<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



The papal conclave begins at the Vatican Wednesday, the secretive process by which cardinals seclude themselves for what could be several days as they elect a new leader for the Catholic Church, weeks after the death of Pope Francis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



On Wednesday afternoon, 133 cardinal electors will gather in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and cast their first ballots in the papal election, a process that will continue until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority of the vote.



It’s unclear how long the conclave will take until a new pope is elected, though most recent conclaves have lasted two or three days.



A large majority of the cardinals participating in the conclave were appointed by Francis, in what is set to be the most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/05/06/world/europe/cardinals-conclave-2025.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">globally diverse</a>&nbsp;conclave ever, though papal experts say that does not mean Francis’s successor will be ideologically aligned with him, as some of his appointees hail from areas where the church is more conservative.



While participating in the conclave, cardinals will be secluded from the outside world: They were required to turn in their phones ahead of the conclave, and the Vatican has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/05/europe/vatican-deactivating-phone-signal-conclave-intl-hnk" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">disabled</a>&nbsp;phone service.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-are-the-leading-contenders-to-be-elected-pope">Who Are The Leading Contenders To Be Elected Pope?</h2>



There’s no clear frontrunner to win the papacy,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/next-pope-francis-candidates.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Vatican experts say</a>, though some of the cardinals considered to be prime candidates include Italy’s Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state who is considered more moderate than Francis, and the Philippines’s Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, who has drawn comparisons to Francis for his liberal-leaning stances and his championing of the poor. Parolin and Tagle are the two leading contenders on various betting sites, including&nbsp;<a href="https://polymarket.com/event/who-will-be-the-next-pope" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Polymarket</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kalshi.com/markets/kxnextpope/next-pope" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Kalshi</a>, as bettors wage millions on the papal election. Other cardinals considered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2025/04/21/these-cardinals-are-the-top-candidates-to-succeed-pope-francis/">possible candidates</a>&nbsp;include several from Italy, Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Matteo Zuppi, as well as Congo’s Fridolin Ambongo, Hungary’s Peter Erdo, Ghana’s Peter Turkson and France’s Jean-Marc Aveline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-the-conclave-work-and-how-long-will-it-take">How Does The Conclave Work—and How Long Will It Take?</h2>



While secluded from the outside world,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/06/how-conclave-work-when-new-pope-chosen" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">cardinals</a>&nbsp;under the age of 80 will cast four votes each day until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority. The process begins Wednesday afternoon with mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, after which cardinals proceed to the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave. Should no successor be chosen on a given day, cardinals spend the night in Vatican guesthouses to resume voting the next day. Each&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/conclave-live-updates-cardinals-meet-elect-successor-pope-francis-2025-05-07/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">cardinal</a>&nbsp;is assigned a desk affixed with papers that say, “Eligo in summum pontificem,” or, “I choose as supreme pontiff.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-they-announce-when-a-pope-has-been-chosen">How Do They Announce When A Pope Has Been Chosen?</h2>



After voting, the ballots are burned, and chemicals are added to produce either black smoke—indiciating no pope has been elected—or white smoke—meaning a pope has been chosen—from the Sistine Chapel. Vatican watchers gather to watch what color the smoke is after every vote.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-is-this-conclave-important">Why Is This Conclave Important?</h2>



Papal experts have said the conclave could determine whether the Catholic Church continues down the path laid by Francis to become more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-lgbtq-catholics-conclave-new-pope/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">progressive</a>, or whether a more conservative successor could be chosen and potentially roll back some of Francis’s reforms. Francis was notable, and divisive, for his stances striking a more welcoming tone toward LGBTQ Catholics and women in church leadership roles, which won some global praise but angered conservative critics. Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden said some cardinals want to elect a successor “who can follow in the footsteps of Francis. Some others said, ‘No, no. Not at all,’” the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/07/world/europe/pope-francis-referendum.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">New York Times</a>&nbsp;reported, while Italian conservative Cardinal Camillo Ruini said there is a “need to return the church to Catholics.” Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, said in a homily Wednesday the new pope will face a “difficult and complex turning point in history,” stating he prayed for a pope who leads “for the good of the church and of humanity.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">Surprising Fact</h2>



Some cardinals have watched the movie “Conclave,” the papal drama that won an Oscar just two months ago, while prepping for the real thing,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/cardinals-watch-conclave-movie-for-real-life-guidance/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Politico reported</a>, citing a cleric involved in the conclave who said some cardinals found the film “remarkably accurate.” Viewership of “Conclave” spiked 283% within a day of Francis’s death, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/conclave-streaming-views-pope-francis-death-1236375240/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Luminate</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/04/21/pope-francis-has-died-the-vatican-says/">Francis died</a>&nbsp;at age 88 on Easter Monday, April 21, following a bout of health issues, which led to his longest hospital stay while pope. Francis was hospitalized earlier this year for bilateral pneumonia and bronchitis, and Vatican doctors said he died of cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2025/04/21/these-cardinals-are-the-top-candidates-to-succeed-pope-francis/">These Cardinals Are The Top Candidates To Succeed Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/05/06/world/europe/cardinals-conclave-2025.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The Church Is More Global Than Ever. What Does That Mean for the Next Pope?</a>&nbsp;(New York Times)

Pope holding a Bible

Conclave Begins Today: What To Know About Secretive Election For Next Pope

The development comes exactly 120 days since President John Dramani Mahama returned to office, marking a critical checkpoint in his administration’s efforts to stabilize the economy after years of fiscal distress. 



Ghana’s consumer inflation eased for a fourth consecutive month in April, falling to 21.2% from 22.4% in March, as the country’s unexpectedly strong currency helped to reduce the cost of imports.



The Ghana Statistical Service attributed the slowdown to a deceleration in both food and non-food inflation, with prices rising by just 0.8% month-on-month.



“Food inflation remains the biggest price driver,” new Government Statistician Alhassan Iddrisu told reporters in Ghana’s capital, Accra, today.



Notably, non-food inflation dropped to 17.9% from 18.7%, while food inflation declined to 25% from 26.5%. The disinflationary trend was buoyed by a rally in the Ghanaian cedi, which has appreciated by nearly 16% against the U.S. dollar since early April, making it the world’s best-performing currency in that period. The stronger cedi has helped ease pressure on import prices in the import-dependent West African economy.



The inflation data offers a glimmer of hope for a nation that has struggled with high prices since 2021, when a deepening debt crisis triggered a dramatic collapse of the cedi. That collapse pushed inflation into double digits, far above the Bank of Ghana’s target band of 6% to 10%, and led to a loss of investor confidence.



Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa exporter and a key gold and oil producer, secured a $3 billion, three-year bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2023 to address its fiscal and balance of payments crisis.



President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, elected on promises of economic renewal, pledged to stabilize the cedi, control inflation, and restore macroeconomic discipline through tighter monetary policy and targeted fiscal reforms.



As part of a broader economic revival plan outlined in the 2024 manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), his government pledged a series of immediate reforms. According to an internal progress tracker, 19 of the 28 flagship promises have been fulfilled, with two more in progress. However, key policy initiatives—including a 24-hour economy strategy, a review of vehicle taxes, a reassessment of the Customs Amendment Act of 2020, and a ban on political appointees acquiring state assets—are yet to be delivered.



Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Asiama said at the March policy meeting that the central bank remains committed to a tight monetary stance and may consider rate cuts only if disinflation continues. He also surprised markets with an interest rate hike in March, citing persistent inflationary pressures.



Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has forecast that inflation could fall to 11.9% by December if current policies are sustained, including significant reductions in government spending and increased support for the private sector.

Tall business tower at the center of Accra with beautiful blue skies

Ghana’s Inflation Eases To 21.2% Amid Cedi Surge, 120 Days Into Mahama’s Presidency

Zimbabwe is now set for one of its biggest cricket seasons in over two decades. 



There was a time not so long ago when cricket in Zimbabwe was deep in the doldrums, with the national team battling for fixtures against quality opponents and financial issues curtailing the progress of the game in the country.



But the last while has seen a gradual turnaround in fortunes and Zimbabwe is now set for one of its biggest seasons in over two decades, with South Africa and New Zealand both coming to play multi-format matches in the country.



South Africa have not toured Zimbabwe since 2014, while New Zealand were last there in 2016, so the return of two of the biggest names in global cricket will certainly be welcome.



&#8220;This is the biggest international home season we have had in years, and it is an incredible opportunity for our players to test themselves against two of the world&#8217;s cricketing powerhouses,&#8221; Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director Givemore Makoni says.



