<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5000" height="3334" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CRTJOWDTJBK3HC6RND6KFRQUB4.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-604324"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">John Steenhuisen, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and Minister of Agriculture of South Africa, arrives at the Cape Town City Hall ahead of the State Of The Nation (SONA) address by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town, South Africa February 6, 2025. REUTERS/Nic Bothma/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, April 1 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s two biggest political parties, the African National Congress and the pro-business Democratic Alliance were yet to reach agreement to pass the budget on Tuesday, hours before a key parliamentary committee was set to debate it.



The budget has been the biggest test yet for the broad coalition government formed last year after the ANC, the former liberation movement of Nelson Mandela, lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since helping end apartheid in 1994.



Negotiations between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance have dragged on for weeks. The ANC needs the support of at least one other big party to pass the budget while the DA has sought more sway over policymaking.



&#8220;Last night, the ANC refused to finalise an agreement on growth and spending reforms, imperilling the (coalition),&#8221; Democratic Alliance party leader John Steenhuisen said on X. &#8220;The DA will oppose the budget unless and until a written agreement is reached.&#8221;



The ANC and DA are ideologically opposed on many issues, including education, land and health legislation, but have overcome occasional disputes to govern together so far.



ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika the party believed it had &#8220;sufficient consensus&#8221; to pass the first parliamentary hurdle for the budget, Tuesday&#8217;s meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance on the fiscal framework.



The lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, is due to consider the parliamentary committee&#8217;s recommendations and could vote on them on Wednesday.



The DA postponed a press conference it had called for 0630 GMT on Tuesday on the budget talks. ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa and the DA&#8217;s Steenhuisen are expected to hold talks later on Tuesday.



The budget for the fiscal year starting on April 1 was meant to be presented in February but was postponed because of disagreements in the coalition over a plan to raise value-added tax by two percentage points.



Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled a revised budget in March proposing a one-point VAT hike spread over two years, but it was swiftly rejected by most big parliamentary parties.



(Additional reporting by Sfundo Parakozov and Wendell Roelf; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Bernadette Baum)

CRTJOWDTJBK3HC6RND6KFRQUB4

South Africa’s two biggest parties yet to reach pact on budget

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="625" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6PRZMM657BJ2VERUVWBC5YWJKY-820x625.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-604061" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6PRZMM657BJ2VERUVWBC5YWJKY-820x625.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6PRZMM657BJ2VERUVWBC5YWJKY-300x229.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6PRZMM657BJ2VERUVWBC5YWJKY-118x90.jpg 118w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6PRZMM657BJ2VERUVWBC5YWJKY-768x585.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6PRZMM657BJ2VERUVWBC5YWJKY-1536x1170.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6PRZMM657BJ2VERUVWBC5YWJKY-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Opposition Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Nelson Chamisa gestures while addressing the media in a news conference in Harare, Zimbabwe August 25, 2018. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, March 31 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Police deployed heavily in Zimbabwe&#8217;s capital and other cities on Monday, largely neutralising a call by veterans for massive protests against plans to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa&#8217;s rule.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s ruling ZANU-PF party said in January it wanted to extend Mnangagwa&#8217;s term in office by two years until 2030. Mnangagwa, who first came to power in 2017 after his long-term mentor Robert Mugabe was ousted in a coup, is serving his final term.



Independence war veterans led by Blessed Geza previously supported Mnangagwa but have turned against him, accusing him of seeking to cling to power.



Anticipating possible unrest, businesses barricaded their premises and car dealerships cleared their showrooms over recent days.



Most businesses, schools and vendors across the capital Harare, as well as in the second largest city Bulawayo and other towns, stayed closed, as large numbers of police patrolled the empty streets.



&#8220;The situation in the country is peaceful,&#8221; police said in a statement, encouraging people to continue with daily activities.



Still, in the western outskirts of Harare police threw teargas to disperse a small group of protesters chanting &#8220;we reject 2030!&#8221;, a reference to the plans to extend Mnangagwa&#8217;s term.



Some political analysts said the economic shutdown could still send a message to political leaders.



&#8220;The stay-away is a massive statement by the masses of Zimbabwe. Those in power have reason to fear,&#8221; political analyst Ibbo Mandaza said.



Geza, the veteran leader who called for the protest and has mostly communicated through videos posted on social media platforms, did not react publicly on Monday morning.



The veterans remain influential within ZANU-PF, and appear to be filling a void left by opposition parties weakened by internal divisions and a war of attrition with the ruling party.



Mnangagwa has repeatedly denied intending to prolong his presidency, but the veterans accuse him of pursuing the plan using proxies.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s 2013 constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms.



