South Africa

2023 - 3 - 13

Assistant Secretary Satterfield Travels March 13-17 to ... (Department of State)

From March 13-17, 2023, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Lee Satterfield will travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town, ...

In addition, she will meet with IVLP, Humphrey, and MWF program alumni, as well as local women participating in a digital literacy class at the Cape Town American Corner. She will visit the Victoria Yards American Corner, part of the global network of nearly 600 American Spaces, U.S. exchange participants, and South African government officials and educational leaders; and discuss a variety of issues, ranging from United States-South African collaboration on higher education, including community colleges and technical schools, to cultural heritage protection and preservation.

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Image courtesy of "Creamer Media's Mining Weekly"

Re-pursue exploration to help re-build South Africa's economy, says ... (Creamer Media's Mining Weekly)

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Let us re-pursue the exploration investment that catalysed South Africa's economic growth more than a century ago as a ...

If we look, from an investment perspective, into [exploration](/topic/exploration), we now have global challenges and African challenges from an investment [exploration](/topic/exploration) perspective in South [Africa](/topic/africa). and that made a major contribution to South [Africa](/topic/africa) in terms of driving [innovation](/topic/innovation), [manufacturing](/topic/manufacturing), creating skills and job opportunities. If we look at South [Africa](/topic/africa), we've done a dismal job in terms of investment of capex into [exploration](/topic/exploration). that was from an [exploration](/topic/exploration) perspective to go and say there was an opportunity in South [Africa](/topic/africa)… [exploration](/topic/exploration) for long-term sustainability as being a tremendous potential contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) of South [Africa](/topic/africa), but other [mining](/topic/mining) jurisdictions are investing five times more capital expenditure (capex) in [exploration](/topic/exploration). [mining](/topic/mining) sector, both locally as well as in [Africa](/topic/africa) and globally, my experience has been that the [mining](/topic/mining) sector is a challenging sector.

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Image courtesy of "BusinessTech"

Officials arrested for passport fraud in South Africa (BusinessTech)

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed the arrest of an immigration official with his police accomplice at the OR Tambo International Airport ...

It makes foreign nationals with bad intentions believe that South Africa is up for the take,” Motsoaledi said. I am extremely encouraged by these patriotic acts and I am even more determined to continue the fight against corruption in Home Affairs,” said Minister Motsoaledi. This is simply inexcusable.

South Africa must fully comply with international obligations to ... (OHCHR)

GENEVA (13 March 2023) - UN torture prevention experts today called on South Africa to expedite its legislative measures for setting up a national torture ...

[Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture ](https://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/spt)monitors States parties’ adherence to the [Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture](https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/optional-protocol-convention-against-torture-and-other-cruel), which to date has been ratified by [92 countries](https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-9-b&chapter=4&clang=_en). South Africa ratified the [Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture](https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/optional-protocol-convention-against-torture-and-other-cruel) in 2019. “Its national preventive mechanism should be a fully independent monitoring body empowered to visit all places of detention, which is key to prevent torture and ill-treatment in the country,” he added. “During our visit, the delegation noted the overuse of liberty deprivation across sectors, such as prisons, police stations, immigration facilities, mental health facilities, and drug treatment centres. We also observed entrenched inhuman practices, ill-treatment, and poor detention conditions,” Ounnir said, emphasising that “this must change.” The delegation received allegations of corruption within facilities.

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Image courtesy of "BusinessTech"

Name changes for 2 more towns in South Africa (BusinessTech)

Names officially registered in terms of the South African Geographical Names Council Act. The department has previously said that the transformation of the ...

New name These new features are in KwaZulu Natal. In doing so, we have always sought to consult widely in ensuring that the affected communities are part of the name-change process,” he said.

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Image courtesy of "TechCentral"

PayShap! Rapid digital payments launched in South Africa ... (TechCentral)

PayShap, the rapid payments platform endorsed by the South African Reserve Bank, has been launched, with four banks supporting it from day one.

PayShap will be released to the market in two phases. It is anticipated that banks will “innovate and opt to enable additional digital access channels” in time. The second leg will introduce an additional request-to-pay function that will make it possible for a person to initiate a request for payment and receive money securely and immediately in their bank account.

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Image courtesy of "MyBroadband"

PayShap launches in South Africa (MyBroadband)

South Africa's rapid payments system has launched on Nedbank, Absa, FNB, and Standard Bank, with BankservAfrica planning to add more institutions in the ...

PayShap will allow South African bank account holders to pay and receive up to R3,000 per transaction instantly. The first phase is focused on its instant clearing feature, which includes the pay-by-account and pay-by-proxy services. Shunmugam added that PayShap is the first of many customer solutions for real-time payments and the transition of the payments infrastructure. “We see PayShap as an opportunity to deepen financial inclusivity in the South African market,” deputy governor and CEO of the Prudential Authority at the SARB, Nomfundo Tshazibana, said. “Widely anticipated in the market and global payments community since its journey kicked off in 2017, we are extremely pleased to announce that PayShap is officially live,” Sadiki said. This is the first phase and first cohort of the PayShap launch.

