Latest news with #sub-Saharan
IOL News
an hour ago
- Business
- IOL News
S&P Global Ratings maintains positive outlook for South Africa's economy
The S&P Global logo is displayed on its offices in the financial district in New York City Image: File. S&P Global Ratings has said that the outlook for the country remains positive, during its South Africa Capital Markets Conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday. S&P global experts and industry leaders, engaged in dynamic panel discussions during the conference. Yann Le Pallec, President of S&P Global Ratings, highlighted Africa's potential for growth, particularly in sub-Saharan regions. He projected that the region's real GDP is expected to increase by 4% over the next two years, outperforming advanced economies that are anticipated to grow by a mere 1.5%. "Despite issues faced in African economies, there is potential to attract investment from all regions,' Le Pallec said, emphasising the continent's pivotal role in the global energy transition. Le Pallec addressed the pressing need for enhanced electricity access across Africa, noting that approximately 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa currently lack reliable power. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ He mentioned the plans from both the World Bank and the African Development Bank to provide electricity access to 300 million individuals, demonstrating a commitment to improving infrastructure. G20 and the economy As experts convened on a panel to deliberate on the geopolitical climate and the implications of tariff policies, Danelee Masia, a senior economist at Deutsche Bank, underscored the need for South Africa to navigate the evolving global order. She stated that South Africa's strategic alliances with Middle Eastern countries could potentially bring in foreign direct investment, which is crucial for the nation's economic landscape. Jeff Gable, the head of Macro and Fixed Income Research at Absa, echoed the importance of US participation in the upcoming G20 conference. He warned that a lack of US engagement could overshadow the efforts made in preparing for the conference and detract from the discussions on pressing global issues. Growth in South Africa In terms of South Africa's growth, Annabel Bishop, the chief economist at Investec Bank, pointed out that the South African Reserve Bank has forecasted a mere 1% economic growth. Bishop attributed recent instability in the global financial markets to uncertainty surrounding tariffs and the Government of National Unity (GNU). She expressed cautious optimism that diplomatic negotiations could potentially lead to lower tariffs later in the year. "While we saw a pause and lot of negotiations on tariffs made from around the world, including South Africa's one where Ramaphosa and SA's team went to the White House and spoke about trade and other issues, it is key to understand that this process could allow for much lower tariffs later in the year," Bishop added. Bishop further said, "We have our forecast at 1.3% it could possibly drop to 1.2 or 1.1%,but we are optimistic that this year will see almost double of what economic growth came out of last year." Ravi Bhatia, a director and lead analyst at S&P Global Ratings, reiterated a positive outlook for South Africa, noting the nation's structural strengths and the ability to maintain a low inflation environment. Bhatia said, "That facilitates from a government point of view that it is relatively is easy to fund the deficit through domestic funding making for less exposure to foreign exchange risk and still have room on raising external financing. SA is fairly new on raising money from multilaterals, and they are working on that so what we seeing is they are able to finance. The GNU is good in that it survived despite many disagreements. Having other parties there alongside the ANC, it is putting reformist pressure on the ANC to push reforms at a faster rate. It has been impressive that despite the disagreements over the Budget, the GNU held together." "What we have not seen that it is delivering higher growth and that is where there is a bit of a disconnect. We still have around 1.5% in the forecast period we are looking at, it is not great because it means incomes in SA are flat. Efforts have been made in the fiscal space and a push towards fiscal consolidation. To unlock finance, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) will push the SA government to push their structural reforms and getting the SOEs (state-owned enterprises) in order. The macro story is quite good; the checks and balances between the Treasury and SARB are sound and not something the IMF will focus on. It will be more on structural reforms, SOEs and labour market reforms as well as higher growth, Bhatia said.
CAF
18-05-2025
- Sport
- CAF
WHERE TO WATCH: TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Final
Published: Sunday, 18 May 2025 The eyes of the continent will be focussed on Cairo on Sunday night when the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025 is staged between South Africa and Morocco. The much anticipated encounter, which is a repeat of the 1997 decider between the same two sides, will take place at 18:00 GMT (21:00 local time) at the 30 June Stadium. As two of the continent's most exciting young sides prepare to battle for top honours, CAF has confirmed the list of broadcasters that will televise the match live. You can watch the Final Live on various platforms including beIN Sport (MENA, France, Asia-Pacific and Americas), Canal+ (sub-Saharan Africa), SuperSport (sub-Saharan Africa), New World TV (sub-Saharan Africa), Azam Media, SABC and On-Time Sport. CAF's YouTube official page, CAF TV, will show the match in the rest of the world but not in the MENA region and other selected sub-Saharan territories.
