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South Africa
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South Africa

South Africa
South Africa
The latest news, analysis and opinion on South Africa. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A view of the Pyramids of Giza on the southwestern outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s TDC to open Egypt office as it eyes African, Nordic markets

Trade Development Council has revamped corporate structure to better help firms in six new industry clusters, chairman Frederick Ma says.

Law

Legal Tales | Everything you never wanted to know about hosting the World Cup

China-Africa relations

How overlapping US and China sanctions are complicating business in Africa

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Brics

Opinion | What the Iran war has revealed about Brics+

Those arguing that the conflict has exposed the grouping as a failure misunderstand its role.

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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (second left) speaks during a plenary session of the Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 7, 2025. Photo: AFP
China-Africa relations

China’s port role in Africa extends far beyond docks: study

The Africa Centre for Strategic Studies says Chinese firms are deeply embedded across the continent’s maritime networks.

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US-China relations

G20 summit in Miami perfect ‘backdrop for Trump-Xi meeting’: sources

Get-together would cap year with China hosting the Apec leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen in November before the US stages G20 just weeks later.

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Malawi

Thousands protest in South Africa against immigration

Amid high unemployment, and a growing global backlash against foreigners, organisers want them to leave. 25,000 have already done so.

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Protesters in Pretoria chant slogans on Tuesday during a demonstration marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa. Photo: AFP
China-Africa relations

China and Africa’s evolving partnership

From funding vital infrastructure and industrial growth to a growing wave of cultural exchange, ties between Beijing and Africa are entering a new phase. In this ongoing series, we explore the deepening economic, cultural and diplomatic relations between China and African countries.

Architecture and design

The tea towel’s luxe transformation, from kitchen staple to Burberry styles

From hand-printed Italian linens to Hong Kong keepsakes, the dishcloth has transcended its humble origins to become a genuine design object.

China-Africa relations

More and more Africans want to learn Chinese. But who will teach them?

African nations are adding Chinese to their national curricula, but the roll-out is hampered by a lack of qualified teachers.

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A contestant delivers a speech in the final of the 25th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for university students in Soa, Cameroon, on May 29. Photo: Xinhua
Israel-Gaza war

Israel’s foreign minister cuts ties with top EU diplomat over ‘apartheid’ remark

Saar accused Kallas of ‘acting obsessively and with blatant unfairness’ by reportedly comparing Israel to South Africa’s apartheid regime.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas delivers a statement at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

China urged to boost navy escorts and find other routes to secure energy supply

Closure of Strait of Hormuz has exposed fragility of maritime chokepoints and more should be done to protect shipments, analysts say.

China-Latin America relations

Latin America and Europe are bystanders in the US-China AI race: Lula adviser

Brazil’s Celso Amorim tells a Rio conference the Global South must answer via Brics, casting rare earths and data as matters of sovereignty.

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Spain

Pope Leo’s plane grounded, so Spain’s king gives him a ride

The pontiff flew back to Rome on the monarch’s private jet after the papal aircraft’s engine failed to start.

Pope Leo boards a plane at Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna Airport, Canary Islands, Spain, on Friday. Photo: Vatican Media via Reuters
Millionaires, billionaires and trillionaires

Musk is world’s first trillionaire – what could he buy with all that money?

The SpaceX boss has reached a level of wealth that is hard to understand in real terms. But we’re going to try.

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A bust of Elon Musk is seen in Brownsville, Texas, on Friday, the day of SpaceX’s IPO. Photo: Reuters
MTR Corporation

Letters | Why South Africa should consider replicating Hong Kong’s MTR model

Readers discuss the appeal of the MTR’s ‘rail plus property’ model, the remarkable symmetries in Chinese and Indian cultures, and Macau’s tourism revival.

Africa

Manhunt in South Africa for attackers who killed 12 in mass shooting

More than 10 gunmen ambushed a Johannesburg informal settlement, leaving nine others wounded in a late-night rampage.

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Japan

Japan’s PM Takaichi eyes India trip for talks with leader Modi

The leaders plan to discuss strengthening supply chains of critical goods given concerns about China.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at a budget committee session at the National Diet in Tokyo on Thursday. Her trip to India later this year would be part of the two nations’ practice of reciprocal visits by their leaders. Photo: AFP
United States

US to slash number of embassies in Africa that process visas

US State Department consolidation will force applicants across the continent to travel to 20 central hubs.

Crime

Murder probe launched after tourists found killed in South Africa national park

Couple found dead and vehicle missing, marking a first in Kruger National Park’s 100-year history.

China-Africa relations

Will Zimbabwe’s lithium strategy help it break into the value-adding game?

Arcadia starts processing Chinese lithium in hopes of snapping the ‘digging and shipping’ cycle following Harare’s raw mineral export ban.

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A worker inspects an open cast at the Arcadia lithium mine in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe. Photo: Getty Images
Science

China confirms death of hypersonic weapon expert Fang Daining in South Africa

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has announced Fang’s death, confirming an SCMP report in March.

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Fang Daining died of an illness on February 27, according to an obituary posted on the CAS website. Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

AI | China’s Ganfeng secures orders amid surge in demand for energy storage, AI boom

Company says its orders are booked through the first half of 2027 as it plans to increase production volume by 50 per cent next year.

Indonesia

Police raids reveal Indonesia as new hub for scam, gambling syndicates

Hundreds of foreigners have been arrested in Indonesia recently following crackdowns against crime groups in Cambodia and Myanmar.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Just because Brics isn’t a coherent bloc doesn’t mean it’s impotent

The grouping has a future, not as a binding structure demanding policy alignment but as a tool for members to enhance leverage and maximise options.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Cyril Ramaphosa

South Africa’s Ramaphosa defies calls to resign over ‘cash-in-sofa’ scandal

President pledges to fight misconduct charges after a ruling by the nation’s top court resurrected the scandal.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: AP
China-Africa relations

Why China’s new duty-free access is a lifeline for South African exporters

South African trade is pivoting to China as US tariffs bite, but Chinese industrial dominance poses a new dilemma.

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Spain

Spain to repatriate guests as hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads for Canaries

The MV Hondius is expected to reach the port of Granadilla on the island of Tenerife on Sunday.

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