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Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: A battle of IPL underdogs today
Two perennial underdogs. One long-overdue trophy. Who will scratch the 18-year itch? On one side, stands draped in jersey No. 18, Virat Kohli, the gladiator who has carried the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on his shoulders through triumph and tears. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, in a deja vu moment, invoked Kohli's name yesterday much like Kohli had once done for Sachin Tendulkar ahead of the 2011 World Cup. 'We will try and win this for him,' he said. Across the pitch will be the Punjab Kings (PBKS), led by Shreyas Iyer, last season's title-winning captain with Kolkata Knight Riders. Whether Iyer gets second-time lucky or not, this tournament could open the door for the national T20 team for him. Whichever way the final tilts, one team will end decades of frustration. On that note, let's get to today's edition. India may be rolling out the red carpet for electric vehicle makers, but Tesla doesn't seem ready to take the wheel. Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy said this week that Elon Musk's electric vehicle giant is only looking to open two showrooms in India and was not interested in setting up manufacturing operations, which may deal a blow to India's ambitions to become a global EV manufacturing hub. Trump factor: Musk's hesitancy may have a Trump-sized shadow all over it. In February, US President Donald Trump criticised Tesla's plan to expand in India, calling it 'unfair' to the US. Musk, who has enjoyed close relations with the President so far, may not want to upset that balance. Trump has made similar objections to Apple's expansion plans in India. Missed date: Musk was due to visit India in March last year. The visit never materialised, but shortly before his expected arrival, New Delhi had tried to sweeten the deal. It notified an electric passenger car manufacturing scheme, which would require EV makers to invest a minimum of Rs 4,150 crore to produce EVs domestically. In turn, they could import a maximum of 8,000 built car units per year at a subsidised customs duty. The final guidelines for this scheme were released on Monday, with online applications set to open soon. Kumaraswamy confirmed that several major global players — Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen-Škoda, Hyundai, and Kia — have expressed interest. The Nalanda University emerged under a special Act of Parliament in 2014. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated its new campus in Bihar's Rajgir town. This state-of-the-art 455-acre campus stands in the foothills of the imposing Vaibhar Giri hill, considered the seat of both Buddhism and Jainism. Barely 12 km from the new campus lie the ruins of the ancient Nalanda University, perhaps the world's first Ivy League university. Today, the university has over 1,200 students. My colleague Santosh Singh brings you the inside view from his recent reconnaissance of Nalanda. In a fix: The Adani Group has come under the lens once again. US prosecutors are investigating whether the firm imported Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) into India through the Adani Group's Mundra port, despite US sanctions on Iran. The Adani Group has denied the charges. Wanted: The Delhi Police are on a lookout for a foreign citizen, who works with the Embassy of a Western European country, for allegedly putting up posters carrying a photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside the word 'Wanted' in the national capital's Chanakyapuri area. Tribute: The Gujarat government is working on a memorial dedicated to Operation Sindoor and the defence forces. The memorial, which will be called Sindoor Van (forest), is set to come up in the Kutch district on the India-Pakistan border. Shukla in space: Four decades after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel to space, Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer, stands at the precipice to make similar history. He will become the first Indian to step on the International Space Station (ISS), about 400 km from Earth. On June 8, he will pilot a Dragon spacecraft to take him and three others to the ISS. Read why a seat for Shukla, who was originally trained for our own human spaceflight mission, on Axiom-4 is a big moment for India's space programme. The audacious aerial attack: Ukraine's June 1 large-scale drone strikes on Russian air bases are one of a kind. In a Trojan horse-like attack, specialised drones were smuggled into Russia inside mobile wooden cabins. The attack, which was 18 months in the making, has forever changed the contours of modern warfare. Read Anil Sasi's explainer on Operation Spider Web. For more on Ukraine's drone warfare, tune in to today's episode of the '3 Things' podcast. One week ago, chess maestro Magnus Carlsen forced the youngest world champion in chess history, Gukesh Dommaraju, to resign in the opening round of Norway Chess. He then posted a tweet using a reference from the HBO show The Wire: 'You come at the king, you best not miss.' The second time the duo met, Gukesh did just that. The drama that followed has been viewed millions of times in a now-viral video. This may, however, be Carlsen's last tryst with classical chess. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Daily Maverick