France 24
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Arts24 in Cannes: ‘The world has never been closer to a world war in my lifetime,' says Bono
Culture 08:40 From the show Culture editor Eve Jackson brings us the latest from Day 4 of the Cannes Film Festival, where U2 frontman Bono is premiering Stories of Surrender. The documentary, directed by Andrew Dominik, is based on Bono's emotional one-man stage show – mixing his biggest hits with personal reflections on grief, fame, and activism. Speaking at Cannes, the rock legend warned that 'the world has never been closer to a world war' in his lifetime. Also in the spotlight: Ari Aster's Eddington, a darkly comic western starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone. And we meet Aïssa Maïga and Laetitia Ky, stars of Promised the Sky, a powerful film about the lives of sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia.
Broadcast Pro
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Tunisian film ‘Promised Sky' to open Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2025
The film draws inspiration from actual events in Tunisia, where sub-Saharan migrants faced a wave of hostility in the media and on the streets, resulting in violence, unjust detentions and the forced expulsion of thousands. Tunisian filmmaker Erige Sehiri's latest feature, Promised Sky, has been selected to open this year's Un Certain Regard section at the 78th Festival de Cannes. The film will be screened on Wednesday, May 14, following the official opening ceremony scheduled for 7 PM. The festival, which runs from May 13 to 24, 2025, will spotlight Promised Sky as an introduction to one of Cannes' most globally engaged film sections. This marks Sehiri's return to Cannes after her acclaimed debut Under the Fig Trees premiered in the Directors' Fortnight in 2022 and went on to become Tunisia's official entry for the 95th Academy Awards. Known for her journalistic and documentary background, Sehiri has developed a distinctive filmmaking style that fuses realism with emotionally resonant storytelling. Set in Tunisia and inspired by true events, Promised Sky follows the intersecting lives of women navigating personal and political uncertainty. The story centres on Marie, an Ivorian pastor and former journalist living in Tunis, who offers shelter to two women—Naney, a young mother chasing hope, and Jolie, a determined student burdened with family expectations. When an orphaned girl enters their lives, their fragile solidarity is tested in a tense social landscape, exposing both vulnerability and resilience. The cast includes acclaimed actor Aïssa Maïga alongside Laetitia Ky, Deborah Naney, and Tunisian actor Mohamed Grayaa. Sehiri not only directed and co-produced the film but also collaborated again with cinematographer Frida Marzouk, who previously worked with her on Under the Fig Trees and contributed to the John Wick franchise. The film is produced by Didar Domehri and distributed in the Arab world by MAD Distribution. Beyond cinema, Sehiri has been an active voice in journalism and civil society. She co-founded INKYFADA, a platform for investigative journalism, and Al Khatt, a Tunisian NGO championing media literacy and press freedom. She is also one of the founding members of Rawiyat – Sisters in Film, a collective that supports women filmmakers from the Arab world and its diaspora.
Arab News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Tragedy as another refugee boat sinks in the Med
TUNIS: Tunisia's coast guard on Monday recovered the bodies of eight African refugees who drowned after their boat sank off the country's coast as it tried to cross the Mediterranean toward Europe. a security official told Reuters, adding that 29 other people were rescued. The vessel sank in waters off the city of Abwabed near Sfax, a departure point often used by African migrants. Search operations were underway for survivors and 29 had been found alive, national guard officer Houssem Eddine Jebabli said. The refugees were 'all foreigners,' including some from sub-Saharan Africa and others of different nationalities, he said. Tunisia is grappling with an unprecedented migration crisis and has replaced Libya as a major departure point for both Tunisians and others in Africa seeking a better life in Europe. It is a key transit country for thousands of sub-Saharan refugees seeking to reach Europe by sea each year, with Italy's island of Lampedusa only 150 kilometers away. This month authorities began dismantling informal camps near Sfax holding thousands of migrants, mainly from Sub-Saharan African countries. With the EU's mounting efforts to curb migrant arrivals, many refugees feel stranded in Tunisia. Tunisia signed a $290 million deal with the EU In 2023, nearly half of it earmarked for tackling irregular migration. The deal, strongly supported by Italy's hard-right government, aimed to bolster Tunisia's capacity to prevent boats leaving its shore. Frontex, the EU's border agency, has said that irregular border crossings were down 64 percent last year until September for the central Mediterranean route.
