For a long time, agricultural risk in Africa was understood through a relatively familiar set of pressures, whether around rainfall and weather patterns, commodity prices, input costs, access to finance or the practical realities of moving products through supply chains that often struggled even under normal conditions. Difficult, certainly, but still manageable within a system whose participants broadly understood its rhythms. What has changed, particularly over the past decade, is that the risk environment surrounding African agriculture has become far more interconnected and far less predictable. Take climate change, for instance. In some parts of the continent, rain now arrives heavily over very short periods before disappearing again. At the same time, floods, mid-season droughts and highly localised weather disruptions have started appearing much more frequently. Many producers now factor some form of climate disruption into almost every season, partly because conditions can shift dramatically even across relatively short distances and partly because the timing itself has become far more difficult to anticipate consistently from one year to the next. The same interconnectedness applies to geopolitical risk as well. The conflict in the Middle East has already shown how quickly events far outside the continent can feed back into African agriculture through higher freight costs and shipping disruptions across key export routes. For exporters already operating on tight margins and highly time-sensitive supply chains, those disruptions carry immediate commercial consequences because even relatively short delays can affect pricing, quality and market access simultaneously. The pressure point many farmers are feeling most acutely at the moment, and likely will continue feeling for some time, is the rise in input costs, particularly for fertiliser and energy. Urea prices moved above $700 per tonne earlier this year, with upward pressure spreading across other fertiliser categories as supply chains tightened and global uncertainty filtered further into agricultural input markets. Producers who had not secured supply early suddenly found themselves entering planting periods under far more pressure on pricing, particularly as higher crude prices also pushed fuel costs sharply upwards across parts of the continent at exactly the point at which diesel demand typically begins accelerating during planting and harvesting cycles. The reality is that many of these pressures no longer behave like temporary disruptions that businesses can simply wait out until conditions normalise again: the operating environment itself has changed. More producers are starting to recognise that resilience now depends less on getting through a difficult season and more on building operations capable of absorbing repeated instability over longer periods. The difficult reality now is that meaningful adjustments are often hard to make midway through difficult periods because agricultural cycles do not move at the same speed as geopolitical events or commodity markets. Much depends on what is being produced and how exposed producers are to changing input costs or weakening prices. Grain producers, for example, are currently operating in a global market carrying high stock levels, which continue to place downward pressure on prices even as fertiliser and fuel costs rise. Other producers face different pressures altogether, particularly where export markets tighten or demand weakens unexpectedly, forcing businesses to look for alternative markets or different routes to market, often within very short timeframes. But part of the challenge is that difficult times rarely create only downside pressure. They also create periods of temporary dislocation where opportunities emerge unexpectedly for businesses capable of moving quickly enough to respond to them. Increasingly, resilience in agriculture depends not only on surviving volatility but on maintaining enough liquidity and operational agility to adapt when conditions change suddenly in either direction. And that is why cash flow is really at the heart of resilience. That may come through retained cash inside the business itself or through the ability to access external funding when needed. At Absa AgriBusiness, we are increasingly seeing producers prioritise financial flexibility and liquidity as core to their long-term resilience planning. Either way, businesses carrying healthier balance sheets generally retain far more flexibility once markets come under pressure. Some producers are also leaning more heavily into crop insurance, others into geographic or production diversification. Many have spent the past few years focusing on technology and improving operational efficiency. All these efforts aim to strengthen margins and ultimately generate additional cash flow within the business itself. None of these decisions remove volatility from agriculture entirely, but they do influence how much room a business has to absorb pressure once conditions become unstable. Loffie Brandt As farming conditions become harder to predict through traditional models alone, financial institutions like Absa will increasingly have to rely on far more granular operational data to assess risk appropriately and support producers more effectively through volatile cycles. The reality is that large amounts of agricultural data are already being generated across farms every season, whether around yields, planting conditions, weather patterns, input usage or production practices. The bigger challenge is how that information is actually incorporated into funding and risk-assessment models in ways that create practical value for producers. African agriculture is entering a period where resilience will be determined heavily by access to capital and the ability to remain operational under unstable conditions that may persist for extended periods. For producers, financiers and value-chain participants alike, this requires thinking far more carefully about how businesses are structured before the next disruption arrives, not once it is already underway. Loffie Brandt is a sector executive for Agriculture at Absa AgriBusiness

