<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4045" height="2697" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6MSJZV4H5RNIDI4ITMOIPSV2ZE.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-603977"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">U.S. President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One, as he departs for Florida, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that reciprocal tariffs he is set to announce this week will include all nations, not just a smaller group of 10 to 15 countries with the biggest trade imbalances.



Trump has promised to unveil a massive tariff plan on Wednesday, which he has dubbed “Liberation Day.” He has already imposed tariffs on aluminum, steel and autos, along with increased tariffs on all goods from China.



“You’d start with all countries,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “Essentially all of the countries that we’re talking about.”



White House economics adviser Kevin Hassett recently told Fox Business that the administration’s tariffs focus would be on 10 to 15 countries with the worst trade imbalances, though he did not list them.



Trump sees tariffs as a way of protecting the domestic economy from unfair global competition and a bargaining chip for better terms for the U.S.



However, concerns about a trade war are unsettling markets and creating fears of a recession in the U.S.



Trump has said he will impose a suite of reciprocal tariffs against nations that charge fees on U.S. exports, promising to match those countries’ duties.



In February, Trump signed a memorandum that directed U.S. trade officials to go country by country and put together a list of tailored counter-measures.



Last week, he suggested he might scale back his reciprocal plans, perhaps imposing tariffs in some cases at lower rates than countries charge the United States.

6MSJZV4H5RNIDI4ITMOIPSV2ZE

Trump says reciprocal tariffs will target all countries

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524644" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Uganda shillings. Uganda. (Photo by: Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



KAMPALA, March 31 (Reuters) &#8211; The Ugandan shilling was flat on Monday on the back of scant demand for dollars from all sectors of the economy, traders said.



At 0955 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 3,655/3,665, the same level as Friday&#8217;s close.



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa)

UGANDA SHILLING

Ugandan shilling flat on scant dollar demand

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="507" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-820x507.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-533970" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-820x507.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-300x186.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-145x90.jpg 145w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-768x475.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-1536x950.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAND-DOLLAR-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">South African bank notes featuring images of former South African President Nelson Mandela (R) are displayed next to the American dollar notes in this photo illustration in Johannesburg August 13 2014. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 31 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s rand strengthened on Monday, as gold hit a fresh high and optimism grew over the prospect of an agreement between the two biggest government partners on the budget.



At 0728 GMT, the rand traded at 18.2375 against the dollar, about 1.1% stronger than its previous close.



Trade in the rand was volatile last week amid deadlocked budget negotiations and apprehension over U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariff plans.



Gold prices touched an all-time high on Monday as investors stressing over a global trade war and economic slowdown from the world&#8217;s biggest economy turned towards the safe-haven asset. South Africa is a major producer of the precious metal.



The domestic focus this week will be on the African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA).



Local news website News24 reported on Monday that the two parties were close to striking a deal that would see the national budget being passed. However, the BusinessDay newspaper said the talks were still deadlocked.



On the stock market, the Top-40 index was last down about 0.5%.



South Africa&#8217;s benchmark 2030 government bond was stronger in early deals, with the yield down 9.5 basis points to 9.06%.



(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Philippa Fletcher)

Photo illustration of South African bank notes displayed next to the American dollar notes in Johannesburg

South African rand strengthens as gold hits fresh peak

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="357" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-400669" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1-300x175.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">World map with charts and graphs as symbols of global finance</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, March 31 (Reuters) &#8211; The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Monday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-markets">GLOBAL MARKETS</h2>



World share markets were in a tailspin on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said tariffs would essentially cover all countries, stoking worries a global trade war could lead to recession.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-oil-prices">WORLD OIL PRICES</h2>



Oil markets on Monday shrugged off U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s threat to hit buyers of Russian oil with tariffs as the shock value of the barrage of threats from the White House begins to wear thin with jaded traders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-africa-markets">SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS</h2>



South Africa&#8217;s rand slipped on Friday, as concerns lingered over U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs and an impasse between the ruling coalition&#8217;s two biggest parties over the state budget.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nigeria-crude-oil">NIGERIA CRUDE OIL</h2>



Exports of four key Nigerian crude oil grades will average around 727,000 barrels per day in May, preliminary programmes seen by Reuters showed, down from a planned 802,000 bpd scheduled to load in April.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kenya-markets">KENYA MARKETS</h2>



