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NO. B24 / 187 | NEWS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS
Gov’t seeks US$12.9bn for priority rail projects
TUESDAY APRIL 27, 2021
Ken Ofori-Atta
New taxes kick in on May 1 By Business24 Reporters
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he Covid-19 health recovery levy and additional taxes on retail petroleum products announced in the 2021 budget will come into force from May 1, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said. Cont’d on page 3
Special Publication South Africa Freedom Day 2021
By Joshua Worlasi Amlanu macjosh1922@gmail.com
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overnment is seeking US$12.9bn of investments in three separate railway projects to
help accelerate economic growth and achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The projects are part of a portfolio of planned infrastructural investments
which the government pitched to international investors during the 2021 SDG Investment Fair held virtually from April 13–14. Cont’d on page 2
The Netherlands Orange King’s Day Inside
Inside Follow us online: facebook.com/business24gh twitter.com/business24gh linkedin.com/pg/business24gh instagram.com/business24gh
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Editorial / News
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Editorial
Healthy capital market vital
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bout two years ago, a number of fund management companies incurred the wrath of their regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These companies had had a field day largely flouting the rules of the regulator without so much of punitive actions. The regulator stepped in at a time that many considered too late given that the number of locked up funds had simply ballooned as these companies had more time to take more funds. The aftermath of the regulator’s actions has not been easy for investors especially with some still chasing after their locked up funds in some of these collapsed companies. It refreshing to hear that
the regulator is taking steps to ensure that the factors that led to the mess are properly taken care of. According to the commission, its new guidelines are to strengthen the market, increase product offering and diversity and support future growth. One of the key takeaways for the regulator is the sheer scale of corporate governance weaknesses which it responded to by introducing conduct of business guidelines in which market operators were required to issue annual reports to allow investors to know their standing. There is no denying that these directives, when thoroughly followed, would increase the level of transparency as the Commission found out during investigations that there were
related party transactions that were not done transparently. Also, this paper agrees with the view that the revocation of licenses created space for the regulator to focus on the remaining firms and to allocate resources efficiently in supervising the firms remaining. Regardless, the Commission needs to up its game in order to be able to supervised properly any addition to the market. It will not be right to place a cap on licenses that can be issued due to the weaknesses of the regulator. This paper will thus urge the public to support the Commission’s overarching goal to consolidate the asset management industry and it works to ensure compliance, adequate risk management and clearly defined board roles.
Gov’t seeks US$12.9bn for priority rail projects Continued from cover
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They include a Light Rail Transit (LRT) network in Kumasi, estimated at US$5.8bn, which the government aims to develop through a public-private partnership. A second project, the Central Spine Rail Line, planned to begin in 2023 will link Kumasi to Paga and has an estimated investment cost of US$3.3bn. Both projects are currently at the feasibility stage of development. The third project is a 550-km Trans-ECOWAS Railway Line from Aflao to Elubo, which has a price tag of US$3.8bn and is at the prefeasibility stage of development. Its expected start date is 2022. An investment brochure published by the Ministry of Finance said the Trans-ECOWAS line “will ensure the smooth and rapid movement of goods and people within Ghana, as well as facilitate the movement of people and transit cargo for trade between Togo and Côte d’Ivoire.” It added that the Kumasi LRT project will strengthen the city’s transportation system and help address urban mobility challenges which currently inhibit Kumasi’s growth. Since 2017 the government has placed railway modernisation at the top of its economic
John Peter-Amewu, Railways Minister
transformation agenda, and has signed a number of deals with investors to reconstruct old lines and extend the network beyond the southern part of the country. The size of investment needed to build a modern rail system is however huge, and the government has been actively pursuing public-private partnership options to bring its ambitious plans to fruition. Among the ongoing rail projects are the Tema to Mpakadan line,
which is 80 percent complete, and the Manso to Huni Valley line, for which the government signed a €500-million contract with construction company Amandi Holdings in June last year. The investments in rail are expected to complement other infrastructural initiatives that will help improve Ghana’s competitiveness, increase economic growth, and promote sustainable development.
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New taxes kick in on May 1 Continued from cover According to the GRA, the 1 percent Covid-19 health recovery levy will be applied to both domestic goods and services as well as imports, but excluding exempt products. The levy will also be applied to the supply of goods that are subject to the VAT Flat Rate, it added. The additional taxes on petroleum consist of the Energy Sector Recovery Levy and the Sanitation and Pollution Levy. The former will be levied at 20 pesewas per litre of petrol and diesel, and 18 pesewas per kg of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), while the latter will be levied at 10 pesewas per litre of petrol and diesel. The taxes, which the government introduced to help narrow the fiscal deficit that reached a record 11.7 percent of GDP in 2020, will likely increase price pressures in the coming months, backing analysts’ forecasts of a more cautious monetary policy from the Bank of Ghana through the rest of the year to help keep a lid on inflation—
which stood at 10.3 percent in March. The GRA also announced that banks will begin paying the 5 percent financial sector levy on their pre-tax profits from the end of June. The government has justified the levy, which is forecast to raise GH¢219.1m this year and GH¢416.3m in 2022, as necessary to cushion the fiscal impact of the financial sector clean-up exercise,
for which the public treasury has expended more than GH¢21bn since 2018. Meanwhile, tax reliefs for the self-employed as well as businesses in the accommodation, food, education, travel and tours, and arts and entertainment sectors will be accessible from the second to the last quarter of the year, the GRA said. “To benefit from these
concessions, the person must be registered with the Ghana Revenue Authority, [have] made an instalment payment for the first quarter of 2021, and continue to discharge any other obligation specified by an enactment administered by the Commissioner-General,” the authority added.
Youth urged to go into intensive farming
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ountry Manager of OCP Ghana Limited, Samuel Oduro-Asare, has encouraged participants of the Fourth Agricultural Students Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue (AG-STUD Africa 2021), to go into intensive farming. He described intensive farming as the ability to maximise yield from a small piece of land space as compared to acquiring wide acres of land for cultivation. Speaking at the end of the Boot camp, Mr Oduro-Asare said it was always good to start small and expand into commercial levels. He noted that the agribusiness sector provided lots of opportunity in its value chain and was a way to creating jobs, and called on the youth to venture into agriculture and appreciate small beginnings. Mr Oduro-Asare asked starters to enter into the venture advisedly with guidance and mentoring to maximise their successes in the business. He asked them to take advantage of backyard gardening, and work on pieces of lands within their communities,
which were easily accessible. Mr Ahmad Hashemi, the President of Reyco Agricultural Consulting, asked the youth to seek opportunities in the agricultural sector in Ghana and not greener pastures abroad.
Madam Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the Executive Director, Agrihouse Foundation, said the first camp was birthed in 2018 to speak to the need of the youth and encourage them to go into agriculture.