&#8220;Hosting South Africa and New Zealand for both Test cricket and an exciting T20I Tri-Series is a fantastic development for the growth of the game in Zimbabwe.”



South Africa arrive first and play two Tests in Bulawayo from June 28 onwards. It will be a warm-up for the start of the new World Test Championship cycle, which begins the Proteas with an away series in Pakistan in October.



New Zealand then join the party for a Twenty20 International Tri-Series, where each team plays the other twice, with all the games being staged in Harare.



The two teams that accrue the most points from those games will play a final on July 26.



New Zealand will then stay on for two tests against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.



Having already hosted Afghanistan and Ireland in Test this year, it will be the first time since 2001 that Zimbabwe will play six games in the longest format at home in a calendar year.



Back then, they hosted two tests each against India, South Africa, West Indies and Bangladesh in a matter of months in what was a different time for the sport in the country before its decline.



Before this year’s incoming tour, Zimbabwe have also been granted a one-off Test in England from May 22-25. It is the first time they play a five-day game in England since 2003 and just the fifth time ever.



International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah recently visited Zimbabwe and was positive about the country’s future.



&#8220;I think Zimbabwe has the potential to go back to top performance like in the early 1990s,&#8221; Shah said.

Cricketer silhouette on Zimbabwe blurred flag background

Zimbabwe Set for Historic Home Season: Will Welcome Back Cricketing Giants

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



India launched missile strikes in Pakistan early on Wednesday, two weeks after it accused Pakistan of being involved in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/04/30/pakistan-claims-credible-evidence-india-is-planning-military-action-soon-as-tensions-rise-between-neighbors/">terrorist attack</a>&nbsp;on the tourist town of Pahalgam that killed over two dozen people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



The Indian Ministry of Defense said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/1919857186655944825" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;said the strikes targeted “nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” and added that they were “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature.”



India claimed no Pakistani military facilities were hit by the strike and said the military operation, which it has dubbed “Operation Sindoor,” underscores India’s “resolve to hold perpetrators accountable while avoiding unnecessary provocation.”



Pakistani officials&nbsp;<a href="https://mofa.gov.pk/press-releases/pakistan-strongly-condemns-indias-blatant-aggression" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">denounced</a>&nbsp;the strikes, calling them “an unprovoked and blatant act of war” that had “violated Pakistan’s sovereignty.”



In a Wednesday morning press conference, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gni7uALDpb0" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">claimed</a>&nbsp;the government’s intelligence assessment indicated further attacks were being planned against India and with the strikes New Delhi “exercised its right to respond and pre-empt as well as deter such more cross-border attacks.”



Lieutenant Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the head of the Pakistani military’s public relations arm,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dawn.com/live/pakistan-india-tensions#1909022" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told reporters</a>&nbsp;that the Indian strikes had killed 26 civilians and left 46 others injured as of Wednesday morning.



Sharif also restated an earlier claim by the Pakistan military that neither countries jets trespassed each other’s territories and the Indian airstrikes were conducted from their own airspace and struck multiple cities including Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muzaffarabad.



The Pakistan military also claimed without sharing evidence that it had shot down five Indian fighter jets—a claim Indian authorities have not commented on but Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/india-pakistan-attack-pahalgam-kashmir#00000196-a939-da24-adf6-edff0dec0000" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that two planes fell onto villages in India-controlled Kashmir.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Have World Leaders Reacted To The India Strikes?</h2>



Shortly after India announced the strikes, President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919863923961962905" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told reporters</a>&nbsp;at the Oval Office that he had just been informed about it and said: “It&#8217;s a shame…I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They&#8217;ve been fighting for a long time…I hope it ends very quickly.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1919902403999965441" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">tweeted</a>&nbsp;that he was monitoring the situation closely and said: “I echo @POTUS&#8217;s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.” China’s foreign ministry said India’s military operation was “regrettable” and added: “We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation.” Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ReuvenAzar/status/1919936131866513678" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">tweeted</a>: “Israel supports India’s right for self defense. Terrorists should know there’s no place to hide from their heinous crimes against the innocent.” A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/un-chief-raises-concern-about-indian-military-actions-pakistan-2025-05-06/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said he is very concerned</a>&nbsp;about the Indian military operation and is calling for “maximum military restraint” from both sides. He then added: “The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">News Peg</h2>



Tensions between India and Pakistan, nuclear-armed nations, have risen in recent weeks following the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/04/30/pakistan-claims-credible-evidence-india-is-planning-military-action-soon-as-tensions-rise-between-neighbors/">attack on Pahalgam</a>&nbsp;in April that killed 26 people, all of one of whom were Indian nationals. The attack on the city, which is located in an Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, was carried out after the neighboring countries had been exchanging gunfire along their border the week prior. India accused Pakistan of involvement in the Pahalgam attack, with Pakistan calling the allegations “baseless and concocted.” India later vowed to retaliate and Tarar said military action from India would be “responded to assuredly and decisively.” The U.S. has aligned itself with India in the growing conflict, with Trump saying India has “our full support and deepest sympathies.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



India and Pakistan have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/world/asia/india-pakistan-kashmir-history.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">at odds for several decades</a>, with the contested border region of Kashmir becoming a flashpoint in several conflicts between the two countries. Three wars have been fought over the area, with the most recent violent outburst between India and Pakistan happening in 2019, when India launched airstrikes against Pakistan after blaming the country for a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel in Kashmir.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Further Reading</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/04/30/pakistan-claims-credible-evidence-india-is-planning-military-action-soon-as-tensions-rise-between-neighbors/">Pakistan Claims ‘Credible Evidence’ India Is Planning ‘Military Action’ Soon—As Tensions Rise Between Neighbors</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/world/asia/india-pakistan-kashmir-history.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">A Timeline of Tensions Between India and Pakistan Over Kashmir</a>&nbsp;(New York Times)

India Launches Military Strikes Against Pakistan

India Launches Missile Strikes Into Pakistan—Islamabad Calls It ‘Act Of War’ (Live Updates)

Glitz and glamor took centerstage as fashion moguls and style devotees descended for the latest instalment of the South African Fashion Week (SAFW) SS25 in Johannesburg. For three nights in late April at The Forum Hyde Park, African fashion was rescripted by the continent’s emerging and established designers. It was a confluence of vibrant and diverse textures, tales and talent.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2211313143.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-65480" style="width:628px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2211313143.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2211313143-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2211313143-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Designs by Tiger Blue (Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2211313392.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-65481" style="width:644px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2211313392.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2211313392-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2211313392-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Designs by Thabo Makhetha (Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


Mimangaliso Ndiko (23), one of the young designers showcasing at the event who we spoke with, said he started his journey at SA Fashion Week. As the founder and creative director of Sixx6, he won the South African Fashion Week Student Competition, which led to his debut collection under the New Talent Search category at SA Fashion Week, and that was a transformative turning point.



Ndiko added: “Fashion week always has its intensity, but this season felt different — more aligned, more affirming. Seeing my vision come alive on that stage, the energy from the audience, the reactions… it reminded me why I do this. It wasn’t just a showcase, it was a shift. I walked away not only proud but clear about the next chapter for my brand.”



This year featured seven shows, 24 collections, collaborations with Isuzu, Cruz Vodka, and L&#8217;Oreal Paris, which saw more designers take to the ramp such as Hangwani Nengovhela and Boitumelo Masehla, as also Tadiwanashe Karen Kaparipari, the founder of TADI wa NASHE, one of the crowd favorites.



One of the most memorable moments was South African designer Gert-Johan Coetzee’s showcase on the opening night that delivered an audio-visual experience like no other.



South African media icon Nambitha Mpumlwana was also present. She expressed her love for fashion and had a few words of future-forward advice for the young designers: “When you make that fashion statement, make sure that it&#8217;s reflected of you today, tomorrow, and after. Timeless elegance is always a winner for me. I think some of the young people forget that and they end up doing some rather, shall we say, interesting things, but they&#8217;re kids. Unfortunately, we are in the era of everything going on the internet and the internet does not forget.&#8221;



A well-dressed, well-turned-out edition, the style event proved that local fashion is not just thriving, but it’s transforming too. With bold visions and timeless wisdom, the future of African style is in safe hands.

South Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg

A Snapshot Of South African Fashion: From The Runway To The Future

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



Ferrari on Tuesday said tariffs imposed by the U.S. pose a potential risk to the luxury car maker’s profitability, becoming the latest company to warn about a hit to earnings or cut financial forecasts as many cite market uncertainty aggravated by President Donald Trump’s levies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-timeline">Timeline</h2>



May 6 Ferrari <a href="https://www.ferrari.com/en-BY/corporate/articles/2025-ferrari-first-quarter-results?amp=truehttps://www.ferrari.com/en-BY/corporate/articles/2025-ferrari-first-quarter-results?amp=truehttps://www.ferrari.com/en-BY/corporate/articles/2025-ferrari-first-quarter-results?amp=truehttps://www.ferrari.com/en-BY/corporate/articles/2025-ferrari-first-quarter-results?amp=truehttps://www.ferrari.com/en-BY/corporate/articles/2025-ferrari-first-quarter-results?amp=truehttps://www.ferrari.com/en-BY/corporate/articles/2025-ferrari-first-quarter-results?amp=truehttps://www.ferrari.com/en-BY/corporate/articles/2025-ferrari-first-quarter-results?amp=truehttps://www.ferrari.com/en-BY/corporate/articles/2025-ferrari-first-quarter-results?amp=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">noted</a> in its first-quarter financial report the company was subject to a “potential risk” of a 50 basis points reduction to earnings in 2025, as the luxury car maker cited the “introduction of import tariffs on [European] cars” into the U.S.



May 5 Mattel’s CEO Ynon Kreiz <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/mattel-earnings-q1-2025-mat-stock-2148c5a7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a> said “it’s hard to tell where things will land and how the tariff situation will evolve,” and the toy company announced it is pausing its full-year guidance until it “has sufficient visibility, given the volatile macro-economic environment and evolving U.S. tariff situation,” and may raise prices of its toys “where necessary.”



May 5 Ford <a href="https://s205.q4cdn.com/882619693/files/doc_financials/2025/q1/Ford-Q1-2025-Earnings-Press-Release.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> it expects tariffs to reduce its earnings before interest and taxes by about $1.5 billion in 2025, and said it is suspending its full-year guidance, citing “the potential for industrywide supply chain disruption impacting production” along with “the potential for future or increased tariffs in the U.S.,” potential retaliatory tariffs by other countries and more.



May 5 Cummins <a href="https://investor.cummins.com/news/detail/680/cummins-reports-first-quarter-2025-results" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">withdrew</a> its forecast for 2025, as CEO Jennifer Rumsey said the truck engine maker faced “growing economic uncertainty driven by tariffs” and as customers endured an “increasingly challenging environment.”



May 1 Apple CEO Tim Cook <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2025/05/01/apple-earnings-better-iphone-sales-and-profit-than-expected-as-it-steps-through-tariff-minefields/">said</a> the company expects Trump’s tariffs will cause a $900 million hit to the company’s bottom line during its second quarter, saying it will be “very difficult” to predict beyond June “because I’m not sure what will happen with tariffs,” as Apple’s sales in China dropped below projections.



May 1 Amazon said in its first quarter earnings <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2025/05/01/amazon-tops-q1-earnings-estimates-but-stock-slides-on-soft-guidance/">report</a> Thursday that its future results are “inherently unpredictable” because of factors including “changes in global economic and geopolitical conditions” and “tariff and trade policies,” the latter of which was a not a reason included in its last quarter report.



May 1 General Motors, which <a href="https://investor.gm.com/static-files/78278d1e-0f28-46cd-8fe2-5438fc43d374" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earlier</a> said it would reassess its financial guidance for 2025 to include the “potential impact of tariffs,” <a href="https://investor.gm.com/static-files/644a15dc-b57c-4e91-821d-b81baa99246b" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lowered</a> its forecast for earnings to between $10 billion and $12.5 billion, down from $13.7 billion to $15.7 billion, as CEO Mary Barra <a href="https://investor.gm.com/news-releases/news-release-details/q1-2025-letter-shareholders" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> the company was adjusting to “the new trade policy environment.”



May 1 McDonald’s <a href="https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/content/dam/sites/corp/nfl/pdf/Q1_25_Earnings_Release.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> a 3.6% decline in U.S. same-store sales through its first quarter in 2025, the largest decrease since an 8.7% dip in 2020, as the fast food giant said consumers were “grappling with uncertainty.”



April 30 Stellantis <a href="https://www.stellantis.com/content/dam/stellantis-corporate/news/press-releases/2025/april/30-04-25/en/EN-20250430-Stellantis-Q12025-Results.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suspended</a> its full-year financial guidance for the 2025 fiscal year because of “tariff-related uncertainties,” and noted the company was “highly engaged with policymakers” about tariffs and has “[taken] action to reduce impacts.”



April 30 Mercedes <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250429364723/en/Mercedes-Benz-Group-Delivers-Solid-Q1-Results-in-a-Dynamic-Market-Environment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled</a> its full-year outlook for the 2025 fiscal year because the “volatility with regard to tariff policies” had become “too high to reliably assess” the automaker’s business development for the remainder of the year, adding estimates could not be made “with the necessary level of certainty.”



April 29 UPS <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2025/04/29/ups-to-cut-20000-jobs-in-2025-after-slashing-amazon-shipments/">pulled</a> its full-year guidance after previously forecasting revenue of $89 billion for 2025, citing the “current macro-economic uncertainty” as the shipping giant also announced it would lay off 20,000 workers by the end of the year.



April 29 Kraft Heinz CEO Abrams-Rivera said the company had <a href="https://ir.kraftheinzcompany.com/news/kraft-heinz-reports-first-quarter-2025-results/4e5e664b-9b79-4a92-8553-0a5ef4db87ad" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lowered</a> its full-year outlook as the “operating environment remains volatile,” and they would monitor the “potential impacts from macro-economic pressures such as tariffs and inflation.”



April 29 JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty <a href="https://news.jetblue.com/latest-news/press-release-details/2025/JetBlue-Announces-First-Quarter-2025-Results/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> the company had pulled its full-year outlook for 2025 because of “macroeconomic uncertainty,” while JetBlue president Marty St. George said the airline expected “softened demand” to continue.



April 29 Snap <a href="https://investor.snap.com/news/news-details/2025/Snap-Inc--Announces-First-Quarter-2025-Financial-Results/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">declined</a> to issue guidance for its second quarter, as the company behind Snapchat said “uncertainty with respect to how macro economic conditions may evolve in the months ahead” could impact advertising demand.



April 29 Volvo <a href="https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/348799/volvo-cars-reports-q1-2025-results-launches-sek-18-billion-cost-and-cash-action-plan" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a> 2025 would be a “challenging and transition year” as a result of “macroeconomic, geopolitical and market developments,” including the effects of tariffs on profits, while pulling its guidance for the year and 2026.



April 24 PepsiCo <a href="https://investors.pepsico.com/docs/default-source/investors/q1-2025/q1-2025-earnings-release_qrwd2bctzikuphl4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lowered</a> its earnings forecast for 2025 as the company expects “more volatility and uncertainty,” CEO Ramon Laguarta said, as PepsiCo said it faces higher supply chain costs because of tariffs, “elevated macroeconomic volatility and a subdued consumer backdrop.”



April 24 Procter &amp; Gamble, the owner of Tide and Charmin, among others, <a href="https://pginvestor.com/financial-reporting/press-releases/news-details/2025/PG-Announces-Fiscal-Year-2025-Third-Quarter-Results/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lowered</a> its sales growth projections for the year despite previously expecting growth up to 4% in 2025, while CEO Jon Moeller warned of a “challenging and volatile consumer and geopolitical environment.”



April 24 American Airlines CEO Robert Isom <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2025/04/24/negative-bias-american-airlines-pulls-2025-guidance-citing-significant-weakness-in-domestic-travel-demand/">told</a> investors the airline was “taking a very cautious, even a negative approach to growth” after pulling its full-year guidance, while CFO Devon May said economic uncertainty worsened by Trump’s tariffs brought “significant weakness in our main cabin demand.”



April 24 Skechers <a href="https://investors.skechers.com/press-releases/detail/663/skechers-announces-first-quarter-2025-financial-results-and" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled</a> its full-year outlook while citing “macroeconmic uncertainty stemming from global trade policies,” as CFO John Vandemore likened the economic environment to the pandemic.



April 23 Thermo Fisher Scientific <a href="https://ir.thermofisher.com/investors/news-events/news/news-details/2025/Thermo-Fisher-Scientific-Reports-First-Quarter-2025-Results/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">withdrew</a> its full-year profit forecast while the medical equipment maker expects to take a $400 million hit in sales to China, as Trump’s tariffs would likely raise the cost of parts the company sources in China.