The Kenyan shilling firmed slightly against the dollar on Friday, data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) showed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uganda-petroleum-refinery">UGANDA PETROLEUM REFINERY</h2>



Uganda on Saturday signed an oil refinery agreement with UAE-based Alpha MBM Investments for a 60% stake in crude oil refinery in Kabaale, Hoima District, President Yoweri Museveni&#8217;s office said in a statement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-sudan-security">SOUTH SUDAN SECURITY</h2>



South Sudan&#8217;s First Vice President Riek Machar is under arrest and will be investigated on charges of trying to stir up rebellion, the government said on Friday, the first confirmation of a detention that world powers fear could reignite civil war.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-somalia-u-s-diplomacy">SOMALIA U.S. DIPLOMACY</h2>



Somalia is prepared to offer the United States exclusive control of strategic air bases and ports, its president said in a letter to President Donald Trump seen by Reuters on Friday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ghana-security">GHANA SECURITY</h2>



Three Chinese nationals were missing from Ghanaian waters and believed to have been kidnapped after a &#8220;suspected pirate attack&#8221; on their Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel, the West African nation&#8217;s military said on Saturday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-democratic-republic-of-congo-security">DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO SECURITY</h2>



Qatari mediators hosted a second round of talks on Friday between Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and separately met representatives of the Rwandan-backed rebellion waging an insurgency in eastern Congo, four sources told Reuters.



((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))

World map with charts and graphs as symbols of global finance

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 31

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="462" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-820x462.png" alt="" class="wp-image-603920" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-820x462.png 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-300x169.png 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-160x90.png 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks-768x432.png 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks.png 1480w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City, U.S., March 28, 2025. </figcaption></figure>



Global markets and U.S. stock futures fell early Monday as traders looked ahead to “Liberation Day” for clarity on President Donald Trump’s tariff plans. 



Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 145 points, or 0.35%. S&amp;P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 0.64% and 1.18%, respectively.



A slew of tariffs set to be enacted by the Trump administration will go into effect on Wednesday — what Trump has called “Liberation Day” — including a 25% levy on “all cars that are not made in the United States.” The president is also expected to announce his plan for reciprocal tariffs.



Uncertainty surrounding tariffs has been an overhang on equities, dragging stocks lower again on Friday to end the last full trading week of March. Trump did little to assuage fears over the weekend, with The Wall Street Journal reporting Sunday that the president had in recent days pushed his advisors to get more aggressive when it comes to tariffs. In a Saturday interview with NBC News, Trump said that he “couldn’t care less” if foreign automakers raise their prices due to these new tariffs.



On Wednesday, it is hoped investors will gain some clarity on which trading partners will be affected by the new duties, and by how much, wrote Emmanuel Cau, equity strategist at Barclays.



“Tariff risk has been well telegraphed and is largely priced in corners of the market. So liberation day may not be a complete shocker. However, no one wins from trade war, and clouds are gathering over the global growth outlook,” Cau wrote in a Friday note. “Negotiations will likely start after April 2, which leads to an extended period of uncertainty about the final scope, level and timing of tariffs.”



Against this backdrop of mounting trade and economic concerns, the three major averages are all on pace to end the month lower. The S&amp;P 500 is down 6.3% for the month, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is poised for a 5.2% loss. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has tanked 8.1%.



Investors will also be looking forward to a heavy slate of economic data this week, most notably the March jobs report, which will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, April 4.

108123167-17431962612025-03-28t210936z_334592772_rc2jmdagkv1j_rtrmadp_0_usa-stocks

Stock futures slip as a jittery Wall Street awaits ‘Liberation Day’: Live updates

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="562" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-820x562.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-451375" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-820x562.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-131x90.jpg 131w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-768x526.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-1536x1053.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court signage and logo is pictured in Abuja, Nigeria February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde</figcaption></figure>



ATHENS, March 30 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;West African neighbours Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced a new 0.5% levy on imported goods as they seek to fund a new three-state union after leaving the larger regional economic bloc, they said in a statement.



The Alliance of Sahel States began in 2023 as a security pact between the military rulers of the three countries, who all took power in coups in recent years. It has since grown into an aspiring economic union with plans for biometric passports and closer economic and military ties.