With shocks becoming more frequent, from Covid to Ukraine to the current US-initiated energy crisis, resilience in Africa is no longer about managing isolated disruptions. It is about constant adjustment and reform. African states have introduced emergency conservation and consumer support measures to shield citizens from fossil fuel price volatility. Yet long queues continue to form at fuel stations. These interventions divert resources from essential programmes such as health and development. They may ease pressure in the short term, but they do not address the underlying problem. When energy supply remains inadequate and externally dependent, the continent is left in a state of subsidised vulnerability, exposed to global markets it cannot control. When power failures become health emergencies When a clinic’s generator fails, the cost is not only operational. It is human. Health resilience is often measured through access and responsiveness, but it depends on a reliable electricity supply. Across Africa, 50%–60% of health facilities lack reliable electricity. Cold chains for vaccines and oxygen supplies rely on expensive imported diesel. When fuel costs rise or supply chains tighten, facilities pass these costs on to patients. This becomes an additional burden at a moment of vulnerability. In Nigeria, erratic price volatility can raise facility operating costs by up to 40% and increase out-of-pocket medical expenses by up to 20%. In 2019, 95 million people in Africa faced catastrophic healthcare expenses. Energy insecurity turns treatable illness into financial crisis. Health resilience depends on energy sovereignty. Health systems cannot function reliably when they depend on volatile global fuel markets. Industrialisation needs reliable power Adaptive capacity requires more than endurance. It requires the ability to shift structurally. Informal work remains a central survival strategy for livelihoods across Africa, accounting for 83% of employment. Its productivity is limited, often constrained by unreliable energy access. Moving workers into stable employment requires industrialisation. Industrialisation depends on consistent and secure power. Factories cannot operate on intermittent supply or fuel imports that become scarce when external conditions change. When energy systems are unstable or externally controlled, they impose limits on industrial growth. This restricts value-added manufacturing and keeps young people in precarious work. Energy sovereignty provides the foundation for sustained industrial activity and long-term employment. The cost of importing energy Energy dependency also acts as a financial drain on both states and households. Reliance on dollar-denominated fuel imports exports capital in exchange for short-term stability. This weakens the ability to build domestic savings and invest in infrastructure. At household level, high energy costs reduce disposable income and limit investment in education or productive assets. Expanding domestic energy production, particularly from renewable sources, can reduce this outflow. It allows countries to retain capital and reinvest it locally. Energy sovereignty strengthens national balance sheets and supports long-term economic development. At the recent Power Africa summit, it was stated that the goal of energy is to expand human opportunity. Current geopolitical tensions show how fragile externally dependent systems can be. Africa has abundant renewable resources. Solar, wind and hydropower offer a path to greater stability. Developing these resources can reduce exposure to global price shocks and strengthen domestic control. Resilience depends on the ability to maintain energy supply on reliable terms. Nyasha Munodawafa is a policy researcher and financial economist at Enzi Ijayo.

SAPS officer Steve Phakula's testimony implicated Major General Feroz Khan, a senior Crime Intelligence officer, who was arrested over the weekend for allegedly dealing in precious metals.