April 23 Chipotle, which reported same-store sales well below analyst expectations, according to FactSet, lowered its full-year same-store sales growth for the year because the company expects customers to spend less as concerns about the economy became “overwhelming,” CEO Scott Boatwright <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4777419-chipotle-mexican-grill-inc-cmg-q1-2025-earnings-call-transcript" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a> investors.



April 23 Alaska Airlines <a href="https://news.alaskaair.com/company/alaska-air-group-reports-first-quarter-2025-results/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled</a> its full-year 2025 guidance because of “recent economic uncertainty and volatility.”



April 23 Southwest Airlines, while maintaining some of its projections for its second quarter, <a href="https://www.southwestairlinesinvestorrelations.com/news-and-events/news-releases/2025/04-23-2025-213818530" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">withdrew</a> guidance for 2025 in its first-quarter report while citing “macroeconomic uncertainty” that makes it “difficult to forecast given recent and short-lived booking trends.”



April 15 United Airlines <a href="https://www.united.com/en/us/newsroom/announcements/cision-125378" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">held</a> its full-year forecast, though the company also issued a second guidance featuring far lower earnings in 2025 because United believes the economy is “impossible to predict this year with any degree of confidence.”



April 11 Logitech <a href="https://ir.logitech.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2025/Logitech-Announces-Q4-and-Full-Fiscal-Year-2025-Results/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">withdrew</a> its outlook for its 2026 fiscal year because of the “continuing uncertainty surrounding the tariff environment.”



April 9 Walmart <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2025/04/09/walmart-showcases-business-strategy-focused-on-driving-growth-and-shareholder-value" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> it would pull forecasts for operating income in its upcoming first-quarter report on May 15, as the “range of outcomes” grew as Trump’s tariffs were implemented in trade.



April 9 Delta, after previously cutting first-quarter earnings projections by 40 to 50 cents a share, pulled its full-year guidance “given the broad macro uncertainty,” as it was “premature to project the full year,” the airline and CEO Ed Bastian <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2025/04/09/delta-pulls-full-year-guidance-economic-uncertainty/">said</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-have-trump-s-tariffs-resulted-in-layoffs">Have Trump’s Tariffs Resulted In Layoffs?</h2>



Several companies have announced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2025/04/22/tariff-layoff-tracker-mack-trucks-volvo-cut-hundreds-of-jobs-as-trumps-levies-pose-market-uncertainty/">layoffs</a>&nbsp;while citing the impact of Trump’s tariffs. Mack Trucks and Volvo Group told Forbes earlier this month that a combined 800 employees were laid off at facilities on the East Coast, with both automakers citing “market uncertainty,” the likelihood of “possible regulatory changes” and the “impact of tariffs.” Stellantis and Estée Lauder also announced layoffs. Goldman Sachs wrote in a note on April 15 that about 100,000 manufacturing jobs would be created because of Trump’s tariffs, though they would also likely remove up to 500,000 jobs across all industries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



Trump levied tariffs across U.S. trade partners during his so-called “Liberation Day” earlier this month. A 90-day pause on the tariffs was announced on April 9, though a baseline 10% would remain, except for China, whose imports face 145% tariffs. The White House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/04/29/trump-offers-automakers-tariff-reprieve-latest-big-tariff-flip-flop-since-liberation-day/">said</a>&nbsp;Tuesday that Trump would also offer a reprieve to automakers by exempting them from paying additional tariffs, like those on steel and aluminum. Some industry leaders have said Trump’s tariffs would raise consumer prices and create market volatility, including Ford CEO Jim Farley, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2025/02/11/ford-ceo-jim-farley-tariffs-auto-industry/78414492007/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">warned</a>&nbsp;Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported cars and car parts would “blow a hole in the U.S. industry that we’ve never seen.” Vice President JD Vance&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/04/22/will-trump-negotiate-tariffs-jd-vance-says-president-wants-to-rebalance-global-trade-but-no-deals-reached-yet/">said</a>&nbsp;the Trump administration is trying to “rebalance global trade” as the U.S. carries out tariff negotiations. Vance suggested the U.S. “want[s] to partner with people and countries” to create “a system of global trade that is balanced, one that is open, and one that is stable and fair.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2025/04/22/tariff-layoff-tracker-mack-trucks-volvo-cut-hundreds-of-jobs-as-trumps-levies-pose-market-uncertainty/">Tariff Layoff Tracker: Mack Truck, Volvo Cut Hundreds Of Jobs As Trump’s Levies Pose ‘Market Uncertainty’</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/04/29/trump-offers-automakers-tariff-reprieve-latest-big-tariff-flip-flop-since-liberation-day/">Trump Offers Automakers Tariff Reprieve—Latest Big Tariff Flip-Flop Since ‘Liberation Day’</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)

Lewis Hamilton Tests For Ferrari

Ferrari Says Tariffs May Reduce Profits—Joining These Companies Warning Of Tariff Impacts

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, recently announced the launch of a large-scale sugar refinery in Ghana that is set to more than double the country’s formally irrigated farmland through a single initiative.



The Dangote Sugar Refinery, located in Kwame-Danso in Ghana’s Bono Region, will reportedly bring 25,000 hectares of farmland under irrigation to support industrial-scale sugarcane cultivation.



This represents a boost to Ghana’s formal irrigation network, which currently covers just 19,000 hectares under public schemes, according to Joseph Nartey, Deputy Director of Operations at the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA).



While Ghana has a total irrigation potential of 1.9 million hectares, only about 229,109 hectares — or 12% — are currently irrigated, and the vast majority of this is through small-scale or informal means.



The major irrigation projects maintained by GIDA primarily support rice and vegetable cultivation.



“Sugarcane production in Ghana is currently quite low,” Courage Zoiku, a Ghanaian financial analyst, tells FORBES AFRICA. “This is a massive infrastructure investment that would significantly boost production compared to the current rain-fed system, where farmers can only cultivate once annually. Doubling the harvest would increase the availability of raw materials and, in turn, enhance sugar production in Ghana.’’



The project is being implemented under Ghana’s flagship ‘One District, One Factory’ industrialization program. It aims not only to reduce the country’s dependence on imported sugar but to catalyze a self-sustaining agro-industrial ecosystem.



Ghana currently spends more than $160 million annually on sugar imports, primarily from low-cost exporters such as India, Thailand, and Brazil. Efforts to revive local sugar production have struggled, due to inconsistent supply of raw sugarcane.



Dangote’s new facility will feature an integrated sugar refinery with a daily crushing capacity of 12,000 tons of cane, as well as processing units for molasses and ethanol. The company has confirmed that all required regulatory permits have been secured and that construction is ready to begin.



Yet, infrastructure remains a critical concern.



“The government must invest in road access,” Zoiku stresses. “Once production begins, there will be not just the central farm but also hundreds of out-growers around the area. Without reliable transport infrastructure, neither raw cane nor refined sugar can reach markets like Accra efficiently.”



He also warns that the long-term viability of the project will depend on smart policy support. While agricultural companies in Ghana currently benefit from a reduced corporate tax rate of 13%, and even lower rates in designated hinterland zones, local producers remain vulnerable to competition from imported sugar unless trade protections are introduced.



“Just like with rice, sugar needs import quotas to protect domestic industry,” Zoiku argues. “If local producers can’t sell their sugar because the market is flooded with cheaper imports, all this investment risks becoming a white elephant.”



He further recommends that government institutions, such as hospitals, prisons, and school feeding programs, be mandated to prioritize locally produced sugar. “Public procurement is a powerful lever to build demand and stabilize the market,” he says.



“We envision more than just a factory,” Dangote wrote in the announcement post on LinkedIn. “We see a catalyst for autonomy, employment, and continental transformation.”

Dangote Group Chief Executive Officer Aliko Dangote Interview

Africa’s Richest Man To More Than Double Ghana’s Publicly Irrigated Farmland With New Sugar Project

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



The Met Gala, an arts fundraiser more commonly known to fans as an extravagant, star-studded night for fashion, will honor fashion pioneered by Black men throughout history Monday night, with celebrities including A$AP Rocky and Colman Domingo set to host.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



The Met Gala will take place May 5 in New York as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, celebrating the opening of the museum’s spring exhibition: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”



The dress code for the evening is “Tailored for You,” which the Met said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">press release</a>&nbsp;is a “nod to the exhibition’s focus on suiting and menswear.”



