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Intelligence for the New World Economy

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Intelligence for the New World Economy
Semafor World Economy
Sam Mkokeli

Sam Mkokeli

Email Sam@msmkokeli

Sam Mkokeli is freelance journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The quiet campaign for a mining billionaire to be South Africa’s next president

Can a billionaire stabilize South Africa’s ANC?
President of the Confederation of African Football Patrice Motsepe.
President of the Confederation of African Football Patrice Motsepe. Sayed Hassan/Getty Images.

Relief, but no reset: South Africa recalibrates after US tariff ruling

Pretoria previously faced the highest tariff rate on the continent.
The MSC container ship is docked while a truck drives past containers at the Durban Harbour.
Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

Leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance to stand down

Cape Town’s mayor is the front-runner to be the next leader of the coalition government’s second-biggest party.
John Steenhuisen, leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance party, on Feb. 6, 2025.
Nic Bothma/FilePhoto/Reuters

South Africa urges African collective action on critical minerals

The country’s mining minister called for the continent’s nations to coordinate policies on extractive industries.
Mogalakwena open-pit platinum mine.
Nqobile Dludla/Reuters

South Africa must avoid the ‘weaponization of trade’: special envoy

Mcebisi Jonas, a former deputy finance minister, said the country must diversify its commercial ties and protect itself from the fallout of a global transition away from multilateralism.
Mcebisi Jonas at Semafor’s Next 3 Billion event in Johannesburg.
Semafor

South Africa should diversify trade, ex-deputy finance minister says

Mcebisi Jonas said that South Africa should shift away from its current focus on investment treaties towards free trade.
Mcebisi Jonas at Semafor’s Next 3 Billion event in Johannesburg.
Semafor

South Africa’s pay-as-you-go presidency: Ramaphosa’s calculated flex

What the firing of a coalition party minister tells us about the future of the Government of National Unity.

Analysis: How Trump is influencing South Africa’s economic and foreign policies

The US president has become ‘an unlikely catalyst’ for decision-making in Pretoria.

Analysis: South Africa’s Ramaphosa held his own with Trump. Now comes the hard part.

President Cyril Ramaphosa went in hoping to reset a flurry of trade deals, but his White House counterpart had another agenda in mind.

Analysis: Cyril Ramaphosa’s Washington Test

The meeting between Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump is being framed as a reset between South Africa and the US.

South Africa’s new US envoy targets ‘misinformation’

Mcebisi Jonas, a former deputy finance minister, was appointed this week amid mounting tensions between Pretoria and Washington.

South Africa’s ANC seeks coalition ‘reset’ amid budget row

The government is trying to allay investor and business concerns over a potential collapse of the coalition formed less than a year ago.

South Africa’s coalition in jeopardy as budget row deepens

The second-largest party in the government voted opposed the fiscal plan passed by lawmakers.

The power struggle behind South Africa’s budget delay

Port and rail infrastructure have been major sticking points between the two biggest parties in the coalition government.

ANC veteran is frontrunner for South Africa’s US ambassador role

Andries Carl Nel, a deputy minister for 15 years, is the leading contender after the expulsion of Pretoria’s top Washington diplomat.

South Africa scrambles for new top diplomat to US

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ebrahim Rasool was no longer welcome in the country, accusing him of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates America.

US expels South Africa’s ambassador to Washington

South Africa’s ambassador has been given 72 hours to leave after comments about Trump’s agenda at a panel earlier this week.

South Africa’s US ambassador shut out of Washington

Ebrahim Rasool, a veteran diplomat who was Pretoria’s envoy to the US during the Obama administration, has failed to secure routine meetings.