(Reporting by Nelson Banya; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Aidan Lewis)

6PRZMM657BJ2VERUVWBC5YWJKY

Zimbabwe police deploy to block demonstrations against Mnangagwa

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="493" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZR2HBUGSQJNNBEOHF5Q6YHOMQQ-820x493.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-603981" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZR2HBUGSQJNNBEOHF5Q6YHOMQQ-820x493.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZR2HBUGSQJNNBEOHF5Q6YHOMQQ-300x180.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZR2HBUGSQJNNBEOHF5Q6YHOMQQ-150x90.jpg 150w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZR2HBUGSQJNNBEOHF5Q6YHOMQQ-768x462.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZR2HBUGSQJNNBEOHF5Q6YHOMQQ-1536x923.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZR2HBUGSQJNNBEOHF5Q6YHOMQQ-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The retired coal-fired Komati Power Station, operated by Eskom, is seen near Komati village, in the Mpumalanga province in South Africa, May 9, 2024. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



CAPE TOWN, March 31 (Reuters) &#8211; South African coal-fired power stations have received limited exemptions from air quality laws and harmful emissions reduction regulations, the environment minister said on Monday, but he added that the measures did not constitute a &#8220;blanket reprieve&#8221;.



The government is struggling to strike a balance between calls to reduce its carbon footprint and stop harmful emissions and the need to provide electricity to Africa&#8217;s most advanced economy, which has stagnated due to power cuts



Power utility Eskom, whose fleet of old coal-fired power plants generates most of South Africa&#8217;s electricity, had applied to exempt eight of its plants from minimum emission standards prescribed in air quality regulations.



In granting the exemptions, the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment said it would require Eskom to step up monitoring, appoint environmental health specialists and provide mobile health clinics, among other measures.



&#8220;These exemptions are not a blanket reprieve but are tailored to each facility with stringent conditions,&#8221; environment minister Dion George told a press conference.



Six of the plants &#8211; Lethabo, Kendal, Tutuka, Majuba, Matimba and Medupi &#8211; will have exemptions capped at five years, expiring on April 1, 2030, while the Duvha and Matla power stations will be exempted until their planned decommissioning dates in 2034.



Eskom, one of the continent&#8217;s worst polluters, has been running its plants hard in an attempt to end a decade of economically devastating power cuts and clear a maintenance backlog amid regular breakdowns.



It has previously said that retrofitting its plants, many of them 30 to 40-years-old, with new technology to reduce harmful emissions is too costly.



Early this month a 10-year study found that people living near coal-fired power stations, mostly concentrated in Mpumalanga province&#8217;s coal belt, had a mortality rate 6% higher than their peers elsewhere in South Africa.



The report from the South African Medical Research Council and Britain&#8217;s Department for International Development found higher rates of birth defects and cardiovascular and lung disease in communities near plants. It recommended phasing out the coal-fired plants.



&#8220;We want enough electricity to grow our economy, and we want clean, breathable air,&#8221; George said. &#8220;It is completely unacceptable when our children have problems with their lungs, and babies are born with cleft palates.&#8221;

ZR2HBUGSQJNNBEOHF5Q6YHOMQQ

South Africa grants Eskom coal plants limited emissions exemptions

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4045" height="2697" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6MSJZV4H5RNIDI4ITMOIPSV2ZE.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-603977"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">U.S. President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One, as he departs for Florida, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that reciprocal tariffs he is set to announce this week will include all nations, not just a smaller group of 10 to 15 countries with the biggest trade imbalances.



Trump has promised to unveil a massive tariff plan on Wednesday, which he has dubbed “Liberation Day.” He has already imposed tariffs on aluminum, steel and autos, along with increased tariffs on all goods from China.



“You’d start with all countries,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “Essentially all of the countries that we’re talking about.”



White House economics adviser Kevin Hassett recently told Fox Business that the administration’s tariffs focus would be on 10 to 15 countries with the worst trade imbalances, though he did not list them.



Trump sees tariffs as a way of protecting the domestic economy from unfair global competition and a bargaining chip for better terms for the U.S.



However, concerns about a trade war are unsettling markets and creating fears of a recession in the U.S.



Trump has said he will impose a suite of reciprocal tariffs against nations that charge fees on U.S. exports, promising to match those countries’ duties.



In February, Trump signed a memorandum that directed U.S. trade officials to go country by country and put together a list of tailored counter-measures.



Last week, he suggested he might scale back his reciprocal plans, perhaps imposing tariffs in some cases at lower rates than countries charge the United States.

6MSJZV4H5RNIDI4ITMOIPSV2ZE

Trump says reciprocal tariffs will target all countries

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="507" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-820x507.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-533970" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-820x507.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-300x186.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-145x90.jpg 145w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-768x475.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-1536x950.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">South African bank notes featuring images of former South African President Nelson Mandela (R) are displayed next to the American dollar notes in this photo illustration in Johannesburg August 13 2014. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 31 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s rand strengthened on Monday, as gold hit a fresh high and optimism grew over the prospect of an agreement between the two biggest government partners on the budget.



At 0728 GMT, the rand traded at 18.2375 against the dollar, about 1.1% stronger than its previous close.



