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☆ South Africa's MTN fintech arm pushes into remittances, business payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An MTN logo is seen outside the company's headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, March 13, 2023. With about 9 million registered mobile money subscribers in South Africa, MTN South Africa's Chief Financial Services Officer Bradwin Roper told reporters on Thursday the group is largely focusing on the roughly 15% of South Africans that are still unbanked. South Africa-based mobile money users will now be able to send money to recipients across over 10 African countries in real time if they are also registered users of the MTN service, Roper said. To make payments easier for such business owners, MTN also launched what it says are cheaper-to-rent point-of-sale devices that merge payments and other added services like airtime purchases into one device. MTN relaunched its South African mobile money business early in 2020, more than three years after closing it.

Persons: Siphiwe, Bradwin Roper, Roper, Nqobile Dludla, Jan Harvey Organizations: MTN, REUTERS, Rights, MTN South Africa's, Financial, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG, Africa, South

☆ South African utility Eskom expects lower power cuts in summer - CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In May, Eskom had projected an unprecedented level of power cuts during the winter months. Although its most dire predictions did not materialise, the country still experienced 10 hours of power cuts for 39 days in winter and not a single day with uninterrupted supply. The country's central bank said in June that regular power cuts would shave off almost 2% from the country's growth rate. In the base case scenario, the country would see "Stage 4" loadshedding at worst, which translates into up to six hours of power cuts in a 32-hour cycle, he said. Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom's head of generation, said he expected lower daily rolling blackouts as the Kusile power plant would progressively come online from October.

Persons: Siphiwe, Eskom, Calib Cassim, Bheki, Cassim, Promit Mukherjee, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Sasolburg, Free State, South Africa, JOHANNESBURG

☆ After Xi's G20 absence, China says willing to play role in APEC's success
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China is willing to play a "constructive" role in the success of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, its top diplomat said on Tuesday, after President Xi Jinping's absence at the annual Group of 20 summit in India. "As the world's largest developing country and an important member of APEC, China is willing to comply with the expectations of the international community and play a constructive role in the success of APEC this year," said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Xi, with no official explanation, did not go to the G20 summit in New Delhi this month, with the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, attending in his place. That prompted the United States to say China was "giving up" on the G20 and was building an alternative world order. "Of course, we and all parties hope that the United States will recognize its responsibility as the host, demonstrate openness, fairness, inclusiveness, and responsibility, and create better conditions for the smooth holding of the meeting," Wang said at a news conference, when asked whether Xi would attend APEC.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China Xi Jinping, India Narendra Modi, Sergei Lavrov, Xi, Wang Yi, Li Qiang, Wang Organizations: Russia's, United Arab, Economic Cooperation, APEC Locations: China, India, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Asia, San Francisco, New Delhi, United States

☆ Scientists have found the great white sharks that fled for their lives from gruesome liver-eating killer whale attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Killer whales have been killing great white sharks off South African shores. But lately, there's been a mysterious disappearance of great white sharks in these waters. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor years, great white sharks were turning up dead on South Africa's False Bay and Gansbaai shores missing something crucial — their livers. The tourism industry in Gaansbi, South Africa relied on the large population of great white sharks found in the area. In North America, for example, at the Southeast Farallon Islands great white sharks have been recorded fleeing from hunting areas after killer whales showed up.

Persons: there's, —, Michelle Jewell, Dan Kitwood, Jewell, There's Organizations: Service, Michigan State University Museum, Hakai, KwaZulu, Hakai Magazine Locations: Algoa, Natal, Gaansbi, South Africa, North America, Farallon

☆ Verstappen must wait but Red Bull have their title double
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Red Bull were able to celebrate their second Formula One title double in a row in Japan at the weekend, even if Max Verstappen must wait until October to be confirmed as a triple champion. The fact that Perez is now the only driver who can mathematically beat Verstappen to the title meant Red Bull had done the double for a sixth time. "Only a Red Bull driver can win the championship which is a great way to go into the next few races." That means Verstappen needs only three points to be champion even if the Mexican bags a maximum score at Lusail. It has been 36 races since Verstappen last came away from a weekend without scoring at least three points.