She said this year’s camp housed participants from 16 tertiary institutes from across the country and that the AG-STUD Africa was a five-day agribusiness Boot camp designed by Agrihouse Foundation to support in creating avenues for agricultural students’ socialisation. Over the years, the Boot camp had trained and mentored about 600 students directly and about 20,000 students indirectly. Dr Zanetor AgyemanRawlings, Member of Parliament for Korle Klotey, and Patron AGSTUD Africa Boot camp, urged the participants to network and leverage their potentials to build the agribusiness sector to impact their generation. She urged them to use technology and media to promote their businesses, saying: “Build on your strong points and don’t be afraid to surround yourself with those who know more than you do,” she said. Participants were presented with certificates and their schools given spraying machines and seeds to support their agriculture projects.
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News
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Mozambique gas project: Total halts work after Palma attacks
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rench energy giant Total has suspended operations at a site exploring a major gas field in northern Mozambique weeks after Islamist militants attacked a nearby town. The company said that it was withdrawing all its staff because of the “evolving” security situation. Dozens of people were killed in the March raid on the town of Palma. Total’s $20bn (£14.6bn) gas liquification plant is the largest foreign investment in Africa. Its Afungi site is near Palma which has been repeatedly attacked by militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. During the 24 March attack, dozens of foreign contract workers and local people were besieged at the Amarula Palma Hotel. The UN’s World Food Programme said last week that the March attack had caused tens of thousands to flee the area -
adding to a growing humanitarian crisis. The agency says many lack proper shelter, and malnutrition among children is on the rise. The four-year insurgency in Cabo Delgado region has left more than 2,500 people dead and 700,000 displaced. Mozambique’s President Felipe Nyusi has promised to restore peace in the restive Cabo Delgado province. On Monday Total said it “expresses its solidarity” with the government and called on the authorities to restore security. The halting of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exploration is a big blow to Mozambique, analysts say. Insecurity in the region has also affected local traders the country’s main business association said small- and medium-sized firms had lost $90 (£64m). Who are the insurgents?
They are primarily Muslims from the coastal zone of Cabo Delgado, recruited by local fundamentalist preachers with a socialist message - that Sharia, or Islamic law, would bring equality and everyone would share in the coming resource wealth, according to Mozambique analyst Joseph Hanlon. The first attack in the region was in 2017 on Mocimboa da Praia, the only city and port in
this northern zone. The preachers’ message and the promise of jobs and money led many young men to join the insurgency, and it gained support in local communities, he added. The consensus is that the insurgency started locally and that foreign and IS involvement came later. The disagreement is over how important that is, said Dr Hanlon.
Space entrepreneur Max Polyakov acquires South Africa’s to raise up to $350 million in British entrepreneur Richard Dragonfly satellite maker
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ax Polyakov, an ultrawealthy entrepreneur with ambitions of building a space transportation empire, has acquired South African satellite maker Dragonfly Aerospace, he told Reuters. The deal gives Polyakov an anchorpoint in the booming but fiercely competitive market for small-satellite technology, and a potential revenue source for rocket maker Firefly Aerospace, which is majority-owned by Polyakov’s Noosphere Ventures investment fund. He declined to disclose the value of the deal, which closed
earlier this month. It has not been previously reported. An announcement is expected on Tuesday. “This deal gives us costcontrol and mass production of components,” Polyakov told Reuters by phone. “It allows us to bring everything in-house.” The acquisition comes amid a frenzy of capital infusions and blank-check deal-making around a new breed of firms building miniaturized launch systems to cash in on the exponential growth of compact satellites needing a ride to orbit in the coming years. Texas-based Firefly is seeking
multiple tranches over 12 months as part of a plan to expand production and bring to market its higher-capacity Beta rocket, two people familiar with the matter said. One of them told Reuters an announcement on an initial infusion could be made in the coming days. A Firefly spokesman declined to comment. Polyakov hopes Dragonfly’s satellites could launch on Firefly’s Alpha rocket, which Polyakov said could potentially debut before the end of June. Firefly, U.S.-New Zealand startup Rocket Lab and billionaire
Branson’s Virgin Orbit are frontrunners in a long list of smalllaunch providers seeking to cash in on the small satellite trend. The boom is fueled in part by venture cash and technology leaps that have reduced the size and boosted the capabilities of satellites used for everything from communications to national security to climate studies. The sprawling field of smallsatellite makers includes SpaceX’s Starlink, Amazon. com’s Kuiper, Britain’s OneWeb, venture-backed Planet, and Raytheon Technologies Corp’s Blue Canyon Technologies. Among them, Polyakov’s Dragonfly aims to build up to 48 satellites per year for commercial and civil space customers. For example, Dragonfly develops satellite cameras for Earth Observing Systems Data Analytics, which is owned by Polyakov’s Menlo Park, California-based Noosphere Ventures. Polyakov plans to expand Dragonfly Aerospace’s presence with new facilities in the U.S. and Europe, he said, without providing a specific time frame. Reuters
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The Netherlands Orange King's Day
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Special King’s Day Message from the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Ghana Photo credit: RVD/Patrick van Katwijk
Dear readers, Today is King’s Day, National Day of the Netherlands. On behalf of the entire Dutch community in Ghana, I would like to congratulate His Majesty King Willem-Alexander on his 53rd birthday. I convey our congratulations also to Her Majesty Queen Maxima and the other members of the Royal Family. King’s Day has a special place in the heart of the Dutch. King’s Day, more than anything else, is very much a people’s day, a day of national unity, a day on which everybody and everything turns Orange. A vivid and colourful celebration with music shows, fairs, flea markets and cultural events all across the country, and the Royal Family taking a tour in some part of the country. Like last year, however, King’s Day 2021 will be very different in view of the continuing corona crisis. Slowly but steadily, the Netherlands is, like all countries in the world, trying to overcome the COVID-19 disease, with all its human, social and economic consequences. Lives have been
lost, so many people have suffered health complications, hospitals have been under pressure, and medical staff have for more than a year now been working around the clock to fight this disease. The economic effects have been enormous, with shops, restaurants, cafés and cultural places almost or entirely closed for many months, having a severe impact on businesses and livelihoods in general. Social life has been severely limited to the many painful but needed COVID restrictions. The vaccination campaign started in January and will hopefully towards summer result in some level of normalcy in our daily lives. Finally, some light at the end of the tunnel! Against this background, the Dutch will celebrate King’s Day in a very sober manner, and mainly at home. King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and their children will spend the day in the City of Eindhoven, at the High Tech Campus of the world famous Eindhoven Technical University, and celebrate King’s Day from there largely in an online setting. Throughout the corona pan-
demic, King Willem-Alexander has shown himself more than ever a force of unity and togetherness, which the Royal Family in the Netherlands, the House of Orange, has always symbolised. A King who knows his people, connects, understands, comforts and sympathises in times like these, but also inspires, encourages and leads. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima did, over the last year, more than one hundred working visits across the country – physically and online – to express their solidarity with the people in these special times and to exude confidence that, together, we will overcome. The corona pandemic may have changed the world, but not the excellent relations and friendship between the people of the Netherlands and the people of Ghana. In these unprecedented times, we have been standing shoulder to shoulder with the government and people of Ghana to fight against this disease, protect our peoples, and overcome this crisis, with tangible support, financially but also by COVID-related projects with our Dutch and Ghanaian partners in the private
sector and civil society. We commend His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his outstanding leadership and the government for its determined and confidence-inspiring way of handling the crisis in order to keep the country and the people safe. Let me wish all our Orange Partners who have supported us over the years, and all other Dutch-affiliated businesses and organisations active in Ghana, possible strength to get through these extraordinary times. I am very confident better times will come soon. I wish all my compatriots in Ghana a befitting Orange athome celebration and I thank our Ghanaian friends for joining us.