The withdrawal of funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has disrupted HIV testing, antiretroviral therapy (ART) collection, and access to contraceptives in former focus priority districts in KwaZulu-Natal.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision not to resign and to challenge the panel report that led to his impeachment process has derailed a plan by his detractors in the ANC to remove him in a short time. Ramaphosa decided to take the report of the Section 189 panel that probed events around the theft of money at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo on judicial review. Ramaphosa challenges Phala Phala report His decision effectively halts the impeachment process to be undertaken by parliament via an impeachment committee. Ramaphosa dug in his heels during a broadcast address to the nation on Monday, and said he will not resign as president of the republic. He said he would not be forced to resign by those “who seek to reverse the renewal of our society, the rebuilding of our institutions and the prosecution of corruption”. His decision to stay put was seen as a victory for his supporters, who would have been left in the political wilderness if he quit early without finishing his term in 2029. His decision came as calls for him to step down are gaining momentum in the ANC. Some members raised dissatisfaction over the party’s continuous electoral decline under his leadership. With the knives out for him, there were strong indications that a push was underway to force Ramaphosa out, or for him to be convinced to step down. President rejecting resignation calls complicates succession contest This was complicated by an increasing succession contest for his position among senior ANC members, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile, secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and others. Some had suggested that a caretaker president should be appointed with a number touting the names of former caretaker president Kgalema Motlanthe and National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza. According to a senior ANC member who spoke anonymously, they would like to see a caretaker president replace Ramaphosa. He said such an individual should be someone with no interest in contesting the presidency in future, but no names were mentioned. An ANC insider said many in the party were prepared to sacrifice the president, instead of protecting him this time around. “Indeed, there is a lot of pressure on him to go. For the ANC, it’s not only about Phala Phala, but more about the underperformance of the movement since he became president. Insiders fear 20% polls and demand new coalition. “Indication are clear that we are going to go further down, It seems we will be lucky to get 30% in the next elections. Some comrades estimate our next result to between 20% and 35% and that is very serious for the party,” the ANC source said on condition of anonymity. Another close ANC source claimed there is a push to go the Lesufi way – to denounce the DA and reconfigure the government of national unity (GNU) by inviting the EFF and MK party as new members. “We need to make a new alliance that will restore the ANC to its leftward trajectory. It is clear that this GNU is not working for our people, they continue to languish in poverty, unemployment and inequality,” the source said. Political analyst André Duvenhage said the move to oust Ramaphosa is not surprising and he was being pressured to resign, from what he understood. In addition to Phala Phala, the 2024 electoral results were a big factor in the calls for him to be recalled, he said. “The support in the 2024 election, some analysts put in the 20s but more generally it should be between 30% and 35%. Even 35% is a terrible situation, so there is a lot of pressure,” Duvenhage said. He referred to the growing faction battles emerging within the ANC with alliances forming behind the scenes involving the EFF, Lesufi and Mashatile. Faction battles He alluded to an agreement between EFF and MK that want to re-enter the ANC and restore it to its origins as a force of the left. “There is an attempt to reclaim the ANC to the original ANC and take it back to the national democratic revolution idea and in the process getting rid of Ramaphosa. “This and the Phala Phala issue has put a lot of pressure on Ramaphosa. “No doubt the long knives are out. It will be interesting to see how and if he can survive,” Duvenhage said.

Testing positive for the hantavirus could see you quarantined and monitored for 42 days. High-risk contacts of patients with hantavirus continue to be quarantined and monitored for 42 days following the last contact with a positive case, said Dr Jacqueline Weyer, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) acting deputy director and head of the Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic HaParasitic Diseases. NICD monitors high risk contacts after MV Hondius outbreak Wyer said because the virus is transmitted through close and direct contact, only close and direct contact requires monitoring. “Medical staff at the front line often have close and direct contact with patients, and those who have had such contact have been identified and are being monitored,” she added. The NICD has urged the public to remain alert to symptoms of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome and said the public should look out for early signs, which may include fever, headache and muscle aches, while severe symptoms can include shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs. NICD urged those who have travelled to endemic regions such as the Americas or have been in contact with a confirmed case recently to inform their health care provider immediately. The government warned that there is no specific approved treatment or vaccine. There is no cure for hantavirus, and Ivermectin cannot cure or treat it, but early intensive care and hospitalisation is crucial. 173 people potentially exposed to hantavirus According to the latest data captured by Kimberly Panozzo from the University of Toledo, 173 people were suspected of being exposed to the virus, with eight cases confirmed and three deaths. Earlier this week, the national department of health confirmed the number of traced contacts was at 91 out of 97 identified people, following an outbreak of hantavirus, which was initially identified on an MV Hondius cruise ship last month. On Tuesday, The Guardian reported the head of the World Public urged to be alert to symptoms of deadly disease Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases after authorities in Paris said a French woman who contracted the virus onboard the MV Hondius had the most severe form of the disease and had been put on a ventilator. Ghebreyesus praised Spain for the compassion and solidarity it had shown by taking in the stricken cruise ship and urged authorities to follow the WHO’s advice, which include a 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts. “At the moment, there is no sign we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak, but of course the situation could change and, given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks,” Ghebreyesus said during a press conference in Madrid.