Co-chairs for this year’s event include Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo, rapper A$AP Rocky, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and producer Pharrell Williams, alongside Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.



LeBron James will participate as the gala’s honorary chair this year.



This year’s gala is funded by a few billionaire celebrities—Tyler Perry’s Perry Foundation and George Lucas’s Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation—as well as Instagram and Africa Fashion International.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Is This Year’s Met Gala Theme?</h2>



<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The Met</a>&nbsp;has defined this year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” as an “exploration of the concept of dandyism,” a term that originally referred to aristocratic style as far back as the 18th century, which Vogue now defines as an “exuberant attention to dress.” The showcase and this year’s gala are based on the 2009 book “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” by Monica Miller, chair of the Barnard College Africana Studies department. Miller told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/superfine-tailoring-black-style-costume-institute-spring-2025-exhibition" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Vogue</a>&nbsp;this year’s exhibition will “illustrate how Black people transformed from being enslaved and stylized as luxury items, acquired like any other signifier of wealth and status, to autonomous self-fashioning individuals who are global trendsetters.” The Met’s exhibition is divided into twelve sections, each representing a characteristic defining the Black dandy style: Ownership, Presence, Distinction, Disguise, Freedom, Champion, Respectability, Jook, Heritage, Beauty, Cool, and Cosmopolitanism, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Met’s website</a>. Miller told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/apr/30/an-incredibly-political-moment-why-fashion-and-the-met-gala-are-celebrating-black-dandyism" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">the Guardian</a>&nbsp;the exhibition examines the idea of “ownership,” particularly the contrast between “being owned and ‘owning it.’’ This year’s exhibition was designed by artist Torkwase Dyson, and artist Iké Udé served as a special consultant.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Who’s Attending This Year’s Met Gala?</h2>



This year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">host committee</a>&nbsp;members are André 3000, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, Grace Wales Bonner, Jordan Casteel, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Edward Enninful, Jeremy O. Harris, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Rashid Johnson, Regina King, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, Audra McDonald, Janelle Monáe, Jeremy Pope, Angel Reese, Sha&#8217;Carri Richardson, Olivier Rousteing, Tyla, Usher and Kara Walker, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Met</a>. Zendaya, a Met Gala favorite for her extravagant looks conceived of by her stylist, Law Roach, will attend, Roach told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1415897/zendaya-will-attend-met-gala-2025-law-roach-confirms" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">E! News</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. Rihanna, another Met Gala regular, has not confirmed whether she will attend, though speculation has grown since her longtime partner, A$AP Rocky, is a co-chair. Actress Blake Lively, also known a regular attendee, has not confirmed whether she will attend amid her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/01/13/the-entire-justin-baldoni-vs-blake-lively-feud-explained-former-publicist-reportedly-subpoenaing-tech-companies/">legal battle</a>&nbsp;with “It Ends With Us” director Justin Baldoni, though&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/03/21/blake-lively-ryan-reynolds-skipping-met-gala/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">TMZ</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://people.com/blake-lively-ryan-reynolds-will-not-attend-2025-met-gala-exclusive-source-11701488" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">People</a>&nbsp;both cited sources claiming she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, will skip this year’s gala. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/style/met-gala-2025-black-dandy-politics.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">New York Times</a>&nbsp;reported various billionaires will skip this year’s event, including Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bernard Arnault and Elon Musk, while billionaire Michael Bloomberg will attend.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Number</h2>



$75,000. That’s how much a single Met Gala ticket costs, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/met-gala-2025-theme-hosts-watch.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">New York Times</a>&nbsp;reported, while tables of 10 sell for $350,000. Celebrities are typically sponsored by brands who purchase tickets for them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Surprising Fact</h2>



LeBron James, this year’s honorary co-chair, is playing in the NBA playoffs for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves lead the series 3-1, though if the Lakers keep winning, James could have a game the night before the gala, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/2025-nba-playoffs-schedule" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">NBA’s schedule</a>—and if the Lakers win, it’s unclear whether James will attend.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Can Viewers Watch The Met Gala?</h2>



The Met Gala will be broadcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/where-to-watch-the-2025-met-gala-livestream" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Vogue’s</a>&nbsp;digital platforms and on its YouTube channel beginning May 5 at 6 p.m. EST. Singer and actress Teyana Taylor, actress La La Anthony, and comedian Ego Nwodim will host the broadcast, and social media star Emma Chamberlain will return as Vogue’s special correspondent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



The Met Gala has had a decades-long&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/6972918/met-gala-history/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">history</a>&nbsp;as a fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute before transforming into an extravagant fashion showcase. The first gala was held in 1948 as a midnight dinner party, though it did not begin to transform until then-Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland joined as a consultant in the 1970s. Last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/05/06/what-we-know-about-tonights-met-gala-backed-by-tiktok-with-zendaya-and-more-co-chairing-garden-of-time-themed-event/">exhibition</a>&nbsp;was titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and the dress code for attendees was “Garden of Time.” Other recent themes include “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” in 2023 and “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” in 2022.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Further Reading</h2>



<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/superfine-suiting-portfolio-may-2025" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">“Superfine” and Dandy: Iconic Creatives Celebrate the Costume Institute’s New Exhibition</a>&nbsp;(Vogue)



<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/where-to-watch-the-2025-met-gala-livestream" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Where to Watch the 2025 Met Gala Livestream</a>&nbsp;(Vogue)

The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” – Street Sightings

What To Know About Tonight’s Met Gala: Who’s Attending And The ‘Tailoring Black Style’ Theme Explained

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creeping into every walk of life these days and the world of sport is no different, with data and the use of science behind the numbers becoming more prevalent. But that is not just at the elite level.



Could AI help uncover the next superstars in South Africa’s talent-rich Gauteng province by analyzing and exposing the most promising players in the region?



Swiss tech company Talnets AG have partnered with the Gauteng Development League (GDL) to implement their technology to provide young players with the opportunity not only to be seen by local clubs but also win a contract overseas.



It follows a successful one-year trial period where the technology features the youth teams of Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the three biggest clubs in South Africa.



Talnets AG’s technology uses AI to analyze a match based on over 60 different data points from video of GDL matches and turn this into useable numbers to create a detailed profile for each player over time.



This ‘player card’ becomes a CV for the player which lives online and is publicly shareable to scouts, coaches and clubs around the world.



But numbers never tell the whole story and the platform also creates short video highlights of the player that is assigned to their card and gives scouts the opportunity to visually see their actions as well as read their numbers.



Fungai Mapondera, originally from Zimbabwe but now based in Switzerland as CMO with Talnets AG, explains the concept to FORBES AFRICA.



“It is about extracting the data from the match video and assigning the different data points based on what the player is doing in the game,” Mapondera says. “In essence, you end up having a digital player card with all your data from all your games, plus the highlights from all those games, in one place.



“It makes it easy for you as the player to share that profile with anybody that may be scouting you.”



There have already been successes. One player was scouted using the system and has had trials in Spain. And there are many others who are set to have their talent exposed to the world through the platform.



Behind it all is a meeting between technology and sport, something that has been rapidly accelerating in recent years, and is set to develop even further into the future as the cost of such platforms come down and therefore become more widely available.



Pin-pointing exactly what makes for useable and readable data has been important.



“There are so many things you can analyze in a game,” says Talnets’ Chief Executive Officer Darko Stanoevski. “Our focus is on individual performance analysis, which requires a bit more of a specific approach.



“That framework could be simple things like goals and goalkeeper saves, to more intricate detail like the different kinds of passes, passive passes, passes that break the (defensive) line and so on.



“Grounded on the FIFA Football Language Model and built with top football experts, we have developed our framework with over 60 different data points to help us spot and identify young talents in an efficient, transparent and scalable way. Analyzing a full game based on this framework would give us around 600 data points for one team, and then it will be, on average, around 15-20 data points per player.”



This data collection used to be done manually by an analyst, taking days or even weeks. But that has been now cut down to a few hours.



“The AI is an enabler to lower time dramatically, to automate this entire analysis process and make it more scalable and more efficient,” Stanoevski says.



“It gets players visibility and access to clubs, to scouts and coaches that have access to the platform, and even more importantly, enabling the players themselves to share their profiles with anyone, so they can build a ‘CV’ and pursue their dream.”

Photo supplied by GDL

Could AI Help Uncover The Next Football Stars In South Africa? This Tech Firm May Have The Answer

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



The most valuable&nbsp;pure entertainment company in the world got a little less valuable Monday, as shares of California-based streaming giant Netflix fell following President Donald Trump’s announcement he’d slap a high penalty on films produced abroad.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



Netflix stock fell 4% to $1,113, tracking toward its worst daily loss since April 4.



