Global Scans · South Africa · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Local elections in South Africa this year could see the ruling African National Congress lose control of key cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria for the first time. South Africa's economy is at risk of falling into recession and public confidence in the ANC is falling.

• [New] In Sub-Saharan Africa, 3G still dominates and only South Africa has firm plans to retire both 2G and 3G (by 2027) samenacouncil.org.New 4G Deployments: Namibia just saw its first privately-run mobile network launch, built entirely on 4G LTE reuters.com. Bez Kabli
• [New] Geopolitical risks, such as regulatory shifts in South Africa's mining sector, could undermine ESG-driven strategies. Ainvest
• [New] For African Rainbow Minerals, a mid-cap player in South Africa's diversified mining landscape, the alignment of social infrastructure growth with ESG principles could become a pivotal driver of long-term stock performance. Ainvest
• [New] Walmart announced that it will open its first branded stores in South Africa in 2025. Retail Dive
• [New] South Africa stands out as one of Africa's fastest-growing digital markets, with a digital commerce penetration rate of 73% and an expected annual growth rate of 18% through 2027. FinExtra
• [New] The Middle East and Africa are just starting to adopt precision forestry technologies, although potential is growing in areas like South Africa, Kenya, and parts of the Middle East with afforestation and green infrastructure ambitions. Consegic Business Intelligence
• [New] Implication: South African GDP will signal commodity demand, particularly for Brazil's minerals and oil, supporting export balances if robust. The Rio Times
• [New] Further north, Djibouti Telecom is extending its DARE - 1 submarine cable down the African coast to Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and South Africa (a 3,300 km expansion due by 2028) ts2. Bez Kabli
• [New] MTN South Africa announced it will sell 4G smartphones for just $5 to over 1.2 million low-income users still on 2G/3G networks, ensuring they are not left offline as old networks shut down reuters.com reuters.com. TS2 Space
• [New] South Africa plans to shut off its 2G and 3G networks by 2027 to free up spectrum for 4G and 5G reuters.com. TS2 Space
• [New] In Africa, MTN South Africa is taking an innovative route to broaden 4G access: it will sell 1.2 million ultra-budget smartphones for just 99 rand to its 2G/3G customers, ensuring they are not left behind as legacy networks shut down reuters.com reuters.com. TS2 Space
• [New] Djibouti Telecom stated that transforming DARE 1 into a regional mega-cable will provide low-latency, high-capacity links for carriers and cloud services from East Africa all the way to South Africa developingtelecoms.com developingtelecoms.com. TS2 Space
• [New] The Atlantic's flow of fresh water at 34 degrees south, the latitude along the tip of South Africa, is a good marker of the AMOC's stability and can warn scientists of an impending collapse. Live Science
• [New] Geographic Concentration: Over 75% of global vanadium supply comes from China, Russia, and South Africa, leaving markets exposed to political and logistical risks. AlloyIndex
• [New] Dual-band 5G radios cut costs in Africa: A groundbreaking base station has been deployed in South Africa that could be a blueprint for cost-effective 5G in emerging markets. Bez Kabli
• [New] South Africa (Namibia's neighbour) just confirmed plans for a total shutdown of 2G and 3G by end-2027 to free up spectrum for newer technologies reuters.com. Bez Kabli
• [New] The UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, is considering South Africa's case that argues Israel is committing genocide, but a decision is not expected before 2027. Al Jazeera
• [New] We see opportunities to lock in yields in local-currency bonds in Hungary, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. BlackRock
• [New] The UN has confirmed famine in Gaza, 18 months after South Africa warned the world at the International Court of Justice that a genocide was unfolding. GroundUp News
• [New] The regulatory environment created by the amended MPRD will directly impact South Africa's competitiveness in global mining markets. Discovery Alert
• [New] The outcome of the MPRD amendment process will significantly influence investor confidence in South Africa's mining sector. Discovery Alert
• [New] The bill in its current form could significantly affect South Africa's ability to attract mining investment. Discovery Alert

Last updated: 16 September 2025