Persons: Bull, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Perez, Verstappen, Red Bull, Christian Horner, Horner, Fernando, Alonso, Alan Baldwin, Ken Ferris Organizations: Suzuka, Bull, Prix, Thomson Locations: Japan, Qatar, Mexican, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium

Our species, Homo sapiens — with our complex thoughts and deep emotions — were the only true humans to ever walk the Earth. A study last week found early humans were building structures with wood before H. sapiens evolved. This ability to read ancient DNA revolutionized the field, and it is constantly improving. He specializes in creating lifelike models of ancient humans for museums, including the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History, in hopes of helping public perception catch up to the science. They haven't been able to gather much ancient DNA from Africa, where H. sapiens first evolved, because it has been degraded by heat and moisture.

Persons: ”, Chris Stringer, ” Stringer, sapiens, Rick Potts, naledi, heidelbergensis, John Shea, “, Svante Paabo, Paabo, Bence Viola, Potts, Shea, ’ ” Shea, let’s, Janet Young, Young, John Gurche, Gurche, ” Gurche, “ They’re, they’re, it’s, haven't, we’ll, Mary Prendergast Organizations: Stony Brook University, University of Toronto, Canadian Museum, Smithsonian, American Museum of, Rice University, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Africa, Europe, Indonesia, Asia, Swedish, East, Southeast Asia

☆ Elon Musk's grandfather belonged to a political party that believed the world should be governed by technology. Newspapers at the time described it as having 'the tone of an incipient Fascist movement
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Elon Musk's grandfather, Joshua Haldeman, was a "radical conspiracy theorist," the Atlantic reports. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe organization also referred to people as numbers (apparently, Musk's grandfather was 10450-1) and sometimes added Xs to their names. A newspaper cited by the magazine said the group gave off "the tone of an incipient Fascist movement ." Like grandfather, like grandsonHistorians note Musk's ideas that technology can solve most of society's ills reflect some of the same technocratic beliefs his grandfather promoted. Haldeman, Musk's maternal grandfather, was born in 1902 in the US before his family moved to Canada at a young age.

Persons: Elon Musk's, Joshua Haldeman, Haldeman, Howard Scott, Musk's, Hitler, Elders of Zion, Musk, Grimes, Technocrats, George Soros, Wyn Haldeman, née Fletcher, Maye Organizations: Service, Bettmann, Getty, North America . Heritage Art, Getty Canada, Social Credit Party, Elders of, Twitter, Defamation, ADL Locations: Canada, Wall, Silicon, Los Angeles , California, North America, California, Atlantic, Josephine County , Oregon, South Africa

☆ Global central banks unite in "higher for longer" credo
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The so-called "higher for longer" mantra is now the official stance of the U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and the Bank of England, as well as being echoed by monetary policy-makers from Oslo to Tapei. U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers had a similar message on Wednesday. Turkey's central bank confirmed its hawkish turn while in Asia, Taiwan's central bank flagged continued tight policy. Reuters Graphics"TIPPING POINT"Belgian central bank chief and ECB board member Pierre Wunsch - an early voice urging tougher central bank action to counter inflation from end-2021 - said on Thursday that monetary policy was now at the right level. That said, the prospect that global interest rates are pretty close to peak will be of huge relief to emerging economies suffering from heavy debt servicing loads.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde, Kazuo Ueda, Ann, BoE, Andrew Bailey, Pierre Wunsch, Wunsch, COVID lockdowns, Jerome, Powell, Krishna Guha, Howard Schneider, Balazs Koranyi, Catherine Evans Organizations: European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Kansas City Federal, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, U.S . Federal, Swiss National Bank, South African Reserve Bank, People's Bank of, Reuters, ECB, Reuters Global Markets, Economics, Sterling, Swiss, United, Thomson Locations: Jackson Hole , Wyoming, U.S, Central, Oslo, Tapei, Europe, Norway, Sweden, Asia, People's Bank of China, Belgian, United States, Ukraine, Washington, Frankfurt, London, Stockholm, Zurich, Ankara

☆ South African insurer Discovery resumes dividend on strong balance sheet
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Nqobile Dludla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of South Africa's Discovery group in seen on its headquarters in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, February 20, 2020. Discovery, which has a market share of 57.8% in the health insurance space, declared a final dividend of 110 South Africa cents per share. The company said organic cash generation was strong during the year after increased cash generation in its life insurance Discovery Life following high COVID-19 related claims in the prior period and the reduction in the cost of new initiatives. Discovery's headline earnings per share (HEPS) were 834.3 South African cents, up 5% from 792.4 cents a year earlier. Normalised HEPS, which Discovery considers a more accurate measure of its profit and which also excludes exceptional items, rose by 32%.