Ron Strikker, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Ghana
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the Government of Ghana and putting people’s health first. This year, we will also not host the National Day because the pandemic is still with us and we wish to remain responsible. What would you say is the state of bilateral relations between your country and Ghana, both politically and economically? (Provide statistics if available)
Interview with
H. E. Grace Jeanet Mason High Commissioner of South Africa to Ghana What is your National Day and of what significance is it to your country? South Africa celebrates its National Day on 27 April because that is the day that South Africans of all races from the age of 18 upwards went to the ballot to cast their votes for a political party of their choice, ushering in our democracy. The African National Congress won the elections, and Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the country’s first democratic and black President in May 1994. You must remember that prior to the elections of 27 April 1994, South Africa was still under the apartheid system. The political freedom fighters and the liberation organisations to which they belonged were only freed from prison and unbanned in 1990. And from 1990-1993, that is when we had the negotiation process between the freedom fighters and the white minority government, which led to the ushering in of a democratic South Africa.
So 27 April is our Freedom Day, and it is important because it represents the day South Africa became a democratic country, holding our first democratic elections post-apartheid. Generally, how is the day marked at home and by your High Commission in Ghana? Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa—just like 6 March is also a public holiday in Ghana. The day is marked by the President delivering a speech to the nation reflecting on our past and looking ahead to the future. Here in Ghana, the High
Commission hosts the National Day celebration. We invite members from the diplomatic corps, government officials, South Africans living in Ghana, our companies, our Ghanaian friends and the media. The evening starts with a speech delivered by myself, followed by a speech from a Minister in Ghana. We cut a cake, eat and network. Last year the High Commission did not host the National Day celebration, including all the other Embassies in Ghana. They also did not celebrate their national days due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We were respecting the restrictions imposed by
Bilateral relations between Ghana and South Africa are very warm and cordial. Our relations have continued to strengthen over the years. As you may be aware, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo paid a State Visit to South Africa in July 2018, and at that State Visit the two Presidents decided to elevate our relations to a Bi-National Commission. Prior to that, the framework governing Ghana and South Africa’s relations was the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), which was co-chaired by our two Ministers of International Relations and Foreign Affairs. So now the elevation to the BNC means that our relations will now be presided over by our two Presidents, and the BNC was signed when President Ramaphosa came for a Working Visit to Ghana in December 2019. So that is the state of our political relations at a bilateral level, and as stated, there has been progression and growth. Economically, our relations have also grown to unprecedented levels. On the investment front, South African companies have invested immensely in the Ghanaian economy in terms of Foreign Direct Investors (FDIs). There are close to 200 South African companies registered in Ghana, employing over 19,087 Ghanaians and 510 expatriates. Over the past ten years, South African companies have undertaken over 170 projects in Ghana valued at close to US$1.5 billion in capital investment. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, South African investors did not shy away but continued to invest in Ghana. In the year 2020, South Africa recorded 3 projects contributing over US$240 million
The latest foreign direct investments from SA to Ghana are:
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Bilateral trade with Ghana (in Rands) from 2015 – 2020
to Ghana’s FDI. The footprint of South African companies in Ghana is impressive and includes the likes of Stanbic Bank, AngloGold Ashanti, MTN, Goldfields, Multichoice, Game, Old Mutual, First National Bank, Barclays/ABSA, Shoprite, Atterbury, Broll, 3M, to name a few. Companies such as MTN have been a shining example of good corporate citizenship, because MTN is the largest corporate tax payer to the Ghana Revenue Authority. The rest of the South African companies continue to provide employment and local procurement opportunities as well as contribute to the upliftment of communities through their corporate social responsibility programmes. The trade relationship between the two countries is also growing. There was a slight decrease in total trade in 2020 as compared to 2019, but that was expected due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We expect trade to rebound quite well this year, especially with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. South African exports to Ghana have evolved over time, from being dominated by agricultural produce, packaging material and primary goods. Products such as vehicles, machinery, mechanical appliances, electrical equipment, base metals, aircraft, vessels and associated products have contributed to the increased exports to Ghana. The shift from exporting primary goods to manufactured products can be attributed to, among other factors, an increasing presence of South African multinational companies in Ghana and also because South Africa is Ghana’s second-largest trading partner on the continent after Nigeria. Are there any projects or programs that you are working on to boost economic relations?
What are these programs and what do they aim to achieve? For South Africa, Ghana presents investment opportunities in agriculture and agro-processing, regional industrialisation with the 1 District 1 Factory initiative, infrastructure development in the transport sector (rail and roads), mining (mineral exploration and beneficiation), oil and gas as well as the tourism and hospitality industry. The South African High Commission will continue to promote both trade and investment between the two countries. This will be undertaken through trade and investment missions (done virtually or physically), trade exhibitions and collaborating with agencies like Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and Ghana Export Promotion Agency to carry out trade and investment projects. We are also supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area in order to achieve increased intra-Africa trade and investment. South Africa and Ghana have just finalised the MoU on cooperation in the field of agriculture. All that is outstanding is for our Ministers of Agriculture to sign it. Same goes for the visa waiver agreement for ordinary passport holders. The MoU on agriculture will provide us with the opportunity to increase our agricultural cooperation through increased trade, provide market access for our agricultural produce and bring investments into the sector. The visa waiver agreement will mean that visitors from both our countries can visit each other’s countries visafree for up to 90 days in a year. This will be mutually beneficial for our tourism industries and will make it easier for business people to also move between the two countries to conduct their
business. So these are two very important agreements that we are working towards finalising and implementing right now. Both agreements will yield economic dividends for our two countries. What do you think is the appetite or interest of your home country investors for investing and seeking business opportunities in Ghana? How is your outfit working to promote this? As mentioned earlier, we have close to 200 South African companies doing business in Ghana, from big multinationals to more medium-sized ones. The appetite for Ghana remains, and even our development finance institutions, such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa, and our corporate banks, such as Standard Bank and Rand Merchant Bank, are funding and have funded big projects in energy and infrastructure development in Ghana. The High Commission has what we call inward and outward trade missions which are facilitated by our Ministry of Trade and Industry back home. These trade missions involve bringing potential investors to Ghana and linking them up with potential business partners. We work closely with the GIPC on these missions. We also do the reverse, where we invite Ghanaian investors to go on outward trade missions to South Africa to seek out business opportunities. In fact, South Africa wishes to see more Ghanaian investors going to South Africa to do business. What is your own assessment of how Ghana is developing and how is your country supporting this process? South Africa holds Ghana in very high esteem. We share common values, such as our commitment to democracy, good
governance and the rule of law. We admire Ghana for its democratic credentials and peaceful transfers of power since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1992. Ghana has proven to be a stable and reliable country on the African continent. We recognise Ghana’s gradual and impressive development over the years. The country has now become the citadel and hub of Africa’s economic integration with the hosting of the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra. Ghana has already started attracting international investors and companies to set up shop in the country. This is a positive outcome for Ghana’s development, and our companies will continue doing business in Ghana and creating jobs and investing in socioeconomic upliftment projects. Our government is committed to further strengthening our relations. We support Africa’s economic integration agenda and are working closely with the government of Ghana and the Secretariat in ensuring the success of the continental free trade area. What is the future of bilateral relations with Ghana? Bilateral relations between South Africa and Ghana will continue to grow from strength to strength, especially now that the Bi-National Commission has entered into force. We foresee the inaugural session of the BNC being held later on this year. We have some important bilateral agreements which are in their final stages, and once implemented, they will unlock opportunities which will be mutually beneficial for our two countries. On the continent, we will continue working together at the AU level and ensuring that the AfCFTA is implemented successfully.
