Andrew Stegmann

SA Home Affairs Minister washes hands of Zimbabwe import ban

South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba says he does not blame Zimbabwean Customs for preventing South African goods from entering Zimbabwe.

Speaking at OR Tambo International Airport about the rollout of the biometric capture system, Gigaba said the installation of the system had not reduced the number of people entering the country.

His department expected more visitors to make their way to SA, but Gigaba did admit that the instability on the Zimbabwe side of the Beitbridge border post had caused a drop in the number of Zimbabwean visitors.

He said the number of travellers had almost halved from 15,000 a day, which had showed in the amount of money collected at the border post.

Gigaba said the Beitbridge port of entry oversaw a similar number of travellers as OR Tambo International Airport.

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Andrew Stegmann

‘SOUTH AFRICANS EXEMPT FROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS’ BIOMETRIC SYSTEM’

JOHANNESBURG – The Department of Home Affairs says South Africans travelling abroad will now be exempt from the biometric system at the country’s international airports.

In April last year the Home Affairs Department introduced a biometric system for all travellers leaving and entering South Africa.

The system was met with some criticism from citizens and the tourism industry – who were concerned it would discourage visitors to this country.

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba says in the space of three days last week, OR Tambo International Airport flights experienced extreme delays due to glitches in the biometric system.

“Even as we introduced the systems, we did not have sufficient personnel.”

He says South African travellers will no longer have to use the current biometric system.

“To be able to navigate and resolve that problem, we are in the process of linking the movement control system with the national population register.”

Gigaba says the new changes will speed up the process for local travellers.

The minister says the biometric system is now working well and the flight delays have declined to zero.

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Andrew Stegmann

Botswana: New airline eyes Cape Town-Gaborone-London route

Botswana-registered Kalahari Airways is looking to launch a route between Gaborone and Gatwick as well as Gaborone-Cape Town from November 1.

Chief Executive Officer,Denis Coghlan, toldTourism Update the airline would start the licence application with the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) shortly. ‘’The routes are freely available to any Botswanan airline that qualifies,” he said. “It is a very expensive exercise. However, all that is required is that we comply with the Civil Aviation Act. Once we are compliant, CAAB will issue our Aircraft Operating Certificate and the requisite Air Service Licences for the Gaborone-Cape Town route and the Gaborone-London route.”

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Andrew Stegmann

Barclays Africa Says ‘Africa Is Our Destiny,’ Wants To Lend Small Businesses $88M

Barclays Africa said it plans to raise 1.3 billion rand ($88 million US) to fund loans for small and medium enterprises at a time when U.K.-based parent Barclays plc is selling down its stake in the group.

 

The bank said the funding is part of a “shared growth” strategy towards improving socioeconomic conditions in 12 African markets where it operates,  IndependentOnline reported.

Barclays Africa CEO Maria Ramos said the bank will raise the funds with corporate partners, development finance institutions and global financial bodies by the end of this financial year to let SMEs do business with the bank and its clients.

SMEs involved in producing and supplying goods and services to Barclays clients will be able to apply for loans, said KeaObaka Mahuma, head of Barclays Africa’s enterprise and supply chain development.

The idea is to raise funds and make loans at attractive rates, Mahuma said.

So what’s an attractive interest rate in Africa?

Sub-Saharan Africa has some of the highest interest rates in the world, offering high rates of return for investors, CountryRankers reported.

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