Persons: Mike Hutchings, Adrian Gore, Gore, Nqobile, Mark Potter, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Bank, Discovery Ltd, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, JOHANNESBURG, Africa, Britain

South Africa has also been criticized for not publicly opposing Russia's war against Ukraine. Political Cartoons View All 1171 ImagesThe U.S. and South Africa announced in a joint statement that the forum will be held in Johannesburg, indicating a mending of relations following months of diplomatic tensions. South Africa is one of the biggest beneficiaries of AGOA, with exports to the U.S. through the act estimated at $3 billion in 2022. It also found that South Africa was not aware that the ship transporting military equipment ordered by the South African National Defense Force from the United Arab Emirates was a sanctioned Russian vessel. Leaders from various countries in sub-Saharan Africa and organizations are expected to attend the forum on Nov. 2-4.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Katherine Tai, Clayson Monyela, we’d, ” Monyela, Cyril Ramaphosa, R, Reuben Brigety Organizations: U.S ., Republican, Democratic, AGOA, Ukraine, South Africa, U.S . Trade, South Africa’s Foreign, Forum, SA, Twitter, South, U.S, South African National Defense Force, United Arab Locations: JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, U.S, U.S . Africa, Russia, Russian, Cape Town, AGOA, Africa, Ukraine, United States, China, Johannesburg, United Arab Emirates, Saharan Africa

☆ One Russian diamond giant is halting sales in a desperate scramble to stop prices from plunging
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia diamond giant Alrosa is halting sales in a bid to boost diamond prices, according to Bloomberg. Diamond prices have struggled over the past year amid growing demand for lab-grown stones. The mining giant will pause sales of rough diamonds until November, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a company memo sent out to customers. That comes amid a freefall in diamond prices, which has only accelerated over the past few weeks. Russian diamonds are also facing a potential ban from the G7 nations, which could impact the price of diamonds of Russian origin.

Persons: Alrosa, De Beers, — Organizations: Bloomberg, Diamond, Service, Belgian Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon

☆ Portraits of Fire Victims: Two Toddlers Named ‘Memory,’ and a Teacher About to Wed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Lynsey Chutel | More About Lynsey Chutel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As many as 600 people called the squalid five-story building at 80 Albert Street in downtown Johannesburg home. They were South Africans who had made their way to Johannesburg from rural provinces, and migrants from countries like Malawi and Tanzania, all trying to eke out a living in the big city. They labored to pay rent to the illegal building’s slum landlords. Jamila James, 3: She almost escapedImageThree-year-old Jamila James rarely set foot outside the building because the streets were not safe, said her uncle, Moris Anamwala. She spent her days in a makeshift day care center on the fourth floor while her mother, Phatuma Anamwala, a migrant from Malawi, sold fruit and vegetables on a Johannesburg sidewalk.

Persons: Jamila James, James, Moris, Phatuma Organizations: Albert Locations: Johannesburg, Malawi, Tanzania

The Gates Foundation has been a major supporter of Unitaid, donating $50 million in each 2012 and 2017, according to the foundation's grant database. The two announced their divorce in 2021 but committed to continuing to work together at the foundation. I think we will overcome that because the U.S. has a lot to be proud on this one,” Gates said. Cumulatively, the results of that study, which the foundation funded, has advanced knowledge about the causes of infant mortality. The Gates Foundation was not alone in announcing new commitments to support progress toward the development goals.