Trade in the rand was volatile last week amid deadlocked budget negotiations and apprehension over U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariff plans.



Gold prices touched an all-time high on Monday as investors stressing over a global trade war and economic slowdown from the world&#8217;s biggest economy turned towards the safe-haven asset. South Africa is a major producer of the precious metal.



The domestic focus this week will be on the African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA).



Local news website News24 reported on Monday that the two parties were close to striking a deal that would see the national budget being passed. However, the BusinessDay newspaper said the talks were still deadlocked.



On the stock market, the Top-40 index was last down about 0.5%.



South Africa&#8217;s benchmark 2030 government bond was stronger in early deals, with the yield down 9.5 basis points to 9.06%.



(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Philippa Fletcher)

Photo illustration of South African bank notes displayed next to the American dollar notes in Johannesburg

South African rand strengthens as gold hits fresh peak

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="462" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-820x462.png" alt="" class="wp-image-603920" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-820x462.png 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-300x169.png 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-160x90.png 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-768x432.png 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks.png 1480w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City, U.S., March 28, 2025. </figcaption></figure>



Global markets and U.S. stock futures fell early Monday as traders looked ahead to “Liberation Day” for clarity on President Donald Trump’s tariff plans. 



Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 145 points, or 0.35%. S&amp;P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 0.64% and 1.18%, respectively.



A slew of tariffs set to be enacted by the Trump administration will go into effect on Wednesday — what Trump has called “Liberation Day” — including a 25% levy on “all cars that are not made in the United States.” The president is also expected to announce his plan for reciprocal tariffs.



Uncertainty surrounding tariffs has been an overhang on equities, dragging stocks lower again on Friday to end the last full trading week of March. Trump did little to assuage fears over the weekend, with The Wall Street Journal reporting Sunday that the president had in recent days pushed his advisors to get more aggressive when it comes to tariffs. In a Saturday interview with NBC News, Trump said that he “couldn’t care less” if foreign automakers raise their prices due to these new tariffs.



On Wednesday, it is hoped investors will gain some clarity on which trading partners will be affected by the new duties, and by how much, wrote Emmanuel Cau, equity strategist at Barclays.



“Tariff risk has been well telegraphed and is largely priced in corners of the market. So liberation day may not be a complete shocker. However, no one wins from trade war, and clouds are gathering over the global growth outlook,” Cau wrote in a Friday note. “Negotiations will likely start after April 2, which leads to an extended period of uncertainty about the final scope, level and timing of tariffs.”



Against this backdrop of mounting trade and economic concerns, the three major averages are all on pace to end the month lower. The S&amp;P 500 is down 6.3% for the month, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is poised for a 5.2% loss. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has tanked 8.1%.



Investors will also be looking forward to a heavy slate of economic data this week, most notably the March jobs report, which will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, April 4.

108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks

Stock futures slip as a jittery Wall Street awaits ‘Liberation Day’: Live updates

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="562" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-820x562.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-451375" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-820x562.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-131x90.jpg 131w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-768x526.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-1536x1053.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court signage and logo is pictured in Abuja, Nigeria February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde</figcaption></figure>



ATHENS, March 30 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;West African neighbours Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced a new 0.5% levy on imported goods as they seek to fund a new three-state union after leaving the larger regional economic bloc, they said in a statement.



The Alliance of Sahel States began in 2023 as a security pact between the military rulers of the three countries, who all took power in coups in recent years. It has since grown into an aspiring economic union with plans for biometric passports and closer economic and military ties.



The levy was agreed on Friday and will take effect immediately. It will affect all goods imported from outside the three countries, but will not include humanitarian aid, the statement said. It will &#8220;finance the activities&#8221; of the bloc, it said, without giving details.



The move ends free trade across West Africa, whose states have for decades fallen under the umbrella of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and highlights the rift between the three states that border the Sahara Desert and influential democracies like Nigeria and Ghana to the south.



The juntas of the three countries announced plans to leave ECOWAS last year, accusing the bloc of failing to assist in their fight against Islamist insurgents and ending insecurity.



ECOWAS had imposed economic, political and financial sanctions on the three in a bid to force them to return to constitutional order, to little effect.



Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are some of the poorest countries in the world and have been overrun by an armed Islamist insurgency over the past decade.



The violence, committed by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, has killed thousands, forced millions to flee, and eroded faith in the democratically-elected governments who initially struggled to contain it.



(Reporting by Boureima Balima and Fadimata Kontao; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Ecowas court hearing on whether Nigeria’s Twitter ban violated rights, in Abuja

West African juntas impose levy on imported goods

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4931" height="3078" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZDTAXS54SNPKXI5JFDUILKDUHI.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602896"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Internally displaced people from Khartoum gather at their shelter in an IDP camp in Um Durain county, Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan, Sudan June 21, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/SUDAN/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



KHARTOUM, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; Residents of Sudan&#8217;s Tuti island at the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile have emerged from paramilitary control to speak of hardships suffered and relief that their oppressors have been driven away.



