News stories by John Fraser, page 2

JOHANNESBURG, Apr 19 (IPS) - There is growing optimism that the countries of Southern Africa are within months of concluding negotiations with the European Union on a major new trade deal, after years of hesitant progress and frustration.

JOHANNESBURG, Apr 17 (IPS) - If job creation is South Africa's major social and economic priority, the country should be investing in people rather than in robots that populate the country's highly-automated automotive manufacturing sector, according to local economists.

JOHANNESBURG, Apr 15 (IPS) - A trademark system which is used to protect Europe's finest wines, cheeses and hams could soon brew up benefits for a humble tea from a remote region of South Africa.

JOHANNESBURG, Mar 28 (IPS) - Although leaders of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group agreed to launch a new development funding institution, giving the club a major infrastructure boost, some here are sceptical about the potential impact of the new bank.

JOHANNESBURG, Mar 11 (IPS) - There is growing resentment in Africa about the way in which South Africa professes to speak for the rest of the continent in its role as a member of key developing nation blocs, researchers and experts have warned.

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 28 (IPS) - Emerging market leaders want their Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa club to be taken seriously, and next month they are expected to make a decisive move towards setting up a development bank to give it real substance and credibility.

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 26 (IPS) - As tourism between the emerging nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa starts to increase, South Africa is determined weld the iron while it is hot.

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 15 (IPS) - African nations and other emerging countries are expected to soon outperform the developed world, and South Africa wants to take advantage.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 30 (IPS) - Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but nonetheless it is difficult to miss the irony in the following sentence from a news release, sent out by South Africa's First National Bank on Jan. 17.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 30 (IPS) - South Africa has denied that it is taking a protectionist stance to protect its own producers against foreign competition, but says it is justified in boosting tariffs where this is allowed under international trade agreements.