Breaking News Today – Wednesday 30 July 2025

Business & Tech News 

Pick N Pay Goes Mobile Modern with New App and Price Structure

South African food retailer Pick n Pay, has relaunched its mobile network offering PnP Mobile, with a range of low data and airtime bundles across its Mobile virtual network opperator (MVNO) network. PnP Mobile, has also introduced a new app that offers eSims on demand. According to Pick n Pay, the app includes a raft of new self-service features such as instant eSim activation and a self-Rica process that does not require customers to visit a store for activation. The MVNO landscape in South Africa is expanding rapidly after several early failures such as Virgin Mobile and have seen success with banking and retailers where the service can be linked to loyalty programs and incentives to push other product sales.

Trade Deal Deadline Looms for South Africa

With only 48 hours to go before the 30% or more tariff rate will kick in on South African exports to the US, There is little in the way of an update from the South African department of trade and industry. Yesterday the ministry said that it was still hoping to agree a deal with the US. This has raised a lot of criticism as many see little in the way of meaningful interactions with the US happening. The Department has submitted a proposal to its US counterpart, over a month back, but it said it had yet to get a firm answer on its offer it had made on buying US liquefied natural gas, simplifying rules for US poultry imports and investing US$3.3-billion in US industries like mining.

Mcibi Jonas, a close ally of president Ramaphosa had been rejected by the US as a mediator, and no replacement has been appointed. The apparent inaction of the government regarding the future of it’s second largest trading partner, has concerned the markets and the South African Rand has depreciated more than 5% to the US dollar this year so far.

IMF Issues Updated Growth Projection

The IMF has issued an updated global economic growth projection for 2025 and beyond with an update overall growth for Sub-Saharan-Africa of 3,8%, rising to 4,2% in 2026 and projected to hit 4,5% GDP growth by 2030. The improvement in prior projections has been mainly due to the relatively lower tariff rates expected for most countries where a blanket 10% -15% is expected for poorer nations, as indicated by the US administration.

Toyota Hits New Record Sales

Toyota Motor Corporation, has reported this morning, that the global Auto giant has reached record-breaking global sales and production figures for H1 of 2025, driven by strong market demand in North America, Japan and China. The world’s largest automaker saw its global sales increase by 5.5% year-on-year to more than 5.1 million vehicles for the January-June period. Hybrid vehicles played a significant role in this growth, accounting for approximately 43% of Toyota’s worldwide sales during this timeframe. Toyota’s global vehicle production also showed robust growth, rising 5.8% compared to the same period last year to reach 4.9 million vehicles. Highlighting the strong market growth, Toyota reported a 1.7% increase in global sales to 867,906 vehicles in June alone, while production grew 7.4% to 854,565 cars.

Business, Tech & Market News Shorts: 

• Elon Musk’s Boring Company, the tunnel-digging company, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee have announced a plan to build a 10-mile underground tunnel “loop” that will connect Nashville’s downtown and its convention centre to the area’s airport.
• Copper futures climbed above $5.65 per pound in early trade today, recouping losses from earlier in the week after Chile’s finance minister announced plans to request an exemption from new US import tariffs. Chile, is the largest supplier of copper to the US.
• The FTSE 100 fell 0.4% this morning, hurt by earnings-related losses in major stocks. HSBC dropped over 4% after its quarterly profit missed estimates due to rising costs related to restructuring and a $1.1 billion charge from its stake in China’s Bank of Communications, reflecting the ongoing weakness in China’s property sector.

Markets by Numbers 

Currencies: 

Currency markets today indicate the US Dollar is fairly flat this morning after gains yesterday, and trading against the Euro at 1.15519 and against the Pound at 1.33517 The Yen is currently at 148.04 to the dollar. The rand is currently at R17.85 to the US dollar. 

Commodities:

• Gold futures prices are currently trading slightly upwards, and currently at $3328.97 per ounce.  
• Copper prices are trading upwards today, and currently at $5.6376 
• Silver futures prices are also trading lower today, and currently at $38.167
• Platinum futures are -0,75% lower this morning, and are currently trading at $1396 While Palladium prices are trading -0,4% lower this morning and currently at $1278
• Brent crude oil prices are currently at $72.49, with WTI trading at $69.23 
• Cocoa futures have slipped by over 2% this morning, and currently at $8344 per ton. 
• Coffee futures are currently trading at $296

Crypto Currencies:

• Bitcoin prices are fairly flat today, and currently at $118088
• Ether prices are trending upwards this morning and currently at $3807.50
• $Trumpcoin is currently trading around $9.44

(All prices quoted at approximately 10H20 Central African Time) 

Other Breaking News in Africa Today

Angola Riots Leave Four Dead

Police in Angola say four people have been killed and 500 have been arrested after demonstrations in the capital, Luanda.What began as a three-day strike by taxi drivers against rising petrol prices has escalated into one of the most widespread and disruptive waves of protest the country has seen in recent years. Thousands of people joined demonstrations in the capital on Monday that saw roads blocked, shops looted, cars destroyed as well as clashes between demonstrators and police.

South African Computer Tech Pioneer Passes Away:

Grant Stewart, or Chris as he was known in the IT industry in South Africa, passed away yesterday at the age of 87. Stewart was an early pioneer in computer programming in South Africa where he worked at the Chamber of mines. He was one of a few initial employees at the Chamber of mines, to be trained on IBM Mainframe computers and is believed to have written the first Cobol program in South Africa. Stewart was also a partner at CAP software where he was involved with the development of a windows type computer operating system back in the early 80’s before windows ever existed. He also worked at Sperry Univac and Siemens as a systems engineer and later, after retiring, served as General Manager at the Advertising Benevolent Fund Charity.