They say Sudan&#8217;s Rapid Support Forces, who have been forced by the army off the island between the capital Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman, would block people from medical treatment, jail others and extort inhabitants.



&#8220;I suffered from severe urinary retention,&#8221; recalled elderly islander Omar al-Hassan, saying an RSF member stopped him from crossing a bridge to see doctors.



&#8220;He claimed our papers were incomplete, but we had all the necessary documents. He just wanted money.&#8221;



The RSF, whose war with the army erupted in April 2023 and which still controls swathes of west Sudan, did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters. The RSF has either denied it violates human rights or said it would hold perpetrators to account, while accusing the army of widespread abuses.



The U.N. accuses both sides in the civil war of abuses that may amount to war crimes.



Tuti island, with its green landscape overlooking the majestic Nile waters, was once one of Sudan&#8217;s most soothing spots, offering relaxation in a nation with a long history of war.



Its population of about 10,000 could relax on beaches near lemon trees swaying in the breeze. People would also pass time at coffee shops, puffing on water pipes, perhaps discussing Sudan&#8217;s complex, combustible politics.



That was before the conflict between the army and RSF &#8211; once partners in a coup that toppled veteran autocrat Omar Hassan al-Bashir &#8211; erupted and ravaged Sudan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tuti-is-free">&#8216;TUTI IS FREE&#8217;</h2>



Now, in a microcosm of the war&#8217;s devastation, Tuti&#8217;s close-knit farming community are at risk of famine and have been ravaged by dengue fever.



Sudan&#8217;s military, headed by career army officer Abdel Fattah al-Burhan claimed control of Khartoum, including Tuti island, this week.



“We conducted a thorough and comprehensive cleanup of all areas of the island &#8230; We tell the people to return and come back,&#8221; said soldier Al-Tahir al-Tayeb.



&#8220;We will only take our rights by this,&#8221; he added, tapping on his gun. &#8220;We say to them, Tuti is free, and God is great.&#8221;



Nearby, a woman walked by a shop surveying destruction as people lingered at a mosque.



RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, rose from lowly beginnings to head a widely feared Arab militia that crushed a revolt in Darfur, winning him influence and eventually a role as the country&#8217;s second most powerful man, and one of its richest, as an enforcer for Bashir.



The RSF, menacing young men armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns mounted on trucks, mastered desert warfare in the Darfur region but lack the discipline of the regular army.



That was clear on Tuti island, said resident Abdul Fattah Abdullah, describing how RSF men followed him on four motorcycles and grabbed him as he was carrying vegetables from a market.



The next 20 days, locked up in a small room with 32 army officers, were the hardest in his whole life, he complained. It did not end there. RSF fighters demanded the equivalent of $400, he said.



&#8220;They harassed people, demanding either their gold or their money. May God punish them,&#8221; said Abdullah.



(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

ZDTAXS54SNPKXI5JFDUILKDUHI

Sudanese on Nile island in capital recount paramilitary repression

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4630" height="2929" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GP73G3YF7FNEDCJIJEBMT334WM.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602772"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenya&#8217;s Opposition leader Raila Odinga addresses delegates after signing a memorandum of understanding between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) with President William Ruto, to pursue proposed reforms under the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) talks, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya March 7, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; Kenya is sending former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to South Sudan as a special envoy to help defuse a growing rift between President Salva Kiir and his longtime rival First Vice President Riek Machar, which threatens to drag the country back to war.



Machar was put under house arrest in the capital Juba on Wednesday night, according to his party, effectively voiding a 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year civil war and brought the two men into a fragile power-sharing government.



Their administration has been slow to adopt key provisions of the peace pact, such as national elections and the unification of their two forces into one army.



Machar&#8217;s detention took the country &#8220;one step closer to the edge of collapse into civil war&#8221;, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.



Machar&#8217;s party denies government accusations that it backs the White Army, an ethnic militia largely comprising Nuer youths, which clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir this month, triggering the latest crisis.



In response to the fighting, Kiir&#8217;s forces rounded up several of Machar&#8217;s most senior allies, including the petroleum minister and the deputy head of the army.



Forces loyal to the two men have clashed in recent days outside Juba and elsewhere.



Kenyan President William Ruto, who chairs the East African Community (EAC) bloc, said he had spoken with Kiir about Machar&#8217;s detention, and was sending a special envoy to help de-escalate the situation and report back.



Odinga&#8217;s spokesperson, Dennis Onyango, confirmed that the former prime minister would travel to Juba on Friday.



Machar&#8217;s spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, said Odinga&#8217;s appointment was a welcome gesture &#8220;as long as it is in line with de-escalation of the situation&#8221;.



&#8220;(Machar) is fine, but nothing changes. He&#8217;s still under house arrest,&#8221; Baluang told Reuters by telephone.



