South Sudan Business Review

29/07/2024

THANK YOU, LUOL DENG! 🇸🇸

Lots of us created countless memes about this guy, but the former NBA All-Star Luol Deng used a major part of his salary in developing the Basketball team of the youngest country in the world!

Historic moment for South Sudan TODAY! 🇸🇸
✅ First Olympic appearance
✅ First game
✅ First win!

Deng’s Lakers salary:
💵 2017: $18,000,000
💵 2018: $17,190,000
💵 2019: $14,354,067 + $2,393,887
💵 2020: $5,000,000
💵 2021: $5,000,000
💵 2022: $5,000,000

Deng’s stats:
📊 2017: 7.6 PTS | 5.3 REB | 1.3 AST
📊 2018: 2.0 PTS | 1.0 AST | 1.0 STL
📊 2019: 7.1 PTS | 3.3 REB
📊 2020: RETIRED
📊 2021: RETIRED
📊 2022: RETIRED

He only played 79 games during that span (57 for the Lakers and 22 for the Wolves). Meaning he’s earned $1,263,158 for each game he has played as a Laker.

Deng had surgery for a pectoral injury in May of 2017, but he reportedly suffered the injury before the 2016-17 season and played through it.

That sounds like a fleece, but what happened today is a testament to the fact that a player’s influence can extend beyond their playing career and beyond the NBA. It transcends borders, as Luol Deng used his salary to bring the youngest and one of the most war-torn country in the world to the biggest basketball stage!

Deng used millions of his own dollars to fund the team in the first two years as he build South Sudan’s roster with players who have ties with the country and playing in professional leagues all over the world.

While Deng is the financer and driving force behind the team, he was not alone in this dream. Joining him is his high school coach, Joe Mantegna, who turned down Deng’s offer to become the team’s head coach. Mantegna preferred to be the assistant coach and suggested Deng’s former teammate, ex-NBA player Royal Ivey, as the head coach for the South Sudan men’s basketball team.

“As happy as we are to be there, we really want to compete. I don’t want people watching us and thinking that we just go there. I want people to see us and see the direction of where I’m trying to take the sport.” - Luol Deng, South Sudan’s basketball federation president since 2019.

Just 13 years ago, South Sudan gained their independence. Today, they just won their first game in the Olympics against Puerto Rico.

Luol Deng, thank you for inspiring these players to play basketball in an elite level, representing a country that doesn’t have any single covered basketball court! Not one!

South Sudan, continue to rise! The whole world is behind you! NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! 🇸🇸

THANK YOU, LUOL DENG! THANK YOU SOUTH SUDAN PLAYERS FOR YOUR WORLD-CLASS BASKETBALL PERFORMANCE! THE WHOLE WORLD IS SO PROUD OF YOU ALL!

28/07/2024

28/07/2024

20/07/2024

Breaking: South Sudan

08/07/2024

Bank of South Sudan newly inaugurated office complex in Juba has transformed the skyline in Jebel.

📸 Peter Louis

07/06/2024

Benjamin Bol Mel is a mysterious figure with iron resoluteness.

Many people have different opinions about him, and he faces numerous accusations. However, he remains silent, neither denying nor confirming claims from detractors.

Despite the barbs, his companies are making significant progress in South Sudan.

Today, social media was full of images showing one of his road projects. This project is particularly important as it will soon connect his home regions of Bhar Ghazal and Warrap.

There is an African saying: "The ripe guava tree is where the birds scream from."

In his efforts to develop his country, Benjamin Bol Mel faces many challenges and criticisms, but he continues to move forward.
This schooled signage especially is breathtaking and historic.

06/06/2024

EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT: the people of the state of New York found Donald Trump guilty on all counts of falsifying business records. This is a completely uncharted territory in the history of the US.

05/06/2024

VIDEO: Presidential Affairs minister Joseph Bakosoro has urged visitors to his office on official business to refrain from engaging in sycophantic behavior, such as praising and flattering him.

05/06/2024

Juba, South Sudan – The increasing impacts of climate change are becoming ever more apparent, particularly when compounded by insufficient infrastructural amenities. Yesterday’s downpour, although lasting less than an hour, led to significant flooding at Juba International Airport and highlighted the government’s failure to implement effective mitigation measures.

Images, widely shared on social media, highlight the severity of yesterday's flash foods and accumulated debris at Juba International Airport parking lot, raising concerns about the infrastructure’s resilience and the environmental management around the airport.

This situation serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for improved drainage to mitigate the impact of weather events.

Effective drainage systems and better waste management practices must be prioritized to prevent future occurrences.

Share your experiences and join the conversation.

Image/Courtesy

05/06/2024

The Perils of Misinformation: A Call to Responsibility

In today's information age, anything can be sold, including misinformation. The pervasive spread of falsehoods has serious consequences, eroding trust in our institutions and each other. Mark Twain once quipped, "If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you do, you're misinformed." This statement rings truer than ever in our current media landscape.

The long-term effects of misinformation are deeply troubling. One of the most significant is the relentless drive to be first with the news, often at the expense of accuracy. The truth becomes a secondary concern, overshadowed by the race to break the story. This urgency can lead to the dissemination of incomplete or incorrect information, further fueling public mistrust.

Our collective responsibility as consumers and purveyors of information is to prioritize truth over speed. The integrity of our media and the trust of the public depend on it. In an era where misinformation can spread like wildfire, it is crucial that we commit to telling the truth, not just being the first to report.

In the end, the truth matters. It is the foundation of a well-informed society and a functioning democracy. Let us all strive to uphold this principle, ensuring that accuracy and integrity remain at the forefront of journalism.