News 16:00

BULLETIN 29 April 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A slow sale of residential properties as buyers await the election outcomes
# The Transport Minister commends SANRAL for the Eastern Cape Road Progress 
# And Rugby: The Stormers’ two-match URC tour will be decisive

# High interest rates have slowed the sale of residential properties as buyers await election outcomes. Sellers are also forced to reduce their asking price more than once. The industry has noted challenges with rates, especially affecting properties over 3.5-million-rand. Get A Bond’s André Parsons cites decreased affordability, with many buyers unable to qualify for mortgages:

# Transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has applauded SANRAL for advancements in Eastern Cape road projects. Chikunga anticipates increased investment with the redevelopment of the N2 infrastructure. Started in 2021, the projects have already benefited 230 small and medium enterprises as sub-contractors. Chikunga emphasises that improved roads will stimulate economic growth, development and employment in the province:

# Tesla boss Elon Musk concluded a whistle-stop visit to China during which the firm secured a key security clearance for the world’s biggest electric car market. Musk met with premier Li Qiang as he worked to boost Tesla’s fortunes in the face of intense competition from local electric vehicle makers. On the same day, the US electric vehicle giant’s locally produced models were listed among the vehicles that meet China’s data security requirements for smart cars, clearing a key regulatory hurdle.

# Rugby: The Stormers are heading on a two-match tour in the United Rugby Championship. They will have their Springboks available when they face the Dragons in Wales and then Connacht in Ireland. The Stormers followed up their disappointing loss to Ospreys by easily beating Leinster to move up to fifth on the log with three games to play. Coach John Dobson says their tour will be decisive:

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-69-cents and the euro at 20-rand-4-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-44-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-307-dollars-38-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-334-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-76-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A family in America has been reunited with their pet cat after she was accidentally mailed to California with a package return. Galeana disappeared from her home in Utah earlier this month – prompting widespread searches for the beloved missing moggie. She was rescued by an Amazon worker nearly a week after jumping into one of the family’s packages undetected. Her owners then flew more than one-thousand-600-kilometres to retrieve their pet. Galeana was in good health despite having had no food or water for days.

Stay tuned for more news………….