The Daily Maverick

South Africa, Kenya

M-Pesa arrives in SA, hoping to repeat its Kenyan success

Nedbank has teamed up with local telecommunications giant, Vodacom, to bring M-Pesa to South Africa. The partners have great expectations for the mobile money transfer system that is a runaway success in Kenya. Researchers, however, warn against assumptions of M-Pesa easily repeating its success here. By MANDY DE WAAL.

M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer system that enables people to exchange funds without a bank account, is one of the biggest business success stories on the African continent. Created by Vodafone in Kenya, the system took just a few years to reach a market of 10 million users in a country where the population is just more than 37 million - that’s about 40% of the adult population. “We launched in Kenya in March 2007 and it was a brand new service, there was nothing else like it anywhere in the world so we didn’t know what to expect,” says… More

2 September 2010

Nairobi, Kenya

Maker Faire Africa: Ingenuity for all to see

At this year’s Maker Faire Africa inventors from throughout the continent showed the world the vast talent that exists in Africa’s informal sectors. By MANDY DE WAAL.

Go to a Maker Faire in New York, Detroit or Dublin and you’ll be dazzled by hobbyists who had the time and inclination to make a shark mobile, kinetic squid sculpture or a solar-powered chariot pulled by an Arnold Schwarzenegger robot. Back home in Africa things are done a little differently. “In the West, Maker Faires are mainly for creative types who tinker around in their spare time. But what we find in Africa is that it is much more about practical innovation. It’s about ingenuity driven by necessity. It’s all about creating something that people can try to make… More

31 August 2010

South Africa

HSBC proposes to Nedbank as Old Mutual beams at the happy couple

There are five parties in the potential marriage of HSBC and Nedbank; beside the couple itself, there are the parents (Old Mutual and the SA government), and the prize, which is the African continent. With everybody else liking the idea of a hook-up, it may fall to the government to be the disapproving father – or at least the stern father-in-law.

Confirming leaks on the weekend, Old Mutual on Monday morning said it had received a bid from HSBC for its stake in Nedbank. The international banking group may seek to buy as much as 70% of Nedbank; Old Mutual is expected to sell its entire 53% stake in a single transaction. HSBC has agreed an exclusivity period while it conducts due diligence investigations of Nedbank, Old Mutual said. That locks out others believed to be interested in using Nedbank as a springboard into the African market, including Standard Chartered. Such a deal is at the mercy of policymakers, given a… More

23 August 2010

Africa

FrontlineSMS: Mass communication where the Internet ends

From human trafficking to organising scarce medical resources to mapping government shortfalls of essential drugs in Africa, FrontlineSMS is enabling activists, aid workers and NGOs to communicate effectively en masse. And all it takes is a computer, a mobile phone and a sliver of network presence.

St Gabriel is a rural hospital some 60km west of Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. The medical facility is based in a rural area and cares for about a quarter of a million people. Needless to say resources are precious at St Gabriel and the more astutely they are managed, the greater the benefit the hospital can deliver to the community. The hero in this story is a very basic piece of technology, but one that works wonders for anything from clinics to activists based in far flung places struggling to communicate with large groups of people. Called FrontlineSMS all… More

23 August 2010

Braamfontein

May 21, 2011: Judgment Day believers descend on Joburg

On Thursday 12 August, a 28-member delegation arrived at the Orion Hotel Devonshire in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. Nothing strange about that, except the fact that the hotel is used to hosting sports and business delegations and they weren’t anything of the sort. They were a Judgment Day delegation. On 13 August, The Daily Maverick was there to meet them.

The Orion Hotel Devonshire on the corner of Melle and Jorissen Streets in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, is aimed at the “discerning business traveler and conference delegate.” It claims to be 25 minutes from OR Tambo International Airport and ten minutes from the “shopping Mecca” of Sandton City. Within walking distance of the hotel are Wits University, Park Station, the Joburg Theatre Complex (formerly the Civic) and the Constitutional Court. Thousands of pedestrians, many of whom work in the high rises and commercial office blocks of central Braamfontein, pass by the entrance of the Devonshire every day. In Johannesburg, it is the… More

16 August 2010

Africa

The real Chinese entrepreneurs make their presence felt in Africa

Multibillion-dollar resource and infrastructure deals between China and African countries make the business headlines ever more regularly, but there are very few reports about the growing numbers of small Chinese entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in Africa. Or of the cultural clashes their pursuits bring.