The levy was agreed on Friday and will take effect immediately. It will affect all goods imported from outside the three countries, but will not include humanitarian aid, the statement said. It will &#8220;finance the activities&#8221; of the bloc, it said, without giving details.



The move ends free trade across West Africa, whose states have for decades fallen under the umbrella of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and highlights the rift between the three states that border the Sahara Desert and influential democracies like Nigeria and Ghana to the south.



The juntas of the three countries announced plans to leave ECOWAS last year, accusing the bloc of failing to assist in their fight against Islamist insurgents and ending insecurity.



ECOWAS had imposed economic, political and financial sanctions on the three in a bid to force them to return to constitutional order, to little effect.



Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are some of the poorest countries in the world and have been overrun by an armed Islamist insurgency over the past decade.



The violence, committed by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, has killed thousands, forced millions to flee, and eroded faith in the democratically-elected governments who initially struggled to contain it.



(Reporting by Boureima Balima and Fadimata Kontao; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Ecowas court hearing on whether Nigeria’s Twitter ban violated rights, in Abuja

West African juntas impose levy on imported goods

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A content creator couple’s guide to Ho Chi Minh City

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4931" height="3078" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZDTAXS54SNPKXI5JFDUILKDUHI.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602896"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Internally displaced people from Khartoum gather at their shelter in an IDP camp in Um Durain county, Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan, Sudan June 21, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/SUDAN/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



KHARTOUM, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; Residents of Sudan&#8217;s Tuti island at the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile have emerged from paramilitary control to speak of hardships suffered and relief that their oppressors have been driven away.



They say Sudan&#8217;s Rapid Support Forces, who have been forced by the army off the island between the capital Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman, would block people from medical treatment, jail others and extort inhabitants.



&#8220;I suffered from severe urinary retention,&#8221; recalled elderly islander Omar al-Hassan, saying an RSF member stopped him from crossing a bridge to see doctors.



&#8220;He claimed our papers were incomplete, but we had all the necessary documents. He just wanted money.&#8221;



The RSF, whose war with the army erupted in April 2023 and which still controls swathes of west Sudan, did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters. The RSF has either denied it violates human rights or said it would hold perpetrators to account, while accusing the army of widespread abuses.



The U.N. accuses both sides in the civil war of abuses that may amount to war crimes.



Tuti island, with its green landscape overlooking the majestic Nile waters, was once one of Sudan&#8217;s most soothing spots, offering relaxation in a nation with a long history of war.



Its population of about 10,000 could relax on beaches near lemon trees swaying in the breeze. People would also pass time at coffee shops, puffing on water pipes, perhaps discussing Sudan&#8217;s complex, combustible politics.



That was before the conflict between the army and RSF &#8211; once partners in a coup that toppled veteran autocrat Omar Hassan al-Bashir &#8211; erupted and ravaged Sudan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tuti-is-free">&#8216;TUTI IS FREE&#8217;</h2>



Now, in a microcosm of the war&#8217;s devastation, Tuti&#8217;s close-knit farming community are at risk of famine and have been ravaged by dengue fever.



Sudan&#8217;s military, headed by career army officer Abdel Fattah al-Burhan claimed control of Khartoum, including Tuti island, this week.



“We conducted a thorough and comprehensive cleanup of all areas of the island &#8230; We tell the people to return and come back,&#8221; said soldier Al-Tahir al-Tayeb.



&#8220;We will only take our rights by this,&#8221; he added, tapping on his gun. &#8220;We say to them, Tuti is free, and God is great.&#8221;



Nearby, a woman walked by a shop surveying destruction as people lingered at a mosque.



RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, rose from lowly beginnings to head a widely feared Arab militia that crushed a revolt in Darfur, winning him influence and eventually a role as the country&#8217;s second most powerful man, and one of its richest, as an enforcer for Bashir.



The RSF, menacing young men armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns mounted on trucks, mastered desert warfare in the Darfur region but lack the discipline of the regular army.



That was clear on Tuti island, said resident Abdul Fattah Abdullah, describing how RSF men followed him on four motorcycles and grabbed him as he was carrying vegetables from a market.



The next 20 days, locked up in a small room with 32 army officers, were the hardest in his whole life, he complained. It did not end there. RSF fighters demanded the equivalent of $400, he said.