The slide followed Trump’s Sunday evening&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114452117143235155" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">proclamation</a>&nbsp;he’d slap a 100% tariff on “any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” declaring films produced outside the U.S. are a “National Security threat.”



Also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/05/05/trump-says-films-shot-outside-us-will-face-100-tariff-hollywood-stocks-drop-in-premarket/">struggling</a>&nbsp;were shares of Disney (-2%), Max parent Warner Bros. Discovery (-3%), Paramount Global (-2%) and Universal Pictures parent Comcast (-1%), all outpacing the less than 1% loss for the S&amp;P 500 baseline stock index.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Number</h2>



$20.4 billion. That’s how much market capitalization Netflix lost Monday. That’s almost exactly the same as Warner Bros. Discovery’s $20.5 billion total valuation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What We Don’t Know: How Trump’s Movie Tariffs Would Work</h2>



Unlike goods on which officials collect duties when entering U.S. ports, movies are services with a more complicated tariff structure. “Is it just movies, or also streaming series? Is it visual effects, co-productions, international film financing? There’s a huge degree of uncertainty,” Henning Molfenter, the former head of the German Babelsberg Studio with producer credits on “The Pianist” and “Captain America: Civil War,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/can-trumps-movie-tariff-actually-work-1236207053/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;The Hollywood Reporter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



Just more than half, or 51%, of Netflix’s 2024 content spending went to content from outside of North America,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ampereanalysis.com/insight/more-than-half-of-netflixs-content-spending-now-outside-of-north-america#:~:text=More%20than%20half%20of%20Netflix's%20content%20budget%20is%20now%20allocated,directed%20towards%20internationally%2Dsourced%20content." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to market research firm Ampere Analysis. About 70% of the streamers’ paid subscriptions come from outside the U.S. and Canada. Some of Netflix’s most popular recent programs among American audiences include shows filmed outside the U.S., including the British period series “Bridgerton” and the South Korean “Squid Game.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Contra</h2>



Prior to Trump’s Sunday announcement, Netflix stock was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2025/04/17/netflix-earnings-record-profits-and-sales-send-stock-to-nearly-1000/">hailed</a>&nbsp;by many as a relative safe haven compared to other stocks in the crosshairs of tariff choppiness. Bank of America analysts’ note following Netflix’s earnings report was titled “Predictable in an unpredictable world.” Through Friday trading, Netflix stock returned 30% in 2025, far outperforming the returns of Facebook parent Meta (2%), Amazon (-13%), Apple (-18%) and Google parent Alphabet (-13%), the other members of the “FAANG” grouping of high-growth technology stocks.

Netflix Shares Jump On Strong Subscriber Report

Netflix Suffers $20 Billion Loss As Trump Wields 100% Movie Tariffs

The tiny Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius is known for its beautiful beaches, sandy shores and tropical charm… but not yet for its football prowess.



Soccer remains hugely popular on the island, but with around 1.25-million people calling it home, it is the size of a modest city elsewhere on the continent.



That makes creating a competitive team on the international stage a challenge, but there are plans afoot to develop the game in Mauritius, especially for girls, to help the country punch above its weight.



Mauritius are among the lowest-ranked teams globally in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, but with a new generation of starlets coming through, Mauritius Football Association (MFA) Women’s football development officer and Under-17 national team coach Anielle Collet can see a brighter future.



She has worked in football for the last 23 years, having been drawn to the game as a young girl herself, and has seen many positive changes.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="906" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0640-906x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-65449" style="width:530px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0640-906x1024.jpg 906w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0640-265x300.jpg 265w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0640-768x868.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0640-1359x1536.jpg 1359w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0640-1812x2048.jpg 1812w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 906px) 100vw, 906px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marie Elsa Oscar of Mauritius (© Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)</figcaption></figure></div>


She believes football is not just a sport in Mauritius, but an important part of the social fabric of the island.



“It&#8217;s part of our culture,” Collet tells FORBES AFRICA. “You can see everyone eager every weekend to watch the games. From where I come from, a small island, football is like a community base; everyone involved in the game is part of this community.”



Collet has been at the forefront of football development in Mauritius for the past few years, and is proud of the progress made by the MFA with the professionalization and promotion of the women’s game.



“We can see that the level of competition is increasing more and more,” she says. “Also, we now have players that are playing abroad in France, the United States and Canada. We can see there is improvement and at the football association we are putting much effort into the promotion of women&#8217;s football.



“To market it and commercialize it, we have a social platform where it is visible everywhere. We can see this change now.



“Before, it was stagnant. But now there is an increase because we have academies and a league that is running. We started to have female coaches and the game generally has become more visible.”



The MFA has been following a strategic plan, starting at youth and grassroots level, to develop a clear player pathway to the senior national side and the professional level, according to Collet. This involves the improvement of not only players, but staff as well.



The impact of these initiatives has been positive, with the impact measurable and easy to see in certain areas of development.



“We can see now that there are more girls that are keen to play football because there are special programmes put in place by FIFA and football academies, and we can see that schools are starting to do inter-college matches (for girls),” Collet says.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="889" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0642-889x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-65448" style="width:606px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0642-889x1024.jpg 889w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0642-260x300.jpg 260w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0642-768x885.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0642-1334x1536.jpg 1334w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0642-1778x2048.jpg 1778w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/B24LESS0642.jpg 1851w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 889px) 100vw, 889px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marie Chlotarina Clair of Mauritius (© Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)</figcaption></figure></div>


Mauritius’ progress can be followed further when they compete in the COSAFA Under-17 Girls’ Championship in Windhoek, Namibia, from May 10-17.



“This will contribute to the development of a clear player pathway as they get the opportunity to showcase their talent at youth level on the COSAFA stage. This furthermore gives the players the opportunity to emerge at senior level,” Collet adds.

Football – 2024 COSAFA U17 Girls Championship – Zimbabwe v Mauritius – UJ Soweto B Stadium – Johannesburg

Football In Mauritius? How The Island Is Working Towards Its Goals For The Women’s Game

The modern workplace is built on principles of communication, fairness and trust–or so the promise goes.



The reality is work has become a carousel of contradictions, spinning employees between the promise of work-life balance and an expectation of round-the-clock availability, the push for collaboration and pull of cut-throat competition, and the drive for efficiency amid endless layers of bureaucracy.



Mixed messages have never been more present in our workplaces.



At the heart of these contradictions is the tension between modern workplace ideals and entrenched corporate habits. Organizations want to appear progressive while maintaining control, leading to policies that sound good in theory but fail in practice. Employees are left navigating ever-shifting expectations, unsure whether to follow what is being preached or what is being practiced.



Companies boast about valuing employees though job security is treated as an outdated luxury. They roll out mental health initiatives while simultaneously increasing workloads. They encourage innovation yet the moment someone suggests a bold new idea, they are met with a polite but firm “that’s not how we do things here”.



Flexibility has lost all of its original meaning. For years, employees were told their jobs could not be done remotely. Today, the pressure to return to your desk station is stronger than ever, with hybrid work dangled like a carrot–with an unspoken condition of “work from anywhere but be available everywhere, all the time”.



Job ads promote diversity but hiring still prioritizes those who mirror the status quo, or who “fit the culture”. Promotions are supposedly based on merit but networking and office politics still carry more weight than actual performance.



And then there is the expectation of bringing your “whole self” to work–with fine print attached. Employees are encouraged to be authentic yet only within the limits of what is deemed acceptable in the workplace. Sharing personal struggles is applauded but only when they align with carefully curated company values.



Contradictions extend into workplace culture, where employees are told honesty is a core value. Yet those who expose wrongdoing or challenge poor leadership decisions often find themselves sidelined.



Transparency is encouraged in theory though speaking up about ethical breaches or workplace dysfunction is a fast-track to being labelled “difficult” or “not a team player”.



Meanwhile, the same organizations that promote work-life balance and wellbeing initiatives subtly reward overwork. Employees are encouraged to take breaks for their health yet those who power through lunch or answer emails late into the night are the ones seen as the most dedicated.



Mental health days are encouraged yet those who take them are quietly judged as “not committed”.



Workplaces love to remind employees they are a “family” yet those same employees are often the first to be cut when profits take a hit.



Let us make our workplaces great again.



