An interconnected world has rendered us interdependent but also vulnerable to shock across economic geographies, forcing distinct national responses
Data sovereignty refers to the principle that all data is subject to the laws and regulations of the nation state or jurisdiction in which it is collected. This concept gained prominence in the early 2010s following the Edward Snowden revelations about mass surveillance by the United States
The war in the Middle East isn’t coming to our doorstep- it is already here. You will feel it at the pumps, in the supermarket aisles and in your beer mug. The ripple effect of fuel price increases is such that everything else including taxi fares and food prices will shoot through the roof
It is urgent that Africa invests in adding value to its minerals. If it fails to seize this moment, it will be difficult to shake off its historical status as an exporter of cheap raw materials and importer of expensive finished products
The story of the coming years will not be the binary of whether China ‘collapses’ or ‘surpasses’. It will be about how the rest of the world adapts to a China that has successfully moved from being a follower to a standard-setter
Travel is becoming planned, curated and experience-led again. The development pipeline reflects that
As Iranian conflict rattles oil markets and raises economic risks for South Africa, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is building a scenario plan to assess the implications for the country
Ambassador Mansour Shakib Mehr said Tehran’s actions ‘are directed at military bases used against us’
China isn’t chasing trends, he’s building legacy, one intentional set,
one emotional transition and one timeless story at a time
There are already promising indications that economic competition at various levels between the United States and China is benefitting the African continent
This does not require abandoning old allies but it does require recognising that the world has moved on from the ideological certainties of the past
This is not diplomacy; it is an eviction notice served by Delta Force
Under international law, regime change, coercive economic measures and military intervention are unlawful unless authorised by the UN Security Council
WW2 is conventionally dated to September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, but its origins can reasonably be traced back to 1935 when Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia
Nonetheless, the US president has unashamedly admitted that this operation in Venezuela is all about oil
Rasool is perhaps one of the few South African political figures able to articulate the global consequences of misused narratives
Tariffs were meant to punish Chinese exporters and encourage American manufacturing; instead, they have raised prices for US consumers
As China enters a high-tech development era, Malawi positions itself to convert strategic partnership into industrial muscle, clean energy capacity and accountable governance
South Africa’s risk is not expulsion, which the G20’s rules do not allow, but a year of disruption that could blunt the gains of its presidency
President Cyril Ramaphosa told delegates that all G20 members except the US had signed the declaration
Trump’s inflammatory remarks about “white genocide” during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state visit were not merely offensive; they invoked white nationalist tropes aimed at delegitimising Black leadership on African soil
The absence of US President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin puts the spotlight squarely on President Cyril Ramaphosa and South Africa
Chinese government says this isn’t an attempt to capture the South African government but an initiative meant to help South Africans
The increase was largely driven by exports, which surged 40.5% to $18.6 billion, reflecting rising global demand
Stable governance, executive unity and some operational freedom allowed the state-owned entity to succeed, show SOEs need not decline
China’s ambassador said South Africa’s call to narrow its trade deficit and diversify exports required building local beneficiation capacity
Did US ambassador to Liberia Mark Toner, US Africa bureau official Troy Fitrell, Africa adviser to the US president Massad Boulos and former US special envoy J Peter Pham have any conflict of interests in influencing the deal?
These countries need to rethink the prohibitive tariffs they place on each other
China plans to lead the world through building state, economic and diplomatic capabilities and not through war
The trade truce between the US and China might be fragile and conditional but it’s a step towards dialogue and stability amid ongoing rivalry
The country needs to establish a deliberate geopolitical hedging strategy to traverse this changing terrain
The country needs to develop a new strategy as both punitive tariffs from and genial relations with giants leave it vulnerable