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Ambush or relationship reset? Daily Maverick writers assess Ramaphosa's meeting with Trump
Did SA's President walk into an obvious ambush, or was it a step towards resetting SA's relationship with the US? Six Daily Maverick staffers give their take on Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with Donald Trump in the White House on Wednesday. 'An ambush' — Rebecca Davis, senior journalist He didn't get Zelenskyed. He didn't get Zelenskyed. He didn't get Zelenskyed. That's what we have to hang on to: President Cyril Ramaphosa did not get personally insulted by the world's most horrible duo of playground bullies, US Vice-President JD Vance and President Donald Trump, in the full glare of the international media — as happened to their wildly undeserving victim, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in February. But what happened in the Oval Office on Wednesday was, nonetheless, an ambush. That's the term currently dominating US media headlines about the encounter. It was impossible not to feel for Ramaphosa, who had been bombarded with messaging before the trip that he should under no circumstances lose his cool, rise to the bait, or in any way antagonise the world's most powerful man. So he didn't. Some will call that a victory in itself, and yet who among us did not also secretly yearn to see Ramaphosa fight back a little more? 'The meeting should never have happened' — Ferial Haffajee, associate editor It started well — Team SA with a tactical delegation of well-regarded political, sports and business leaders. A clever touch saw golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, who have teed off with Trump, putt for their country. Things started genially enough. Then, Trump dimmed the Oval Office lights and played a mini-documentary crudely splicing EFF leader Julius Malema's rendition of his favourite song (Dubul' Ibhunu) and AfriForum's white-cross farm protests to 'prove' his theory of a genocide. The New York Times called it an 'astonishing ambush'; I call it a shit show. Such blatant lies by one of the world's most powerful men, which we were powerless to effectively rebut. Ramaphosa maintained his calm as he responded with occasional spice. SA may yet grab victory from the jaws of defeat: the US is hungry for critical minerals and we have healthy reserves. Trump did not say he would not come to the G20. His officials are taking part in all the meetings. But if an attack was anticipated and in the face of obvious calumny, should the meeting have happened or should we have waited for various multilateral processes under way to play out and avoid the public humiliation? 'We got off lightly' — Anso Thom, deputy editor I am an eternal and impatient optimist, but I had very low expectations of the meeting. I thought Trump would have thrown a much bigger, Trump-sized ambush at us. It felt a bit tired, nothing new to show and images and narratives that have all been seen before. He played to his domestic base, he was always going to. I thought Trump's response to the question about the International Court of Justice was tame. Other than handing over tabloid media printouts, Vance had no role. The golfers were there to open a door, open Trump's mind and keep things fairly civil. I think we got off lightly; we didn't get a hole-in-one, but we got a birdie. US-SA relations are in a better place than a few weeks ago, but time will tell. We are dealing with a reality TV star after all. ' Golfing cameos and quiet appeasement' — Angela Daniels, Nelson Mandela Bay bureau editor When Ramaphosa met Trump, many — well, maybe just those of us who like to see the best in everyone — hoped for a serious discussion on diplomacy, trade and shared challenges. But no, the meeting quickly spiralled into madness. Trump launched into a series of wild claims about South Africa, backed by a cherry-picked video. Meanwhile, standing awkwardly by were golf legends Ernie Els and Retief Goosen — talented sportsmen, sure, but what the hell do they have to do with international relations? Watching Ramaphosa's polite but visibly uncomfortable smile as Trump flicked through crime scene photos was painful. This was a moment to push back hard. To speak for the country. To correct the record. Instead, we got golfing cameos and quiet appeasement. What was that, President Ramaphosa? Didn't you see the ambush coming? 'It's about race' — Stephen Grootes, associate editor Never in the history of reported meetings between heads of state has one ambushed another with videos and recordings. It may have happened at the UN during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but not in a one-on-one meeting, and never with heads of state. And Trump would never do it to a Chinese leader. Or even the leader of Qatar (which is giving him a jet). This reveals his agenda: it is about race, and thus about South Africa. Ramaphosa went in with several priorities, but the most important was to avoid a shouting match. He achieved that. And he scored some points of his own. We should not forget that this is about a much bigger audience than people in the US or South Africa. The rest of the world saw it, and saw it for what it was. To them, Ramaphosa might well have looked like the adult in the room. As he so often does. 