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South Africa unveils $26bn stimulus and taps IMF for first time

Coronavirus package aims to protect economy and fend off looming hunger crisis




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South Africa discusses lifting lockdown sector by sector

Ramaphosa administration wants phased reopening to limit damage to struggling economy




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Ramaphosa prepares to reopen South African economy gradually

Five-week shutdown to be eased stage by stage according to a series of rolling levels  




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‘Locust-19’ set to ravage crops across east Africa

Second wave of swarms expected just as farmers battle fallout from coronavirus




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Low Covid-19 death toll raises hopes Africa may be spared worst

Continent has limited confirmed virus fatalities but experts warn it is too early to draw conclusions




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Africa’s Covid-19 response is a glimpse of how things could be different

Leaders acted swiftly as they watched richer countries’ health systems crumple




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South Africa’s mass screening helps stem the coronavirus tide

Use of community health workers to identify cases draws heavily on experience battling tuberculosis and HIV




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Africa's most valuable company comes to Europe

Naspers, a publisher once condemned as a mouthpiece of the apartheid regime in South Africa, has quietly become one of the world’s biggest internet investors thanks to a stake in China’s Tencent. On 11 September it will list its global internet assets on the Amsterdam bourse, becoming Europe's biggest consumer internet company overnight. Arash Massoudi discusses how it got there with Joseph Cotterill in Johannesburg.


Contributors: Arash Massoudi, corporate finance and deals editor, and Joseph Cotterill, Southern Africa correspondent. Producer: Fiona Symon

 

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Vested interests are dragging South Africa down

Cyril Ramaphosa will be loath to take on the people who helped him to the ANC presidency




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South African Airways close to collapse

State-owned flag carrier struggling to pay salaries and secure funds to stay aloft




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South African Airways seeks bankruptcy protection

First state company to enter business rescue since end of apartheid




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African entrepreneurs pitch to Alibaba founder Jack Ma

Business contestants battle for $1m prize money in glitzy televised extravaganza




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South Africa to impose its biggest rolling power blackouts

Eskom will remove 6,000 megawatts of demand to avert total collapse of national grid




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South Africa’s miners shut down by power cuts

State utility Eskom removed power to stave off grid collapse




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Visa in partnership with MFS Africa digital payments hub

Tie-up aims to allow people with mobile wallets to pay for international online services




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Vodafone targets Africa’s unbanked with plans for M-Pesa

Telecoms group seeks to turn mobile payments unit into provider of wider services




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South African Airways suspends some flights to save cash

State-backed carrier starts cancelling flights as vital government funding is delayed




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South African miners applaud move to cut reliance on Eskom power

Pretoria has waived rules that prevented mining groups generating electricity for their own use




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AngloGold sells world’s deepest gold mine in South Africa exit

Move could pave way for company to shift primary listing to London




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Anglo American ‘encouraged’ by South African move to loosen currency controls

Restrictions have hampered miner’s ability to move money out of the country




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Sasol plans South Africa’s biggest rights issue in decades

Petrochemicals group to launch sale of up to $2bn in shares as part of debt reduction push




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African health officials warn of chronic medical shortages

Central African Republic has just three ventilators for its 5m people




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Is it safe to go to the shops, see a friend or get on a plane?

Gillian Tett on how to assess risk in the age of coronavirus




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Africa Roundup: Visa connects to M-Pesa, Flutterwave enters e-commerce

It seems the demand for Safaricom’s M-Pesa payment product never eases. Since its 2007 launch in Kenya, the fintech app has commanded over 70% of the mobile money market in that country. When COVID-19 hit the East African nation of 53 million in March, the Kenyan Central Bank turned to M-Pesa as a public health […]




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Rwanda’s Not-So-Improbable Ambition To Be A Startup Hub of Africa

It’s an odd feeling to come from California, one of the world’s most prodigious economies where the infrastructure and public systems are simultaneously falling apart in plain view, and arrive in the tiny, landlocked East African country of Rwanda. The first thing you notice is how exceptionally clean the streets of Kigali appear. That’s because of a ban on non-biodegradable […]




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Zume co-founder goes from pizza to climate-friendly food with $2.7 million in funding

Before leaving SoftBank-backed Zume Pizza in November 2018, co-founder Julia Collins knew what her next move would be: climate-friendly food. Today, Collins is announcing Planet FWD’s $2.7 million seed round led by BBG Ventures with participation from Cleo Capital, Cowboy Ventures, Precursor Ventures, Kapor Capital and others. What’s unique about this round, Collins told TechCrunch, […]




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Africa Roundup: Nigerian fintech gets $360M, mints unicorn, draws Chinese VC

November 2019 could mark when Nigeria (arguably) became Africa’s unofficial capital for fintech investment and digital finance startups. The month saw $360 million invested in Nigerian-focused payment ventures. That is equivalent to roughly one-third of all the startup VC raised for the entire continent in 2018, according to Partech stats. A notable trend-within-the-trend is that […]




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A no-frills, responsible budget - 3 May

Modest personal tax cuts, tighter superannuation concessions, and a pathway to lower corporate tax rates make this a responsible if not spectacular budget.