The only way forward is to cut the contradictions and replace spin with substance. Trust needs to be more than a corporate buzzword. Productivity should be measured by outcomes and not time spent at a desk or the speed of an email reply. Recognition should be meaningful, not just a scripted gesture.



If employees are truly the greatest asset of a company, then their value should be reflected in fair pay, real career progression and leadership that listens rather than lectures.



Inclusivity should be more than a metric. Hiring for diversity is only one step–ensuring those employees are heard, supported and given opportunities to advance is what makes a workplace genuinely inclusive.



Making workplaces great again is not about nostalgia. It is about creating workplaces that function in practice, not just in mission statements.



Work should not be a puzzle of mixed messages. The place of work should be a place where employees want to stay, not one that they endure while scrolling job ads during their lunch break.

gettyimages-641970904-170667a

Expert-Speak: Let’s Make Workplaces Great Again

In a world where there are 25 minutes of previews before every movie, here&#8217;s why studios pay millions to secure a spot in front of summer&#8217;s biggest blockbusters.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<abbr>A</abbr>nyone going to see&nbsp;Marvel Studios’&nbsp;Thunderbolts*&nbsp;this weekend can expect to watch eight—perhaps even 10—movie trailers before the feature begins. Throw in an ad for popcorn and Nicole Kidman waxing poetic about the power of cinema, and the pre-show lineup can stretch to nearly a half-hour.



Even if that can seem like a drag to an audience, those are highly valuable minutes to both the movie studios and the theater chains. In an era when theatrical attendance continues to decline—the domestic box office grossed $8.7 billion last year, a dip of more than 3% from 2023, and ticket sales dropped 7%—trailers remain the top driver of awareness and decision-making for most moviegoers. According to National Research Group’s biannual survey, 36% of those between the ages 12-74 say they first heard about the most recent movie they saw in theaters through a trailer, more than any other source.



Because&nbsp;Thunderbolts*&nbsp;is the first anticipated blockbuster of the summer movie season—the 18-week period between the first of May and Labor Day that accounts for 40% of the annual box office total in the U.S. and Canada—its preview space is one of the most important marketing opportunities for the biggest releases, including Paramount’s&nbsp;Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Universal’s&nbsp;Jurassic World: Rebirth, and Warner Bros.’&nbsp;Superman.



With fierce competition for these theoretically finite slots, there’s another reason for the increased number of trailers—theater chains are selling preview time to the highest bidder. “The most valuable real estate this industry has is trailer play. That&#8217;s where we cross-pollinate success,” Neon CEO Tom Quinn said last month at Cinemacon in Las Vegas. “But I, as an independent, don&#8217;t always get trailer play. I have to go buy that trailer play with every other studio. And we play a big game, but it&#8217;s very expensive.”



The particulars of this pay-to-play system are whispered about with a level of secrecy that Ethan Hunt’s Impossible Missions Force would appreciate. Despite the symbiotic relationship between studios and theaters—or mutually assured destruction, depending on who you ask—the two sides often operate on a need-to-know, no-paper-trail basis. For fear of upsetting the delicate system, neither side is eager to speak on the record.



According to Hollywood lore, it was Sony executive&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-may-24-fi-1822-story.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Jeff Blake who first began paying for trailer placement</a>&nbsp;in 2001. Back then, theaters averaged four previews per movie. The two slots closest to the actual feature were guaranteed to the company distributing the movie, and the others were chosen by the theater operator. That is until Blake shelled out an estimated $100,000, split among four theater chains, to ensure that a 60-second preview for the Rob Schneider comedy&nbsp;The Animal&nbsp;played in front of that summer’s big May release,&nbsp;The Mummy Returns.



Today, Hollywood’s major studios routinely strike year-long marketing agreements with major theater chains including AMC, Regal and Cinemark to guarantee trailer play in front of the biggest releases. Those deals range from $2 million to $5 million each, proportionate to the size of the chain, and can include other in-theater marketing opportunities such as ads on concession stands or theater marquees.



What exactly that money buys, however, is not always clear. Most moviegoers would assume the trailer system would be similar to any other advertising expenditure, but in practice studio executives say it can often feel closer to a bribe. Studios typically select “target” preferences for which trailers to put with which movies, and exhibitors reply with a certain percentage of screenings it can offer for each title, usually between 50% and 100%.



The tradition of reserving the two final previews for free for the studio that produced the movie continues to hold, but the value of the other four to six slots is constantly in flux. Six-figure transactions for additional trailer play can often materialize at a moment’s notice. This dynamic marketplace is driven by a movie’s predicted popularity, the amount of money paid, and above all, the fear of competition.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Further complicating the marketplace, each studio has no idea what the others are paying a particular chain, and chains don’t know what each studio is paying the competition. Beyond that, studios don’t know whether the preview screenings they receive will be in the best auditoriums or the best showtimes.



To help strategize, some studios have hired third-party trailer auditing companies, who send people to physically sit in theaters across the country and write down the order of all the trailers played before a given movie.



“It’s always been sensitive and back room,” says one distribution executive, who believes there should be more transparency but declines to be identified by name. “It’s coming from this place of we’re going to maximize our leverage against you. A lot of theatrical distribution is rooted in that tradition.”



Until the pandemic, Disney was known for never having to pay for trailer placement because of its dominant position in the marketplace. The mere threat of withholding a film or increasing its rental fee (the percentage split of box office gross) was enough to ensure good trailer placement from theater chains. Rival studios also relied on Disney’s new releases so they could advertise their biggest movies ahead of them.



However, Disney has only held the largest market share of the domestic box office once in the five years since the pandemic, and in recent years Hollywood insiders believe the company has started to participate in the pay-for-play trailer system like everyone else. (Disney declined to comment for this story.)



The trailer strategy gets even more complicated after that. Any preview slots not reserved by these annual guarantees are sold on a one-off basis or in mini-packages to independent distributors such as A24 and Neon, who in some cases pay up to $1 million across all the chains to secure a percentage of trailer play in front of a particular movie.



The irony of this high-pressure environment is that it is relatively low stakes. A presumed blockbuster like&nbsp;Thunderbolts*&nbsp;has a marketing budget of well over $100 million, and the amount of money spent on TV advertisements for one movie alone can be more than a studio might spend on trailer placement for the entire year.



Still, studio executives say that reaching people who have already bought movie tickets and then getting their undivided attention for a trailer can often the moment when they decide whether they want to see an upcoming movie. Meanwhile, TV commercials, digital ads and billboards serve primarily to remind viewers of a movie’s release date.



That’s why studios can spend as much as $200,000 to produce a two-and-a-half minute trailer—or, in the case of&nbsp;Thunderbolts*,&nbsp;even three full-length trailers across a seven-month marketing campaign.



This combination of the increased length of trailers and the increased inventory over the years has seemingly pushed some moviegoers to the edge of their patience. In Connecticut, a state senator introduced a bill in January that would require theaters to post the movie’s actual start time as opposed to the time when the previews begin.. And at CinemaCon, the national gathering of theater owners, there were multiple conversations around reviving the effort to cap trailers at two minutes (a&nbsp;<a href="https://theatreowners.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/NATO-In-Theater-Marketing-Guidelines-1.7.14.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">guideline</a>&nbsp;sent out in 2014 by the National Association of Theater Owners was mostly ignored by studios).



“People love trailers,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at ComScore, a leading box office data provider. “But [theaters] have to walk that fine line—you don&#8217;t want to overdo it because then you burn people out before the curtains even open on the feature.&#8221;



For studios, a good trailer often doubles as the most impactful piece of digital marketing in a movie’s campaign, once it is posted on YouTube and other social media platforms. According to the same NRG survey, Gen-Z moviegoers said that social media and word of mouth outrank trailers in influence, but when asked what type of social media content drives their choices, trailers once again reigned supreme.



Daniel Loria, a senior vice president of content strategy at Los Angeles-based Boxoffice Pro, says that online trailer views are a strong indicator of box office performance. “That’s a big data point that we use here internally in our forecasting,” Loria says. “Having trailers available online is a real game changer for movie marketing.”



There is, however, one other marketing force that in recent years has proven even more powerful and unpredictable—online virality. When a movie catches on organically—whether it’s an army of teen “Gentleminions” in suits going to see&nbsp;Minions: The Rise of Gru, the&nbsp;M3gan&nbsp;dance trend, or the recent “chicken jockey” mania around&nbsp;A Minecraft Movie—it can cause a movie to vastly overperform the predicted box office results.



But attempts by distributors to create those viral moments have proven largely futile, so for now, the focus remains on trailers.



