After two decades and R50 billion in transactions across Sub-Saharan Africa, Richard Ngwenya is consolidating his family’s investments into a single platform with a singular focus: the unglamorous infrastructure of African finance.

Jordan Hermann will be hoping it will be second time lucky on the upcoming Proteas white-ball tour to Namibia.

Spar Group says the resignations of its chairperson and deputy chairperson are “the right decision for them” and have been done “in the best interests of the company”. Chairman Mike Bosman and deputy chair Dr Shirley Zinn resigned with immediate effect on Monday, 17 August 2026. This follows the resignation of former CEO Angelo Swartz earlier this year. His departure raised questions about leadership within the group and Spar’s future. Spar supports the resignations “While Bosman and Zinn continue to have the full support of the board, taking into consideration the context of the period that both directors and the board have recently experienced, Bosman and Zinn have separately concluded that stepping down and resigning from the board is the right decision for them and in the best interests of the company,” said the retailer on Monday morning. Bosman was appointed chairman in December 2022. Zinn joined as a board member in February 2023 and was appointed deputy chair in June 2023. Spar recognised the value Bosman had, saying he was appointed chairman “at a time of exceptional difficulty for the group due to the serious governance matters previously reported to shareholders. Following the retirement of the previous CEO, Brett Botten, in January 2023, Bosman agreed to serve in an executive capacity as executive chairman, providing continuity of leadership at short notice and at significant personal commitment.” Threats to Spar chair and deputy chair The group, in its note to shareholders, gave no reason for the two resignations. However, an article published by Financial Mail, citing a joint statement from the former chair and deputy chair, describes personal attacks, hostility and, at times, threats from “certain current and former Spar retailers and former employees”. This is the latest, and possibly the most serious, in a series of resignations that have dogged the group since December 2022, resulting in a slew of top executives leaving the company. While Spar said under Bosman’s leadership, “the group’s governance, risk and control environment strengthened, the portfolio was simplified, and operational continuity was restored”, it made no mention of a petition issued by the National Council of the Spar Guild in May calling for his resignation. Council hits at Bosman The council represents the independent retailers who own and run Spar outlets across the country. According to Financial Mail, the petition said that Bosman has become associated with the period of decline, reputational damage, strategic uncertainty, shareholder value destruction and a breakdown in trust between the group and the retailer network. “His continued presence as chairman now stands as an obstacle to renewal, confidence-building and the restoration of constructive relations across the Spar system,” it said. However, the group backed the former chair, saying “the group stands very firmly in support of Bosman’s leadership and views the request as baseless, vexatious, malicious and without merit.” What about Zinn? Zinn was also the chair of the remuneration committee. Spar said “she was central to strengthening the group’s remuneration governance and led the introduction of a malus and clawback policy for executive management and a revised minimum shareholding requirement to align with shareholder expectations and market practice”. While it highlighted her work, the group made no mention of an alleged investigation into potential conflicts of interest arising from Zinn’s directorships of several companies, including Tuesday Consulting. Tuesday Consulting is an executive search and talent advisory firm based in Johannesburg. It specialises in sourcing senior executives, board-level leaders and specialised talent across various sectors in South Africa and Africa. It is alleged that Spar is a client of Tuesday Consulting and that it has never disclosed this, or that Zinn is a director there. The Citizen has asked the group for a comment. It will be added once received. The future Lwazi Koyana, currently an independent non-executive director and chair of the risk committee, has been appointed interim independent non-executive chair with immediate effect. The group described Koyana as a “highly respected business leader and chartered accountant, who brings deep expertise across finance, governance, risk and entrepreneurship, together with an intimate understanding of Spar, gained through more than seven years on the board.” Spar has reassured shareholders that it is working to appoint replacements for Bosman and Zinn. “The nominations committee has begun identifying and appointing new non-executive directors to the board, including directors with relevant retail experience.” Road to restoring profitability The group added that its executive team remains unchanged and its focus on restoring the retailer’s profitability also remains unchanged, despite being without two key board members. “[The group] will continue to focus on restoring retailer profitability, strengthening wholesale and distribution performance and unlocking the full potential of Spar’s independent retail model. “[Spar’s] priorities remain stronger procurement and sharper pricing; improved brand and marketing effectiveness; stronger distribution execution; greater support to help retailers manage costs and improve profitability; and continued development of Spar’s retail technology, digital and convenience capabilities – alongside sustainable value creation for all employees, customers and communities.”