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A brief history of South Africa In 1795 the British captured Cape Colony (South Africa). They handed it back to the Dutch in 1803 but took it again in 1806. In 1814 a treaty confirmed British ownership of Cape Colony. In 1812 the British founded Grahamstown, and in 1820 4,000 Britons were granted land by the Great Fish River. The Boers (Dutch settlers) in South Africa resented British rule. When slavery was abolished in 1834 they were antagonised still more. Finally, the Boers began a mass migration away from the British, called the Great Trek. In 1838 the Boers fought and defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River. Eventually, the Boers founded two republics away from the British, Orange Free State and Transvaal. In the 1850s the British recognised the two Boer republics. However, the situation changed in 1867 when diamonds were found in Northern Cape. In 1871 diamonds were also found at Kimberley. Gold was discovered at Gauteng in 1886. Meanwhile, in 1879 the British fought the Zulus in South Africa. The British were badly defeated by the Zulus at the Isandhlwana, but they went on to win the war. Increasingly, the British were keen to bring all of South Africa, including the Boer republics, under their control. In 1884 Lesotho became a British protectorate. In 1894 the Kingdom of Swaziland became a protectorate. Meanwhile, British settlers had moved into the Transvaal Republic. The Boers called them Uitlanders (foreigners). Cecil Rhodes was Prime Minister of British South Africa from 1890 to 1895, and in 1895 he plotted a rebellion by Uitlanders in the Transvaal, which would be supported by a force from South Africa led by Leander Starr Jameson. The aim was to
overthrow the government of Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal. However, the Jameson Raid of January 1896 was defeated by the Boers and Jameson himself was captured. The two Boer republics formed an alliance and hostility between them and the British grew. Finally, in October 1899, war began in South Africa between the Boers and the British. At first, the Boers were successful, but in 1900 more British troops arrived and the Boers were pushed back. The Boers then turned to guerrilla warfare. However, Kitchener, the British commander, began herding Boer women and children into concentration camps where more than 20,000 of them died of disease. 20th Century South Africa The Boers finally surrendered in 1902 and the British annexed the Boer republics. In 1910 a United South Africa was given a constitution. It became known as the Union of South Africa. From the start black people were very much second-class citizens in South Africa. Most lived in tribal reserves and laws of 1913 and 1936 prevented them owning land outside certain areas. Most blacks were not allowed to vote. In 1912 black South Africans founded the South African National Congress (later the ANC), but at first they achieved little. In 1914 South Africa joined the First World War against Germany. That year there was a rebellion by the Boers, which was crushed. In 1918 Afrikaners (descendants of Dutch settlers) founded a secret organisation called the Broederbond (brotherhood). In 1939 South Africa joined the Second World War against Germany. However, some Afrikaners opposed this decision. In 1948 the National Party came to power in South Africa. The
party introduced a strict policy of apartheid (separateness). Whites and blacks were already segregated to a large degree. New laws made segregation much stricter. However, in 1955, organisations representing black people, white people, coloureds and Indians formed the Congress Alliance. In 1955 they adopted the Freedom Charter. Yet divisions soon occurred. In 1958 some black South Africans broke away from the ANC and they formed the Pan Africanist Congress or PAC. They were led by Robert Sobukwe. In 1960 both the ANC and the PAC planned demonstrations against the pass laws, which restricted the movements of black people. On 21 March 1960 Sobukwe led thousands of people in a demonstration. In Sharpeville, the police fired at them, killing 69. The government banned the ANC and the PAC. And in 1963 Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment. Meanwhile, in 1961 South Africa left the Commonwealth and became a republic. In 1966 Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd was assassinated but otherwise South Africa was quiet until 1976, although, naturally, black resentment continued to simmer below the surface. Rioting began in Soweto on
16 June 1976. The riots spread and they continued into 1977. In 1978 P. W. Botha became prime minister. He was determined to continue apartheid and in 1983 he introduced a new constitution with a tricameral parliament, with houses for whites, coloreds, and Indians (with no representation for blacks). However, the new constitution pleased nobody. Meanwhile, other countries were increasingly imposing economic sanctions on South Africa and inside the country resistance to apartheid grew. In 1989 Botha was forced from office. He was replaced by Willem de Klerk, who in 1990 pledged to end apartheid. He also released Nelson Mandela. De Klerk introduced a new constitution with rights for all. The first democratic elections were held in April 1994, and in May 1994 Nelson Mandela was elected president. He retired in 1999. 21st Century South Africa In the early 21st century the economy of South Africa, the largest in Africa, grew, but recently it has slowed. Tourism in South Africa is an important industry. South Africa is also rich in minerals. Today, the population of South Africa is 58 million.
Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa
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Culture and traditions of South Africa South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. With 11 official languages and 8 other recognised languages, the rich culture of each of these groups brings its own vibrancy to their
diversity. French Huguenots, Germans and Portuguese arrived from the 1600s and brought many slaves from India and modern-day Indonesia. Islam and Hindu traditions and culture
KhoiKhoi and San culture
The indigenous KhoiKhoi and San’s culture can be seen in the rock art across the country. The San, also known as “Bushmen”, were extraordinary hunters and trackers, and their tracking skills are still invaluable in the fight against poachers. Today, their language is under threat, as is their nomadic way of life in the desert regions of the country.
The Bantu migrants were not all of the same culture; there were the Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Ndebele, Shangaan and Venda, to name a few, each with their own colourful and interesting way of life. It is a popular tourist attraction to see these traditional cultures with their interesting homes, dress, wonderful beadwork, pottery, arts and crafts, and cultural events in the rural areas.
are also therefore prominent in the country. As such it is quite difficult to generalise at all on South African etiquettes and culture due to the diversity.