'Possible step towards rapprochement' — J Brooks Spector, associate editor Things first seemed heading towards the style of Trump's meetings with Canada's Mark Carney and Britain's Keir Starmer rather than the Zelensky mugging. Initially there was sufficient joviality that it seemed just possible this meeting would stay on a relatively adult tenor. But the moment Trump was given his lead, goaded by sharp press questions about such things as the $400-million gift airplane from Qatar, he took off the gloves and showed a video purportedly about the genocide of white farmers in South Africa. The meeting only partially returned to civility by passionate observations from delegation member and billionaire Johann Rupert speaking about efforts to build a more inclusive society, rebutting a video that included Malema's incendiary words. It is just possible, by the time the messaging after the meeting comes from the two sides, some movement towards rapprochement will be visible. There are positive outcomes. Ramaphosa said the luncheon and subsequent discussions focused on real issues like trade and investment and not that nonsense about white farmer genocide. If further meetings move those chess pieces forward, the trip may have been worthwhile despite the charade with the video and the associated vitriol from Trump. Maybe. DM
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Trump's film tantrum: Brandon Auret calls on Gayton McKenzie to invest in local films
'I'm a firm believer in that when the door is closed, jump through the window,' actor Brandon Auret told The Citizen. Auret has called on Minister Gayton McKenzie to use Donald Trump's 100% tariffs on films made outside of the US, as an opportunity to invest in local film industry. Picture: brandon_auret/ Instagram South African actor and filmmaker Brandon Auret has called on Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie to use Donald Trump's 100% tariffs on films made outside of the US as an opportunity to invest in the local film industry. The US president recently proposed a 100% tariff on all foreign-produced content. If implemented, it would apply to locally made films, potentially even productions filmed here and series sold into the US. 'I'm a firm believer in that when the door is closed, jump through the window,' Auret told The Citizen. Opportunity Auret, who most South Africans were introduced to when he appeared on the SABC 3 soapie Isidingo as Leon du Plessis, said he doesn't blame Trump for his decision because it's always been much cheaper for foreign films to be made outside of the US. Auret said the decision was however sad for the South African industry because not enough films are being made by locals. 'Hollywood screwed itself, especially with Los Angeles. The prices that they were paying to get location licenses, to get permits to be able to film in a studio- the executives screwed you over, it's not other countries, mister Donald Trump,' said Auret. 'The big money guys, they chased the films away. It became too expensive to shoot in Los Angeles.' The South African actor said that if one takes a movie with a $10 million budget in the US and shoots it in South Africa, the conversion rate means the budget swells to at least R180 million. 'You could shoot the exact same quality film in South Africa, with our crew, our cast. It makes sense not to shoot in a country that's not overcharging you for everything.' He said this was an opportunity for McKenzie to step up for the local film industry. 'Not just the sport side of it, but the arts and culture side of it. Get your mayors, councillors from different areas to put money into a film and let every place in South Africa become a film location,' expressed Auret. 'There's no backing. Nobody is doing a thing about the film industry, the DTIC and the NFVF has screwed over people,' Auret claimed. The Citizen contacted McKenzie's office for comment, but was unsuccessful at the time of publishing. Any response will be included once received. ALSO READ: SA's film success faces a Trump-sized threat 'No backing' In March, members of the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective, Independent Producers Organisation and other industry players protested outside the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) offices in Tshwane, voicing growing concerns over the DTIC's failure to address critical issues impacting the industry. In April, the South African Screen Federation (SASFED) criticised McKenzie for appointing National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) CEO Vincent Blennies. 