Новости за 16.12.2021

South African government debt neared 100% of the National Treasury’s forecast for the fiscal year through March 2022 within seven months, heightening the risk that liabilities may overshoot official estimates. Gross debt amounted to R4.2-trillion, or 97.3% of the government’s estimate by October 31, according to the South African Reserve Bank’s Quarterly Bulletin published on Wednesday. The National Treasury revised its debt projection for the current fiscal year to R4.31-trillion, or 69.9% of gross domestic product... Читать дальше...

The National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has retained its lockdown at 'adjusted level 1', or the lowest of a five-tier system of restrictions, in the battle on the Omicron variant, health authorities said on Thursday. In the past few days, South Africa has reported more than 20 000 new daily Covid-19 infections, but its scientists see no sign yet that the variant causes more severe illness.

Fitch on Wednesday upgraded the outlook on South Africa's long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating to "stable" from "negative", citing a faster-than-expected economic recovery. "A recovery is underway and GDP now seems on track to return to pre-pandemic levels during 2022" Fitch said. The rating agency affirmed the country's sovereign debt rating at 'BB-', constrained by high and rising government debt, low trend growth, and high inequality.

The government is considering implementing laws prohibiting foreign nationals from driving trucks registered in the country without the relevant documents. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said the new law would see undocumented truck divers facing the wrath of the law. This after local truck drivers staged protests on the country’s national roads. Truck drivers complained about foreign nationals driving trucks without South African Professional Driving Permits (PDPs).

Every time an aeroplane streaked the sky over Kgomotso Phatsima's village in rural Botswana, she would pause, look up and vow she too would fly high one day. Phatsima has more than kept her promise. Not only did she become one of the country's first female military pilots, the 36-year-old has also built an organisation that trains thousands of young girls in robotics, coding and entrepreneurship programmes.