From beer bottles in Ethiopia to data centres: The American entrepreneur who goes big in Africa

After several years at McKinsey in South Africa and Nigeria, American-born Brooks Washington set out to build something of his own. His first venture was a beer bottle factory in Ethiopia. It was fo...

Netflix replaces content chief to bolster search for hits

Netflix is replacing its chief creative officer with a veteran TV and film executive, Peter Rice, accelerating efforts to reinvigorate growth and reverse a slowdown in viewers and revenue at the strea...

Trump press secretary says she didn’t pass bar, downplays result

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia acknowledged Thursday that she did not pass the California bar exam, but downplayed the results as she sought to get past mounting questions over her legal c...

China’s Tencent detected unintended behaviours from AI agents

Tencent Holdings said it identified unexpected behaviour from third-party AI models on its platform, after a research report this week uncovered rogue AI agents in China that originated from a sandbox...

Transnet signs R6.6bn deal to improve locomotive performance

Transnet Engineering and global equipment provider Wabtec have signed a long-term material and technical support agreement valued at approximately R6.6 billion to support Transnet’s Class 43D and 44D ...

South Africa to restrict assembly of imported car kits

South Africa will tighten vehicle-manufacturing rules to “phase out” the practice of importing cars as kits for assembly in the country, Trade Minister Parks Tau said. The country will also stop provi...

Ebola spreads to eighth Congo province as young children face heavy toll

Ebola spread to an eighth province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Reuters reported, as health workers confront a heavy toll among young children, adding new challenges to efforts to contain the ...

Navi Pillay’s Nobel peace prize is a vote of confidence in a global legal order under fire

The awarding of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to distinguished South African jurist and international judge Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay is about more than just the recognition of an exceptional individual i...

First warehouse at Newlyn’s R640m Gqeberha logistics park reaching completion

Durban-headquartered private logistics property developer Newlyn Group has advanced construction on its approximately 150 000m² Newlyn Logistics Park in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, with the initial ...

Is this why Remgro shares are trading at a discount of 36%?

The gap between the share price and the intrinsic net asset value (NAV) of Remgro shares has narrowed over the past 12 months, but it remains at about the same elevated level it was six years ago – at...

Joburg mayor defends his record, but the numbers don’t lie

Joburg Mayor Dada Morero still does not know if he will be the ANC mayoral candidate in next month’s local government elections. He is nonetheless on the campaign trail, defending his two-year tenure ...

PSG Financial Services lifts earnings 5% as performance fees fall sharply

Challenging stock market conditions resulted in a 74% drop in performance fees at PSG Asset Management, as financial services group PSG Financial Services reported 5% growth in headline earnings in it...

Incentive payouts soar for top South African bosses

Executive pay of CEOs increased 9% to R23.1 million in 2026, while short-term bonuses increased 42%, and long-term incentives increased 67%. In PwC’s 19th Directors Remuneration and Trends Report, the...

Richemont and Signet in talks to join bidder for De Beers

Luxury giant Richemont and US retailer Signet Jewelers are in talks to join a consortium that’s in prime position to buy diamond miner De Beers, according to five people familiar with the matter. The ...

TSMC’s outlook beats estimates in affirmation of AI buildout

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing delivered a better-than-expected revenue outlook, sustaining torrid growth in defiance of rising concerns about the sustainability of a global AI buildout. The globa...

SA judgment may force reprint of election ballots

The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the African National Congress in a dispute over candidates excluded from next month’s municipal elections, a judgment that may force the electoral commission...

Mauritius says calm restored following spasm of public disorder

Mauritius was calm on Thursday following unrest earlier in the week, the police said. “All the island’s roads are passable and free of any obstructions,” the police said in a statement on Thursday tha...

Equites lifts interim distribution as UK exit frees up capital

Singapore haze spurs air-purifier rush as Indonesia forests burn

The thick haze blanketing Singapore as wildfires rage in neighbouring Indonesia is driving a surge in demand for air purifiers and face masks. Several models of air purifiers from brands including Xia...

Smartphone shipments crash 22% in worst quarter ever, IDC says

The smartphone market suffered its worst decline on record in the September quarter, after rising memory costs pushed shipments down 22% with worse to come, according to market researcher IDC. The hig...

Famous Brands warns of up to 33% drop in interim earnings

Anthropic results may aid IPO but not AI trade, Analysts say

Anthropic PBC’s third-quarter results may strengthen the case for its expected initial public offering, though they are unlikely to dispel doubts over the global AI trade, according to some investors ...

Apple vs OpenAI: Judge says he will ‘likely’ side with iPhone maker

Alexforbes data shows 10% of retirees now on track

The proportion of contributing members of Alexforbes-administered retirement funds who are projected to retire with an income of at least 75% of their final salary rose from 6% in 2021 to 10% in 2025,...

Clicks tweaks ClubCard offer to counter Dis-Chem rewards threat

Retailer Clicks has overhauled its ClubCard proposition with instant 10% savings on more than 2 500 health, beauty and wellness products. The move follows rival Dis-Chem’s relaunch of its loyalty prog...

