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The Southern African Times, London (2026)

01/01/2026

The Southern African Times announces Jeremy Awori, Group CEO of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, as the Southern Africa CEO of the Year 2025.

This recognition celebrates exceptional leadership that combines financial excellence, innovation, and inclusive growth. Under Awori’s direction, Ecobank achieved record revenues in 2025, expanding its digital footprint and empowering millions of new customers across Africa.

The final Top 10 Southern African Executives of 2025 represent a new generation of leadership driving transformation across finance, infrastructure, and industry:
2. Armstrong Takang – Ministry of Finance Incorporated
3. Stephen Saad – Aspen Pharmacare
4. Mteto Nyati – Business Leader and Chair
5. Lincoln Mali – Lesaka Technologies (Southern Africa)
6. Kenny Fihla – Absa Group
7. Ntombi Msiza – Raubex Group
8. Patrick Dlamini – Public Investment Corporation
9. Natascha Viljoen – Newmont
10. Fundi Sithebe – 4Racing

Read the full story on our website:
https://southernafricantimes.com/jeremy-awori-named-southern-africa-ceo-of-the-year-2025/

Top10CEOs AfricaBusiness CorporateLeadership DigitalTransformation FinancialInclusion AfricanFinance SouthernAfrica BusinessLeadership PanAfricanExcellence

01/01/2026

As the world turns its gaze to a new chapter, The Southern African Times welcomes 2026 with quiet confidence and considered optimism. Here’s to a year defined by clarity of thought, depth of insight, and enduring opportunity across Africa and beyond.

31/12/2025

Burkina Faso has announced new visa restrictions on U.S. nationals in a reciprocal move following Washington’s decision to suspend the entry of Burkinabe citizens from January 2026. The West African nation emphasised that the decision aligns with the principle of reciprocity and reflects its commitment to sovereign equality, mutual respect and balanced cooperation in international relations.

This development underscores a broader shift in African diplomacy, as countries across the continent increasingly assert autonomy and demand parity in their global engagements. Burkina Faso’s position signals a growing determination among African states to redefine partnerships on the basis of equality and shared interests.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/burkina-faso-introduces-reciprocal-visa-restrictions-on-u-s-nationals/

Reciprocity GlobalAffairs AfricaNews InternationalRelations SouthernAfricanTimes

31/12/2025

Egypt has received 3.5 billion US dollars from Qatar as part of a landmark investment to develop a large-scale real estate and tourism project on the Mediterranean coast. The agreement between Egypt’s New Urban Communities Authority and Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company marks a significant milestone in strengthening African-Arab economic cooperation and demonstrates a shift toward sustainable, partnership-driven development across the continent.

This initiative is part of a broader 29.7 billion US dollar framework to create an integrated coastal destination featuring residential areas, hospitality, educational, and government facilities. The project underscores Egypt’s growing focus on tourism-led growth and long-term national value creation, while also reflecting a wider African trend towards inclusive investment models that promote self-determined economic progress.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/egypt-receives-3-5-billion-us-dollars-in-qatar-backed-coastal-development-investment/

SustainableGrowth MatrouhProvince IntraAfricanInvestment UrbanDevelopment EconomicPartnerships

31/12/2025

Silver has emerged as the defining commodity of 2025, with prices soaring by over 160 per cent amid tightening global supply and increasing industrial demand. Precious metals as a whole have outperformed equities and major currencies, driven by central bank buying and anticipation of lower interest rates in 2026. However, energy and agricultural commodities have faced declines as markets grapple with oversupply and subdued global demand, particularly across oil and soft commodities.

For Southern Africa, the surge in metals like platinum and palladium offers much-needed fiscal relief and export strength, while weaker agricultural and energy prices could dampen broader growth prospects. As the continent navigates global market shifts and the transition toward renewable energy, the opportunity to capture greater value through local refining and manufacturing remains central to its long-term economic resilience.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/silver-leads-the-2025-global-commodities-market-as-energy-and-agricultural-prices-struggle/

Gold Copper Agriculture Oil EconomicOutlook SouthernAfrica

31/12/2025

Zimbabwe’s gold-backed currency, the ZiG, has reached its strongest level against the US dollar since January, supported by rising global gold prices and an increase in the country’s foreign-exchange reserves. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe reports that the ZiG, introduced in 2024, has maintained notable stability, depreciating only marginally this year — a significant shift from the volatility that once characterised the nation’s monetary history.