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Image courtesy of "TechCabal"

PayShap, South Africa's real-time digital payments service, launches (TechCabal)

PayShap, an interbank, and real-time digital payments service built as a collaborative effort between Bankserv, a clearing house owned by South African ...

“The launch of PayShap is a major milestone for South Africa’s payments modernisation journey. Payshap aims to reduce consumers’ dependency on cash and move to a more digital payments future,” added Sadiki. Payshap aims to reduce consumers’ dependency on cash and move to a more digital payments future,” said

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New payment system launches in South Africa – with no need for cash (BusinessTech)

Transactions in South Africa are expected to be far quicker, says the South African Reserve Bank.

Regarding the future of payment systems, the BIS said that retail payments are unlikely to be conducted in a singular method, “there will probably be a multitude of payment methods and arrangements.” SARB said that PayShap marks a milestone in the bank’s ongoing efforts to modernise and advance South Africa’s payment ecosystem in line with international standards. BankservAfrica has launched PayShap in collaboration with the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) – a new rapid payment system expected to revolutionise small-sum transactions in South Africa.

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Image courtesy of "Mail and Guardian"

South Africans can now transfer money instantly via phones (Mail and Guardian)

New interbank payment programme PayShap will benefit consumers and small businesses, helping to reduce reliance on cash and boosting safety and convenience.

This means that, during the first phase, people who don’t have bank accounts will not be able to use the system. The payer and the receiver need to bank with either of the four banks that offer PayShap. “PayShap will be automatically accessible through bank channels, such as mobile banking and internet banking. The competition is hugely welcomed in the payment space.” Even this payment system will be useful,” McCurrie said. Wayne McCurrie, a portfolio manager at FNB Wealth, said: “The more payment systems we have, the better.

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Image courtesy of "pymnts.com"

South Africa Claims Real-Time Payments Progress With Payshap (pymnts.com)

South Africa's central bank says the country is closer to “a more accessible national payment system” with the launch of PayShap.

“The benefit to the consumer is that there is another option for them, especially to the newer demographics like Gen Z and younger generations. Bank branches are shutting down at a rapid pace, leading to the growth of “financial deserts” all over the country. either accept real-time payments or have plans to start doing so in the next three years. This is the right payment option for them that fits their lifestyle.” [recent research](https://www.pymnts.com/real-time-payments/2023/instant-payments-promise-better-consumer-experiences-and-merchant-efficiencies/) by PYMNTS shows that 52% of retailers in the U.S. [Basant Singh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/basants), head of merchant payments at ACI Worldwide, told PYMNTS. and 56% in the U.K. [Jamison Jaworski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamison-jaworski-8466444), GM/SVP of retail and [Green Dot Network](https://www.greendotnetwork.com/) at [Green Dot](https://www.greendot.com/), and [Nicole Haskins](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-haskins-7485754), vice president, electronic billing and payment solutions and innovations at [Paymentus](https://www.paymentus.com/). [BankservAfrica](https://www.bankservafrica.com/) and the [Payments Association of South Africa](https://www.pasa.org.za/) (PASA), the platform is an important step in the country’s “modernization journey, and will support innovation and enhance interoperability,” the bank said in a [news release](https://www.resbank.co.za/content/dam/sarb/publications/media-releases/2023/payshap-/Press%20release%20on%20the%20launch%20of%20Payshap%20-%20a%20digital%20payment%20service.pdf). [cash is sticky](https://www.pymnts.com/cash/2023/billers-challenged-to-make-cash-part-of-the-digital-payments-experience/), and remains a vital payment method for millions of consumers, though it has its frictions. [South African Reserve Bank](https://www.resbank.co.za/en/home) (SARB) describes as a “low-value, real-time rapid payment platform” designed to improve financial inclusion and reduce the reliance on cash. Payshap’s initially rollout, SARB said, will give consumers access to instant, real-time payments across participating banks “as well as the use of an alias that will enable payments to be made through the use of a unique identifier other than a bank account number; in this case, a cellphone number.”

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Image courtesy of "Independent Online"

South Africa's relief grant: how it can be used to help young people ... (Independent Online)

The Covid-19 pandemic worsened the unemployment crisis in South Africa. In the second quarter of 2021, unemployment rates were the highest ever officially ...