A tax system in need of an overhaul

South Africa’s tax system is ill-suited to an economy trapped in low growth. Its complexity drives up compliance costs and creates unnecessary obstacles for businesses. While a broad tax mix gives go...

FSCA launches fresh investigation into beleaguered bitcoin company ABC

It’s been a week from hell for JSE bitcoin pioneer Africa Bitcoin Corporation (ABC), with the latest missile coming in the form of a fresh investigation being launched by the Financial Sector Conduct ...

Standard Bank invests in digital platform OPay

Tanzanian court strikes out R3.2bn case against Motsepe

A company linked to South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe said a Tanzanian court has struck out a long-running case brought by Pula Group LLC against him and affiliated firms, in which Pula sought...

Botswana set as Southern African hub in Dangote Refinery IPO

Botswana got selected as the host venue for the southern African portion of the initial public offering of the continent’s largest oil refinery, giving the relatively small market a key role in the re...

Trump says Taiwan to buy gas from Alaska LNG export project

President Donald Trump said Taiwan had agreed to buy 30% of the liquefied natural gas from a planned project in Alaska over the next 20 years, touting the initiative ahead of US midterm elections. Tru...

Advtech buys St George’s School to launch Eastern Cape campus for neurodivergent learners

Advtech, owner of private school brands including Crawford International, Trinityhouse and Pinnacle, has acquired the St George’s School property in Gqeberha in order to establish the first Eastern Ca...

AI to cut headcount at more than half of UK firms, CFOs say

Many of Britain’s large businesses are ready to replace staff with artificial intelligence over the next year, according to a prominent survey of chief financial officers. Deloitte said Wednesday that...

Judge rules news outlets can keep White House access for now

A federal judge said journalists with CNN, MS NOW and Politico can continue to have access to the White House while their lawsuit against the Trump administration proceeds. US District Judge Timothy J...

OpenAI says staffer arrested for hidden recording device in office

China refiners to refill oil stocks from November, Eurasia says

China’s state-run refiners are set for a months-long effort to replenish oil stockpiles, according to Eurasia Group, after tapping reserves to cushion the impact of elevated prices stemming from the U...

Aramco headquarters hit as Houthis widen attacks on Saudi Arabia

Iran-backed Houthis launched missile and drone attacks across Saudi Arabia, targeting several cities, as oil giant Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in the east of the kingdom was hit. A limited fire erupte...

Moody’s says South Africa is on right track for rating upgrade

South Africa is heading in the right direction for its first credit-rating upgrade by Moody’s Ratings since 2009, provided the country’s fiscal performance continues to improve. The agency, which rate...

Oil rises as Middle East attacks increase uncertainty over flows

Oil climbed as a flare-up in attacks in the Middle East increased uncertainty over a recovery in Persian Gulf energy flows. Brent rose toward $107 a barrel after falling 0.9% on Tuesday, while West Te...

Pope Leo is diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery in Rome

Doctors diagnosed Pope Leo XIV with lung cancer and removed the lower lobe of his right lung during surgery, the Holy See said. The operation at Rome’s Gemelli hospital followed the earlier discovery ...

Allan Gray tips Nigerian stocks over South Korea’s Kospi

Allan Gray, which oversees $29 billion in assets, favours Nigerian stocks over South Korean equities, as they offer a diversification play from the artificial-intelligence frenzy that has swept market...

Demand for prosecutions over R3.5bn ‘too-tall trains’

On Tuesday, commuter activist group #UniteBehind hand-delivered an affidavit to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) offices in Cape Town. It wants the NPA to investigate, subpoena and prosecute p...

Why Sun International is getting strategic about problem gambling

Gaming, hotels and resorts operator Sun International is attempting to get ahead of looming regulatory pressure by seizing a leadership position within the industry. It has launched its Group Responsi...

Increase in RAF levy in fuel price ‘won’t happen on my watch’ – Creecy

The proposal by the financially-distressed Road Accident Fund (RAF) to National Treasury for a 33.3% increase in the RAF levy in the fuel price to R3 a litre is dead in the water – and that is accordi...

Eskom Green is looking for partners

Eskom’s new baby, on which it pins its hope to remain relevant in a changing electricity supply industry, is moving forward at pace, with two announcements in the last few days regarding 6 000MW of ut...

R7 cigarettes expose scale of illicit tobacco trade in SA

Coronation dumped Spar at R40 after buying above R90

Herron’s GOOD fight to unite Cape Town’s two cities

Brett Herron is a lawyer, former Cape Town councillor and now the GOOD Party’s mayoral candidate for the 2026 local government elections. His political experience runs deep inside the city he wants to...

Zuma remains in hospital, office says

Former South African President Jacob Zuma remains in the hospital, according to a statement from his family foundation, contradicting an earlier news report that he’d been discharged. The Jacob G Zuma...

Botswana said to near agreement on size of its De Beers stake

Botswana and a group leading the race to buy De Beers are near an agreement on their future ownership stakes in the diamond miner, potentially paving the way for Anglo American Plc to finally exit the...