This development signals a cautious but important step in Zimbabwe’s ongoing efforts to rebuild financial confidence and stabilise its currency system. As more African nations explore commodity-backed currencies to safeguard against external shocks, Zimbabwe’s experience could serve as a blueprint for resource-based monetary resilience across the continent.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/zimbabwes-gold-backed-zig-strengthens-on-rising-reserves-and-bullion-gains/

Africa MonetaryPolicy EconomicStability ZiG SouthernAfricanTimes

31/12/2025

Mozambique has embarked on a defining step toward technological and industrial self-reliance with the launch of its first electronics assembly factory at Beluluane Industrial Park in Matola. Spearheaded by MSource, this US$3 million investment is set to produce mobile phones, smartphones, and potentially laptops while creating over 160 direct jobs. The initiative reflects a broader vision of transforming Mozambique from a consumer of imported technologies into a producer and innovator within the Southern African region.

The groundbreaking, attended by key figures including Communications Minister Américo Muchanga, MSource representative Francisco Chate, and Onório Manuel of MozParks, marks a milestone in the nation’s industrial strategy and regional cooperation agenda. With production expected within months, the project underscores the potential of homegrown African innovation to drive inclusive development and reshape narratives around technology and industry across the continent.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/mozambique-launches-first-electronics-factory-paving-way-for-tech-independence/

Industrialisation EconomicGrowth AméricoMuchanga FranciscoChate OnórioManuel AfricanInnovation TechIndependence Manufacturing MozParks

30/12/2025

The United Kingdom has reiterated that it does not recognise the self-declared independence of Somaliland, reaffirming its commitment to Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The statement from London followed Israel’s recent and unprecedented move to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, marking the first such recognition by any country.

In a statement released by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, a spokesperson confirmed that the UK’s policy towards Somalia remains unchanged. The government expressed continued support for dialogue between Mogadishu and Hargeisa as the appropriate pathway toward a peaceful and mutually agreed resolution. The statement further underscored Britain’s longstanding position that Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity are central to the stability of the Horn of Africa.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/uk-reaffirms-support-for-somalias-national-unity/

30/12/2025

China has reaffirmed its support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity following Israel’s recent move to recognise Somaliland as an independent state. The statement from Beijing underscores its opposition to any international action perceived as undermining the unity of African nations.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated that China “opposes any attempt to split territories in Somalia” and cautioned against foreign interference in African domestic affairs. Lin stated that “no country should encourage or support other countries’ internal separatist forces for its own selfish interests”, a remark widely interpreted as directed at Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/china-reaffirms-support-for-somalia-rejects-recognition-of-somaliland/

30/12/2025

Axis International Ltd, a company based in the United Arab Emirates, has initiated a $28.9 billion claim against the Republic of Guinea before the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) after its mining permit for a bauxite concession in the Boffa region was revoked earlier this year.

Guinea, which possesses the world’s largest reserves of bauxite—the primary ore used in aluminium production—has embarked on a sweeping policy to reinforce state authority over the mining sector. The government led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya has sought to secure greater fiscal returns and promote domestic value addition by reallocating permits and demanding enhanced local processing. These measures, while framed as efforts to protect national interests and ensure equitable benefit-sharing, have prompted a growing number of international arbitration challenges.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/axis-international-seeks-28-9-billion-from-guinea-in-bauxite-permit-dispute/

30/12/2025

Across the continent, a quiet transformation is reshaping Africa’s economic narrative. As the decade nears its midpoint, a shift from consumption to productivity is redefining what sustainable growth means for African markets. In his latest opinion piece, Farai Ian Muvuti, CEO of The Southern African Times and Founder of Sankofa Capital, examines how productivity — not commodities or external aid — is becoming Africa’s most reliable engine of prosperity.

From digital innovation to industrial expansion and agricultural modernisation, Muvuti argues that productivity now determines how Africa competes, invests, and defines its economic future. This is a call to policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to focus on the fundamentals that create enduring wealth.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/beyond-commodities-productivity-becomes-africas-true-source-of-wealth/

29/12/2025

China’s evolving strategy to consolidate influence over the global iron ore market is gathering momentum, revealing both its ambitions and the complex interplay between economic pragmatism and geopolitical leverage. The state-backed China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG), established in 2022, has intensified efforts to extract more favourable trading terms from major mining corporations such as BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue and Brazil’s Vale. This move comes as Beijing prepares for the entry of a major new African supply source that could redefine global dynamics in the years ahead.

Recent developments indicate that CMRG has adopted a more assertive posture in negotiations. In November, it instructed Chinese steel mills and traders to avoid purchasing spot cargoes from a second BHP product, following earlier restrictions on another. These measures signal a deliberate attempt to strengthen China’s negotiating position within a market long dominated by mining conglomerates headquartered in Australia and Brazil.

Read more: https://southernafricantimes.com/inside-beijings-strategy-to-reshape-the-global-iron-ore-market/

The Southern African Times

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