“I think what everyone in this industry has learned is that viral moments of the movies have to be organic. You can’t will a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/07/23/barbie-living-up-to-box-office-hype-with-155-million-us-opening-weekend-biggest-of-the-year/">Barbenheimer</a> into existence,” says Loria. “But in a theater, you know you&#8217;ve got their attention. And you&#8217;ve got two to three minutes to sell the movie. That is so valuable.”

cinema

Inside The Secretive, Pay-For-Play World Of Movie Trailers

Former Swiss-South African Tennis player ROGER FEDERER is as passionate about education as he is about sport. He talks about his eponymous foundation and the milestones that have made his philanthropic work worthwhile on the continent.&nbsp;



Roger Federer began playing tennis at the age of three and went on to win 20 Grand Slam titles and 103 career Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) titles throughout his career. What we probably don’t know is that through the Roger Federer Foundation that he launched in 2003, he is serving children so they have the best start in their educational journey. On a recent visit to South Africa, Federer, along with South African rugby captain, Siya Kolisi, relayed and emphasized the importance of access to quality early childhood education. We asked him:&nbsp;



Q. How important would you say sport is as a catalyst for social change and why?&nbsp;



A. It all starts with early motor skills. From a young age, children need to develop their social and cognitive skills, which help them to communicate and learn. Movement also plays an important role here. Strong motor skills aren’t just important for physical development; movement also has a social aspect to it. The development of the brain and body are linked.&nbsp;



If a child’s early motor skills are well-developed, they are more likely to succeed in sports later on, but it’s more than that. The importance of motor skills development, and the impact on an individual as a whole, can’t be understated.&nbsp;



Q. What is the Roger Federer Foundation doing in terms of skills development for educators and support staff?&nbsp;



A. Working though our implementing partner organizations, we provide educators with tablets containing knowledge and tools that help them improve their teaching. These tools include a course on play-based learning and resources on mobilizing parents to build playgrounds and be more involved in their children’s learning. Another app allows educators to track each child’s development using specially-designed activities. We also distribute sets of booklets that contain toy- making and learning activities that parents can use with their children. This allows parents to make an important contribution to their child’s education at home.&nbsp;



In South Africa, we have started involving government officials at circuit and district levels, with the aim of getting them to digitally track important data at pre-primary schools. This includes data on attendance and enrolment as well as data that continuously tracks if children are reaching their milestones, also ensuring that support is provided right away to children who are falling behind.&nbsp;



Q. Has there been a defining or standout moment for you that you use as motivation to continue the work that you do?&nbsp;



A. Small things, like seeing children enjoying a newly-built playground that their community has built with our guidance, already inspire me to keep going. We also know that children who get a quality pre-primary education are more likely to succeed in school and less likely to repeat grades or drop out. Studies have shown that success in education has a vital impact on economic performance later on. The massive impact of quality early childhood education (ECD) on not just people, but communities and even countries, motivates me a great deal.&nbsp;



In terms of funding, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has matched millions in funding in Lesotho, Malawi and Zimbabwe, which was thrilling for us. Recently, President [Cyril] Ramaphosa also emphasized that South Africa has prioritized ECD, stating that a strong foundation is vital for children’s later success. More and more, governments are beginning to put ECD on the agenda. It’s a very exciting time for my foundation and all the fantastic organizations that have been working tirelessly in this space for decades.&nbsp;



Q. As an accomplished athlete, how do you continuously cultivate a winning mentality not just in sport but in life?&nbsp;



A. From tennis, I learned early on that success isn’t just about talent; it’s about consistency, resilience, and always being open to learning. That same approach applies to life beyond the sport. I try to stay curious, embrace new challenges, and keep things in perspective. Surrounding yourself with great people who you can learn from and push you to improve is extremely important.&nbsp;

Roger Federer Visits Ethiopia

Advantage Africa: Roger Federer’s Deciding Points Serving Early Childhood Education On The Continent

As the head of one of the world’s biggest tech giants, celebrating its golden anniversary, CEO, Satya Nadella shares his vision on reinvention, AI, and why relevance trumps longevity. Read on for the facts changing our world now.



At 50, Microsoft stands as one of tech’s most enduring success stories. But Satya Nadella, only the third CEO in the company’s history, isn’t interested in looking back. His focus remains squarely on what’s next for the $3-trillion giant. “What got us here is not being obsessed about longevity, but being more obsessed about relevance,” Nadella says. “We are a consequential company. We’re here not because we somehow achieved something in the past. It’s more because we are willing to push ourselves to be relevant again in a different context.” This mindset has driven Microsoft since day one, when Paul Allen rushed into Bill Gates’ Harvard dorm room with a copy of Popular Electronics magazine, sparking what would become the world’s most influential software company. Now, half a century later, that same hunger for relevance is propelling Microsoft into the era of artificial intelligence (AI).



Betting big on AI



Since taking the helm in 2014, Nadella has navigated Microsoft through perhaps its most successful reinvention yet. The India-born executive, who earned his bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Mangalore University before completing master’s degrees in computer science and business from American universities, has transformed Microsoft from a Windows-dependent business into a cloud computing powerhouse. Nadella’s connection to Microsoft runs deep. He joined in 1992 during what he calls “the beginning of the client-server era” when Windows 3 had just launched and Windows NT (a completely new, 32-bit operating system) was yet to be named. And during his tenure, Microsoft’s market value has soared past $3 trillion – a testament to his vision of cloud-first, mobile-first computing that has since evolved to embrace AI at every level. “We’re in the very early stages of reconceptualizing what the web looks like for the agentic web,” Nadella explains. “In some sense, you can think of these AI agents or assistants as the new browsers.”



Windows, reimagined



For all the talk of cloud and AI, Windows remains central to Microsoft’s identity. “One of the dreams I have for Windows going forward is what’s the way both the function and the form, or what is a Windows computer in this agentic web?” he says. “Windows is being built for what is going to be the future of agents.” He envisions interactions that transcend traditional mouse and keyboard inputs. “It’s pretty surreal to be able to switch on Copilot and have a full duplex conversation with an agent that also knows the context of what I’m operating on. Copilot is the first app,” Nadella adds, suggesting this AI assistant represents just the beginning of a fundamental shift in how we interact with computers. The transformation of Windows epitomizes this forward-looking approach. Nadella shares how, for example, he recently used GitHub Copilot to build an Altair emulator and BASIC interpreter (the first product Gates created) in just one hour. “Look at it. We’ve come 50 years to be able to do what Bill may have done in a couple of all-nighters. Now anybody can ‘white code’ their way to building,” he says. Even more importantly, this democratization extends to entrepreneurship. “For the entrepreneur, you have unbelievable tools to realize that dream,” he explains. “You now have the ability to change the aperture, the scope and the scale of your ambition.”



Democratizing technology globally



“Our mission is to democratize access to tech,” Nadella emphasizes. “Microsoft has always been that technology company that allowed me to build technology or feel good about creation.”



The company recently announced plans to invest R5.4 billion ($297 million) to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa by 2027, building on its existing R20.4 billion ($1.12 billion) investment that established the nation’s first, enterprise-grade datacenters. This investment aims to enable organizations of all sizes to access cloud and AI solutions, driving innovation across the South African economy. The company has also committed to skilling one million South Africans by 2026 and will pay for 50,000 young people to become ‘Microsoft Certified’ in high-demand skills like AI, data science and cybersecurity analysis. This investment in infrastructure and skills training represents Nadella’s vision of AI as a truly global technology that benefits both developed and developing nations equally. “Having grown up in the Global South, I feel every day that there might be a general-purpose technology that won’t have this distinction between the Global North and Global South,” he reflects. “AI, interestingly enough, probably, is that technology that will help a rural Indian farmer and an entrepreneur on the West Coast of the United States to the same degree.”



What’s next



“As we enter our 51st year, I care a lot more about whether we’re doing relevant things now, versus talking about our last 50 or the next 50,” he insists. “The essence of this industry is it’s pretty harsh for anybody who rests on their laurels or projects way too much into the future,” Nadella says. This is why he is so focussed on the present while building for the future. This is what defines Microsoft at 50 but his enthusiasm for AI’s potential to bridge global divides comes from personal experience. “When I look back, I’m as excited about what we want to work on as I was in ‘92 in terms of the opportunity,” he says with characteristic optimism. The company that revolutionized personal computing is once again at technology’s frontier. “That abundance, that ability to democratize access to tech,” Nadella reflects, “is what we are again, yet again, having a chance to live and build.”

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