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‘Historic’ BRICS Summit to Be Held Without Putin in Person
20.7.2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not travel to Johannesburg for the BRICS summit in August, according to the office of his South African counterpart. Moscow will send Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov instead, the Kremlin confirmed, emphasizing that Putin will join the event via video link. Putin...
Financial Regulator: South African Crypto Exchanges Must Be Licensed by Year-End
6.7.2023
South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has mandated that all crypto exchanges register and obtain operational licenses by the end of 2023.
According to the regulator, firms that fail to comply with this guideline and continue operating without a license will face the possibility...
Report: South Africa Regulator Says Unlicensed Crypto Exchanges in 2024 May Be Closed Down
6.7.2023
According to the regulator of the South African financial services industry, cryptocurrency exchanges based in the country must secure operating licenses before the year ends. Crypto exchanges that fail to abide by the requirement will either be fined or closed down, Unathi Kamlana, the Financial...
40% of South Africans Familiar With the ‘Concept of Web3’ — Study
2.7.2023
Some 40% of South African survey participants are familiar with the concept of Web3 and a further 80% believe the technology backing cryptocurrencies can “transform or fully rebuild the financial system,” according to the findings of a Consensys survey. However, as much as 59% believe...
Haru Invest Fallout: South African Crypto Platform Says Customers Can Only Access 76% of Crypto Holdings
30.6.2023
The South African crypto platform, Revix, said on June 28 that customers can now only access just over three-quarters (76%) of their crypto assets. Revix said the move to block customers’ access to 24% of their crypto assets was made after one of its primary service providers Haru Invest...
France’s Macron Hopes to Attend BRICS Summit in South Africa, Report
16.6.2023
French President Emmanuel Macron wants to join the leaders of the BRICS nations when they meet in August, according to a press report. While his participation in the multipolar bloc’s summit is uncertain, Macron has already scheduled another summit in Paris to discuss the establishment of...
South Africa’s Perceived Pro-Russia Stance May Result in Secondary Sanctions Which Threaten Financial Stability — Central Bank
30.5.2023
The South African central bank has said the that perception that the African nation has aligned itself with Russia could result in the imposition of secondary sanctions which threaten financial stability. The bank also warned in its latest financial stability review that such a perception poses...
South African Rand Plunges to New Low After Benchmark Interest Rate Is Raised to 14-Year High
29.5.2023
The South African fiat currency’s exchange rate versus the U.S. dollar plunged to a new all-time low of 19.7640 per dollar on May 25 just moments after the South African Reserve Bank raised the benchmark interest rate to its highest since 2009. Although the currency has since made some...
South African Currency Plunges to New Low Versus the Dollar a Day After the US Accused Country of Secretly Supplying Ammunition to Russia
14.5.2023
The South African currency’s exchange rate versus the U.S. dollar plunged to a new all-time low of ZAR19.51:US$1 on May 12. The rand’s latest fall came a day after the U.S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country of secretly supplying weapons to Russia. Banking giant JP Morgan...
South African Minister Tells BRICS Nations Not to Rush Decision on Common Currency
11.5.2023
The South African minister of international relations, Naledi Pandor, has urged Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) countries to be wary of making a hurried decision when they meet in August to discuss launching a common currency. Pandor said her country will “not shy away...
BRICS Leaders Set to Discuss Common Currency to Challenge US Dollar Dominance in Upcoming Summit
11.5.2023
The BRICS nations are set to discuss the feasibility of a common currency at the upcoming leaders’ summit. “It’s a matter we must discuss and discuss properly,” a South African minister stressed, noting that a growing number of countries are saying: “Why can’t we trade in our own currencies?...
US Court Orders Operator of South African Bitcoin Ponzi Scheme to Pay Over $3.4 Billion
2.5.2023
Johann Steynberg, the founder and CEO of Mirror Trading International, has been ordered to pay over $1.73 billion in restitution to victims of his bitcoin ponzi scheme. The court has also ordered Steynberg to pay a civil monetary penalty of a similar amount. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission...
South African Mirror Trading's CEO Fined $3.4B by U.S. in Bitcoin Forex Fraud Case
28.4.2023
The founder of bitcoin pool operator MTI was charged with fraud last year for running an unlicensed commodity pool scheme
Crypto exchange Roqqu receives South African approval to expand operations
20.4.2023
Nigerian crypto exchange Roqqu received the green light to operate in South Africa, providing on and off-ramps to South Africa's Rand currency
CoinDesk Indices Joins With Luno to Help South African Users Track Crypto Investment Bundles
17.4.2023
The partnership will see launch of Luno Large Cap Bundle, helping customers to easily manage and maintain different investment strategies
South African Professor Accuses US Regulators of Attempting to ‘Assassinate Crypto’
6.4.2023
The United States’ attempts to “assassinate crypto” are illegal and unlikely to succeed because “crypto is global,” Steven Boykey Sidley, a South African professor and author, has argued. According to Sidley, many formerly U.S.-based companies and innovators have...
Report: Regulations Governing Tokenized Deposits and Crypto Assets in South Africa Set to Effect in January 2025
26.3.2023
Regulations governing tokenized deposits and crypto assets are likely to become effective on Jan. 1, 2025, a senior fintech analyst at the South African central bank has revealed. However, according to the analyst, regulators are still trying to understand or learn the risks that come with using...
South African Rand Plunges to New 2023 Low Versus the US Dollar
12.3.2023
Just a few weeks after tapping its best exchange rate versus the greenback in 2023, the South African rand fell to a new 2023 low of 18.636 local currency units for every dollar on March 7. South Africa’s power shortages as well as the country’s recent grey-listing by the Financial...
South Africa Added to FATF ‘Grey List’ Despite Designation of Crypto as a Financial Product
26.2.2023
In a move seen as a major setback for South Africa, the international financial watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force, announced on Feb. 24 that it had added the country to its “grey list.” Getting grey-listed by the financial watchdog potentially makes it difficult for South Africa...
Report: South African Startup Momint Seeks to Boost Electricity Generation Using Blockchain-Based Solution
21.2.2023
Using a solution that is based on blockchain technology, the South African startup Momint has said the recently launched Suncash initiative aims to ease the country’s power generation challenges. For about $9, investors can reportedly buy non-fungible tokens (NFTs) linked to solar cells which...