Star 2025-08-15

a big blow for Mozambique economy South32 said its Mozal Aluminium facility, the biggest industrial employer in Mozambique with over 2 500 staff, will be put on care and maintenance when its electricity agreement expires at the end of March 2026. Apart from the employees and contractors that were employed at Mozal in 2024, an estimated additional 21 000 jobs had been created through multiplier impacts on the economy, the mining group said. South32’s share price plunged 5.83% to R33.41 on the JSE early Thursday morning. South32 said in a notice on Thursday that it had continued to engage with the Mozambique government, Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), and Eskom on securing additional electricity, as it has been trying to secure an agreement for over six years. South32 also operates…

The Board of South African Tourism (SA Tourism) has placed CEO Nombulelo Guliwe on precautionary suspension effective immediately, following serious allegations of misconduct. However, the Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille's office has declared the board's decision null and void since it no longer has a chairperson nor a deputy chairperson. SA Tourism is the national tourism agency responsible for the marketing of South Africa as a preferred tourist destination. The action taken by the nine-member Board underscores the gravity of the situation as they embark on a thorough investigation into the claims against Guliwe. Guliwe, a qualified Chartered Accountant, was appointed to the CEO position for a five-year period in February 2024 following a comprehensive recruitment process. In nearly 10 years with the organisation, Guliwe has served in various…

Standard Bank Group’s share price rose as much as 3.3% on Thursday after reporting a strong interim financial performance and the future retirement plans of its two top executives. CEO Sim Tshabalala and CFO Arno Daehnke are set to retire late in 2027. The board of Africa’s biggest bank by assets in June raised the retirement age of their executives from 60 to 63, but Tshabalala, who was appointed in 2013, and Daehnke, appointed in 2016, will not be impacted by this decision. Tshabalala said in an interview with Business Report that this was because their retirements were part of a longer term, orderly succession strategy. “It was always the plan to retire at 60. We are both energetic… I am sure we will be making further contributions to add…

A bid by billionaire Patrice Motsepe’s investment company, African Rainbow Capital (ARC), to have South African courts hear a dispute over a graphite mining deal turned sour has been rebutted by Pula Group, which argues that the case should continue to be heard before the Tanzanian High Court. Pula Group is a US company with interests in Tanzania. It is suing Motsepe owned companies including ARC and African Rainbow Minerals for R3.4 billion for breaching agreements related to a graphite mining deal in Tanzania. Motsepe and his companies - who have now sought to have the dispute heard in the South African High Court - are accused by Pula of reneging on the Tanzanian graphite mining deal by allegedly investing in a similar project by an Australian rival of Pula.…

Eskom has announced plans to deploy Large Conventional Nuclear Power Reactor (PWR) units at the Duynefontein Nuclear Plant, a critical step forward following the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment's (DFFE) recent decision to allow this development. With the anticipated new Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) set to be released soon, Eskom stated its intention to maximise the capacity permitted under this new framework, potentially adding an extra 4 000 megawatts (MW) to the site. This plan follows a tumultuous period surrounding previous nuclear procurement strategies, notably when Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa withdrew a Ministerial determination to procure 2 500MW of new nuclear capacity after widespread public consultation concerns. The ensuing legal challenges led to the determination's revocation, highlighting the necessity for transparent dialogues around sensitive energy projects.…

Viewers must be loving the Indian TV content in isiZulu, as a new channel has been launched on DStv with JioStar. The channel Star Khanya, which launches on Monday, is an exciting general entertainment channel in isiZulu, blending rich storytelling with the heart and soul of South African culture. Khanya, meaning “to shine” in isiZulu, sets the tone for the brand and offers a rich line-up of Indian telenovelas and soapies, all dubbed in isiZulu and subtitled in English. “We’ve made meaningful improvements to DStv this year with more channels, more value, and greater streaming flexibility,” said Byron du Plessis, the CEO of MultiChoice South Africa. “Star Khanya brings more local relevance to our content mix, offering engaging entertainment in a language that feels like home for millions of our…