&#8220;They harassed people, demanding either their gold or their money. May God punish them,&#8221; said Abdullah.



(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

ZDTAXS54SNPKXI5JFDUILKDUHI

Sudanese on Nile island in capital recount paramilitary repression

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March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-events">EVENTS:</h2>



The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to announce its first interest rates decision for 2025.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-markets">GLOBAL MARKETS</h2>



Asian stocks fell on Friday with heavy selling in South Korea and Japan while safe-haven gold hit a record high as the latest tariff salvo from U.S. President Donald Trump stoked investor worries of an all-out trade war.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-oil-prices">WORLD OIL PRICES</h2>



Oil prices held near one-month highs on Friday and were poised for a third weekly gain on a tightening global supply outlook after the U.S. imposed tariffs against countries buying oil and gas from Venezuela and placed restrictions on Iranian oil trade.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-africa-markets">SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS</h2>



South Africa&#8217;s rand weakened on Thursday as markets fretted over U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs due next week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kenya-markets">KENYA MARKETS</h2>



The Kenyan shilling was stable against the dollar on Thursday, data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) showed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-africa-markets">AFRICA MARKETS</h2>



The Kenyan, Ugandan, Nigerian and Ghanaian currencies are expected to be broadly stable against the dollar in the next week to Thursday, while Zambia&#8217;s is seen under pressure, traders said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kenya-imf">KENYA IMF</h2>



The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that Kenya&#8217;s cash shortage requires a new spending strategy as it confirmed the government requested a new program.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-sudan-britain">SOUTH SUDAN BRITAIN</h2>



Britain on Thursday advised its citizens in South Sudan to leave the country following rising tensions that have brought the East African nation to the brink of renewed civil war.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chad-migration">CHAD MIGRATION</h2>



The U.S. embassy in Chad has suspended the issuance of most nonimmigrant visas for 90 days, the State Department said on Thursday, in the first known international travel restrictions of President Donald Trump&#8217;s second term.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-congo-hunger">CONGO HUNGER</h2>



Twenty-eight million people face acute hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a record for the country, driven by an escalating conflict between the government and Rwandan-backed rebels in the east, the United Nations said on Thursday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-sudan-security">SOUTH SUDAN SECURITY</h2>



The detention of South Sudan&#8217;s First Vice President Riek Machar has effectively collapsed the peace deal that ended the 2013-2018 civil war, his party said on Thursday.



((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 28

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4630" height="2929" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GP73G3YF7FNEDCJIJEBMT334WM.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602772"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenya&#8217;s Opposition leader Raila Odinga addresses delegates after signing a memorandum of understanding between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) with President William Ruto, to pursue proposed reforms under the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) talks, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya March 7, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; Kenya is sending former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to South Sudan as a special envoy to help defuse a growing rift between President Salva Kiir and his longtime rival First Vice President Riek Machar, which threatens to drag the country back to war.



Machar was put under house arrest in the capital Juba on Wednesday night, according to his party, effectively voiding a 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year civil war and brought the two men into a fragile power-sharing government.



Their administration has been slow to adopt key provisions of the peace pact, such as national elections and the unification of their two forces into one army.



Machar&#8217;s detention took the country &#8220;one step closer to the edge of collapse into civil war&#8221;, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.



Machar&#8217;s party denies government accusations that it backs the White Army, an ethnic militia largely comprising Nuer youths, which clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir this month, triggering the latest crisis.



In response to the fighting, Kiir&#8217;s forces rounded up several of Machar&#8217;s most senior allies, including the petroleum minister and the deputy head of the army.



Forces loyal to the two men have clashed in recent days outside Juba and elsewhere.



Kenyan President William Ruto, who chairs the East African Community (EAC) bloc, said he had spoken with Kiir about Machar&#8217;s detention, and was sending a special envoy to help de-escalate the situation and report back.



Odinga&#8217;s spokesperson, Dennis Onyango, confirmed that the former prime minister would travel to Juba on Friday.



Machar&#8217;s spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, said Odinga&#8217;s appointment was a welcome gesture &#8220;as long as it is in line with de-escalation of the situation&#8221;.



&#8220;(Machar) is fine, but nothing changes. He&#8217;s still under house arrest,&#8221; Baluang told Reuters by telephone.