Persons: Melinda Gates, Melinda French Gates, “ Nona, gesturing, Jennifer, Omakwu, ’ ”, Gates, Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Singer Bono, George W, Bush, Bill Gates, Joe Biden, French Gates, ” Gates, Eden Tadesse, Aidan Reilly, Ben Collier, James Kanoff, Ashu Martha Agbornyenty, There’s, ”, Clinton Organizations: Melinda Gates Foundation, General, UNFPA, Gates Foundation, Sustainable, President’s, AIDS Relief, U.S, Congress, Midwifery, IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative, Associated, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: New York, Ukraine, PEPFAR, U.S, South, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Vietnam, South Africa, Indonesia

☆ South Africa to host US-Africa trade summit despite Russia spat
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

South Africa's economic hub, Johannesburg, will host the U.S.-sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum from Nov. 2 to 4, U.S. and South African officials said in a joint statement on Wednesday. "As President Biden has said, the future is Africa," United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in the statement. Despite Pretoria's declared neutrality, perceived close ties between Russia and South Africa, an important U.S. trading partner in Africa, have ruffled feathers Washington. Pointing to South Africa's joint naval operations with China and Russia in February, and plans to host Russian President Vladimir Putin at a BRICS bloc summit, they also suggested South Africa's trade benefits under AGOA could be revoked. The lawmakers appeared to back up an explosive accusation by the U.S. ambassador to South Africa that a Russian vessel under sanctions collected weapons at a South African naval base last year.

Persons: Katherine Tai, Biden's, Jonathan Ernst, Biden, Tai, Pretoria's, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ebrahim Patel, Joe Bavier, Grant McCool Organizations: Trade, REUTERS, Saharan, Saharan Africa Trade, Economic Cooperation, United States Trade, U.S . House, U.S . Senate, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Russia, Washington JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, U.S, Africa, South, Johannesburg, Saharan Africa, Ukraine, Washington, China, Russian, AGOA, United States

☆ Naspers/Prosus CEO steps down, M&A chief Tu takes the helm
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Tosterling Tannur Anders | Tannur Anders | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But it coincides with a restructuring in Naspers/Prosus relations, with Prosus no longer holding shares in Naspers. Analysts said he was the most likely candidate to succeed Van Dijk permanently. At 0910 GMT, Prosus shares were trading down 0.9% in Amsterdam, while Naspers' shares were 1.5% lower in Johannesburg. Tencent shares closed down 1.6% in China. Van Dijk oversaw Prosus's 2019 IPO and the company's stock boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Persons: Bob van Dijk, Siphiwe, Ervin Tu, Naspers, Prosus, Van Dijk's, Van Dijk, Koos Bekker, Tannur Anders, Promit Mukherjee, Toby Sterling, Radhika Anilkumar, Louise Heavens, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Vision, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Tencent, JOHANNESBURG, AMSTERDAM, Naspers, Naspers ., Amsterdam, China, Prosus, Bengaluru

☆ Tencent investors Naspers and Prosus announce abrupt departure of CEO Bob van Dijk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Arabile Gumede | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bob van Dijk Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe immediate and mutually agreed departure of Naspers and Prosus CEO Bob van Dijk underscores a complicated few years for a firm seen riding on the coattails of its holdings in Chinese tech giant, Tencent . The South African Reserve Bank gave Naspers the greenlight to begin buying back more of its shares from Prosus. 'Getting rid' of the cross holdingPrior to the current structure, Naspers (headquartered in South Africa) owned a third of Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings. Van Dijk oversaw the decision to split off its holding of Tencent and other tech holdings into Prosus in 2019. But that crossholding offered little value to investors with van Dijk telling Reuters at the time: "They [shareholders] said we don't like this cross holding, it creates complexity.

Persons: Bob van Dijk, Naspers, Koos, Van Dijk, Prosus, crossholding, van Dijk, We've, we're, Erwin Tu, Tu, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Bob van Dijk Bloomberg, Bloomberg, Getty, South, Naspers, South African Reserve Bank, Tencent Holdings, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Euronext, Reuters, Citi, SoftBank Group Locations: Dutch, Prosus, South Africa, Johannesburg, Naspers

Legendary golfer Gary Player thinks government and sports shouldn't mix, as the golf world goes through a major merger that has triggered antitrust concerns. He was an ambassador for Golf Saudi, an organization pushing to make the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a more prominent force in the sport. Player also said he supports the proposed merger between Saudi-backed LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, which has drawn criticism and scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers, not to mention golfers. (Previously, Player has spoken out against players leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, saying it's for "guys that can't win one the regular tour any more.") Last week, a U.S. Senate subcommittee held its second hearing on the proposed merger.

