U.S. Chamber on South Africa's G20 & B20 Presidency

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce congratulates the Republic of South Africa on assuming the G20 presidency for 2025. As the first African country to lead the G20 since its creation, South Africa’s presidency represents a landmark moment for the continent’s role in shaping the global economic and policy agenda.

“South Africa’s leadership comes at a critical time as businesses and governments alike seek solutions to pressing global challenges, including sustainable economic growth, building resilient supply chains, and advancing digital transformation,” said Kendra Gaither, President of the U.S.-Africa Business Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“We look forward to supporting South Africa’s efforts and to join the B20 troika, alongside Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and Brazil’s CNI, to champion policies that encourage economic inclusion and expand opportunities for innovation and investment,” added Gary Litman, Senior Vice President of Global Initiatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

The U.S. Chamber will work closely with its partners to ensure continuity as the U.S. prepares to assume the G20 presidency in twelve months.

Through advocacy for pro-business policies and trade facilitation, the U.S. Chamber will engage with policymakers and private sector leaders during South Africa’s G20 presidency to ensure the voice of American business continues to contribute to advancing global prosperity and job creation.

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By Olagunju, Success Taiwo

18th Year Anniversary - KUMBA KUMBA; WE GO!

I'm happy I answered the clarion call and made the decision to see South Africa for myself 18 years ago today.

Yes, the country is liberated 30 years ago but:

 Today, I still hear the songs of struggle on Juta Street's Labour Court. 

 Today, I still see my black South African friends owning no lands, 

  

 Today, I still see my black South African friends with no jobs 

 Today, I still see my black South African friends with no access to finance.

 Today, My South African friends think I'm the problem 

 Today,    Foreigners must leave

 Tomorrow, Foreigners must go

 Yesterday, my black South African friends pointed me to police

 

 Today, I'm trying to run for police

 Tomorrow, Hillbrow, John Foster & Lindela

 KUMBA-KUMBA; we go.

 (THE END)

(So many stresses from my family while I'm trying to give the South African people access to the country's finance through Unicorn Conglomerate {Pty} Limited - but now I understand what Denzel Washington meant by "your own family will talk shit to you or about you when you're in the process of breaking all the generational curses.")

Olagunju Success Taiwo.

Release: MTN and Aleph Group partner to break new ground for local advertising opportunities

Photo source: Wikipedia

Johannesburg, South Africa - 15 October 2024 - MTN’s Digital Services, the advertising arm of Africa's largest mobile operator, has appointed Aleph Group, as their sales partner for their go-to-market MTN Ads solution. 

This strategic partnership will enable advertisers to leverage MTN’s vast first party data to enable precise audience targeting, while tapping into core telco channels like SMS and platforms like Ayoba, an all-in-one super app developed by the MTN Group.

“It's a unique proposition in the market; one that incorporates our device-agnostic, data-free and rewards solutions. This combination enables businesses to drive immediate engagement regardless of content or user journey, with measurable attribution,” said Jason Probert, General Manager: Digital Services at MTN South Africa. 

With access to MTN’s extensive user base of over 38 million subscribers in South Africa, these advertising solutions provide an excellent opportunity to reach a vast audience across all demographics and device types. 

"We are thrilled to pioneer the MTN Ads solution and continue to contribute to the growth of South Africa's digital advertising ecosystem," said Stephen A. Newton, Managing Director of Sub-Saharan Africa at Aleph Group.

"MTN's vast network and rich data insights, combined with Aleph's expertise in digital advertising, will empower businesses to connect with their target audiences in a more meaningful and effective way, helping to accelerate the transfer from offline to online GDP."

As an official sales partner, Aleph Group will provide a team of experts to collaborate with brands and advertising agencies to develop and execute advertising solutions across MTN's various platforms, including SMS, Rich Business Messaging (RBM), mobile display, and in-app advertising.

"In today's challenging economic climate, businesses are seeking a greater return on advertising spend (ROAS). We believe this partnership will enable businesses to unlock the full potential of digital advertising in South Africa,” added Newton. 

South Africa’s ad spend is projected to reach R40.95 billion by the end of the year, with digital advertising driving much of this growth because of increased urbanisation and mobile network expansion. Furthermore, internet advertising is anticipated to reach R32.77 billion by 2027. 

38% of South African respondents to a recent Aleph survey claimed that they learn about new products via ads that play before online videos they’re watching, highlighting the importance of digital and internet advertising. By 2029, nearly half of total spending will come from digital channels, with mobile advertising accounting for 74% of digital ad spending by 2028. 

This partnership allows MTN and Aleph to capitalise on this shift, empowering brands to reach audiences through impactful, data-driven campaigns. Leveraging telco unique solutions, including zero rating for users and device agnostic solutions, advertisers can now reach all audiences across the digital funnel journey. 

A court filing unmasked the 100 investors in Elon Musk's X: a Saudi prince, major VCs, Diddy, and Jack Dorsey

A judge ordered X Holdings to unseal its list of shareholders, revealing notable investors.

The list includes Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, Sequoia, Saudi Prince Alwaleed, and Diddy.

The motion was filed by a journalism nonprofit, arguing public interest in X's investor details.

Elon Musk's X just had to give up the names of all its investors — and there are a couple of notable names on the list.

A federal judge ordered the social media platform to unseal the list of shareholders of X Holdings on Tuesday, after a journalism nonprofit filed a motion to view the records in July.

By Shubhangi Goel.

Full story at Yahoo News.

Google strikes a deal with California lawmakers to fund local news

The agreement ends a long-running dispute that led to Google temporarily blocking news for some users in the state.

Google has reached a deal with California lawmakers to fund local news in the state after previously protesting a proposed law that would have required it to pay media outlets. Under the terms of the deal, Google will commit tens of millions of dollars to a fund supporting local news as well as an AI “accelerator program” in the state.

The agreement ends a months-long dispute between lawmakers and Google over the California Journalism Preservation Act, a bill that would have required Google, Meta and other large platforms to pay California publishers in exchange for linking to their websites. Google strongly opposed the measure, which was similar to laws passed in Canada and Australia.

By Karissa Bell

Full story at Engadget.