Ruto said he had also consulted Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who sent troops this month to South Sudan at the government&#8217;s request to help secure the capital, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, which has hosted South Sudan peace talks in the past.



The African Union said it was sending a &#8220;Panel of the Wise&#8221;, a group of five &#8220;highly respected African personalities&#8221;, to help calm the situation.



Rival factions loyal to Kiir and Machar fought a civil war from 2013 to 2018 that killed hundreds of thousands.



(Reporting by Hereward Holland; Editing by Ammu Kannampilly, Clarence Fernandez and Alex Richardson)

GP73G3YF7FNEDCJIJEBMT334WM

Kenya sends former PM Odinga to defuse South Sudan crisis

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="544" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-820x544.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-479306" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-820x544.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Customers queue to draw money from an ATM outside a branch of South Africa&#8217;s Capitec Bank in Johannesburg,South Africa, March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/Files</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa&#8217;s Capitec Bank said on Friday that Group CEO and founding member Gerrie Fourie will retire in July after 11-1/2 years at the helm, and named Graham Lee, the group executive of its retail bank division, as his successor.



Fourie has been on the executive management team for the past 25 years. He become the CEO in January 2014 and will retire at the annual general meeting to be held on July 18.



&#8220;Under his stewardship as CEO, the company transformed from a challenger bank serving 5 million clients in 2014 to South Africa&#8217;s leading digital bank and a diversified financial services company serving over 24 million personal and business clients&#8221;, the lender said in a statement.



Santie Botha, Chairman of Capitec&#8217;s Board added that Fourie has not only facilitated significant growth and innovation &#8220;but has also built a strong and diverse leadership team, poised to carry the group into the future.&#8221;



As the lender diversified over the last four years, Fourie expanded the executive structure to include divisional executive teams responsible for the personal bank, business bank, insurance company, and strategic initiatives.



Lee, 50, has been a member of the group executive committee since 2022. He joined Capitec in 2003 and has held numerous strategic positions in credit, technology and data, and personal bank operations.



Basani Maluleke will succeed Graham Lee as group executive for the personal bank division, Capitec said.



(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla in Johannesburg, additional reporting by Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and David Evans)

Customers queue to draw money from an ATM outside a branch of South Africa’s Capitec Bank in Johannesburg,South Africa

South Africa’s Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie to retire in July

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q26RQAICWNPFJFYJE2MKCI6H7Q-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-428138" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q26RQAICWNPFJFYJE2MKCI6H7Q-1.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q26RQAICWNPFJFYJE2MKCI6H7Q-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q26RQAICWNPFJFYJE2MKCI6H7Q-1-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">South Africa&#8217;s central bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago, arrives to deliver a keynote address on monetary policy, growth and jobs at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



South Africa’s central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago says the country’s inflation targeting regime is out of date and might be inhibiting faster growth and making the economy less competitive.



While the country’s 25-year-old inflation targeting framework had helped lower interest rates from above 20 percent in 2000 to 7.5% now and helped reduce macroeconomic volatility, Kganyago said a fresh look was needed in line with other developing economies.



`’In this respect, the South African target is now rather dated, reducing our competitiveness and opportunity to generate faster and more sustainable growth,’’ Kganyago told the bank’s biennial conference in Cape Town.



South Africa’s newly established democratic government was one of the earliest adopters of the inflation targeting regime in 2000 when it was set at between 3 and 6 percent. Under Kganyago’s tenure, the SARB has focused its monetary policy on keeping inflation at the mid-point of 4.5 percent, and argued it should be lowered to around 3 percent.



Growth in Africa’s biggest economy has been stuck around 1 percent for the past decade as the country struggled with power shortages and corruption during the rule of former President Jacob Zuma who was accused of allowing a wealthy Indian family to control state institutions in what was generally referred to as ‘state capture’. &nbsp;



President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has since set a target of lifting economic growth to around 3 percent in the medium term after launching reforms under its Operation Vulindlela programme which helped end debilitating power shortages last year. Momentum was further maintained by the formation of the Government of National Unity after last year’s elections.



Kganyago said a session at the conference will tackle the question of what would be an optimal inflation target for South Africa in the context of what he called the country’s structural rigidities.