Black African culture is most known for its art, dance and music – these have been profoundly influenced by more than two centuries of colonialism and Christian missionaries.
Xhosa culture
The Xhosa culture is well known for the complex dress code that indicates a person’s social standing. Whether the person is married, having children or is a senior, it can be read by the person’s clothes. Women and men also use cosmetic white clay on their faces. Stick fighting is
a common pastime for men, whose day time job is looking after the cattle. Women tend the crops and do much of the other work around the home. It was Xhosa leaders who initiated the fight against apartheid and founded the ANC. Among these was Nelson Mandela.
Zulu culture
Sotho culture
The Zulu hold their culture in high esteem, still using many of their old traditions, rituals and ceremonies. They believe in the presence of ancestral spirits and see the stages of birth, puberty, marriage and death as an opportunity to communicate with their ancestors to ask for
The southern Sotho and the northern Sotho taken together are the second-largest ethnic group in South Africa. The Sotho people tend to organise their homes into villages rather than scattered settlements. Sotho villages were also organised into age-sets, meaning groups of men or women who were close in age. Each age-set had specific responsibilities.
An entire age-set generally graduated from one task to the next, and the village often celebrated this change with a series of rituals. Traditions of folk art include beadwork, sewing, pottery making, house decoration, and weaving. The South Sotho people of Lesotho are identified with the brightly coloured blankets that they often wear instead of coats.
luck and health. Zulu culture includes the use of magic, and many cases of illness or bad luck are considered to be caused by evil spirits. If a diviner communicates with the spirits or uses natural herbs and prayers, he might get rid of them.
Culture today
Today, many of the younger generation from all cultures have moved to cities where they can live a westernised
lifestyle and speak either English or Afrikaans in addition to their home language. Also, there are many authors, photographers and film makers, actors and producers who are all flourishing in the freedom of their Rainbow Nation. republicofsouthafricablog. wordpress.com/
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Grant Webber President of the Ghana South Africa Business Chamber (GSABC), on economic ties between the two countries In what ways has the chamber been promoting Ghana-South Africa economic relations? For the past 13 years the Chamber has been ever present, as it has striven to achieve its noble objective of improving levels of trade and foreign direct investment between the two countries. We work closely with the South African High Commission in Ghana and often undertake joint initiatives. Annual trade missions down to South Africa and up to Ghana have been a regular calendar item for the past 6 years, and the 2020 and 2021 editions have been virtual versions with our partner agencies, such as WESGRO, Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), Gauteng Growth & Development Agency (GGDA), Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA), and Trade & Investment KwaZuluNatal (TIKZN). What would you say has been the impact of the pandemic on your members? In the short term, very few have escaped unharmed from the pandemic. MTN,
a telecoms behemoth, does stand out as a winner, however, as the demand for data has increased exponentially. But most industries have seen deep downturns, and as our membership base spans the breadth of these, we have experienced a broad-based decline in revenues as trade dried up. However, we are witnessing innovative business ideas evolving in the mediumterm as businesses look at creative solutions to not only survive but to thrive and grow. On Ghana-South Africa trade, volumes have tumbled in all categories save for emergency items or essential consumables. Trade in capital goods has ground to a halt over the past 12 months. Sadly, trade remains stubbornly one-way traffic up the continent from SA into Ghana. Even before the pandemic struck, a key South African brand like Woolworths announced its exit from Ghana. Did that send a distress signal? No, not really. Woolworths joins a relatively long list of failed South African companies in Ghana. Other retailers from
the Edcon Group closed at about the same time, but Shoprite and Game continue to prosper. A couple of engineering and construction firms ceased operating before March 2020, and latterly a big property fund is anxiously attempting to exit its investments here. But then Stanbic, ABSA, and FNB keep growing! Hollard too continues to gain traction in the insurance sector. There's a very strong economic relationship between South Africa and Ghana, which is demonstrated by the increasing presence of huge SA brands in the country. Any specific measures to convince more businesses to set up here or to remain in the country? The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) runs a proactive inward investment program and actively markets the strategic importance that Ghana offers to businesses looking for a gateway into ECOWAS. The Ghana Free Zones Authority offers compelling financial incentives to develop the manufacturing sector. Mike Whitfield, Africa CEO, recently
opened the Nissan South Africa auto assembly plant under this program with local partners. What specific measures or policies would you suggest to ensure economic relations are strengthened between the two countries? Clearly, we need to make strides with deepening and widening Ghana’s manufacturing base. This places a limit on the value of exports to South Africa. The historical reliance on raw products without doing the beneficiation in Ghana remains Ghana’s Achilles heel. The One-District-One-Factory programme is certainly a very proactive policy which is providing the springboard for manufacturing investment. Advances in technology and modernisation of most industries should see further growth in manufacturing and engineering, which will in turn improve export volumes. At government level, the two countries have shared a special relationship for many years and this will assist economic relations at industry level.
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all had to put our lives on the line in the circumstances. To this end we had to invest in the COVID safety logistics, and we secured accommodation within a walking distance from our project site for our site staff, while some of us commuted daily to and from site in our own vehicles. This approach was to restrict the staff from commuting to and from their homes on a daily basis using public transportation, where the risk was considered high. With these measures, all our staff were kept safe and work progressed with minimal disruptions to the progress of our project. This kept our cash flow uninterrupted. I believe that the staff, knowing the sacrifices the company was making in catering for their welfare, were motivated to also put in their all. Unfortunately, our fortunes have been hardly hit resulting from the unbudgeted for expenditures and maintaining the full complement of our staff— but at least, thankfully, we are all alive and we look forward to the future with the hope that the economy turns around so we can recover.
Let there be light!
