South Africa

Sovereign debt crisis imperils developing economies as G20 gathers in Johannesburg Global economic experts are raising the alarm: sovereign debt in many developing countries, especially across Africa, has reached a critical stage and risks triggering wider instability if left unaddressed. With G20 leaders preparing to meet in Johannesburg this month, analysts say the summit is an urgent opportunity for coordinated action on debt sustainability and finance for development. The warning follows reporting that many low- and…

Latest situation Conditions in Gauteng are expected to improve after a period of severe weather that disrupted services and response efforts. The latest forecast now calls for only scattered showers across the province. Weather models show a reduction in storm intensity, moving from widespread severe conditions to isolated showers. Authorities report that the earlier severe weather slowed emergency and repair responses in affected areas. Power restoration work is underway in some neighbourhoods where outages occurred…

G20 in Johannesburg: A test of multilateralism as Africa’s priorities meet fracturing diplomacy The historic 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg (November 22–23) arrives with symbolic weight — the first time the grouping meets on African soil — and with urgent expectations. Under South Africa’s presidency theme, “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” hosts have signalled a push to center issues that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries: debt sustainability, climate finance, and rising inequality. Yet the…

South Africa tightens its inflation anchor — a test of credibility for monetary and fiscal policy South Africa’s National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank have agreed on a new inflation objective: a 3% target with a one percentage point tolerance band. That shifts the nominal anchor to 3% (effectively a 2–4% acceptable range), and — according to reporting — is part of a fragile compromise between the Government of National Unity and the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement after three failed attempts to pass the…

G20 in Johannesburg: A test of multilateralism as the Global South takes the stage The 2025 G20 summit in Johannesburg will be historic: the first time the grouping meets on African soil. Under South Africa’s presidency and the banner "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability," Pretoria aims to pivot the world’s premier economic forum toward issues that disproportionately affect the Global South — debt distress, climate resilience, and stark global wealth gaps. But the summit opens under an unusual cloud. President Donald…

South Africa allows 153 Palestinians to disembark after 12 hours held on plane South African authorities have permitted a group of 153 Palestinians who had been kept on board an aircraft for about 12 hours to leave the plane after it landed in Johannesburg, officials said. What happened The group arrived on a chartered Global Airways flight and was initially kept on the aircraft for roughly 12 hours, the Border Management Authority (BMA) said. After that period, BMA officials allowed the passengers to disembark and enter…

Seventeen South Africans trapped in Donbas spotlight a growing, ugly global trade in fighters Seventeen South African men — sixteen reportedly from KwaZulu‑Natal and one from the Eastern Cape — have been left stranded in Ukraine’s embattled Donbas region after answering offers that promised steady pay and work abroad. The men say they were recruited for what they believed would be lucrative civilian jobs, only to discover they were expected to join armed units in one of the war’s most dangerous theaters. The episode,…

Zimbabwean opposition figure Job Sikhala detained in South Africa; party blame and questions about evidence When Job Sikhala, a senior opposition politician from Zimbabwe, was arrested in South Africa this week after police say they found blasting cartridges and capped fuse connectors in his vehicle, supporters and fellow opposition figures immediately cried foul. Sikhala — who has accused Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF of orchestrating the incident — now faces an uncertain legal fight in a country that has long been a refuge…

Trump's G20 Snub: A Diplomatic Rift With South Africa In a move that has taken the global diplomatic community by surprise, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision not to attend the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, citing contentious issues in South Africa. His remarks have rekindled a heated debate on international relations and the role of global forums in addressing domestic policy issues. A Controversial Stand Speaking at the American Business Forum in Miami, Trump stated, "South Africa shouldn't even…

When a partisan writer sits before the Senate: what a contested ambassadorial pick says about U.S.–South Africa ties Leo Brent Bozell III told senators this week he was "coming before you at a challenging moment for U.S.–South Africa relations." What followed in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was less a routine credentialing than a snapshot of how American domestic politics are reshaping diplomacy. The nominee — a conservative writer and activist with no previous diplomatic experience — found a largely friendly…