‘’Open discussions like these are important for how we think about the trajectory for global macroeconomic policy over the medium term, and what that means for the path of inflation targeting within the South African context,’’ he said.



Under South Africa’s constitution the inflation target is set by the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana who last October said he was not yet convinced of the merits of adjusting it though teams from the central bank and the National Treasury have started discussions on the subject.

South Africa’s central bank governor to delivers keynote address

South Africa central bank says inflation targeting framework may be stifling growth

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="528" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4U3A9916-1-820x528.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-602417" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4U3A9916-1-820x528.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4U3A9916-1-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4U3A9916-1-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4U3A9916-1-768x495.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4U3A9916-1-1536x990.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4U3A9916-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



Johannesburg, South Africa – The Executive Apartment Hotel Group proudly announces the grand opening of its latest prestigious development – One Rosebank Executive Apartment Hotel developed by the leading Developer Tricolt Developments – set to welcome guests in May 2025. Perfectly positioned in the heart of Rosebank, Johannesburg, One Rosebank is a striking new landmark that redefines the standard of luxury, design, and personalised hospitality in South Africa.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-luxury-meets-art-and-design">Where Luxury Meets Art and Design</h2>



One Rosebank Executive Apartment Hotel offers exceptional design and bespoke service, blending sophistication with functionality in a world-class environment. This ultra-exclusive apartment hotel promises guests an unmatched experience through curated amenities and signature spaces, including the breathtaking Skybar, the refined Epicure at One Restaurant by Multi award-winning Chef Coco Reinarhz, a fully equipped Business Centre, and the cutting-edge Trifit Gym. Residents and guests can also enjoy the Clubhouse and a serene Leisure Pool, adding to the property’s exclusive lifestyle offering, which will be completed in Phase 2.



With Rosebank Mall and The Zone just moments away, and the Gautrain station a short walk from the property, One Rosebank places guests at the centre of Johannesburg’s premier cultural, business, and entertainment district.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-visionary-leader-at-the-helm">A Visionary Leader at the Helm</h2>



At the forefront of this iconic One Rosebank Executive Apartment Hotel opening is Pamela Niemand, Managing Director of the Executive Apartment Hotel Group and a visionary in the apartment hotel and property industry. Widely recognised as South Africa’s leading Apartment Hotel expert, Pamela pioneered the country’s first apartment hotel and has been instrumental in shaping the industry for over 24 years.



Pamela’s influence and leadership have been pivotal in establishing some of the most successful apartment hotel developments. Her unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth continues to elevate the Executive Apartment Hotel Group as a premier brand in the hospitality sector.



“One Rosebank is more than just a hotel – it’s a new benchmark for hospitality in Johannesburg, combining refined living, artistic design, and next-level service. It embodies our vision of real hospitality reimagined,” says Pamela Niemand.



As anticipation builds toward the grand opening in May, the Executive Apartment Hotel Group looks forward to welcoming discerning guests, corporate and leisure travellers, to this exciting new address.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="447" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ONE-ROSEBANK-IMAGE-820x447.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-602397" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ONE-ROSEBANK-IMAGE-820x447.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ONE-ROSEBANK-IMAGE-300x164.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ONE-ROSEBANK-IMAGE-160x87.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ONE-ROSEBANK-IMAGE-768x419.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ONE-ROSEBANK-IMAGE.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>

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Trump says reciprocal tariffs will target all countries

Ugandan shilling flat on scant dollar demand

South African rand strengthens as gold hits fresh peak

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 31

Stock futures slip as a jittery Wall Street awaits ‘Liberation Day’: Live updates

West African juntas impose levy on imported goods

How TikTok Shop Is Gaining On Amazon And Temu

How Tariffs Are Going To Jack Up Car Prices In The U.S.

A content creator couple’s guide to Ho Chi Minh City

Sudanese on Nile island in capital recount paramilitary repression

What’s Scaring Americans Into Shopping More

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 28

Kenya sends former PM Odinga to defuse South Sudan crisis

South Africa’s Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie to retire in July

Why It’s So Hard To fix The U.S. Air Traffic Control Problems

South Africa central bank says inflation targeting framework may be stifling growth

Introducing One Rosebank Executive Apartment Hotel – Where Luxury Meets Art and Design by Executive Apartment Hotel Group

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