Persons: Gary Player, We've, LIV Golf, Connecticut Sen, Richard Blumenthal Organizations: CNBC, Golf Saudi, Aramco, PGA Tour, U.S, Connecticut, Democratic, Saudi Public Investment Fund, soccer team Locations: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ The ‘Mandela Effect’: How a psychological phenomenon took over the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But you might also be experiencing the so-called Mandela Effect. Ken Drinkwater, a fellow researcher at Manchester Metropolitan, added that the effect might be connected to a condition called false memory syndrome. Jon Elswick/AP; Scott Olson/Getty ImagesSome common examples of the Mandela Effect have perhaps logical explanations, such as Mr. “Advocates of the Mandela Effect think it’s a genuine effect. These people had this false memory right after learning about the characters!

Persons: Ash, Fiona Broome, Nelson Mandela, Mandela, Broome, “ Luke, ”, Wilma Bainbridge, hadn’t, Deepasri Prasad, Bainbridge, Prasad, Stan, Jan Berenstain, ” Bainbridge, Neil Dagnall, Dagnall, “, ” Dagnall, Roediger, McDermott, Ken Drinkwater, they’ve, Drinkwater, they’d, you’ve, Jon Elswick, Scott Olson, David Adkins, Sinbad, Dennis Van Tine, Shaquille O’Neal, Clara Nellist, Lionel Flusin, hasn’t, ” Drinkwater, University of Chicago’s Bainbridge Organizations: CNN, “, Bears, University of Chicago’s, Science, UChicago, Dartmouth College, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Metropolitan, Monopoly, Fox Television Network, European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, Collider Locations: South Africa, “, Hanover , New Hampshire, United Kingdom, New York City, Switzerland —, Geneva

☆ Naspers & Prosus CEO steps down, M&A chief Ervin Tu is successor
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bob van Dijk, CEO of e-commerce group Naspers, poses for a photograph in front of the company logo after holding a media briefing in Johannesburg, South Africa, October 9, 2019. The companies named investment chief Ervin Tu, a previous VisionBank manager and Goldman Sachs technology banker, as interim CEO. However it coincides with the unwinding Monday of a cross-structure between Prosus and Naspers. Van Dijk oversaw Prosus's 2019 IPO and the company's stock boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However he struggled to close a valuation gap between Prosus, Naspers and the value of their biggest asset: Chinese software giant Tencent(0700.HK) .

Persons: Bob van Dijk, Siphiwe, Ervin Tu, Goldman Sachs, Naspers, Van Dijk's, van Dijk, Van Dijk, Prosus, Tannur Anders, Toby Sterling, Radhika Anilkumar, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Stephen Coates, Michael Perry, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Prosus NV, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, HK, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG, Prosus, Tencent, Russia, Ukraine, Amsterdam, Bengaluru

☆ Nigeria seeks to deepen economic ties with South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu speaks after his swearing-in ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria May 29, 2023. President Ramaphosa hailed Tinubu's "brave" economic reforms and pledged that South Africa will explore greater partnership with Nigeria. "We are two major economies on our continent, and it is important that we deepen economic ties, particularly in light of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement," Ramaphosa said . "We would love to see Nigeria and South Africa working closely together on a number of issues because whenever we join hands, we have made an impact globally through those joint positions," he said. Tinubu also urged South Africa to join Nigeria in a call for reforms of global finance institutions to help Africa combat rising poverty and economic woes.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Temilade, Cyril Ramaphosa, Tinubu, Ramaphosa, Tinubu's, Joe Biden, Felix Onuah, Elisha Bala, Sonali Paul Organizations: Nigeria's, REUTERS, Rights, South, United Nations General Assembly, African Continental Free Trade, Finance, General Assembly, U.S, Microsoft, Meta, Exxon Mobil, Thomson Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Rights ABUJA, New York, Africa, South Africa

☆ Naspers, Prosus CEO Bob van Dijk steps down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Dutch-listed technology investor Prosus NV and its South African parent Naspers said on Monday Bob van Dijk has stepped down as chief executive officer from both companies. Van Dijk, who has led Naspers since 2014 and Prosus since 2019, has agreed to remain as a consultant until Sept. 30, 2024, the companies said in a statement. Ervin Tu will assume the role of interim chief executive of both companies. "The group's strategic goals remain unchanged and it is on target to deliver on its commitments," the global consumer internet companies said in a statement.