The Emma Animal Rescue Society (TEARS) is calling on members of the public for much-needed assistance in the aftermath of Cape Town’s recent storms. Over the weekend and the early part of this week, the Western Cape has been severely impacted by adverse weather conditions. These have resulted in casualties, displacement and widespread infrastructural damage. TEARS, a non-profit animal rescue and rehabilitation organisation based in Kommetjie, was also drastically affected by the intense storms. TEARS CAUGHT IN THE EYE OF THE STORM Per a recent Facebook video reel, the TEARS team explained that the storms resulted in significant damage to their kennel facilities. The reel shows fallen tree branches, torn roofs and debris littering the grounds of the shelter. Damaged kennels and walls can also be seen. “Multiple kennel areas have been left unsafe and now require urgent repairs before the worst of winter sets in,” the description reads. “Thankfully, no dogs or staff members were injured during the storm.” PUBLIC PLEA In the wake of the devastating storms, TEARS is calling on the public for much-needed assistance. “For the animals in our care, these kennels are more than just structures – they are a place of safety, comfort and protection while they wait for loving homes,” the description reads. “Now, we need your help to rebuild. “No amount is too small. Every rand helps us protect, repair, rebuild and continue giving these animals the safety they deserve.” If you are in a position to donate, you can click here. Be sure to use “STORM” or a storm-adjacent term as a reference. These donations will be used to repair the damaged kennel roofs and replace the broken walls and doors. It will also be used to restore warm, insulated sleeping spaces for the animals in their care and help fortify protection from storms in the future. WEATHER WARNING As the plea from TEARS shows, these storms have caused significant disruptions in Cape Town and across the Western Cape. Other provinces, including Limpopo, have also experienced the brunt of these worsening weather conditions. People and animals alike, including a lone serval kitten rescued from the downpour, are resultantly facing disruptions bordering on the fatal. While we continue to contend with this wild weather, please bear in mind the following weather safety tips: Avoid unnecessary travel during severe weather conditions. If you must drive, slow down and drive cautiously when visibility is poor or if there is standing water on the road. Keep essential supplies such as food, water, blankets and a fully charged phone in your vehicle in case of emergency. Stay indoors as much as possible. Avoid walking near buildings, fences or trees, as they may collapse due to strong winds or flying debris. Stay informed of safety risks by listening to weather updates on the radio, TV and/or mobile phone. Stay safe out there, folks!

Kaizer Chiefs, as often witnessed in every pre-season transfer window, are set to battle Orlando Pirates for a standout Betway Premiership player. This time it is Arrows’ dynamic 25-year-old midfielder Ayabule Maxwele, as reported by iDiski Times’ Sinethemba Makonco. AYABULELA MAXWELE TARGETED BY KAIZER CHIEFS Arrows are currently positioned in eighth place with 10 wins in 28 games, thanks to players like Maxwele who played 23 times. Also read: Reports: Orlando Pirates push to sign Bafana Bafana player The midfielder joined Abafana Bes’thende as a free agent from Royal AM upon their expulsion from the Premier Soccer League in 2025. “With the June transfer window fast approaching, both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are understandably monitoring Ayabulela Maxwele after his impressive performances for Lamontville Golden Arrows this season,” Makonco reported. Also read: Orlando Pirates: Plans to sign three new signings WHO IS HE? Born in Mthatha, Eastern Cape on 28 June 2000, “Aya” first emerged as a junior player at Mamelodi Sundowns. Maxwele later played for Maritzburg United (later renamed Durban City), Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and Royal AM. He has been noted as a unique player. Maxwele operates as a specialist half central midfielder and half inverted winger. He plays with high intensity that involves relentless running and a high number of won duels. Maxwele is a committed presser and when he has the ball at his feet, easily drives past defenders at speed. Beyond his 23 league appearances, Maxwelele played six cup games in the Carling Knockout and Nedbank Cup. Scoring three goals and making one assist. DO YOU SEE KAIZER CHIEFS OR ORLANDO PIRATES WINNING THE RACE FOR HIS SIGNATURE? Share your thoughts by clicking on the red comments block below.

Meta Platforms is rolling out a new "Incognito Chat" feature for its AI assistant on WhatsApp.

Icasa has told minister Solly Malatsi that full alignment with the ICT sector code requires changes to legislation.