the Retail community of Southern Africa

Zimbabwe suspends duty on flour, cooking oil

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:59:00 +0200

Zimbabwe on Tuesday, 13 May, suspended import duty on some basic commodities, including cooking oil and flour, in response to a sharp spike in prices following the flotation of the local currency by the central bank last month. Read full story... | Send to a friend

RBZ launches new Z$500 million bank note

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:54:00 +0200

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, grappling with record-breaking inflation, has introduced a new Z$500 million bank note barely two weeks after issuing Z$250 million and Z$100 million denominations. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Angola reports economic growth of 15% per year

Wed, 14 May 2008 11:24:00 +0200

The annual average rate of growth of Angola's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 15% over the last eight years, the Angolan Deputy Minister of Planning Carlos Alberto Lopes has said. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Counterfeit products flood Malawi market

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:40:00 +0200

The Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) has lamented that fake products have besieged the market and the responsible authority has been left helpless in the absence of a regulating piece of legislation. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Importers abandon merchandise as duty payments soar

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:00:00 +0200

Zimbabwean importers were caught off guard last week after customs duty payments went up by almost 6,700% following the floatation of Zimbabwe's domestic currency on the official market. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Botswana bans bulk fuel exports to Zim

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:00:00 +0200

In the latest blow to Zimbabwe's wounded economy, the Botswana government has banned the export of bulk fuel to the neighbouring country. Scanty parallel market supplies are quickly running dry and transport is grinding to a halt across Zimbabwe. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Cash shortages on first day of currency floatation

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:51:00 +0200

Cash shortages in Zimbabwe worsened Monday, 5 May, on the first day of free trading of the Zimbabwe dollar as people queued for hours in banks to buy up local currency. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Reserve Bank unveils Z$250 million note

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:31:00 +0200

Zimbabwe's central bank, currently grappling with record-breaking inflation, has introduced a new high-denomination bank note of a quarter of a billion dollars, state television reported Monday, 5 May 2008. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Clashes over Malawian maize trade ban

Mon, 05 May 2008 13:09:00 +0200

Malawian government has received a backlash over its recent decision to ban trade on maize, as traders demand the repeal of the decision in the face of calls from the World Bank (WB) to lift bans on food exports. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Exchange rates tumble after RBZ currency floatation

Mon, 05 May 2008 10:07:00 +0200

Exchange rates on the black market tumbled Thursday and Friday after Wednesday's announcement by the central bank that it was to float the Zimbabwe dollar. Read full story... | Send to a friend