In the peaceful and prosperous Namibian capital of Windhoek, small Chinese businesses have been ruffling feathers. The trouble began in February when the Windhoek chamber of commerce complained that an invasion of Chinese corner shops, hairdressers, restaurants and traders was forcing out local businesses. "There has been rapid growth in the number of small-scale retailing outlets throughout the country, offering low-quality products and replacing long-existing local businesses," the chamber said, lobbying the government for protection from such energetic Chinese competition. Hage Geingob, Namibia's trade and industry minister and former prime minister, responded by banning all foreign investment in hair salons… More

11 August 2010

South Africa

Charles, Naomi and dinner at Madiba’s: What don’t we know?

There are some unanswered questions behind the case of the “blood diamonds” presented to Naomi Campbell by warlord Charles Taylor in 1997, not the least of which is why the already infamous criminal was invited to dine with Madiba at all.

In Canada, the richest award for literary non-fiction is the annual $25,000 Charles Taylor Prize. It is named for Charles Plunket Bourchier Taylor, a journalist, author and racehorse breeder who, after writing five books and breeding several champion sires, died of cancer in 1997. As a journalist, this Charles Taylor provided expert coverage on the war in Vietnam, the civil war in Nigeria and various Arab-Israeli conflicts. A year before his death, he was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. So it would be nice to think that on a warm Pretoria evening in September 1997 it… More

10 August 2010

Rwanda

Kagame will win Rwanda's presidency in a landslide against, well, nobody

To most foreigners, Rwanda’s horrific genocide 16 years ago seems a distant memory. Democracy, with all the trappings of presidential elections, seem part and parcel of an African success story. But are appearances and reality the same?

In Paul Kagame’s Rwanda, the fat lady has already sung even though the opera isn’t officially over. By the time the polls closed, the victory parties had begun, the beer was flowing and the singing and dancing were underway after the victorious Rwanda Patriotic Front sent out an SMS to supporters and the media telling them to come on by for a really great victory party. According to almost anybody and everybody, Paul Kagame is going to win a second seven-year term of office in a veritable landslide. This is only the second election since the 1994 genocide that killed… More

10 August 2010

Africa

Fighting Africa's fake-drugs monster

With no money, but a wealth of innovation, Bright Simons created an SMS-based system that is helping Nigeria fight a deadly onslaught of counterfeit medicines. The remedy is so successful it is now being tested in Ghana, and considered by other African states, to stem an avalanche that’s killing hundreds of thousands of people each year.

In November 2008 mothers in Nigeria wanting to alleviate their children’s teething pains were unknowingly administering poisons to their infants. Eighty-four babies died in one of the cruellest waves of infant mortalities from fake drugs to hit the country. It lasted about six months. That time the killer was My Pikin Baby Teething Mixture, a syrup sold to combat infant teething pains, but which was fake and contained a deadly mix of diethylene glycol. More commonly known as anti-freeze, diethylene glycol is used in fridges and cars. In babies the highly toxic liquid, that looks like glycerine, causes vomiting, diarrhoea,… More

30 July 2010

Africa

LiveAid - the kind of help that ultimately harms

As LiveAid marks 25 years comes news that a movie will be made about Sir Bob Geldof, the man who made “kwashiorkor kid” the poster child for Africa, reducing a diverse continent into a terrifyingly simple cliché. It’s touted as a film about a man who could “think the unthinkable and achieve the seemingly impossible".

“Dawn. And as the sun breaks through the piercing chill of night on the plain outside Korem it lights up a biblical famine, now in the 20th century. This place, say workers here, is the closest thing to hell on earth.” It was this television news report by BBC journalist Michael Buerk that galvanised Bob Geldof into saving Africa. Bob came home to find girlfriend Paula Yates sobbing over Buerk’s piece on feeding camps in Eritrea and decided to rescue Africa, or Ethiopia to begin with. Buerk would later say his report was "one of the most influential pieces of… More

23 July 2010

London

RW Johnson shames himself, disgraces London Review of Books

If South African author RW Johnson has ever written two consecutive paragraphs more ill-considered than these, we’d like to read them. Because the Rhodes Scholar and former director of the Helen Suzman Foundation has just been labelled a racist by 73 prominent writers and academics, and he’s got no-one but himself to blame.