Godwin S. Locher Founder & CEO of Lightingale Ltd., talks about how his company weathered the pandemic and its deep connections to South Africa. How has your business fared over the past year given the pandemic-induced crisis? Business and employment globally are being hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and our business is no exception, although the degree of the impact, thankfully, did not push our business to the point of a complete shutdown. Being part of the essential service providers during the partial national lockdown, we had no choice than to face the odds and deliver our required services to our clients. This I believe contributed in keeping our business going over the past year. What specific measures did you deploy that succeeded in keeping
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your business afloat? Our company is a Professional Turn-Key Lighting Solution Provider and Electrical Contractor. We were in the middle of work on the almost completed 4-tier Pokuase Interchange Project when COVID set in. Little did we anticipate the impact of the pandemic on business and livelihoods in general and our company in particular. For us as a company, our priority was in two folds: firstly, to ensure the safety of all our staff, and secondly, that none of our staff lost their livelihoods either through wage cuts, layoffs or reduced staff working hours. Unfortunately for us, our services could not be carried out digitally, either from home or a remote location, so we
For other South African businesses seeking to set up in Ghana, what useful lessons would you share with them to smoothen their establishment and success? One thing I learnt through my over two decades of training and doing business with South Africans was not taking a NO for an answer. The persistence, perseverance and that pushy attitude does the trick. I would say South African businesses seeking to set up in Ghana must strive to maintain the usual South African professional approach to work, standards, quality of products and service delivery, and that pushy, pushy. How do you see the future of your organisation in Ghana? Our company is wholly Ghanaian-owned but with a number of South African companies as affiliates and partners. We have been around the past two decades and more. We believe we are still in existence because there is definitely something we are doing right. We will continue to stay focused, keep to our tangent, change bearings when necessary, and for us the sky is the limit for the future of our organisation. What is the collaboration between your company and the numerous South African brands
in the country? I must say our company’s collaboration with South African brands, and even the High Commission, dates back over a decade ago. I recall when Ghana hosted the CAN 2008 and the Bafana Bafana were slated to be in Tamale, our company was commissioned by the South African High Commission to secure an accommodation to host the High Commissioner and his secretariat. That was a great honour for us. Our company has a number of South African-affiliated companies, some of whom we have collaborated with in the past two decades and still do. We have, for instance, represented the company Beka (Pty) Ltd, now Beka Schreder, Africa’s leading manufacturer of luminaire and Glass Fibre Poles, in Ghana since 1998. Companies like EUROLUX, Group 5 (now defunct), ElectroSafe CC and CONCO are all our partners and affiliates. We have also collaborated with South African expatriates to provide specialist engineering services to our team. We are still open to any collaboration with other South African companies who wish to collaborate with us. Our doors are always open. How important is the Freedom Day celebration to your organisation, and how do you intend to mark the day? Let me first off extend, on behalf of the management and staff of Lightingale Limited and on my own behalf, heartfelt congratulations to Her Excellency Ms. Grace Jeanet Mason, South Africa’s High Commissioner to Ghana, all our business partners, affiliates and friends in South Africa on this year’s Freedom Day. I must say our company was among the early birds that started doing business in South Africa in 1998, 4 years after South Africa’s first non-racial elections held in 1994 after the apartheid rule. Indeed, South Africa is my second home. For this reason we hold this day in high esteem, although we don’t particularly celebrate it except when I am in South Africa and my friends and I would go out for dinner while discussing new business opportunities. Interestingly, April 27th, 2021 falls on a Tuesday, my “born day”. How I wish I was in South Africa. Unfortunately, it’s a working day in Ghana. I reckon I will obviously place a number of video calls to my friends and business associates to wish them a Happy Freedom Day and good health in these times.
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Engen Ghana Limited has new ownership structure Engen Ghana Limited (EGL), then an affiliate of Engen Petroleum Limited (EPL), South Africa, has now been acquired by Mocoh Ghana. Mocoh Ghana completed this transaction with Engen Holdings (Pty) Limited to acquire 100 percent of the shares of Engen Ghana. Mocoh Ghana is an affiliate of Restorn Energy, a Ghanaian company (55 percent) and the Mocoh Group (45 percent). The Mocoh Group, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, has been operating in Africa for the past 21 years and actively involved in trading, logistics, and the distribution of petroleum products across the continent. Mocoh Ghana has been active in Ghana for the past four years as a strong supply and trading partner to the public and private sectors in line with the government of Ghana’s vision to increase the local content in the petroleum sector. Engen Ghana Limited commenced operations in 1998 and constructed its first service stations in Tema and Accra in 1999. Since then, EGL has enjoyed a steady growth through strategically targeted partnerships with individuals and businesses in the country. Our business operations are mainly in the retail downstream and commercial marketing of Engen’s products. This spans a broad spectrum of sectors and industries such as marine, mining, construction and agriculture. EGL currently operates 33 retail service stations across Ghana and services approximately 30 commercial customers. The range of products marketed locally are Engen Primax, Engen Dynamic diesel (both additivated products), kerosene, RFO and MGO. We also deal in lubricants and specialties (Automotive and Industrial) and bitumen of all grades. For the ease
of business and convenience of transactions for our customers, we have the Engen 1-Card, which is our payment platform that helps customers carry out cashless transactions at the service stations. It operates in a secure environment ensuring that users, especially those with fleets to manage, are guaranteed value for money. Some of Engen’s milestones include the introduction of our well-patronised synthetic oils as well as other innovative lubricants. Engen is also a pioneer in efforts at ensuring that our customers are well-catered
for and enjoy the benefits of our research and development efforts. Engen, as part of its commitment to creating opportunities and enhancing the lives of the poor and disadvantaged, engages in an active corporate social responsibility programme, by supporting Operation Smile, an initiative in which people born with cleft lips undergo corrective surgeries. Engen Ghana has been supporting this programme consistently over the years. Engen strives to be known for its vigorous commitment to the highest global standards in
Health, Safety Environment and Quality in all activities we engage in. In our quest to remain at the forefront of innovation in the fuel retail industry in Ghana, we offer professional customer service. This is our star service to all customers who visit our service stations and our offices. Our tag line, “Engen, with you, we are number one!”, helps us place our customers at the centre of all we do at Engen. The company’s vision of becoming the oil company of choice in Ghana is right on course. “Engen, with You, we are number One”
Interview with Henry Akwaboah, MD, Engen Ghana How has your business fared over the past year given the pandemic-induced crisis? Being in the petroleum sector, our business was not significantly impacted during the pandemic. We rather registered growth during the period. What specific measures did you deploy that succeeded in keeping your business afloat? Good corporate governance and tight controls ensured that our business did not suffer the consequences of the pandemic. For other South African businesses seeking to set up in Ghana, what useful lessons would you share with them to smoothen their establishment and success? They should collaborate with appropriate agencies like the GIPC, Registrar
Mr. Henry Akwaboah, Md Engen General’s Department and other relevant stakeholders regulating the sector they wish to participate in. Most of these agencies are business-friendly and willing to lend support to all entrants to the market.
between your company and the numerous South African brands in the country?
How do you see the future of your organisation in Ghana?
How important is the Freedom Day celebration to your organisation, and how do you intend to mark the day?
The future looks bright. I am hopeful that the government will continue to create the enabling environment for businesses to flourish. What is the collaboration
Most of them are willing to collaborate where synergies are identified.
It is symbolic and relevant to us as an organisation with a South African affiliation. It will be observed as such.
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Message from Managing Director, Greenline Logistics Greenline Logistics Ltd (“Greenline”) appreciates the opportunity to submit this capability statement to provide logistics support services. As an indigenous logistics company, we have operated for close to three decades providing customised solutions to our clients. Our wealth of experience cuts across various sectors of the Ghanaian economy, with unrivalled expertise in Mining
and FMCG sectors. Greenline is committed to providing quality and efficient logistics support services required by our customers, by leveraging our experience and capability from similar projects executed for both local and sub-regional Organisations. The depth of our experience in Ghana’s logistical and mining industries, as well as our two decades of service to mine
support entities, means we are uniquely positioned to provide you with highly skilled and experienced professionals, appropriate technology platforms and customised services. We are enthusiastic and confident of our ability to work shoulder-to-shoulder with you. We will deliver the high quality services that guarantee your peace of mind.
