Trump bemoans Fed interest rate policy, says U.S. should be paying much less

Trump bemoans Fed interest rate policy, says U.S. should be paying much less

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a meeting with cryptocurrency executives in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Aug. 19, 2026. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressed frustration that the Federal Reserve isn’t cutting interest rates, insisting that solid economic data shouldn’t stop the central…

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AI adoption exposes higher education policy gaps

AI adoption exposes higher education policy gaps

AI presents teaching opportunities, but VUT warns universities need stronger governance, ethical guidelines and lecturer training. (Image created via ChatGPT) Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in higher learning, teaching and assessment is outpacing the policies, skills and ethical safeguards needed to govern it responsibly, according to research presented by Vaal University of Technology (VUT). The study,…

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Africa: Financial Inclusion – Policy Fragmentation, Dollar Dependence Stall Cross-Border Payments in Africa

Africa: Financial Inclusion – Policy Fragmentation, Dollar Dependence Stall Cross-Border Payments in Africa

Many cross-border transactions still rely on the US dollar as an intermediary currency. At the same time, African currencies are often difficult to exchange directly, and few mechanisms exist for countries to settle payments with one another in local currencies. Cross-border payments in Africa remain among the most expensive in the world, despite the rapid…

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South Africa’s AI policy collapse shows up in World Bank report

Radical rethink for South Africa’s national AI policy

South Africa’s redrafted national AI policy will not prescribe rules to industry. Instead, individual sectors will be left to write their own AI strategies off a set of national guidelines. That is according to department of communications & digital technologies acting deputy director-general Jeanette Morwane, who told TechCentral on the sidelines of the inaugural Naspers/Prosus…

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Vodacom scales back dividend policy to fund growth push

Vodacom scales back dividend policy to fund growth push

Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub Vodacom has lowered the floor on its dividend payout policy, cutting it to at least 65% of headline earnings from at least 75% previously, in a change disclosed alongside first-quarter trading numbers and the completion of its long-awaited Safaricom transaction. The shift is significant for a counter widely held by…

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Africa: IFC, Industrial Policy and the Private Sector: Development Through the Lens of the Thiam Threshold

Africa: IFC, Industrial Policy and the Private Sector: Development Through the Lens of the Thiam Threshold

From Project Bankability to Building Productive and Financeable Economies As the World Bank Group places job creation, private sector mobilization and productive transformation back at the center of its agenda, evaluations by the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) engagement in fragile economies invite us to ask a fundamental question: Is…

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Africa: Financial Inclusion – Policy Fragmentation, Dollar Dependence Stall Cross-Border Payments in Africa

Africa: Mudavadi Hails Trump’s Trade-First Africa Policy As Kenya Eyes Stronger U.S. Economic Ties

Nairobi — Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has welcomed the Trump administration’s shift in U.S.-Africa policy from one centred on aid to one driven by trade and investment, describing the approach as a positive step towards building more balanced and mutually beneficial relations with Kenya. Speaking during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence…

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SA’s draft AI policy officially retracted

SA’s draft AI policy officially retracted

Government Gazette confirms official withdrawal of SA’s draft AI policy. (Image source: 123RF) South Africa’s draft National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, which featured AI-hallucinated references, has officially been withdrawn through a Government Gazette dated 12 June. This, after communications minister Solly Malatsi initially announced its withdrawal in April, citing integrity as the reason behind the…

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