On Tuesday 20 July a letter arrived in the inbox of the LRB’s editor, Mary-Kay Wilmers. It was signed by 73 prominent authors and academics – some of the more recognisable names included those of Professor Elleke Boehmer, Professor Patrick Bond, Dr Sean Jacobs, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Professor Achille Mbembe – and it stated, amongst other things, the following: “We find it baffling therefore that you continue to publish work by RW Johnson that, in our opinion, is often stacked with the superficial and the racist.” While the complainants were referring to Johnson’s work in general, their specific objection was… More

22 July 2010

South Africa

Analysis: Xenophobia, a sign of our own deep failure

It’s easy to claim that xenophobia, that any attacks or attitudes against people who are foreign-born, is due to events beyond our control. The fact is, the attitudes and events we’re seeing now are caused very much by events we can control. In short, xenophobic attitudes only exist because we’re stuffing up.

Xenophobia often has its roots in pseudo-facts, in things people claim to be true, but often are not. An example, many Britons think immigration should be limited because their country is becoming too crowded - too many people are arriving on their little island. In fact, while Britain does gain a few more people every year, it’s a very negligible number. It sounds contrary to popular opinion, but when you take into account how many Brits there are in Australia, the US, Spain and New Zealand, it starts to make sense. In South Africa it’s often claimed that “millions” of… More

22 July 2010

WASHINGTON

Obama speaks to South Africans on Al Shabaab, the Sudan, the World Cup and self-reliance

On Wednesday night, SABC3 scored a major win by screening an exclusive interview with Barack Obama. It’s a pity – no, it is beyond comprehension – that the editors felt the people of South Africa would prefer seeing rehashed videos of the World Cup and Ugandan explosions, instead of watching Obama talk.

South Africans heard (and mostly saw) a special one-on-one conversation (recorded on Tuesday in Washington) with US President Barack Obama on their television sets on Wednesday night. Obama spoke to the SABC’s New York correspondent Sherwin Bryce-Pease about the bombings in Kampala, the situation in Sudan, America’s role in the fight against HIV/Aids worldwide, and his feelings about the just-concluded World Cup. Obama also reached back to reiterate his feelings about Africa’s need for more self-reliance he had espoused in his book, The Audacity of Hope, and reaffirmed in his speech in Ghana last year. Speaking about Al Shabaab’s claim… More

15 July 2010

South Africa

Faces of Xenophobia: The victims, Part 2

As South Africa these post-World Cup days is living in fear of repeat horrors of xenophobic violence from two years ago, here are the people that lost everything the last time around and were lucky to escape with their lives. Lest we forget.

The Shopkeeper’s Family (main photo) Olivia, Emily, John Omar and Emily Phiri He was one man in the crowd of a hundred that swarmed outside the tuck shop near Brakpan. A hood over his head to hide his identity, John Omar Phiri stood among the mob and watched his old customer, his neighbour of many years, tell the group that Phiri was not from here. He was a qweri qweri, a Malawian, married to a Mozambican – the daughter of that other foreign shop owner just down the road. They would get his father-in-law, too. He would be next. It… More

15 July 2010

Johannesburg

Reporter’s notebook: ANC leadership draws line in the sand, keeps Youth League inner chaos away from court and public.

The ANC leadership has now stepped into the fray involving Julius Malema, the National ANC Youth League, and the Limpopo's prodigal son, Lehlogonolo Masoga. He’s the guy who was “allegedly” thrown out of the League’s Limpopo conference, for daring to run against Malema’s hand-picked candidate.

Lehlogonolo Masoga could well go down in history as the guy who started the rebellion against Julius Malema. Of course, it’s far more complicated than that. But he was the one who first publicly put his head above the parapet, and said that he would run against one of Malema’s mates. Which led to Malema chucking him out of the Limpopo conference. It’s eerily like what happened between Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. Someone seems all powerful, conquering all who come before him, until someone else rebels against him. In Zuma’s case it was probably his refusal to resign as… More

14 July 2010

South Africa

Faces of Xenophobia: The Victims, Part 1

As South Africa anxiously waits to see if there will be a repeat of the xenophobic violence of two years ago, we look back at some of the victims of those 2008 attacks. Meet some of the faces behind the headlines, the people who lost everything – and were lucky to escape with their lives, unlike some of their compatriots. Lest we forget.