Ruto said he had also consulted Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who sent troops this month to South Sudan at the government&#8217;s request to help secure the capital, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, which has hosted South Sudan peace talks in the past.



The African Union said it was sending a &#8220;Panel of the Wise&#8221;, a group of five &#8220;highly respected African personalities&#8221;, to help calm the situation.



Rival factions loyal to Kiir and Machar fought a civil war from 2013 to 2018 that killed hundreds of thousands.



(Reporting by Hereward Holland; Editing by Ammu Kannampilly, Clarence Fernandez and Alex Richardson)

GP73G3YF7FNEDCJIJEBMT334WM

Kenya sends former PM Odinga to defuse South Sudan crisis

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="544" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-820x544.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-479306" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-820x544.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Customers queue to draw money from an ATM outside a branch of South Africa&#8217;s Capitec Bank in Johannesburg,South Africa, March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/Files</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa&#8217;s Capitec Bank said on Friday that Group CEO and founding member Gerrie Fourie will retire in July after 11-1/2 years at the helm, and named Graham Lee, the group executive of its retail bank division, as his successor.



Fourie has been on the executive management team for the past 25 years. He become the CEO in January 2014 and will retire at the annual general meeting to be held on July 18.



&#8220;Under his stewardship as CEO, the company transformed from a challenger bank serving 5 million clients in 2014 to South Africa&#8217;s leading digital bank and a diversified financial services company serving over 24 million personal and business clients&#8221;, the lender said in a statement.



Santie Botha, Chairman of Capitec&#8217;s Board added that Fourie has not only facilitated significant growth and innovation &#8220;but has also built a strong and diverse leadership team, poised to carry the group into the future.&#8221;



As the lender diversified over the last four years, Fourie expanded the executive structure to include divisional executive teams responsible for the personal bank, business bank, insurance company, and strategic initiatives.



Lee, 50, has been a member of the group executive committee since 2022. He joined Capitec in 2003 and has held numerous strategic positions in credit, technology and data, and personal bank operations.



Basani Maluleke will succeed Graham Lee as group executive for the personal bank division, Capitec said.



(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla in Johannesburg, additional reporting by Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and David Evans)

Customers queue to draw money from an ATM outside a branch of South Africa’s Capitec Bank in Johannesburg,South Africa

South Africa’s Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie to retire in July

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q26RQAICWNPFJFYJE2MKCI6H7Q-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-428138" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q26RQAICWNPFJFYJE2MKCI6H7Q-1.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q26RQAICWNPFJFYJE2MKCI6H7Q-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q26RQAICWNPFJFYJE2MKCI6H7Q-1-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">South Africa&#8217;s central bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago, arrives to deliver a keynote address on monetary policy, growth and jobs at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



South Africa’s central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago says the country’s inflation targeting regime is out of date and might be inhibiting faster growth and making the economy less competitive.



While the country’s 25-year-old inflation targeting framework had helped lower interest rates from above 20 percent in 2000 to 7.5% now and helped reduce macroeconomic volatility, Kganyago said a fresh look was needed in line with other developing economies.



`’In this respect, the South African target is now rather dated, reducing our competitiveness and opportunity to generate faster and more sustainable growth,’’ Kganyago told the bank’s biennial conference in Cape Town.



South Africa’s newly established democratic government was one of the earliest adopters of the inflation targeting regime in 2000 when it was set at between 3 and 6 percent. Under Kganyago’s tenure, the SARB has focused its monetary policy on keeping inflation at the mid-point of 4.5 percent, and argued it should be lowered to around 3 percent.



Growth in Africa’s biggest economy has been stuck around 1 percent for the past decade as the country struggled with power shortages and corruption during the rule of former President Jacob Zuma who was accused of allowing a wealthy Indian family to control state institutions in what was generally referred to as ‘state capture’. &nbsp;



President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has since set a target of lifting economic growth to around 3 percent in the medium term after launching reforms under its Operation Vulindlela programme which helped end debilitating power shortages last year. Momentum was further maintained by the formation of the Government of National Unity after last year’s elections.



Kganyago said a session at the conference will tackle the question of what would be an optimal inflation target for South Africa in the context of what he called the country’s structural rigidities.



‘’Open discussions like these are important for how we think about the trajectory for global macroeconomic policy over the medium term, and what that means for the path of inflation targeting within the South African context,’’ he said.



Under South Africa’s constitution the inflation target is set by the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana who last October said he was not yet convinced of the merits of adjusting it though teams from the central bank and the National Treasury have started discussions on the subject.

South Africa’s central bank governor to delivers keynote address

South Africa central bank says inflation targeting framework may be stifling growth

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="541" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-820x541.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425628" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-820x541.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-768x507.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-1536x1013.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: The logo of South Africa&#8217;s central reserve bank is seen during the delivery of a keynote address by South Africa&#8217;s central bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago, at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa recorded foreign direct investment inflows of 7.5 billion rand ($411.76 million) in the fourth quarter, compared to outflows of 3.2 billion in the third quarter, central bank data showed on Thursday.



