Trade

latest news & developments

Tender Invitation: The Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

The SACU Secretariat is inviting qualified bidders to submit proposals for short-term consultancy services to review and finalise its regional framework for trade digitalisation…

Tender Invitation

The SACU Secretariat has issued a tender inviting qualified bidders to submit proposals for short-term consultancy services focused on streamlining trade barriers across member…

Prospecting: The Malawi Mining Investment Company (Mamico) accompanied Minister of Mining Thoko Tembo on a field tour with artisanal gold miners at Nanjiri Mining Cooperative in Kasungu District. Photo: Mamico

Malawi’s gold plan faces a credibility test

Malawi's ambitious plan to curb gold smuggling through state-backed buying centres faces severe hurdles, including unverified loss estimates, overlapping institutional mandates,…

India–Mpumalanga: Building on Trade, Opening New Frontiers

A high-level diplomatic and business visit to Mpumalanga by India’s Consul General highlights opportunities to expand bilateral ties across mining, forestry, renewable energy, AI…

Members of a military music band march during a rally in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 7, 2021, in support of the national defence forces. Five days after the government declared a state of emergency throughout the country, tens of thousands of Ethiopians vowed at a pro-government rally in Addis Ababa on November 7 to defend the capital against Tigrayan rebels and denounced diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in the north of the country. (Photo by Eduardo Soteras/AFP)

Ethiopia: Landlocked, But Not Landbound

As the world's most populous landlocked country, Ethiopia faces acute economic vulnerabilities relying on a single maritime corridor. A strategic shift toward negotiated port…

Galloway calls for end to Israel coal exports

British politician George Galloway has urged South Africa to halt its coal exports to Israel, arguing the move would align its economic actions with its genocide case at the…

Financing gap puts SADC ambitions at risk

Despite ambitious industrialisation goals set at recent summits, SADC's vision is threatened by delayed protocol ratifications and a critical financing shortfall in its Regional…

The panel: The session brought together, from left, Siddharth Zarabi, the group editor of Business Today, who moderated the discussion; Sachin Ahuja, the CEO of Alfeco Holdings Group, Manpreet Singh, the president of the Indian Chamber of International Business; and Kalpana Ajayan, the regional head, South Asia at Women's World Banking. Photo: Supplied

BRICS opens doors to a new business era

Business leaders at the India Today BRICS Roundtable in New Delhi explored cross-border opportunities, highlighting how trade, manufacturing, and investment can drive new growth…

Brics countries have expressed commitment to collaborate on confronting global warming, with rapid urbanisation in the five member countries.

India, South Africa and the BRICS moment: From shared voice to shared power

Beyond diplomatic optics, BRICS is rapidly transforming into a solution-driven economic platform. Here is how India and South Africa are turning shared multilateral ambitions…

Ramaphosa warns BRICS against a new raw-material trap for Africa

Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged member nations to direct investments toward local manufacturing and mineral beneficiation…

President Cyril Ramaphosa. (GCIS)

Ramaphosa courts Indian investment at BRICS summit

President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in New Delhi for the BRICS summit, using the platform to target Indian investment in South Africa's critical minerals, infrastructure, and…

Editorial: Kenya risks igniting xenophobia

President William Ruto's ban on foreign nationals operating small-scale businesses threatens to fuel xenophobia and fracture regional integration across the East African Community.

Not buying it: The trade restrictions, framed publicly as economic protectionism for Kenyan small-scale traders, has triggered diplomatic friction in the East African Community. Photo: Photo meaduva / Flikr

Ruto's election gamble turns toxic in Kenya

Facing intense political pressure ahead of the general election, President William Ruto's restriction on foreign small-scale traders has triggered EAC diplomatic tensions,…

Zhu Rongji: The former no-nonsense premier who helped save China from economic collapse

Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, the "economic czar" who steered China toward a market economy, overhauled state enterprises, and secured its WTO entry, has died at the age of…

The One Thing the SADC Summit Should Have Put at the Top of the Agenda Was Small Business

While high-level summits focus on grand declarations, Southern Africa’s industrial future depends on small and medium enterprises. Unlocking regional value chains and empowering…