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Apple and CMU researchers demo a low friction learn-by-listening system for smarter home devices

A team of researchers from Apple and Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute have presented a system for embedded AIs to learn by listening to noises in their environment without the need for up-front training data or without placing a huge burden on the user to supervise the learning process. The overarching goal is for […]




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Downton Abbey star Tuppence Middleton splits with her long-term boyfriend and artist Robert Fry 

RICHARD EDEN: I can reveal the 32-year-old British actress Tuppence Middleton (pictured) has split up with her long-term boyfriend, the artist Robert Fry.




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American stepmother of Earl Bathurst cuts him out of will and leaves £33million estate to friends

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: I can reveal that Lord Bathurst has not been left a penny by his late American stepmother, Gloria, Dowager Countess Bathurst.




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Downton's Michelle Dockery steps for coffee with a friend in West London 

Michelle Dockery put on a slightly sombre display on Sunday as she headed out for coffee and a walk while dressed mostly in black.




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The Crown's Matt Smith 'forms close friendship with co-star and on screen Queen Claire Foy'

Close friends say Claire Foy is providing a consoling shoulder for Matt Smith, whose relationship with girlfriend Lily James, has been the subject of increasing talk among showbiz insiders.




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Coronation Street star Peter Ash cosies up to his girlfriend Amy as they arrive in London for NTAs

The actor, 34, who plays Gemma Winter's brother Paul Foreman, cut a casual figure as he headed to the star-studded ceremony, which will take place at the O2 Arena.




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NTAs 2020: Joey Essex makes red carpet debut with model girlfriend Lorena Medina

Joey Essex, 29, has now taken his relationship with Mexican model Lorena Medina, 27, to the next level as the pair looked loved up during the arrivals for the National Television Awards.




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NTAs 2020: Vicky Pattison cosies up to boyfriend Ercan Ramadan

Vicky Pattison brought her handsome boyfriend along to the National Television Awards 2020 in London on Thursday night, looking loved-up as they cosied up on the red carpet.




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NTAs 2020: Michael Palin dedicates his Special Recognition Award to 'dear friend' Terry Jones

Michael Palin dedicated his Special Recognition Award to his late friend Terry Jones during Tuesday night's National Television Awards.




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NTAs 2020: Friends star David Schwimmer delights fans with a surprise appearance

Presenting the award for New Drama, which saw Chernobyl take out the win, the Friends star delighted fans with his presence, but left many surprised to see him there at all.




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Caroline Flack's boyfriend Lewis Burton DENIES he has SPLIT from embattled Love Island host

Caroline Flack's boyfriend Lewis Burton has been forced to deny the couple have split - one month after she was charged with assaulting him at her home in London.




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Maura Higgins 'left the NTAs alone in TEARS after row with boyfriend Curtis Pritchard'

The Dancing On Ice contestant, 29, reportedly left Tuesday's National Television Awards in tears as she engaged in a heated exchange with her boyfriend Curtis Pritchard.




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Jesy Nelson throws her support behind boyfriend Chris Hughes after his shocking NTAs brawl

Jesy Nelson has finally thrown her support behind boyfriend Chris Hughes in the wake of his shocking National Television Awards brawl with a photographer.




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Chris Hughes puts on a united front with girlfriend Jesy Nelson as the pair are spotted in public

Chris Hughes, 27, put on a united front with his girlfriend Jesy Nelson, 28, when the pair stepped out together on Saturday.




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Olivia Attwood admits she was NOT surprised by ex boyfriend Chris Hughes' brawl with a photographer

The TOWIE star, 28, admitted Chris' scuffle with a paparazzi photographer did not come as a surprise to her after they previously had an argument at the awards.




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Caroline Flack looks relaxed and care-free as the giggling star goes wall climbing with a friend

In a video shared by her pal, Mollie, to Instagram, the giggling Love Island star, 40, could be seen attempting to the climb the wall but quickly chickening out as she got too high.




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Kyly Clarke's statement after Michael split from girlfriend Pip Edwards

Michael Clarke recently split from fashion designer Pip Edwards after a brief romance that began following his separation from wife Kyly last year.




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Neymar celebrates after sister's boyfriend Gabigol fires Flamengo to Copa Libertadores glory

Neymar posted an Instagram video of his celebrations after his sister's boyfriend, Gabigol, fired Flamengo to their first Copa Libertadores since 1981 with a 2-1 win over River Plate.




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Coronavirus Brazil: Neymar flouts social distancing guidelines as he sunbathes with five friends

Neymar has posted pictures of him and five friends sunbathing on a foot volley court in Brazil despite the WHO advising people to self isolate and keep a one-metre distance from other people.




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Actress who played baby Emma in Friends 'wakes from nap'

Getting in on the action, one of the actresses who played baby Emma, Noelle Sheldon, 17, was poking fun at the situation as she photoshopped a snap into Central Perk




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Brooklyn Beckham's girlfriend says they'll be together 'forever'

On Monday, the eldest son of Victoria and David Beckham posted a snap of himself and his new girlfriend cosied up, wiuth the caption: 'Me and u xx,' with Nicola adding: 'Forever,' beneath




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Millie Bobby Brown, 15, and boyfriend, 17, post on Snapchat

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown and her rumoured boyfriend Joseph Robinson appear to have confirmed that they are dating.