But labelling the grant as a “job seekers grant” might be effective. This is a job seeker database created and managed by the NGO Harambee. Workshops can be used to help participants prepare CVs and cover letters that effectively showcase their skills. Mental health services for job seekers could also be valuable to combat depression and low self-esteem. Formal certification of communication and numeracy skills was found to substantially increase job search, employment and earnings. Our research also suggests that the South African government should combine whatever replaces the grant with job search assistance programmes. So, mental health services could be used to offset this effect. The low-cost testing and certification of the results provided job-seekers with a new method to share information about their abilities with potential employers. It could encourage recipients to use the grant for job search without the need for stringent conditions that might reduce take-up. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the unemployment crisis in South Africa. Research shows that cash grants can increase job-search. In the second quarter of 2021, unemployment rates were the highest ever officially recorded.

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Image courtesy of "UN News"

UN experts call on South Africa to create torture prevention body (UN News)

South Africa must swiftly set up a watchdog mechanism to examine prisons, detention centres, and other facilities, UN independent experts on torture ...

“This reflects a de facto punitive rather than a rehabilitative approach to crime and other social issues,” he said. The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture began its work in the UN human rights system in 2007, with a preventive mandate focused on taking a proactive approach to preventing torture and ill treatment. Following the visit, the subcommittee will submit a confidential report to the Government of South Africa, with observations and recommendations to prevent torture and ill-treatment of people deprived of their liberty.

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Image courtesy of "Peoples Gazette"

UN tasks South African government on ending torture (Peoples Gazette)

In 2019, South Africa ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture.

[World](https://gazettengr.com/un-tasks-south-african-government-on-ending-torture/) [World](https://gazettengr.com/two-weeks-after-election-u-s-president-biden-yet-to-congratulate-president-elect-tinubu/) Y Combinator’s 2023 Top Companies List is divided into Private, Public, Exits, and Breakthrough categories. [NationWide](https://gazettengr.com/supreme-court-judgement-on-old-naira-notes-directed-at-fg-not-me-buhari/) [NationWide](https://gazettengr.com/just-in-cbn-directs-banks-to-start-accepting-old-notes-immediately/) We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

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Image courtesy of "Creamer Media's Mining Weekly"

Re-pursue exploration to help re-build South Africa's economy, says ... (Creamer Media's Mining Weekly)

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Let us re-pursue the exploration investment that catalysed South Africa's economic growth more than a century ago as a ...

If we look, from an investment perspective, into [exploration](/topic/exploration), we now have global challenges and African challenges from an investment [exploration](/topic/exploration) perspective in South [Africa](/topic/africa). and that made a major contribution to South [Africa](/topic/africa) in terms of driving [innovation](/topic/innovation), [manufacturing](/topic/manufacturing), creating skills and job opportunities. If we look at South [Africa](/topic/africa), we've done a dismal job in terms of investment of capex into [exploration](/topic/exploration). that was from an [exploration](/topic/exploration) perspective to go and say there was an opportunity in South [Africa](/topic/africa)… [exploration](/topic/exploration) for long-term sustainability as being a tremendous potential contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) of South [Africa](/topic/africa), but other [mining](/topic/mining) jurisdictions are investing five times more capital expenditure (capex) in [exploration](/topic/exploration). [mining](/topic/mining) sector, both locally as well as in [Africa](/topic/africa) and globally, my experience has been that the [mining](/topic/mining) sector is a challenging sector.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

South Africa's Attacq posts 27.3% rise in distributable income (Reuters)

South African commercial property group Attacq said on Tuesday its half-year distributable income rose by 27.3%, due to higher rental income, settlement of ...

Register for free to Reuters and know the full story Like-for-like rental income increased by 7.2%. Rental income for the group increased by 4% to 1.2 billion rand ($65.77 million), mainly due to a rise in rental income from its super-regional Mall of Africa.

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Image courtesy of "Creamer Media's Engineering News"

Re-pursue exploration to help re-build South Africa's economy, says ... (Creamer Media's Engineering News)

Let us re-pursue the exploration investment that catalysed South Africa's economic growth more than a century ago as a means of helping to rebuild South ...

If we look, from an investment perspective, into [exploration](/topic/exploration), we now have global challenges and African challenges from an investment [exploration](/topic/exploration) perspective in South [Africa](/topic/africa). and that made a major contribution to South [Africa](/topic/africa) in terms of driving [innovation](/topic/innovation), [manufacturing](/topic/manufacturing), creating skills and job opportunities. If we look at South [Africa](/topic/africa), we've done a dismal job in terms of investment of capex into [exploration](/topic/exploration). that was from an [exploration](/topic/exploration) perspective to go and say there was an opportunity in South [Africa](/topic/africa)… [exploration](/topic/exploration) for long-term sustainability as being a tremendous potential contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) of South [Africa](/topic/africa), but other [mining](/topic/mining) jurisdictions are investing five times more capital expenditure (capex) in [exploration](/topic/exploration). [mining](/topic/mining) sector, both locally as well as in [Africa](/topic/africa) and globally, my experience has been that the [mining](/topic/mining) sector is a challenging sector.

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