'The minister's disregard for established rules and guidelines can harm the regulatory frameworks that have been put in place to ensure fair distribution of resources, transparency and effective governance in the sector,' read a statement from SASFED. While addressing McKenzie as the minister, Auret called on mayors and politicians to invest in domestically-made films. 'Invest some of that money into filmmaking. Get those films to come over to your little town, little cities [and] shoot there, employ the locals,' said Auret. He said the benefit is that it creates a whole ecosystem, including accommodation, food, and transport services. The shooting of a film could involve as many as 180 people. 'The money spent on a film doesn't just go into the film; it's not like everything ends up on the screen. There's a lot of money spent outside of the film' ALSO READ: South Africans make their presence felt at the Met Gala in New York Tourism Auret says there's a lucrative tourism factor when people shoot films across South Africa. The impact of cinema on tourism is enormous. The fantasy film series The Lord of the Rings significantly contributed to New Zealand's GDP through tourism. The series, which was filmed entirely down under, boosted tourism by about 50%, bringing in an estimated NZ$33 million (R600 M+) annually. By 2018, New Zealand welcomed 3.6 million visitors annually, and tourism became the nation's largest export industry. Auret said South Africa has more to offer tourists than the country's three biggest metros, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. 'My whole big thing is not just about making films, not just about investing in the communities that are in those cities, but opening up the tourism. Getting people to go 'wow, that movie was shot where?'' NOW READ: REVIEW: Riky Rick's last album 'Boss Zonke Forever' epitomises his passion for young people
News.com.au
03-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Moment it all went wrong for Peter Dutton
Anthony Albanese has been re-elected for a second term as Prime Minister after delivering a crushing defeat to Peter Dutton. After three years dominated by debates over the economy, cost of living, housing affordability and immigration — against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, the war in Gaza, Chinese aggression and Donald Trump's shock re-election — voters have opted to give the PM a second shot. Less than six months ago Mr Dutton was riding high on the prospect of making Mr Albanese a one-term PM, but a series of blunders and missed opportunities saw the Coalition's polling lead evaporate over the course of the campaign. But as the finger-pointing and recriminations within the opposition get underway, it's hard to escape the Trump-sized elephant in the room. Just as Canada's Pierre Poilievre went from a 27-point lead to losing his own seat as the US President's threats and mockery rallied the left, Australia's conservatives were left similarly off-footed and floundering as Mr Trump's tariff chaos turned their tentative Trumpian shift into a political liability. Here's how it all went wrong for Mr Dutton. May 21, 2022: Albo elected PM The 2022 federal election delivers a resounding defeat for the Coalition after nine years in power, with Labor picking up 77 seats in the House of Representatives to form a majority government for the first time since 2007. Defeated Prime Minister Scott Morrison resigns as Liberal leader and is replaced by Mr Dutton. October 14, 2023: Voice referendum wipe-out In a major personal blow for Mr Albanese, Labor's Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum goes down in flames with 60 per cent of Australians voting no. A tearful PM declares that 'while tonight's result is not one that I had hoped for, I absolutely respect the decision of the Australian people'. The Liberal Party criticises Labor for holding the $450 million referendum during a cost-of-living crisis. July 4, 2024: Payman defects from Labor Western Australian Labor Senator Fatima Payman quits the party to sit on the crossbench after refusing to 'toe the party line' on the issue of Palestinian statehood. Ms Payman, a former refugee from Afghanistan, accuses party officials of intimidation and 'stand up [sic] tactics'. She announces the formation of her new party, Australia's Voice (AV), on October 9. August 25, 2024: Rennick resigns from LNP Renegade Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick resigns from the Liberal National Party to contest the election as an independent, after being dumped from the ticket the previous year when he lost a preselection ballot to party treasurer Stuart Fraser. Mr Rennick, an outspoken critic of Covid vaccines, forms the People First Party (PFP). August 14, 2024: Gaza refugee ban controversy Mr Dutton sparks backlash after calling for a total ban on Palestinian refugees fleeing Gaza, telling Sky News 'I don't think people should be coming in from that war zone at all at the moment'. The government insists it will not compromise national security, while Mr Albanese accuses the opposition leader of 'always looking to divide'. Other critics including independent MP Zali Stegall claim the proposal is 'racist'. October 14, 2024: Dutton overtakes Albo for first time A shock Newspoll finds the Coalition now leads Labor 