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has announced actress Hope Mbhele and comedian Vafa Naraghi as presenters for the 2026 National Arts and Culture Awards (NACA). The awards ceremony will be held at Sun City Resort on Friday, 21 August, under the theme “Celebrating Our Nation’s Creative Excellence”. The department said the awards aim to recognise creative achievement and highlight the creative sector’s contribution to South Africa’s economy and cultural identity. National Arts and Culture Awards 2026 line-up The department has also confirmed the performance line-up for the ceremony. It includes Zee Nxumalo, Holly Rey, Yanga Chief, Tu Nokwe, Brenden Praise and Jimmy Nevis. The announcement follows the second phase of NACA nominees, which focuses on Design and Performing Arts. In the Design categories, the nominees are Bridget Meier, Kathleen Helen De Villiers Soal and Sipho Phiri for Architecture/Interior Designer. David Tlale, Jacques La Grange and Olebogeng Ledimo are nominated in the Fashion/Textile Designer category. David Siyabonga Tshabalala, Rejoice Kunene and Siya Masuku are nominated for Graphic and Multimedia Designer. The Performing Arts nominees include Gontse Ntshegang, Mandlenkosi Gaduka and Valentine Themba Ndaba for Actor in Theatre. Dalin Gerard Oliver, Nomthandazo Rubushe and Siyabulela Seya are nominated for Comedian Performance. The Dance Production nominees are Chloe Blair, Gregory Maqoma and Llewellyn Mnguni. Creshwell October, Sisa Benjamin Zako and Viwe Siyabonga Mkizwana are nominated for the Musician Award. Koleka Putuma, Masai Sepuru and Modise Joshua Sekgothe are nominated for Poet Performance. The Theatre Production nominees are Calvin Seretle Ratladi, Jana Hattingh and Aubrey Sekhabi. The NACA ceremony will be held at Sun City Resort on Friday, 21 August. It will be broadcast on SABC 1 on Saturday, 22 August at 8pm. The National Sports Awards will follow on Sunday, 23 August.

Cape Town has been named one of the most beautiful places in the world to stay, ranking eighth globally for the quality and design of its luxury holiday homes. The South African city was included in a new ranking by British interior design company Sharps, which assessed luxury homes across more than 200 tourist destinations around the world. Cape Town achieved a Beautiful Base Score of 96.2 out of 100, putting it ahead of several globally renowned luxury destinations, including Miami, Ibiza, Palm Springs and Malibu. Cape Town beats top locations around the world Cape Town’s eighth-place ranking puts it firmly among the world’s most sought-after destinations for travellers looking for beautiful, design-led accommodation. The research identified 122 luxury homes in Cape Town, with an average nightly price of £1,109 (around R24 000) and a reputation score of 98. That means Cape Town ranked ahead of: Miami, United States – 93.3 Palm Springs, United States – 90.9 Ibiza, Spain – 89.5 Malibu, United States – 89.0 Marbella, Spain – 90.0 Grand Cayman – 86.6 The ranking looked at the availability of luxury homes in each destination, average nightly prices and reputation before combining these factors into its overall Beautiful Base Score. What makes Cape Town’s homes so beautiful? According to Sharps, Cape Town’s luxury properties make the most of one of the city’s biggest advantages: its scenery. Many of the homes feature large glass walls designed to showcase views of Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean. The interiors also draw heavily on the surrounding landscape and local character. Sharps describes a combination of natural local sandstone, indigenous plants, African textiles and minimalist Scandinavian-style furniture. The result is a design approach that blends contemporary luxury with Cape Town’s natural environment. For travellers, that means the accommodation itself can be part of the holiday experience rather than simply somewhere to sleep at the end of the day. Bali takes the top spot Cape Town may have claimed eighth place, but the overall winner was Bali, Indonesia, which achieved a perfect Beautiful Base Score of 100. The Indonesian island topped the ranking with 241 luxury homes, an average nightly price of £538 (around R11 000) and a reputation score of 132 in the research. The top 10 was rounded out by: Bali – 100 Paris – 99.5 Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree – 99 30A Area, Florida – 98.6 Saint Barthélemy – 98.1 Los Cabos – 97.1 London – 96.7 Cape Town – 96.2 Big Island, Hawai’i – 95.7 Park City – 95.2

Rita Ora has made Ibiza her home base for weeks now, and the island has seen two very different sides of her summer. It started as a birthday celebration and ended as a proper girls’ trip. Celebrating her husband in style Ora and husband Taika Waititi have been soaking up the sun together in Ibiza. They marked his birthday with what looked like weeks of lavish celebrations. The pair, married since 2022, brought matching swimwear energy to the island, clearly making the most of their time away together. Rita Ora’s Ibiza girls’ day out on the water Ora then swapped romance for friendship, spending a day on a yacht near Ibiza with model Lady Mary Charteris and a group of friends. She was seen swimming off the coast before climbing back aboard for a shower rinse, tying her hair up under a bandana as she relaxed on deck with her pals. Waititi was nowhere in sight this time, making it clear this particular outing was all about the girls. It’s the kind of low-key, no-partners-allowed trip every friend group deserves at least once a summer. I love seeing Rita Ora’s Ibiza summer split so evenly between celebrating her husband and just having a proper laugh with her friends, hey. That balance is exactly what a good holiday should look like. Seeing Ora on holiday with her friends surely makes me excited for the summer to come. If duos and their opposite energies are your thing, our look at Joe Jonas’s own steamy Sardinia summer with girlfriend Tatiana Gabriela is another romantic getaway worth catching up on. Would you rather spend your holiday celebrating a partner, or off with your girls instead? Let us know in the comments below…

The director-general says a date will follow stakeholder consultation, and worries communities think one already exists.

Chinese brand Leapmotor's second South African model uses the same range-extender trick in a smaller package.