The Woman and Her Children (main photo) Benita, Meto and Frankie Ntumba “Disgusting!” the eight-year old shrieks, and springs toward her little brother, pulling away the crumbled bread Frankie has just picked up from the ground and is trying to insert into his mouth. Benita Ntumba is just eight but she is doing all the talking because her English is better than her mother Meto’s, and because she is a bright girl who, out of necessity, has come to learn adult things. Her father is a security guard working in Cape Town. He will come soon to get them, she… More

14 July 2010

KAMPALA, Uganda

Violence finally strikes the World Cup on the final day - but far away in Uganda instead of SA

Around the world, an estimated 700 million people peaceably watched the final round match-up between Spain and the Netherlands on television from Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium, apparently totally without incident. Except, alas, in Kampala, Uganda. As hundreds of Ugandans gathered in a popular Ethiopian-style restaurant and a sports club to watch the match on large outdoor television screens, bombs at both venues killed at least 64 people and wounded many more.

The two bombs went off at 10:30 in the evening, local time, right in the middle of the game, killing their victims as they sat in the outdoor garden of the restaurant or as they had gathered to watch the match at the rugby field. Besides Ugandans, the victims included Ethiopians, Eritreans, an American aid worker and an Indian national. The Ethiopian restaurant may have been targeted because of that country's intervention in Somalia several years ago. Bereket Simon, the Ethiopian government's information head said: “This is a cowardly act by Al Shabaab terrorists.” Ethiopia had sent troops into Somalia… More

12 July 2010

South Africa (formerly Fifania)

SA dodges the World Cup security bullet. Now what?

The terrorists didn’t make it to the party, the cops managed to keep the more violent criminals subdued, and even a sudden walk-out by stadium security staff caused barely a ripple. South Africa apparently learnt a lesson or two about security thanks to the World Cup. Now the question is whether those gains will translate into improved safety for locals, once the tourists go home.

As soon as it became clear that South Africa would not, in fact, fail to have the infrastructure ready in time (and that we would not be watching the tournament beamed live from Melbourne) the chorus piped up with a new question: but what about security? That question is somewhat harder to answer, because unlike stadia – which you can point to with a self-satisfied finger – security is a many-sided thing. There is everyday personal security; there is big crowd security; and there is national-level security. And, unlike South Africa’s history of completing mega infrastructure projects without a hiccup, the… More

12 July 2010

World

The World Cup Day that was: 11 July

Madiba makes it to closing ceremony, briefly; Fan tries to steal trophy; Spanish artists beat Dutch thugs 1-0 in extra time; Referee Howard Webb dishes out 14 yellow cards; Germany’s Thomas Mueller wins the Golden Boot award.

Former president Nelson Mandela was the star of the closing ceremony – although a couple of herds of puppet elephants almost stole the show. Mandela, who was not on hand later in the evening to hand over the World Cup trophy, nevertheless put in an appearance – touring the Soccer City pitch in a golf cart. Other than this surprise performance, the closing ceremony itself was pretty predictable, with Shakira and Freshlyground belting out Waka, Waka, gumboot dancers who looked like they’d been dressed by Pringle, and some fancy holograms showing scenes from matches throughout the tournament. But lifting the… More

12 July 2010

Soccer City, Johannesburg

Spain win the 2010 World Cup, defend soccer’s honour against the disgraceful Dutch

Spain and the Netherlands fought for two back-breaking hours in the cold highveld winter night. The problem was, Spain played the game of soccer, while the Dutch played the game of kickboxing. To the delight of every true soccer lover in the world, it ended Spain 1, the Netherlands 0.

