SOUTH African department stores chain Woolworths Holdings flagged a small fall in annual sales after its non-food stores were shut in the second-half of its financial year due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Even before the global health crisis, South African brick-and-mortar retailers were struggling with weak consumer spending amid slowing wages growth, high utility costs and…
South Africa’s rand edged firmer early on Tuesday ahead of mining production data, clinging on to recent gains as investors continued to see value in holding the high-yielding currency despite signs of a creaking economy and climbing COVID-19 cases. At 0700 GMT, the rand was 0.18% firmer at 16.8125 per dollar, backtracking slightly from Monday’s…
The UK’s economy shrank by 19.1% in the three months to May, as the full impact of lockdown was felt, the Office for National Statistics has said. The economy actually grew by 1.8% in May, but this was not enough to make up for the fall of 6.9% in March and the record 20.4%…
The French government has agreed to give pay rises worth €8bn (£7.2bn; $9bn) to health workers, as it hailed their role in fighting coronavirus. The deal was signed with trade unions on Monday after seven weeks of fraught negotiations. Health workers have been revered as heroes during the pandemic with regular displays of public appreciation….
South Africa will introduce a universal basic income grant, the Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu said on Monday, unexpectedly reviving a two-decades-old plan with the aim of supporting millions of unemployed. The country already has one of the continent’s most generous social security nets, but the COVID-19 pandemic has added to the need both…
WHEN you look at running a small business, you cannot be successful if you don’t have a good reliable run around bakkie. Nissan Clover Leaf Motors has these practical small commercial trucks in stock at their Masasa & Bulawayo Showrooms. At a top speed of 172km per hour, this is no sports car but…
GLOBAL coronavirus cases exceeded 11 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than half a million people in seven months. The number of cases is more than double the figure for severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health…
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has informed parliament of his decision to extend the deployment of 20,000 soldiers, a drop from 76,000, until Sept. 30 to help enforce COVID-19 restrictions as the country reported its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus cases. Ramaphosa first deployed 2,820 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) a…
Mexico has recorded more than 30,000 deaths from its coronavirus outbreak, as the disease continues to ravage one of Latin America’s worst-hit countries. The health ministry said deaths rose by 523 on Saturday, pushing the total to 30,366. The country now has the world’s fifth-highest Covid-19 toll, passing France, where more than 29,000 have died….
US President Donald Trump has used an Independence Day address to vow to defeat the “radical left” as protests sweep the country. Striking a combative tone, Mr Trump said he would “fight… to preserve American way of life”, while railing at “mobs” targeting historical monuments. Ahead of his speech, Black Lives Matter protesters gathered nearby….