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Interview with
Delawoe Nyanyo
Executive Director, All Risks Consultancy How has your business fared over the past year given the pandemic-induced crisis? We have definitely taken a hit, in terms of more hours committed to client servicing and support. We are committing more time to relationship management and total business support for our clients. What specific measures did you deploy that succeeded in keeping your business afloat? Right before the pandemic hit, we had launched a digitisation project which brought our core operations into a more secure network environment and gave us the capacity to work from outside of the office. We enhanced our Core Operations and CRM systems to give clients
a smooth on-boarding and claims processing experience. For other South African businesses seeking to set up in Ghana, what useful lessons would you share with them to smoothen their establishment and success? My advice to them would be to inculcate the Ghanaian values of hospitality and brotherly goodwill into their corporate cultures. These values are uniquely Ghanaian, and when lived out through product design to customer service, they are bound to succeed. How do you see the future of your organisation in Ghana? We have been in the business of insurance broking for the past
40 years and have garnered vast experience in insurance risk consulting and management. With the introduction of new digital collaboration tools and the hiring of skillful, digitallysavvy insurance professionals, our organisation will continue to grow and evolve to meet and exceed client expectations.
ecosystem of collaboration and synergy. We provide insurance consulting services to our partners and they in turn provide us with products and services.
What is the collaboration between your company and the numerous South African brands in the country?
The Freedom Day celebration is significant for us at All Risks because it signifies the strides made towards democracy, free will and free enterprise. This is the foundation of the business and cultural relationship between Ghana and South Africa. We will share a big Freedom Day cake to mark the day. Our clients, staff and partners will share in our celebration of this great day.
We enjoy a very good partnership and relationship with brands like Metropolitan (Life, Health, Pensions), Hollard Ghana, Labadi Beach Hotel and Ghana South Africa Business Chamber, amongst many others. It is a well-known fact that business thrives within an
How important is the Freedom Day Celebration to your organisation, and how do you intend to mark the day?
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Top tourist attractions in South Africa South Africa is a diverse and beautiful country, about the size of France and Spain combined or roughly twice the size of Texas.
Its varied cultures, intriguing wildlife, stunning scenery, and remarkable beaches make it a haven for travellers from around
Sun City Resort
Known regionally as Africa’s Kingdom of Pleasure, Sun City Resort is a luxury casino and resort situated about two hours’ drive from Johannesburg. The complex contains four hotels, two championship golf courses,
two casinos, an atmospheric South African cultural village, and more than 7,000 crocodiles within a sanctuary. The adjacent Pilanesberg Game Reserve is the most popular public Game Reserve in South Africa.
the world. Visitors quickly discover that the rich history and colourful inhabitants ideally complement the top tourist
attractions in South Africa, which creates an unforgettable experience.
Cape Winelands
The fertile valleys of the Cape Winelands are surrounded by majestic mountains, sleepy villages, brilliant monuments, fruitful orchards and some of the lushest scenery in South Africa. Visitors can follow the Wine Routes of the Cape to visit
the vineyards of the country’s finest winemakers, whose sherries, ports, brandies and intriguing whites and reds are world famous for their delicate flavors and savoury palatability.
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve
As the only park under a formal conservation effort in KwaZulu Natal where you can see the Big Five – lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and rhinoceros – the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve offers visitors wildlife viewing opportunities second
to none. Wildlife enthusiasts may enjoy the vast expanses of native plants and native animals during guided walks, self-guided drives, or opt for a thrilling viewing experience by boat along the Hluhluwe dam.
As one of Cape Town’s largest tourist attractions and most visited destinations, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront invokes images of the earliest days of the harbour. Situated within an entertainment mecca filled with restaurants, specialty shops, pubs, and theatres, there is something
Knysna
Blyde River Canyon
Blyde River Canyon is the second-largest canyon in Africa, after the Fish River Canyon, although it is much greener due to its lush subtropical foliage. Walking treks through the rich diversity of flora and faunafilled canyon offer views of
magnificent escarpments, waterfalls and ancient geological phenomena. Visitors have the opportunity to encounter all five of South Africa’s primates here, as well as hippos and crocodiles near the wetlands of Swadini Dam.
here for everyone to enjoy. Beyond amusements, there are also some attractions including the infamous Clock Tower, Chavonnes Battery, the South African Maritime Museum, and the coastal Seal Landing where Cape Fur Seals reside.
The Garden Route is one of South Africa’s most popular tourist attractions and is generally thought to stretch from Mossel Bay to St. Francis along the Indian ocean and also includes parts of the inland. A trove of indigenous canopied forests, mountains, rivers, tranquil lakes and golden beaches grace this
extensive South Africa region. One of the Garden Route’s best known travel destinations, Knysna is situated between lush forests and the shores of a peaceful lagoon. Extensive opportunities for outdoor adventure are easily accessible in Knysna, as well as plenty of leisurely strolling paths filled with authentic dining and shopping venues. Visiting the heads – two cliffs guarding the mouth of the lagoon – is a must, and each one offers spectacular views of the adjacent colourful cliffs and the brilliant lagoon where seasonal whale watching is top-notch.
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Durban Beaches
Often compared to Miami Beach, Durban’s beaches provide a vibrant atmosphere that pulses with energy. Boasting balmy weather year round and sporting a genuine beach culture, Durban beaches are lively areas that are remarkably clean and
safe, and many of the beaches offer varietal entertainments throughout the day. Also known as the Golden Mile, there are expansive stretches of soft, golden sands and subtropical sunshine along Durban’s South and North Coast beaches.
Amphitheatre, Drakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to 3,482 metres (11,420 ft) in height. The name is derived from the Dutch and means “Dragon Mountains”. The
Amphitheatre is one of the geographical features of the Northern Drakensberg and is widely regarded as one of the most impressive cliff faces on earth.
Table Mountain
Situated within a national park, reaching the pinnacle of the Table Mountain is a thrilling experience that offers phenomenal, bird’seye views overlooking the city of Cape Town, Robben Island to the north, and the Atlantic seaboard to the west
and south. Peaking at 1,086 metres (3,563 ft), reaching the top is simple via an ingenuous cableway, and each Rotair car features revolving floors allowing passengers to enjoy 360-degree views during the trek to the top.