That the Dutch qualified for the World Cup final was more proof that a game played by cyborgs and drones can almost get you to the top. But once you get there, you actually need to score and play the game to win. The Dutch came to the game on Sunday night with a clear strategy of roughing up the Spaniards to the point where they lose concentration and make mistakes – that would then be taken advantage of to spur fast counter-attacks, mostly by Robben. The Netherlands have probably recorded the all-time record for dirty play in the final… More

12 July 2010

Port Elizabeth

In a gripping match, Germany outlast Uruguay, win 2010 bronze

It is the cruellest of the matches that any team has to play, after the heartbreak of losing their hopes of winning the World Cup just days before. In the end, Germany’s young machine kept its concentration just a bit longer then the fabulous Forlan and Co, winning 3-2.

Most of the third-place matches in the World Cups are played by the second stringers; the top stars are usually devastated – and often injured – after losing in the semi-finals. While the German team were missing an injured Klose, Podolski and Lahm, the Uruguayans signalled their commitment by fielding their strongest team, with Lugano, Fucile and (a very-much-hated-by-the-crowd) Louis Suarez all coming back to play. Another characteristic of the 3rd-place games is that they are high-scoring and entertaining events. Well, the Port Elizabeth game on Saturday night was never going to be different. Both teams displayed their best traits:… More

11 July 2010

Rwanda

Kagame's Rwanda: Investment magnet or pressure cooker about to burst?

Dark clouds may be gathering again over Rwanda these days; clouds of an increasingly autocratic regime, led by a man once seen as a liberator and influence for good. Let's take a journey through this African country's reality.

Strangely enough, maybe there are three different Rwandas which coexist in the same physical space. There is the “Hotel Rwanda” version in which the country of 11.3 million has been a killing ground for generations with a terrifying, fratricidal genocide. This violence has washed back and forth over the entire Great Lakes region of East Central Africa, generating waves of refugees in an unending cycle of human misery. This is the Rwanda that has absorbed the attention of a South African president as well as dozens of other high-flying, world-class arbitration and negotiation figures for years. Then there is “Rwanda… More

9 July 2010

World

The World Cup Day that was: 8 July

Blame game continues over King Shaka chaos; Howard Webb to referee final; Rafael Nadal to support La Roja at the final, in person; BaGhana, BaGhana the real World Cup winners (if you fiddle the numbers); Pitch invader used wheelchair ruse to gain access.

Were the delays and chaos at King Shaka International airport on Wednesday night caused by (a) the weather, (b) arrogant pilots, (c) computers, or (d) all of the above? These are the options being bandied about by the Airports Company of SA, which has failed to take any responsibility itself for the situation. “We regret that this incident has dampened the jubilant mood in the country and stained the impeccable efforts that went into preparing and facilitating air traffic during this prestigious tournament,” said Acsa managing director Monhla Hlahla, in what we think was supposed to be an apology, although… More

9 July 2010

World

The World Cup Day that was: 7 July

Gordhan to probe government ticket spending; Amsterdam-Johannesburg flight could cost you €4,000; Spain see off Germany 1-0; Fifa bans Serbia’s Antic for a harsh four matches; Bob Mugabe set to attend Sunday’s final.

The known amount of money spent by parastatals, government departments and municipalities on World Cup tickets is in the hundreds of millions of rands, and it keeps on growing. On Wednesday the treasury announced that finance minister Pravin Gordhan would meet with the auditor-general and the chairman of the standing committee on public accounts to discuss the issue. The treasury’s statement noted that: “Concern has been raised as to what action may be taken should the (auditor-general) deem this expenditure wasteful or fruitless”. The government has stated that directors-general will be held personally accountable to Parliament should their department’s ticket… More

8 July 2010

Spanish Armada sinks young German fleet, sails into the World Cup final

It was as one-sided a game as a game against Germany could possibly be. Spain dominated every blade of grass of the Moses Mabhida Stadium pitch on Wednesday night, and yet, their victory was by the smallest of margins. The match ended Spain 1, Germany 0, with Spain earning the right to play The Netherlands in the World Cup final.