51-49 on a two-party preferred basis for the first time since the 2022 election, after months of being neck-and-neck. November 6, 2024: Trump comment haunts Albo Donald Trump returns to the White House in a landslide victory, with both leaders congratulating the incoming US President on his historic political comeback. Video resurfaces of comments made by Mr Albanese in 2017 saying Mr Trump 'scares the s**t out of me'. Mr Dutton needles the PM in Question Time the next day, saying 'we will make sure that President Trump is not somebody to be scared of but somebody that we can work very closely with', while Mr Albanese tells reporters he feels no need to apologise to the President for his past comments. November 7, 2024: PM speaks to Trump Mr Albanese has his first phone call with Mr Trump to congratulate him on his re-election. 'We talked about the importance of the Alliance, and the strength of the Australia-US relationship in security, AUKUS, trade and investment,' he writes on X. 'I look forward to working together in the interests of both our countries.' November 12, 2024: Rudd backed in 'village idiot' row The PM rejects calls to fire Kevin Rudd as US Ambassador, after revelations he previously called the US President-elect a 'village idiot'. December, 2024: Parliament House meeting Mr Dutton holds a strategy meeting with senior Liberals at Parliament House to map out the election strategy going into the New Year. Insiders later tell the Herald Sun there was a 'cast iron agreement before Christmas that we would be going out in January election-ready'. January 12, 2025: 'Get Australia Back on Track' The opposition leader launches his campaign in Melbourne with an homage to Mr Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan, promising to 'Get Australia Back on Track'. He unveils key priorities including accessing superannuation for first homebuyers, 'rebalancing' migration, building nuclear power and cracking down on crime. January 26, 2025: Coalition holds polling lead The Coalition leads Labor 51-49 in Newspoll, which also reveals the lowest satisfaction ratings for Mr Albanese since taking office. February 19, 2025: Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer announces his backing of the Trump-inspired Trumpet of Patriots, after failing his High Court bid to re-register the United Australia Party for the election. Trumpet of Patriots positions itself as an alternative to the major parties and encourages voters to preference Labor and the Coalition last. February 22, 2025: $8 billion Medicare pledge Declaring the election a referendum on Medicare, Mr Albanese announces free GP visits will be offered to the vast majority of Australians in a dramatic $8 billion investment. Mr Dutton seeks to neutralise a 'Mediscare' repeat by upping the ante, pledging $9 billion. March 7, 2025: Cyclone Alfred delays election Tropical Cyclone Alfred bears down on southeast Queensland and northern NSW, derailing Mr Albanese's plan to call an election for April 12 and forcing the government to go ahead with handing down the budget on March 25. March 9, 2025: Voters doubt Libs ready Newspoll holds steady for the Coalition at 51-49, but the findings show most voters, especially younger ones, do not believe the Dutton-led team is ready to govern. March 18, 2025: Deportation 'thought bubble' Mr Dutton floats the idea of holding a referendum to give the government more powers to strip citizenship of terrorists and other serious criminals — only for Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash to play down the prospect hours later. The PM brands it another 'thought bubble'. March 25, 2025: Budget lays out election battle Treasurer Jim Chalmers hands down his pre-election federal budget headlined by cost-of-living relief measures, as the bottom line falls back into the red with a $27.6 billion deficit. Mr Chalmers says the budget is ' our plan for a new generation of prosperity in a new world of uncertainty'. March 27, 2025: Dutton's fuel promise Mr Dutton says the budget shows the election will be a 'sliding doors moment for our nation' and that 'our prosperity will be damaged for decades to come' if Labor is re-elected. He says he will repeal Labor's tax cuts and instead halve the fuel excise for 12 months. March 28, 2025: Election called The election is officially called for May 3, with Mr Albanese visiting Governor-General Sam Mostyn to dissolve the 47th Parliament as the official five-week campaign kicks off. Polls suggest a hung parliament, with neither party looking like picking up 76 seats in the House, while betting markets favour a Labor win. Mr Albanese says the election will be a 'choice between Labor's plan to keep building or Peter Dutton's promise to cut'. The opposition leader argues 'we can't afford three more years of Labor'. March 28, 2025: Brutal poll savages PM The same morning, a shock Redbridge poll published exclusively by finds the majority of voters say they are worse off after three years under Labor, with 54 per cent unable to name a single thing Mr Albanese has done 'that has made your life better in any way'. March 30, 2025: Labor takes lead The first Newspoll