The South African Reserve Bank said in its Quarterly Bulletin that the inflows were due to increased equity investment in domestic subsidiaries by non-resident parent companies.



Portfolio investments recorded smaller inflows of 33.4 billion rand in October-December, compared to inflows of 45.6 billion rand in the third quarter.



&#8220;Non-residents&#8217; net acquisition of debt securities, which included the proceeds from national government&#8217;s issuance of two international bonds amounting to $3.5 billion, outweighed their disposal of equity securities,&#8221; the central bank said.



($1 = 18.2144 rand)



(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning)

FILE PHOTO: South Africa’s central bank governor to delivers keynote address

South Africa shifts to FDI inflows in fourth quarter, central bank says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5000" height="3243" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/PMUHNUWJO5JCDIURCOV3C2CCAY.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602355"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A used Mini Cooper electric car is seen for sale outside the showroom of a used car dealer in Manchester, Britain, October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File photo</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, March 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom will on Tuesday hear arguments to overturn a judgment that could cost Britain&#8217;s financial industry billions of pounds in fresh legal costs and potential customer compensation.



The Court of Appeal ruled in October that it was unlawful for lenders to pay commissions to motor dealers without a customer&#8217;s informed consent, triggering speculation about the nature and scale of possible remedies for affected borrowers.



Lloyds Banking Group, Close Brothers and Santander UK SANS have together already set aside more than 1.5 billion pounds ($1.9 billion) to cover potential compensation claims.



Some analysts say the fallout could be the costliest for banks since they paid almost 40 billion pounds in compensation to customers for mis-selling payment protection insurance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-will-the-supreme-court-consider">WHAT WILL THE SUPREME COURT CONSIDER?</h2>



Reviewing three earlier claims &#8211; two against South African lender FirstRand and one against Britain&#8217;s Close Brothers &#8211; the Supreme Court will decide the extent of car dealers&#8217; legal responsibility to provide appropriate information to consumers when also acting as credit brokers.



Assuming a duty of care is owed, the court is also expected to rule whether commissions paid by lenders to car dealers were &#8220;secret&#8221; or insufficiently disclosed, and whether lenders are liable as accessories for procuring the credit brokers&#8217; breach of duty.



If lenders are considered liable, and the relationship between lender and consumer is considered &#8220;unfair&#8221; under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the court will decide what kind of remedy errant lenders have to make.



The Supreme Court&#8217;s judgment is expected in the summer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-might-be-impacted">WHO MIGHT BE IMPACTED?</h2>



The Financial Conduct Authority banned the payment of discretionary motor finance commissions in 2021, eliminating incentives for brokers to hike the interest rate customers pay on their motor finance loans.



But some customers say they were treated unfairly before the ban came into effect, prompting the FCA to launch a probe in January 2024 into historic potential misconduct.



If the Supreme Court rules lenders and brokers should have been more transparent about commissions, the regulator has said it will consult on the structure of a compensation scheme within six weeks.



More than 2 million people a year rely on the motor finance market to buy a car, FCA data shows.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-much-could-banks-have-to-pay">HOW MUCH COULD BANKS HAVE TO PAY?</h2>



Only a handful of UK lenders have motor finance businesses large enough to be materially concerned about the ruling.



These include Lloyds, Close Brothers and Santander UK, which have already made provisions of 1.15 billion pounds, 295 million pounds and 165 million pounds respectively.



But analysts say other types of commissions paid by banks to credit brokers could face scrutiny if the court decides customers must consent to such payments.



Total &#8216;worst case&#8217; industry costs could reach 30 billion pounds, ratings agency Moody&#8217;s said in November.



RBC Capital has estimated a &#8216;base case&#8217; impact on banks and non-banks of almost 18 billion pounds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-might-influence-the-supreme-court-decision">WHAT MIGHT INFLUENCE THE SUPREME COURT DECISION?</h2>



The outcome of another legal dispute, Expert Tooling vs. Engie Power on March 21, could have a bearing on the motor finance ruling.



That case involved Engie supplying electricity to Expert Tooling via an energy broker. The Court of Appeal found that the commission paid to the broker should have been disclosed. However, it did not find Engie an accessory to the broker&#8217;s breach of duty due to the lack of evidence of dishonesty.



Some lawyers say lenders will likely escape significant financial liabilities unless claimants can prove commission payments were concealed or hidden dishonestly.



Others are not so sure, citing key differences between the cases, including that the claimant in Expert Tooling vs Engie was a business, not a consumer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-next-for-the-banking-industry">WHAT NEXT FOR THE BANKING INDUSTRY?</h2>



Several major British banks have signalled an interest in recent months in mergers and acquisitions, but worries about a damaging consumer finance scandal have cast a pall over dealmaking.



