Reuters: South Africa News

S.Africa rand recovers from 5-mth low, still vulnerable

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:24:46 +0000

JOHANNESBURG, May 16 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand plumbed five month lows against the dollar on heightened global risk aversion on Wednesday before staging a recovery in late afternoon trade.

S.Africa developing cheaper way of making titanium

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:31:35 +0000

CAPE TOWN, May 16 (Reuters) - South African scientists are developing a new way of making powdered titanium potentially halving the cost of producing the metal used in a range of high-tech manufacturing from military aircraft to artificial limbs.

Political pressures risk to S.Africa rating:Moody's

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:58:45 +0000

JOHANNESBURG, May 16 (Reuters) - Rising social pressures are increasingly throwing South African policymakers off track, undermining the predictability of economic decision-making and threatening the country's credit rating, a senior analyst at Moody's said on Wednesday.

NEWSMAKER-Goodlace a calm hand for Implats tiller

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:47:19 +0000

JOHANNESBURG, May 16 (Reuters) - Impala Platinum's chief executive-in-waiting Terence Goodlace has plenty of experience operating in tough places, such as Democratic Republic of Congo.

English the preferred language for world business - poll

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:44:34 +0000

NEW YORK, May 16 (Reuters) - Workers whose jobs require them to interact with people in foreign countries say that English is the dominant language of business, according to a new poll.

S.African banks plan cuts rating risk-Moody's

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:52:48 +0000

JOHANNESBURG, May 16 (Reuters) - The creation of a liquidity pool which South African banks can tap to meet the global industry's new Basel III regulatory requirements relieves the pressure for a credit rating downgrade when the new laws come into effect, Moody's said on Wednesday.

Tanzania gold production up 13 pct in 2011

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:26:37 +0000

DAR ES SALAAM, May 16 (Reuters) - Tanzania's gold production rose to 40.4 tonnes in 2011 from 35.6 tonnes a year ago after mining companies invested in higher output due to cash in on the rising price of the precious metal, its central bank said on Tuesday.

TABLE-S.Africa March retail sales at 6.8 pct y/y

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:36:19 +0000

JOHANNESBURG, May 16 (Reuters) - Growth in South Africa's retail sales was at 6.8 percent on a year-on-year basis at constant prices in March, compared with a revised 6.7 percent in February, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. Following is a table of percentage changes for each type of retailer. year/year Mar Feb Jan-March General dealers 4.5 7.7 5.9

S.Africa March retail sales growth at 6.8 pct y/y

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:31:05 +0000

JOHANNESBURG, May 16 (Reuters) - Growth in South Africa's retail sales quickened to 6.8 percent on a year-on-year basis at constant prices in March compared with a revised 6.7 percent in February, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday.

S.Africa March retail sales growth at 6.8 pct y/y

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:11:40 +0000

JOHANNESBURG, May 16 (Reuters) - Growth in South Africa's retail sales was steady 6.8 percent on a year-on-year basis at constant prices in March with a revised 6.8 percent in February, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. On a monthly basis sales were up 2.1 percent in March and rose by 5.9 percent in the quarter to March compared with the same period a year ago, also at constant prices. Economists polled by Reuters expected year-on-year sales growth to ease to 6.6 percent i