People of the South

A Titica tem Nova Musica

(via Portal Platina Line)

#New music from Angola’s favourite kudarista, Titica.
 

A joyful beachfront wedding in Maputo , the capital of Mozambique

Photos courtesy of Hiromi Nagakura

Wars, Regeneration and Happiness

Photos courtesy of Hiromi Nagakura

Johannesburg is known as ‘the beating heart of Africa’ thanks to its financial power and hugely diverse and vibrant culture.

 © Robert Coxwell

Millions of people fly every year completely unaware of the fascinating parts of the world they fly over. The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) aims to change this with the Hidden Journeys Project.
Hidden Journeys is a not-for-profit resource free for public use, and is one of the Society’s public engagement programmes that aim to foster an informed knowledge of our world. The Society is investigating how best to develop the project further for the enjoyment of air travellers across the world, including looking at how to make the interactive stories, images and maps available on-board aircraft.

The latest guide to be released explores the stunning landscapes, wildlife and human history of eastern and southern Africa between two of the continent’s fastest growing cities: Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg.

In the southeast corner of Africa lie some of the most beautiful natural landscapes and wildlife found anywhere on the continent. From the dazzling cichlid fish in Lake Malawi/Nyasa, to the more well-known antelope, zebra and wild dogs of Nyanga and the Ruvuma basin in Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique.

The flight path also contains relics of eastern and southern Africa’s human history from the last 1,000 years. For example, beneath the route in Zimbabwe lies the Kingdom of Mapungubwe which ruled from 1075-1220. Across other parts of the flight path are remnants of more recent colonial history, such as in Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Malawi.

 3rd Degree | Izikhotane - Part 1

3rd Degree investigation looks at a disturbing new trend that is taking hold of young black South Africans. They spend a fortune on expensive clothes and luxury items, then destroy them publicly to gain social status, in a twisted and costly form of one-upmanship.

O espírito de Solidariedade de Leila Lopes, sempre foi apadrinhado pela Pérola Negra, Agora ela continuar colhendo frutos das sementes que ela Plantou com a Empresa Pérola Negra. Beleza ao Alcance de Todos 

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies is in Japan on an official visit to promote trade and investment ties between the two countries.

Davies is scheduled to meet his Japanese counterpart, Yukio Edano, who will discuss how to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Davies will also meet various industry stakeholders including Nissan, Isuzu, Toyota, and the Japanese Business Federation, Keidanren, as well as deliver a keynote address at the SADC/Mainichi Forum - aimed at promoting opportunities in the region.

Davies said bilateral trade between the two countries has increased slightly between 2007 and 2011, growing from R87 billion to R90 billion respectively.

Japan has been a major investor in South Africa for more than a decade.

“To date, the number of Japanese companies that have invested in South Africa have increased to approximately 108 in 2012. In 2011, South Africa managed to attract investments worth $312 million from Toyota and Kansai Paint,” said Davies.

A recent investment from Japan was by the Hong Kong based Asian Mineral Ltd, which owns 49% of the Kudumane manganese mine in the Northern Cape. The mine is expected to employ approximately 300 people.

Trade between the two countries is on the rise, with South Africa enjoying a surplus for the past five years.

“Total trade once reached the high of R106 billion in 2008 prior the global crisis of 2009, but subsequently declined by 43% to R60 billion.

“Between 2010 and 2011, South Africa’s exports experienced an average increase of 16% as compared to imports, which saw an average increase of 10% during the same period,” said Davies.

“I don’t know if you can really say it was a Cuban or any other country’s influence. I think chess is a very natural talent and maybe, for whatever reason, Angolans are born with this talent. I also think Angolans enjoy strategic thinking: they are very disciplined and they have a strong resolve and these are all the qualities you need to be able to play chess, and that’s why the Angolans are so good.”

- Angola’s Deputy Prime Minister Aguinaldo Jaime