Kruger National Park
The Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve on the continent and one of the main tourist attractions in South Africa. The park boasts more species of mammals, which includes the Big Five, cheetahs, giraffes and more, than any other African game
reserve. Unlike most other safari parks, Kruger is a selfdrive destination with an excellent infrastructure and many places to stay inside the park, from tented camps to luxury lodges. Credit: touropia.com
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5 traditional South African dishes worth trying Today South African cuisine bears marks of Malay, German, Indian, Dutch, British and French influence.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu coined up the phrase "rainbow
nation", attesting to the diversity that makes up South Africa. The
nation is woven into a dynamic mix of European and East Asian
Bobotie
History dates Bobotie to Europe during the crusade era, after which it was introduced to Africa by the Dutch or the Malays. Its South African equivalent is a meat pie of coarsely
ground lamb accompanied with curry, lemon toppings, fruits, and milk and eggs custard. Seasonings vary with preference, but the staples are coriander, rosemary, and ground chili.
Koeksisters
Time for tea? Not without Koeksisters. I would have easily dismissed Koeksisters till I discovered it had a National Day in its honour. The depth of their entrenchment in South African culture and history culminated in Nelson Mandela sharing a cup of tea with
Braai
the Malay, Dutch, Zulu, and Xhosa. Braai marks special occasions or none at all; it’s just irresistible. It can be warthog steaks, chicken breasts, giant prawns, springboks game, you name it! South Africa is definitely a meat-loving country.
Hendrik Verwoerd’s widow Betsie in Orania, back in 1995. The Cape Malay invention of the delicacy comprises spicy dough rolled up in coconut, while the traditional version is sticky-sugary with a rubbing of honey on the surface.
Biltong
Meat snack time. What can be easily mistaken as jerky sticks, this form of South African beef can be marinated
Braai is much more than a meal, it’s a culture. From the outside Cape townships to the fancy suburbs, the language is one – Braai. In Afrikaans, the word means grill. Afrikaans is an evolved language, originating from the interactions between
cultures, brought about by the immigration wave that marked most of the 18th and 19th centuries. The country enjoys an abundance of seafood, lamb, wild game, fruits, veggies, and a lot more that make up most of its exports. A while back, the staple of South African cooking was rice, meat, and potatoes, which slowly changed over time. Today, everything appears spiced up and curried, not to mention the sweet variations of meat, fish and game desserts. Here are five of the top traditional delicacies you must try.
into traditional ingredients such as pepper, coriander, salt, and vinegar. After undergoing air drying, it is then sliced into strips. Many establishments globally are adding biltong to their product lines. To differentiate biltong from jerky, the production process does not require cooking, hence the distinct flavor and texture.
Boerewors made of minced beef spiced up with coriander, nutmeg, and clove spice. Many locals relish traditionally-inspired boerewors and have them served during braai. Known sausage,
as the farmer’s boerewors are
Credit: wantedinafrica.com
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Football takes capitalism out of bounds
By Yanis Varoufakis
E
urope has discovered its moral Rubicon, the frontier beyond which commodification becomes intolerable. The line in the sand that Europeans refuse to cross, come what may, has just been drawn. We bowed to bankers who almost blew up capitalism, bailing them out at the expense of our weakest citizens. We turned a blind eye to wholesale corporate tax evasion and fire sales of public assets. We accepted as natural the impoverishment of public health and education systems, the despair of workers on zero-hour contracts, soup kitchens, home evictions, and mind-numbing levels of inequality. We stood by as our democracies were hijacked and Big Tech stripped us of our privacy. All of this we could stomach. But a plan that would end football as we know it? Never. Last week, Europeans showed the red card to the moguls – and their financiers – who tried to steal the beautiful game. A potent coalition of conservatives, leftists, and nationalists, uniting Europe’s north and south, rose up in opposition to a secret deal by the owners of many of the continent’s richest football clubs to form a so-called Super League. To the owners – including a Russian oligarch, an Arab royal, a Chinese retail magnate, and three American sports potentates – the move made obvious financial sense. But from the perspective of the European public, it was the last straw. Last season, 32 clubs qualified
to play in Europe’s Champions League, sharing €2 billion ($2.4 billion) in revenues from television rights. But half of the clubs, teams like Real Madrid and Liverpool, attracted the bulk of the European television audiences. Their owners could see that the pie would increase substantially by scheduling more derbies between the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid, rather than matches featuring lowly sides from Greece, Switzerland, and Slovakia. And so it was that the Super League proposal was hatched. Instead of sharing €2 billion between 32 clubs, the top 15 clubs calculated they could divide €4 billion among themselves. Moreover, by creating a closed shop, with the same clubs every year, regardless of how well they perform in their national championships, the Super League would remove the colossal financial risk that all clubs face today: failing to qualify for next year’s Champions League. From a financier’s perspective, kicking out the laggards and forming a closed cartel was the logical next step in a process of commodification that began long ago. Here was a deal that would quadruple future income streams and remove risk by turning those streams into a securitized asset. Is it any wonder that JPMorgan Chase rushed in to finance the deal with a golden-handshake offer of €300 million to each of the 15 clubs that agreed to leave the Champions League behind? Whereas the Brexit saga lasted years, this particular breakaway attempt collapsed within two days. Whatever the financial logic behind the Super
League, its plotters had failed to consider an intangible yet irresistible force: the widespread conviction among fans, players, coaches, communities, and entire societies that they, not the tycoons, were the true owners of Liverpool, Juventus, Barcelona, and the rest. And who could blame the owners for not seeing it coming? No one protested when they floated their clubs’ shares on stock exchanges alongside McDonald’s and Barclays. For years, fans watched passively as oligarchs poured billions into a few leading clubs, killing off all real competition by packing their rosters with the world’s great players. But while the European public could tolerate that the probability of a laggard ever winning anything had fallen close to zero, the Super League would officially take that chance the rest of the way. Maximizing profits would now mean the formal extinction of the possibility even to dream that a lowly team like Stoke City or Athens’ Panionios could one day win the Champions League. The complete elimination of hope, however distant capitalism had rendered it, provided the spark that stopped football’s oligarchy in its tracks. Meanwhile, in the United States, even cynical sports moguls understand that freemarket capitalism chokes competition. The US National Football League is a paragon of aggressive competitiveness, and not only because super-fit players sacrifice their health for wealth, acclaim, and a shot at Super Bowl glory. The NFL is competitive because
it imposes on its teams a strict salary cap, while the weakest are guaranteed their pick of the best rookie players. American capitalism sacrificed the free market to save competition, minimize predictability, and maximize excitement. Central planning lives in sin with unbridled competition – directly under the spotlight of American show business. If the objective is an exciting, financially sustainable football league, the American model is what Europe needs. But if Europeans are serious about their claim that the clubs ought to belong to the fans, players, and communities from which they draw support, they should demand that clubs’ shares be removed from the stock exchange and the principle of one member-one share-one vote is enshrined into law. The crucial question of whether the oligarchy should be regulated or dismantled extends well beyond sports. Will US President Joe Biden’s spending and regulation agenda suffice to rein in the unbridled power of the few to destroy the prospects of the many? Or does genuine reform demand a radical rethink of who owns what? Now that Europeans discovered their moral Rubicon, the time may have come for a broader rebellion that vindicates Bill Shankly, the legendary Liverpool manager and staunch socialist. “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death,” Shankly famously said. “I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”
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