Persons: Naspers, Bob van Dijk, Van Dijk, Ervin Tu Organizations: Prosus NV Locations: Prosus

☆ Prosus CEO exit leaves Tencent elephant in room
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bob van Dijk is passing an unsolved problem to his successor. The Tencent stake that it owns made up about 75% of the group’s $130 billion portfolio value as of Sept. 15. His workaround was to instead sell little chunks of Tencent shares, and use the proceeds to buy back Prosus stock. Still, the gap reflects shareholders’ ongoing struggles to value Prosus. Neither Prosus nor the 50-year-old van Dijk gave a reason for his exit, but the persistence of the discount won’t have helped.

Persons: Bob van Dijk, Siphiwe, Ervin Tu, Africa’s, Van, van Dijk, It’s, Goldman Sachs, Prosus, Naspers, van Dijk’s, George Hay, Streisand Neto, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Prosus, HK, Interim, Vision, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Amsterdam, India, Brazil, Tencent

☆ Mourners gather in South African for funeral of controversial Zulu prince Buthelezi
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Africa's leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Mangosuthu Buthelezi speaks to supporters ahead of the national elections, in Richards Bay, north of Durban, in South Africa, April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Rogan Ward/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsULUNDI, South Africa, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Thousands of mourners gathered in eastern South Africa on Saturday for the state funeral of Mangosuthu Buthelezi. The veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle, died last week aged 95. South African media reported that two giraffes and six impalas had been slaughtered and skinned as part of the ritual preparations. Like the ANC, he was critical of white minority rule, which had relegated Zulus and other Black South Africans to downsized 'homelands'.

Persons: Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Rogan Ward, Mangosuthu, Buthelezi, Nelson Mandela, Siyabonga Sishi, Tim Cocks, Mike Harrison Organizations: Freedom Party, IFP, REUTERS, South, Home Affairs, African National Congress, ANC, Thomson Locations: Richards Bay, Durban, South Africa, Ulundi, KwaZulu, Natal, Xhosa, South Africa's

☆ Mourners gather in South Africa for funeral of controversial Zulu prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Thousands of mourners gathered in eastern South Africa on Saturday for the state funeral of Mangosuthu Buthelezi. The veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle, died last week aged 95. South African media reported that two giraffes and six impalas had been slaughtered and skinned as part of the ritual preparations. At a stadium in the town of Ulundi, mourners gathered around the coffin of Buthelezi, who died aged 95. Some dressed in traditional Zulu outfits made of leopard and other animal skins and held shields crafted from cow hides.

Persons: Mangosuthu, Buthelezi, Marco Longari, Nelson Mandela Organizations: Reuters, South, Getty, Freedom Party, IFP, Home Affairs, African National Congress, ANC Locations: South Africa, Ulundi, AFP, KwaZulu, Natal, Xhosa, South Africa’s

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Barry Steenkamp, the father of Reeva Steenkamp, the woman who was fatally shot by Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius, has died, a family spokesperson said Friday. A foundation set up by the Steenkamp family in memory of Reeva said Barry Steenkamp died in his sleep on Thursday evening. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden and peaceful passing of Barry Steenkamp,” the foundation said in a statement on its Facebook page. At that meeting, Steenkamp said he urged Pistorius to confess that he had intentionally shot Reeva in rage after an argument. Barry Steenkamp wasn't able to attend because of poor health, family spokesperson Koen said at the time.

Persons: — Barry Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius, Tania Koen, Barry Steenkamp's, Reeva, Barry Steenkamp, “ Barry, Pistorius, Steenkamp, “, Oscar, ” Barry Steenkamp, ”, Barry Steenkamp wasn't, Koen, ___ Organizations: Paralympic, British, Daily Mail, Pistorius, AP Locations: CAPE, South Africa, Pistorius, AP Africa, africa

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