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Intelligence for the New World Economy

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Intelligence for the New World Economy
Semafor World Economy
Tiisetso Motsoeneng

Tiisetso Motsoeneng

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Tiisetso Motsoeneng has spent more than a decade reporting on South Africa’s political economy. At Business Day, he oversaw coverage of the post–state capture politics. Before that, he served as Reuters’ head of corporate news for Southern Africa.

Africa’s biggest fund manager is caught up in an escalating crisis

The shake-up at the $200 billion-plus state-owned Public Investment Corporation is turning into a showdown over political interference.
South African Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana.
South African Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana. Nic Bothma/Reuters.

Inflation in South Africa, Nigeria increasingly diverging

Nigeria’s consumer price increases are cooling off while South Africa’s inflation rate jumped to levels last seen two years ago.
Cartons of Chivita fruit juice produced by CHI Limited are pictured in the supermarket in Abuja.
A woman shops in Abuja. Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters.

Africa’s AI-driven lender to enter Ethiopia, Egypt

Opstasia is betting its algorithm stack can score 200 million unbanked consumers in frontier markets.
Optasia logo is seen in this illustration.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters

Novo Nordisk launches cheaper Ozempic in South Africa

The new version is a bid by the Danish drug manufacturer to squeeze out counterfeit products in Africa’s most obese nation.
A box of Ozempic made by Novo Nordisk is seen at a pharmacy.
Hollie Adams/File Photo/Reuters

Anglo names preferred bidder for De Beers stake

The Global Diamond Consortium was selected from three shortlisted groups following a bidding process, according to Botswana’s defense minister.
Rough diamonds during their sorting process are seen at the Botswana Diamond Valuing Company in Gaborone.
Juda Ngwenya/Reuters

Amazon Leo satellite internet enters South African market

The partnership enables the technology giant to sidestep ownership rules that have stalled the expansion of Starlink.
Amazon Leo is displayed during the Delivering the Future EMEA 2026 event.
Toby Shepheard/Reuters

South Africa plans major fuel stockpile to buffer against energy shocks

Africa’s largest economy once refined its own fuel, but is now wholly dependent on imported petrol, diesel, and jet fuel, leaving it vulnerable to major disruptions.

S. African central bank predicts reaching 3% inflation target

The announcement prompted economists to scale back expectations of back-to-back interest rate hikes.

South Africa deports 53,000 migrants after demos

Africa’s biggest economy has been on a knife edge for months over growing anti-migrant sentiment and xenophobic violence.

Businesses brace for prolonged unrest in South Africa

Boardroom sentiment has soured in an economy already grappling with the world’s highest unemployment rate, collapsing municipal services, and intensifying political agitation.

South Africa’s Treasury freezes Johannesburg budget

The decision is part of a crackdown on allegedly wasteful spending just months before local government elections.

South Africa mulls tax cuts to boost industrial growth

The move comes after the country lost its top spot as Africa’s most industrialized economy.

Economists warn Africa faces prolonged crunch

A US-Iran ceasefire is unlikely to ease short-term conditions in a region badly impacted by the war.

Billionaire maps next chapter for southern Africa sugar giant

Robert Gumede plans to use a massive sugarcane supplies footprint to build a biofuel powerhouse.

The danger of South Africa’s fragile anti-migrant protests

The country’s major cities saw anti-migrant demonstrations that were largely devoid of violence, but there were promises of more protests.

South African anti-migrant protesters vow weekly demos

Protesters want President Cyril Ramaphosa to make good on his promises to deport undocumented migrants.

South Africa faces security test as anti-migrant violence escalates

Anti-immigration protestors are demanding the removal of undocumented migrants and tighter border enforcement, setting their own deadline of June 30.

Nigeria faces ‘highest’ inflation risk among emerging markets, S&P says

S&P said higher energy and fertilizer prices triggered by the Iran war and El Niño were driving inflation.