Clarity over the ruling and any compensation scheme could unlock cash set aside to cover legal expenses and revive M&amp;A activity, analysts and bankers say.



($1 = 0.7738 pounds)



(Reporting by Sinead Cruise. Editing by Mark Potter)

PMUHNUWJO5JCDIURCOV3C2CCAY

Is Britain on the cusp of another multibillion-pound consumer finance scandal?

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="720" height="504" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/BMQRSYHVQ5KPZEVUFBZAFEVTYQ-1.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-601101"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Delegates walk past the Transnet logo at the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2024 conference in Cape Town, South Africa February 7, 2024. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



March 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s United National Transport Union (UNTU) said on Thursday it rejected a final wage offer tabled by state-owned logistics group Transnet, which was signed by a smaller union.



Transnet on Thursday announced a three-year pay agreement with the South African Transport and Allied Workers&#8217; Union (SATAWU) to replace the current wage deal which expires on March 31. SATAWU confirmed the agreement in a separate statement.



Under the deal agreed with SATAWU, Transnet will implement 6% wage increases in the first two years of the new agreement and a 5.5% raise in the third year.



UNTU, which represents more than half the workforce at Transnet, declared a deadlock in the wage talks, saying it wants a 10% increase across the board and a single-year agreement, among other demands.



&#8220;UNTU is fully prepared to take to the streets and mobilise our 25,000-plus members to secure a liveable, just and fair agreement,&#8221; it said in a statement.



Transnet said it remained &#8220;positive that this offer will be accepted by all employees&#8221;.



&#8220;Transnet considers the offer to be reasonable and fair given the current financial and operational challenges,&#8221; the firm said.



(Reporting by Nelson Banya; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)

BMQRSYHVQ5KPZEVUFBZAFEVTYQ (1)

Transnet’s major union rejects wage deal agreed by rival

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3605" height="2572" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/57G3VEKNUJPP3CRC4HB3EXGSLY.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602039"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A satellite images shows the presidential palace, in Khartoum, Sudan, March 21, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



DUBAI, March 26 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The Sudanese army is encircling Khartoum airport, two military sources told Reuters on Wednesday, as it battles to oust its rival Rapid Support Forces from a last foothold in the capital, though the war looks far from over.



The army seized the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum after fighting on Friday, an important symbolic advance after two years of a conflict that is splitting the massive country into rival zones of control.



On Wednesday, the army said it had gained control of Tiba al-Hassanab camp south of the capital, which it described as the RSF&#8217;s last base in central Sudan and last stronghold in Khartoum State.



The military sources said the army was encircling the airport, which is located in the city centre, and surrounding areas. Witnesses said the RSF had focused its troops in southern Khartoum, apparently to secure their withdrawal from the city via bridges to the neighbouring city of Omdurman.



Recent army gains in central Sudan, retaking districts of the capital and other territory, come as the RSF has consolidated its control in the west, hardening battle lines and threatening to move the country towards a de facto partition.



The war, which erupted two years ago as the country was attempting a democratic transition, has caused what the U.N. calls the world&#8217;s largest humanitarian crisis, with famine in several areas as well as outbreaks of disease.



It has driven 12.5 million people from their homes, many of them seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eruption-of-warfare">ERUPTION OF WARFARE</h2>



The army and RSF had at one point been in a fragile partnership together, jointly staging a coup in 2021 that derailed the transition from the Islamist rule of Omar al-Bashir, a longtime autocrat who was ousted in 2019.



They had also fought on the same side for years in the western state of Darfur under Bashir&#8217;s government.



The RSF, under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, developed from Darfur&#8217;s janjaweed militias and Bashir developed the group as a counterweight to the army, led by career officer Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.



After they seized power together in 2021, the two sides clashed over an internationally backed plan aimed at launching a new transition with civilian parties that would require them both to cede powers.



Major points of dispute included a timetable for the RSF to integrate into the regular armed forces, the chain of command between army and RSF leaders, and the question of civilian oversight.



When fighting broke out, Sudan&#8217;s army had better resources including air power. However, the RSF was more deeply embedded in neighbourhoods across Khartoum and was able to hold much of the capital in an initial, devastating burst of warfare.



The RSF also made rapid advances to gain control of its main stronghold of Darfur and over El Gezira state, south of Khartoum, a big farming area.



With the army now re-establishing its position in the capital, it is making a new push to cement its control in the centre of Sudan.



(Reporting by Khalid Abdulaziz and Tala Ramadan; Writing by Jana Choukeir and Angus McDowall; Editing by Toby Chopra, Frances Kerry and Alex Richardson)

57G3VEKNUJPP3CRC4HB3EXGSLY

Sudan army surrounds Khartoum airport, sources say, in battle for capital

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="782" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/KJPI5CCCKBMFFMGZUYUMW4RVBE.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602002"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Duke of Sussex visits the Kasane Health Post, run by the Sentebale charity, in Kasane, Botswana, September 26, 2019. Dominic Lipinski/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, March 26 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Britain&#8217;s Prince Harry said he was &#8220;in shock&#8221; after quitting as a patron of Sentebale, a British charity he set up to help young people with HIV and Aids in Lesotho and Botswana, following a row between trustees and the chair of the board.