released during the election campaign shows Labor sneak ahead 51-49 on a two-party preferred basis, fuelled by a two-point drop in the Coalition's primary vote to 37 per cent with Labor at 33 per cent. April 1, 2025: Albo dodges Trump question Mr Albanese, facing fresh pressure over US tariff negotiations and his failure to secure a phone call with Mr Trump, repeatedly refuses to answer a reporter's question about what 'scares the s**t out of you' about the US President and if he was 'still frightened about those things'. The PM insists only that he has a 'constructive relationship' with Mr Trump. April 3, 2025: 'Not the act of a friend' Mr Trump makes his long-awaited 'Liberation Day' tariffs announcement, confirming Australia will join other countries in being hit with 10 per cent levies on all imports to the US. Mr Albanese slams the move as 'totally unwarranted' and 'not the act of a friend' in a press conference in Melbourne. Mr Dutton tells reporters in Perth it is a 'bad day for our country' and says he believes 'we could have achieved a different outcome'. April 7, 2025: Humiliating WFH backflip In one of the most embarrassing campaign moments for the opposition, the Coalition spectacularly backflips on its push to force public servants back into the office five days a week, with Mr Dutton admitting he 'made a mistake' and 'got it wrong'. Labor had relentlessly attacked the policy, saying it would disproportionately hurt female workers, and polls showed it was deeply unpopular. April 9, 2025: Albo wins first debate The leaders trade barbs at the Sky News/Daily Telegraph People's Forum in western Sydney, with Mr Albanese crowned the winner by the audience. The first debate is overshadowed by news Mr Dutton's father suffered a heart attack that evening. April 12, 2025: Price's 'MAGA' moment Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Price tells supporters in Perth that a Coalition government will 'make Australia great again'. She later denies any connection to Mr Trump's MAGA slogan, saying she 'didn't even realise I said that', and accuses reporters of being 'obsessed' with the US President. April 13, 2025: Coalition falls further The second Newspoll of the campaign sees Labor extend its two-party preferred lead to 52-48, as the Coalition's primary vote falls to 35 per cent — now lower than before losing the 2022 election. It comes as both parties launch their official campaigns in Perth and Sydney. April 14, 2025: Libs drop 'diss track' The Liberal Party releases a 'diss track' attacking the PM over cost-of-living, sparking a short-lived rap rivalry after a Labor state branch publishes, then quickly removes its own diss track due to 'offensive' language in the original version. April 15, 2025: Indonesia-Russia military bombshell The opposition leader comes under fire from the government after he appears to suggest the Indonesian President has confirmed a bombshell story published military website Janes claiming Russia lodged a request to base long-range aircraft in Papua. April 16, 2025: Dutton admits 'mistake' Both sides claim victory in the ABC-hosted second leaders debate. Mr Dutton concedes his comments on Indonesia were a 'mistake' and on Mr Trump, the opposition leader says as a nation 'we trust the US' but 'I don't know the President'. April 20, 2025: Trump chaos weighs on Dutton Momentum continues to build for a Labor political resurrection thanks to the Trump tariff chaos and Medicare promises, with Labor ahead in Newspoll 52-48. On the question of who is trusted more to lead Australia through the Trump turbulence, 39 per cent back the PM and 32 per cent favour Mr Dutton. April 22, 2025: 'Personal abuse' in third debate Mr Dutton is narrowly judged the winner in the third debate, hosted by Nine, with the leaders accusing each other of 'lying' and 'personal abuse' in a heated slanging match. April 27, 2025: Welcome to Country stoush The final leaders debate on Seven sees the PM decisively declared the winner overall and on issues including cost of living and tax, however Mr Dutton gets 'The Pulse' racing (not to be confused with getting a rise out of 'The Worm') as viewers support his comments that Welcome to Country ceremonies have gone too far. April 28, 2025: Wong says Voice back on the menu Days out from the election, Foreign Minister Penny Wong raises eyebrows by hinting the Voice to Parliament is an inevitability despite its overwhelming defeat in 2023, telling the Beetoota Advocate podcast 'I think we'll look back on it in 10 years' time and it'll be a bit like marriage equality'. Ms Wong later walks back her comments, telling SBS 'the Voice is gone'. May 2, 2025: Albo coasting to victory The final Newspoll before election day puts Labor ahead of the Coalition 52.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Mr Albanese is handily re-elected with a majority after a brutal night for the Coalition, with Mr Dutton losing his Brisbane seat of Dickson that he has held since 2001. Liberal Senator James Paterson concedes that the Trump factor was 'significant'. 'It was devastating in Canada for the Conservatives,' he tells the ABC. 'I think it has been a factor here.'