Looking back, Spain’s victory was inevitable: player by player they are the best team in the world; they kept displaying that spine of steel even when they were almost down and out; and, crucially, their form was on its way up all the time. On top of it, theirs is by far the most fairly played soccer in the world: they have, unbelievably, received only three yellow cards in the six matches of the World Cup. And, most important of all, Paul the Psychic Octopus didn’t hesitate much when pointing to a Spanish win. Photo: Two year-old octopus Paul, the… More

8 July 2010

World

The World Cup Day that was: 6 July

Zuma lauds tournament as a success; Black Stars get $20,000 bonus; The Dutch beat Uruguay 3-2 for a spot in the final; Ballack has a fit of the sulks, goes back to Germany; Klose closing in on goal-scoring record.

South Africa’s hosting of the World Cup has been an economic success, according to President Jacob Zuma. He was speaking at the Investec global investment conference in Cape Town on Tuesday. “We can safely say that we have good returns on our investment, which include R33 billion spent on transport infrastructure, telecommunications and stadiums,” Zuma said. The benefits included 66,000 new construction jobs and 40,000 new policemen and women. While Zuma made no reference to the construction jobs being permanent, probably because they aren’t, the new recruits to the police service are here to stay. M&G, Times Live It would’ve… More

7 July 2010

Cape Town

The Dutch crush Forlan and co, finally condemning them to history. Oh yes, they also qualify for the World Cup 2010 final

As we’ve been used to at this World Cup, it was another war until the very last second. As always, the Uruguayans fought bravely but this time the orange tide was overwhelming. The match ended The Netherlands 3, Uruguay 2, guaranteeing that, for the first time ever, a European team will win the Cup outside Europe.

It is a long-established truth that the best games of any World Cup are semi-final games. By the time they reach semi-finals, teams usually gel into a great organism and are ready to produce the best games of their footballing lives. Not this time, though. Cape Town’s Green Point stadium saw a team of cautious Dutch players meet a wounded team of Uruguayans that was lacking some of their best players. The result was a game that was decidedly not pretty; and yet, the tension in the air was so palpable that the emotions alone were worth watching it for.… More

6 July 2010

World

Penultimate World Cup media wrap-up

Eskom strike threat ended; millions in public funds splurged on World Cup tickets (Eskom included); Nigerian President relents, Fifa’s Neanderthal approach to technology continues to burn; Nike outruns Adidas in new sales; Paris goes to pot in PE and celebrity ‘tweeps’ show SA the love.

The lights will stay on for the remainder of the World Cup after Eskom and trade unions atruck an 11th-hour deal to stave off strikes. The agreement did raise the roof on public sector pay increases after the government stepped in to get the unions and Eskom management to see eye-to-eye. The rand buoyed on the news that the deal was done and the strike averted. Read more: Business Day, Business Week.Government departments and parastatals have committed lock, stock and numerous smoking barrels to the 2010 Soccer World Cup by splurging a mammoth R127,3 million on tickets. In case you’re… More

6 July 2010

World

The World Cup Day that was: 5 July

Nigerian president unbans Super Eagles; Manuel tries to justify World Cup ticket spend; Shortlist for Brazilian coaching job announced; Semi-finals referees named; Joachim Loew and his lucky blue jersey.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has lifted the ban on the Super Eagles’ participation in international competition for the next two years. Earlier Fifa had given Nigeria a 48-hour ultimatum to rescind the ban or face suspension. The ban was withdrawn just minutes after the official deadline and following a meeting between Jonathan and the Nigerian Football Federation. Three top NFF officials, including the president of the federation, were fired on Sunday, and the NFF apologised unreservedly to Jonathan and the country for the soccer team’s dismal performance in the World Cup. Fifa will discuss the situation on Tuesday although, since… More

6 July 2010

South Africa

Moral regeneration month – feel it, it is here

On Monday July 5, Arts and Culture minister Lulu Xingwana will officially open moral regeneration month at a gathering in Mafikeng. Which reminds us to ask a perennial question: when will the Moral Regeneration Movement finally cut its losses and disband?

In the opening to his talk at the 2007 New Yorker Conference, social and cultural psychologist Jonathan Haidt asked the audience to raise their hands to indicate whether they were liberal, centrist or conservative. Most of the hands that went up were liberal, which was no big surprise, given that the room was by definition filled with New Yorker readers. Haidt then suggested that these people might want to beware: their partisan feelings, he said, blinded them to moral and political reality. Assuming there are no liberals that admit to the label left in the country, what does this have… More

5 July 2010