Tiisetso Motsoeneng
Coverage of Tiisetso Motsoeneng in the Nexus archive.
- South Africa’s eyes autonomy after PEPFAR cut
South Africa aims for self-reliance in healthcare after the Trump administration withdrew PEPFAR funding, which had provided $8 billion over 20 years to address the country's HIV/AIDS crisis. The funding cut, part of diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the US, has forced Pretoria to allocate 750 million rand as a stopgap measure, significantly less than previous annual support.
- South African households grapple with water shortages
Over half of South African households face systematic water shortages due to maintenance backlogs and aging infrastructure, with the Democratic Alliance leveraging the crisis as a political issue ahead of local elections. The ANC-led Mpumalanga province experiences weekly water outages in over a third of households, while the Democratic Alliance highlights its Western Cape governance record with minimal outages.
- South Africa agrees $2.3B power lifeline
South Africa approved a $2.3 billion five-year power tariff package for ferrochrome producers Glencore and Samancor Chrome, reducing electricity prices by over 50% to stabilize the smelting sector. The move aims to prevent industrial decline after Morocco overtook South Africa in African Development Bank industrial rankings, with Glencore canceling layoff notices to protect over 1,500 jobs.
- Chinese vehicle trade deficit with S.Africa hits $3.5B
South Africa's automotive trade deficit with China reached $3.5 billion in 2025, doubling over four years and becoming its largest with any country. Chinese brands captured over 20% market share in 2025 by offering budget-friendly SUVs, displacing competitors like Nissan and Renault, prompting calls for local factory investments and potential import tax hikes.
- South Africa seeks 15-year AGOA extension
South Africa is advocating for a 15-year extension of the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), emphasizing its role as a major supplier of critical minerals like platinum, manganese, and chromium. The country argues short extensions harm investor confidence and manufacturing plans, while also seeking updated eligibility criteria to address inequality. AGOA, which provides duty-free US market access, was recently retroactively extended until year-end.
- South Africa’s rail network opens to 11 private firms
South Africa has granted 11 private companies permission to operate trains on its national rail network for the first time in over 100 years, aiming to boost mineral exports and relieve financial strain on state-owned Transnet. This regulatory shift allows private operators like MSC and Grindrol to use a slot system on the network to meet growing global demand for African raw materials. The move is intended to reverse years of infrastructure decline caused by corruption and mismanagement at Transnet.