Daily Maverick
29-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
'Vintage gold, tariff cold: SA wine's perfect harvest meets Trump's cold shoulder
After a near-perfect 2025 harvest, South African vintners are facing an unexpected threat: a tariff tempest brewing in the US, one of the country's top five export markets. South Africa's 2025 harvest season was, by all accounts, a masterpiece. 'It's going to be one of those standout years where people will specifically search for wines from the 2025 harvest,' said Maryna Calow, communications manager at Wines of South Africa (WoSA). British wine importer and critic, Bartholomew Broadbent, agreed. 'The 2025 vintage in South Africa was outstanding,' he told Daily Maverick. 'I was recently there and tasted many wines in cask. Volumes were good, the quality exceptional.' The grapes, nurtured through a Goldilocks season of moderate weather and minimal climatic drama, ripened to near perfection. No aggressive heat spikes. No hail storms. Even the winter dormancy was ideal, with well-timed rains and cold enough temperatures to ready the vines for an exceptional yield. As South African wine producers prepared to bottle what some are calling some of the best quality wine ever produced, another kind of storm began to brew. One that's political, protectionist, and unmistakably American. A Trump-sized headache On 2 April 2025, US president Trump reached for an economic cudgel in the form of tariffs, and South African wine found itself squarely in the firing line: slapped with a 30% import duty. According to Calow, the United States is South Africa's fourth largest wine export market by value, exporting $8.21-billion (R153-billion) worth of wine to the US in 2024. Visualisation by Kara le Roux Thanks to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), South African wines previously enjoyed zero tariffs, a saving of about R20-million per year, noted Christo Conradie, stakeholder engagement, market access, and policy manager at South African Wine. Now, a 10% tariff applies during a 90-day grace period, while the 30% proposal hangs over the industry like the sword of Damocles. 'There is a mad scramble in the USA right now to import wine at the 10% tariff level before the 90-day extension ends,' Broadbent explained. 'We usually ship the new vintage of wine… in July or August. This year we will ship it all in May and hope to beat the increased tariffs.' Even if shipments sneak through customs at a lower rate, the damage has already been done. 'Importers may have cancelled orders from South Africa and turned to bulk producers in Chile and Australia,' Broadbent says. 'Once prices go up, even if tariffs are cancelled, most wine companies will not reduce prices back to pre-tariff levels.' 'Before the wine even hit the water, some US importers pulled out.' Calow confirmed the exodus. Building relationships with importers took years, she added, and with global wine consumption declining, competition was already brutal. US laws also require wholesalers to pre-post prices months in advance. Once the higher prices are locked in, they can't be reduced overnight even if the tariffs are scrapped. Jobs, markets and margins under threat The tariff threat is hitting an industry already bruised by Covid-era shutdowns and a lethargic global economy. Broadbent pointed out that American consumer spending was under pressure from a stock market crash rivalling the Great Depression of 1932. Luxury goods (like wine) were often the first thing to be cut from stretched budgets. 'If your wine goes from $9.99 to $12.99 (R185 to R241) because of tariffs and mark-ups at every level of the US's three-tier system, sales will nosedive,' Broadbent said. South Africa's wine sector supports more than 270,000 jobs, many in vulnerable rural areas. Conradie warned that the effects would extend beyond exporters and their immediate teams: '(The implications) will undoubtedly be felt across the broader economy, including job preservation and creation, particularly the socioeconomic impact on rural areas where viticulture is a significant economic driver.' He said suppliers of glass, labels, packaging, and logistics providers would all be affected in the long term. Bulk wine exports — two-thirds of South Africa's shipments to the US — are especially vulnerable. Higher-end bottles might survive a modest price hike, but budget wines cannot absorb a 30% tariff without becoming unsellable. 'You don't know where you stand from one day to the next,' Calow said. 