Africa Briefs

SA's 2018 growth to be ‘much lower’South Africa's economic growth this year will be "much lower" than initial expectations, the central bank said in a presentation to parliament yesterday, calling any recovery "weak and choppy".The South African Reserve Bank added that fixed investment was not expected to pick up meaningfully this year, while inflation risks remained on the upside. – Nampa/ReutersNigeria injects millions into currency marketNigeria's central bank said on Tuesday it had injected US$210 million into the interbank foreign exchange market, extending efforts to boost liquidity and alleviate US dollar shortages.The bank said in a statement it had released US$100 million earmarked for the wholesale market, US$55 million for small businesses and individuals, and US$55 million for certain US dollar expenses such as school fees and medical bills. – Nampa/ReutersBurundi plans plastic bag banBurundi's president, Pierre Nkurunziza, has issued a decree banning the use of plastic bags in the small central African country within the next 18 months."The manufacture, import, storage, sale and use of all plastic bags and other plastic packaging is prohibited," said the presidential order signed by Nkurunziza on Monday and seen by AFP Tuesday."A grace period of 18 months is granted, before the entry into force of this decree, to allow for the disposal of current stocks and orders already placed," the decree read.The decree includes some exemptions that may be authorised for "biodegradable plastic bags, bags and plastic materials used in medical services, and in industrial and pharmaceutical packaging".When the law comes into force Burundi will join a growing list of African countries that have introduced total plastic bag bans to fight pollution, including Morocco, Rwanda and Kenya. – Nampa/AFP

Africa Briefs

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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Africa Briefs

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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