Africa Business

[VOA] JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's tax authority recently destroyed more than half-a-million dollars worth of illicitly imported goods -- including more than 13,000 bales of clothing -- just as many South Africans are staring down a tight holiday season and a sluggish economy in a nation where millions live beneath the poverty line.

[Namibia Economist] The economic performance by the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) members remains subdued with most countries projected to grow by between 0.5% and 4.2% in 2019, according to Finance Minister and Chairperson of the SACU Council of Ministers, Calle Schlettwein.

[Govt of SA] The Department of Employment and Labour, Northern Cape reflects with pride on the impact of the taking services to the people campaign which was concluded successfully in Kakamas, Kai Garib Local Municipality on 30 November 2019.

[Zimbabwe Independent] In the aftermath of the fourth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) central committee, the country's ruling party invited a group of African scholars on how Africa and the world's second largest economy can deepen relations.

[Malawi News Agency] Lilongwe -Polytechnic management appeals for financial assistance to re-open and complete the second semester following the fire that gutted down one of the hostels at the School.

[New Era] Elina -In a quest to boost business and promote self-reliance among entrepreneurs, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare on Wednesday handed over equipment to nine small and medium enterprises (SMEs) at Omuthiya.

[The Herald] President Mnangagwa has officially opened the second phase of the Varun Beverages manufacturing plant this afternoon.

[263Chat] Telecommunications giant, Netone recently spared a thought for the vulnerable children at Shammah Children's home in Waterfalls by hosting a Christmas braai party and also donating goods to the institution which is home to 18 orphans.

[263Chat] Finance and Economic Development Minister, Mthuli Ncube has for the first time explained understated Chinese bilateral support figures in the 2020 National Budget statement presented over three weeks ago, citing differences in public finance accounting systems, 263Chat Business can report.

[Vanguard] The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) in its enforcement activities, has shut nine companies and hospitality firms over alleged failure to remit N21.59 million consumption taxes to the state government.

[ANGOP] Luanda -An analysis of the 2020 State General Budget (OGE) Draft, released last Thursday, recommends the transfer of funds allocated for implicit budget items to concrete actions in the social sector.

[Daily Maverick] Eskom has confirmed that South Africans face escalated load shedding from 2pm Friday with the likelihood of power cuts being extended beyond 6:00 on Saturday morning.

[News24Wire] A former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) executive, who was found to have lied about his qualifications, has lost his bid to appeal a High Court order that he should pay back R5.7m he received from Prasa since 2010.

[Daily Maverick] Over a two-day period, Africa Global Holdings, formerly Bosasa, tried to halt the ongoing sale of some the assets of its subsidiary companies currently in liquidation. They failed dismally.

[Nyasa Times] Mchinji district commissioner (DC) Bester Mandere has said the council lost about K10.5 million in revenue collection due to a vendor's strike between September and October.

[GroundUp] A non-profit organisation in Limpopo that had failed to meet its statutory reporting obligations for at least five years was awarded at least R20 million by the National Lotteries Commission to build an old age home - in Mpumalanga.

[Nation] Nakuru County Assembly has passed a Sh373 million supplementary budget for the financial year 2019/2020.

[Nation] Have you ever wondered why Nairobi floods year in year out? This problem may be attributable to poor spatial planning of the city by authorities.

[Nairobi News] Scores of people are feared to be trapped after a six-storey building collapsed at Tassia estate in Embakasi Ward, Embakasi East Constituency on Friday.

[Observer] Government plans to borrow Shs 2.43 trillion to finance a budget shortfall realized a few months into the current financial year.

[New Zimbabwe] Zimbabwean millers have welcomed government's decision to restore grain subsidies with their umbrella group, Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) saying the move would ensure a "win-win" situation for both the cereal processors and ordinary consumers.

[Capital FM] Machakos -President Uhuru Kenyatta has launched one of the housing projects under the Affordable Housing Programme initiative.

[Nation] City Hall has continued to charge hiked parking rates in breach of a High Court order that suspended them.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -Safaricom PLC has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Korea Telecom to launch a disease surveillance and awareness service that notifies users, especially travelers, of disease outbreaks locally and internationally for free.

[263Chat] Low cost carrier, FastJet Zimbabwe has opened a new regional link between Bulawayo and Johannesburg bringing double morning and evening flights from Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport to OR Tambo International Airport and vice-verse every weekday with an evening schedule on Sundays, 263Chat Business can report.

[Zimbabwe Independent] Zimbabwe is battling with a myriad of economic ills and the telecoms industry has not been spared. The biggest problem has largely hinged on high tariffs across all services. Coupled with the punitive 2% tax on all electronic transactions, mobile transaction services have become unbearable for many.

[Nation] Scores of people are feared trapped under rubble following collapse of a six-storey building at Tassia estate in Embakasi, Nairobi, on Friday morning.

[The Herald] Zimbabwe needs to export more manufactured goods and must look beyond South Africa, delegates at an export awareness seminar organised by ZimTrade in Victoria Falls this week heard.

[Zimbabwe Independent] The complaints by the Chinese and the United States over the misrepresentation of development aid figures by the ministry of Finance have raised questions over the state of government's accounting methods.

[Zimbabwe Independent] In the wake of ongoing flight disruptions as a result of Zimbabwe's outdated aviation traffic control system -- which broke down last week rattling the Joint Operations Command (Joc), which brings together the army, police and intelligence service chiefs -- government has moved in to acquire a new radar system at a cost of US$22 million.