to the village. 

<blockquote>
Some of my friends want to go to town but others want to stay. Of the ones who went, many came back after some years. (Alik, 14)

I want to raise some money in town but then I want to move back to my village. I will bring a tractor with me and cultivate a lot of land. (Raimond, 17)
</blockquote>

<h2>Making farming attractive</h2>

So what does farming need to look like to be attractive? 

The young people provided some direction on what they thought would make rural spaces more attractive. 

The most important factors were:

<ul>
<li>Modern technologies such as tractors and digital tools. But these shouldn’t be over emphasised. Low-tech solutions shouldn’t be neglected.</li>
<li>Non-material factors. Making agriculture attractive requires de-risking agriculture and promoting sustainable and diverse farms. These were clearly depicted in the drawings I’d asked the respondents to sketch of their ideal farm. The drawings typically showed highly diverse farms with trees, vegetables, fruits and animals. </li>
<li>Ensure healthy landscapes. Having a sustainable, pollution free environment was commonly mentioned as a key advantage of rural over urban life.</li>
<li>Rural areas must be <a href="http://gfpr.ifpri.info/?fbclid=IwAR3ZsgTg96WShUjLDf5mrTeP6F42-CTlDQdnQMSfaGoaeDLyYpTIIOL90QA">developed</a> in ways that go beyond just infrastructure. Social life and networks, which are still an asset in villages compared to cities, were also cited as important. This included networks of neighbours, relatives and friend and the communal celebration of traditions. </li>
</ul>

<h2>What next</h2>

Policymakers often highlight the need for modern technologies – including information, communication and technology – when discussing rural development. 

But the young respondents I spoke to emphasised more low-tech solutions such as increasing farm diversity, having water wells and using draught animals, which is already an advantage over manual labour.

This suggests that policymakers and development practitioners need to pay more attention to the actual aspirations of young people in rural areas to avoid well-intended but misguided policies. In addition, the findings suggest that there is a need for several policies to reflect several types of young people in rural areas.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115395/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-daum-413470">Thomas Daum</a>, Agricultural Economist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-hohenheim-2767">University of Hohenheim</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-young-zambians-have-to-say-about-making-farming-more-attractive-115395">original article</a>.

Young Zambians are looking for ways to make farming more attractive, what you need to know

PRETORIA (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s economic growth will shrink by at least 1.1 percentage points in 2019 and there will be up to 125,000 job losses if nationwide electricity blackouts persist throughout the year, the central bank said on Wednesday. 



Ailing state utility Eskom switched out the lights across the country in February and March as low coal supplies, a severe cash crunch, and multiple failures at its ageing fleet of power stations throttled supply.



The debt laden state firm began by cutting supply by 1,000 megawatts before ramping up to 4,000 MW, leaving households in the dark and businesses across mining, manufacturing and retail unable to operate.



“Should these interruptions continue throughout 2019, it is likely to reduce growth by 1.1 percentage points,” the Reserve bank said in its Monetary Policy Review publication, the second for the year.



“Under these circumstances, employment is likely to be lower by an estimated 125,000 jobs, with around 48,000 jobs lost to the first shock and 77,000 to the second,” the bank said, referring to the mining and manufacturing sectors.



The review dimmed hopes for the economic rebound promised by President Cyril Ramaphosa and comes less than a month before national elections.



In its February budget the National Treasury forecast gross domestic product (GDP) expanding at 1.5 percent from 0.8 percent growth in 2018. At its policy meeting in March the central bank pushed down its growth forecast to 1.3 percent.



Bets of growth above 1 percent have helped the country cling on to its remaining investment grade credit rating from Moody’s.



Earlier this month the public enterprise minister said the government would help Eskom keep the lights on and resort to so-called stage 1 loadshedding – 1,000 MW of rolling blackouts – as a last resort.



But Eskom, burdened by debt of around 450 billion rand, said it needed more money in addition to the 69 billion rand bailout granted by the government, to keep the lights on.



That raised fears it may drag down growth and prompt Moody’s to downgrade the country’s sovereign rating to junk.



First quarter GDP data is only due in June, but indicators of private sector activity, business confidence, mining and manufacturing have already shown signs of a negative impact of the power cuts.



Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Susan Fenton and Emelia Sithole-Matarise

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What you need to know about MTN converting its Nigerian unit to public company before planned listing

Flooding in South Africa leaves 50 dead

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Southern Africa

South Africa’s unemployment rate rises to 27,6% in Q1

Here’s why Zimbabwe faces worst power cuts in 3 years

Here’s why the Indian Ocean is creating strong and deadly tropical cyclones

South Africa’s Vodacom reported a 6.6% drop in earnings, here’s why

#SAElections2019: Will Ramaphosa’s ANC retain power ?

What you need to know about Total’s $8.8 billion deal with Occidental for Anadarko’s Africa assets

After #CasterSemenya loses case against IAAF, how much testosterone is too much for a female athlete ?

South Africa’s rand weakens as country’s presidential elections approach

Is Chinese loan to South Africa’s Eskom in jeopardy?

Mozambique to receive $13 million from UN for Cyclone Kenneth damage

Can this Japanese system help African cities adapt to climate change?

Mozambique expected to be hit with another cyclone, what you need to know

South Africa’s Gold Fields production up 10 % in Q1

What you need to know about MTN converting its Nigerian unit to public company before planned listing

Flooding in South Africa leaves 50 dead

Young Zambians are looking for ways to make farming more attractive, what you need to know

Why South Africa’s GDP growth is likely to shrink by 1.1 percentage points in 2019

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