'We are still in limbo.' Sin taxes and sour sales South African wine producers aren't finding much comfort on the home front. Finance Minister Enoch Godogwana hiked the excise duty on wine across the board: unfortified wine now attracts R5.95 per litre in duty, up from R5.57, with fortified and sparkling wines facing even steeper increases. Domestically, the wine industry has still not bounced back to pre-pandemic volumes, according to an agricultural outlook report by the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy. Though sales have ticked upward since the lockdown years, premium bottles have lost considerable ground to bag-in-box formats, the report states. The bag-in-box boom signals a shift in local buying habits as economic pressure forces consumers to prioritise value over presentation. The report projects a 0.5% decrease in wine consumption by 2031, which is 12 million litres lower than in 2018. 'The growth is rather modest,' the report reads, 'and comes from a substantially reduced base following the shocks of 2020 and 2021.' Swapping Uncle Sam for Chairman Xi? Some exporters are peering north to Canada, where retaliatory trade measures have moved American wines off shelves. 'Canada certainly looks a lot more interesting,' Calow said, pointing out that up to 50% of Canadian wine sales were once filled by US products. Asia, too, beckons. 'China is a big question mark,' Calow admitted, but a lucrative one: US wine exports to China could shrink dramatically amid the trade tensions, opening doors for South African producers. However, market shifts don't happen overnight. As Conradie cautioned, wine is not a plug-and-play commodity as each market demands careful cultivation over years. According to a study, commissioned by the SA Wine Industry Information & Systems published in January 2022, the silver lining for the South African wine industry was a positive value growth of total wine exports to a respectable US$540-million (R10-billion), despite a challenging global economy. Visualisation by Kara le Roux Exporters must also brace for greater currency risk, especially if they broaden their focus beyond the traditional dollar-dominated corridors. 'Expanding into Africa, the Middle East and Asia is critical,' Cornelius Coetzee, Country Director at Verto South Africa, advised. 'But it requires active currency risk management. You can't invoice naively in US dollars or euros and hope for the best.' Coetzee stressed that wineries should consider multi-currency invoicing strategies and hedge foreign exchange exposure smartly. 'Flexibility and forward planning are non-negotiable,' he said. Diplomacy but no direct relief Daniel Johnson, the spokesperson for Dr Ivan Meyer, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, said the provincial government was monitoring the situation closely, engaging exporters, and exploring new markets. However, no direct financial relief was planned for affected exporters. 'We continue engaging with diplomats to gain new markets, retain existing ones, and optimise our current operations,' Johnson said, noting a growing focus on African export markets as part of a longer term diversification strategy. Keep calm and keep bottling Amid trade war rumblings, Conradie urged caution: 'We must find a balanced and pragmatic approach to any proposed import tariffs on bottled and bulk wine.' He warned against retaliation, saying that lowering South Africa's current 25% import tariffs on American wines could backfire. 'This could lead to an influx of competitively priced bulk wine and pressure on local producers, possibly triggering a damaging 'race to the bottom', which we cannot afford,' Conradie said. Still, there is confidence that South Africa's strengths — quality, timing, and resilience — will endure. 'South Africa's value proposition remains strong,' Coetzee said. 'We have world-class agricultural quality and seasonal counterbalance to northern hemisphere supply.' How does this affect you? If you're a winemaker, exporter, or even a logistics provider, expect a period of turbulence. Margins will be squeezed. Foreign exchange risk will rise. New competitors will crowd non-US markets. Even if you're not exporting directly to America, supply chain shocks and shifting demand will touch every part of the industry. Coetzee advises exporters to: Stay nimble: Match foreign exchange strategies to sales cycles. Diversify: Spread risk across multiple markets and currencies. Use smarter tools: Adopt live alerts, automated foreign exchange hedging, and spot trades. Plan ahead: Model different currency exposure scenarios — don't rely on best guesses. We've weathered worse 'We're guppies in a very big ocean when it comes to the US market,' Calow quipped. 'About 70% of the wines Americans drink are made locally. South African imports are maybe 1.5% of that segment.' During the Covid-19 pandemic, when local wine sales were banned outright, the industry adapted and survived. 'The pandemic was much more severe than the threat of tariffs,' Broadbent said. 'Wineries survived. If they can survive that, they can survive the tariff situations.' In 2024, South Africa's wine export volumes held steady at 306 million litres, with slight value growth. That's no small feat given the global glut in wine production. 'We're resilient,' Calow said. 'We just have to keep doing what we do best and make good wine.' DM Letters will be edited.