Harry, the younger son of King Charles, co-founded Sentebale in 2006 in honour of his mother Princess Diana nine years after she was killed in a Paris car crash. Sentebale means &#8216;forget-me-not&#8217; in the local language of Lesotho in southern Africa.



Co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, as well as the board of trustees, joined Harry in leaving Sentebale following a dispute with chair Sophie Chandauka, who has taken legal action to try to retain her position.



&#8220;It is devastating that the relationship between the charity&#8217;s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation,&#8221; Harry and Seeiso said in a joint statement published on Sky News on Wednesday.



Harry, who lives in California with his wife Meghan and two children, stopped working as a member of the royal family in 2020. He has been heavily involved in causes in Africa for many years and visited Nigeria last year.



The trustees had acted in the best interests of the charity in asking the chair to step down, the joint statement said.



&#8220;Although we may no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care,&#8221; it added.



Reuters has contacted Britain&#8217;s Charity Commission and Sentebale for comment.



(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Mayberry)

KJPI5CCCKBMFFMGZUYUMW4RVBE

UK’s Prince Harry ‘in shock’ after quitting his African Aids charity

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="573" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-820x573.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-601968" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-820x573.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-300x210.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-129x90.jpg 129w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-768x537.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-1536x1074.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Delegates walk past the MTN logo at the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2024 conference in Cape Town, South Africa February 7, 2024. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 26 (Reuters) &#8211; MTN Group and Airtel Africa have struck a deal to share mobile phone network infrastructure in Uganda and Nigeria, they said on Wednesday, aiming to save on investments while still increasing service coverage.



Mobile operators in Africa are seeing sustained demand for digital and financial services, but building and maintaining networks are expensive, especially for fast 5G connections.



&#8220;There are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher (operational) efficiencies and improve returns,&#8221; MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said in a statement.



Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said the agreement would avoid duplication of expensive infrastructure.



Sharing infrastructure allows operators to extend their network coverage more quickly, especially in rural or less densely-populated areas where it might not be economically viable to build separate networks.



Following the conclusion of agreements in Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel Africa will explore various opportunities in other markets, including Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda and Zambia, the companies said.



Among the deals under consideration are radio access network sharing, the largest portion of the cost in network deployment and operation; commercial and technical agreements for fibre infrastructure sharing; and, if necessary, the construction of fibre networks, they added.



&#8220;This engagement does not preclude the parties from collaborating with other operators in any respective market,&#8221; the companies said.



(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by Mark Potter)

featured

South Africa’s two biggest parties yet to reach pact on budget

Zimbabwe police deploy to block demonstrations against Mnangagwa

South Africa grants Eskom coal plants limited emissions exemptions

Trump says reciprocal tariffs will target all countries

South African rand strengthens as gold hits fresh peak

Stock futures slip as a jittery Wall Street awaits ‘Liberation Day’: Live updates

West African juntas impose levy on imported goods

Sudanese on Nile island in capital recount paramilitary repression

Kenya sends former PM Odinga to defuse South Sudan crisis

South Africa’s Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie to retire in July

South Africa central bank says inflation targeting framework may be stifling growth

South Africa shifts to FDI inflows in fourth quarter, central bank says

Is Britain on the cusp of another multibillion-pound consumer finance scandal?

Transnet’s major union rejects wage deal agreed by rival

Sudan army surrounds Khartoum airport, sources say, in battle for capital

UK’s Prince Harry ‘in shock’ after quitting his African Aids charity

MTN Group and Airtel Africa agree to share networks in Uganda and Nigeria

News Tips

Advertise With Us

featured

South Africa’s two biggest parties yet to reach pact on budget

Zimbabwe police deploy to block demonstrations against Mnangagwa

South Africa grants Eskom coal plants limited emissions exemptions

Trump says reciprocal tariffs will target all countries

South African rand strengthens as gold hits fresh peak

Stock futures slip as a jittery Wall Street awaits ‘Liberation Day’: Live updates

West African juntas impose levy on imported goods

Sudanese on Nile island in capital recount paramilitary repression

Kenya sends former PM Odinga to defuse South Sudan crisis

South Africa’s Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie to retire in July

South Africa central bank says inflation targeting framework may be stifling growth

South Africa shifts to FDI inflows in fourth quarter, central bank says

Is Britain on the cusp of another multibillion-pound consumer finance scandal?

Transnet’s major union rejects wage deal agreed by rival

Sudan army surrounds Khartoum airport, sources say, in battle for capital

UK’s Prince Harry ‘in shock’ after quitting his African Aids charity

MTN Group and Airtel Africa agree to share networks in Uganda and Nigeria

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Newsletters