NAIROBI, KENYA: In a landmark move to advance Africa’s digital transformation agenda, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), Sybyl, and IXAfrica Data Centre Limited (iXAfrica) have announced a strategic partnership to establish and scale sovereign cloud infrastructure in Kenya and other East African countries. Through a Memorandum of Understanding with both Sybyl and iXAfrica, TCS aims to empower governments, enterprises, and innovators with secure, locally hosted cloud offerings that comply with national data residency and sovereignty requirements, marking a major milestone in Africa’s journey towards digital independence.

TCS, Sybyl, and iXAfrica will combine their strengths to build a robust foundation for digital transformation in East Africa. TCS will bring its sovereign cloud and global cloud expertise, Sybyl will bring its regional engineering and customer support expertise, and iXAfrica will provide secure, scalable AI-ready data centre infrastructure. With complementary strengths, the trio will ensure enterprises benefit from world-class technology, local implementation, and resilient data hosting. As Africa doubles down on its digital transformation agenda, data sovereignty has become a defining issue across the continent. Several national governments and enterprises are increasingly seeking solutions that ensure data is housed within a country’s borders, regulated as per regional laws, and managed through secure and robust infrastructure. This partnership directly addresses that urgent need by offering a trusted, built-in-Africa cloud environment.

TCS will deploy TCS Sovereign Secure Cloud, a bespoke offering for government, public enterprises, and regulated industries, that offers a sovereign cloud with integrated AI to drive data, operational, and digital sovereignty. It will provide the sovereign cloud architecture, deployment frameworks, and security expertise, drawing from its global leadership in IT services, consulting, and digital transformation.

Satishchandra Doreswamy, Vice President & Head, Cloud Unit – Growth Markets, TCS, “We offer a resilient and future-ready cloud infrastructure, powered by AI-driven intelligence, that can be tailored to the specific needs of our customers. With built-in compliance to global and local regulatory authorities, our sovereign cloud fuels future-forward business models while meeting the most stringent standards for privacy and regulatory requirements. It is the ideal solution for countries and enterprises that are looking to safeguard their digital sovereignty through robust cloud technology.”

Sybyl, one of East Africa’s leading systems integrators, will lead local implementation, support, and customer enablement, leveraging its deep regional expertise in enterprise technology solutions and managed services. Shailendra Yadav, CEO, Sybyl Kenya & Tanzania, said, “Digital independence must deliver real gains. By running sovereign cloud in iXAfrica’s AI-ready campus along with TCS’s cloud expertise, we cut currency exposure,  foreign policy risks, keep services reachable on local routes during outages, and create skilled jobs for Kenyans and Africans as a whole.”

Home to East Africa’s leading carrier-neutral and AI-ready data centre campus (NBOX1), iXAfrica will provide the secure, scalable, and energy-efficient infrastructure hosting the Sovereign Cloud. Snehar Shah, CEO, iXAfrica, said, “Data sovereignty is the cornerstone of Africa’s digital future. By hosting Sovereign Cloud infrastructure within iXAfrica’s AI-ready campus, we are ensuring that African data stays in Africa, secure, sustainable, and ready to power the next generation of innovation.”

A sovereign cloud infrastructure leverages economies of scale of cloud computing while strictly protecting data, complying with privacy needs, ensuring operational sovereignty, and enabling easy access to the full range of cloud services with powerful computing. It has applications across sectors such as banking, telecom, the public sector, and the enterprise sectors. By leveraging locally hosted and globally secure cloud environments, both public and private enterprises are empowered to operate within a framework that fully supports compliance with national data protection laws. This ensures that sensitive data remains within the country’s borders while adhering to rigorous regional and international security standards.

TCS’s sovereign cloud offering is designed to future-proof companies by providing access to advanced AI and analytics capabilities. Enterprises will also gain the advantage of end-to-end managed services and local technical expertise. This comprehensive support enables organisations to seamlessly adopt, operate, and scale their cloud solutions, fostering confidence and resilience in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This initiative is aimed at creating jobs that will employ local talent, strengthen local digital infrastructure, and position East Africa as a strategic technology hub for Africa as a whole. TCS has operated in Africa for almost two decades and has over 50 clients in the region. It serves most of the region’s large enterprises, including top telecommunication companies, leading banking and insurance firms, as well as utilities and public enterprises. Additionally, TCS has been awarded the Top Employer Award for nine consecutive years in the region.

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The festival at the National Museums of Kenya addresses the growing plastic pollution crisis by demonstrating practical, culturally rooted solutions that create jobs, reduce environmental harm, and cut the billions governments spend on clean up, incineration, and health costs associated with throwaway plastic culture.

KEY EVENTS:

1. MEDIA BRIEFING

Date: Friday, November 14, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Venue: National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi

2. REFILL AND REUSE FESTIVAL DETAILS

Day 1 – Policy Dialogues
Date: Friday, November 14, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Program Highlights:

• Media Briefing
• Panel Discussions
• Refill and Reuse Exhibition

Day 2 – Public Festival: “Experience, Refill, Reuse: A Sustainable Lifestyle for All”
Date: Saturday, November 15, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Target Audience: General public, families, schools, artists, innovators

Program Highlights:

• Hands-on refill stations and zero-waste exhibitions
• Children’s upcycling art competitions
• Live music performances and poetry sessions
• Storytelling circles and interactive refill challenges with prizes
• Demonstrations of traditional African reuse practices

Admission: Free and open to the public

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Nazia Pillay, Interim Managing Director for South Africa at SAP, says: “The data is clear: African companies expect the demand for AI skills to increase this year, with six in ten saying AI skills are ‘extremely important’ to their success. The business impact of a lack of AI skills availability is already evident, with 90% of companies in our research citing negative impacts that include project delays, failed innovation initiatives, and an inability to take on new work.”

SAP’s latest report follows an earlier tech skills report released in 2023, which unveiled specific challenges and opportunities for African organisations seeking greater tech skills availability.

“Our first report was conducted just as we exited the worst of the pandemic impact. At the time, companies were facing several challenges with attracting, retaining, and upskilling suitable, qualified tech workers, especially in the wake of the rise of remote and hybrid work environments. This year, the business landscape has been transformed by the impact of AI technologies and the search for relevant skills.”

The research was conducted at the end of 2024 among both mid-size and enterprise-level companies in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Universal need for AI skills

Every organisation that was surveyed as part of the research said they expect the demand for AI skills to increase in 2025. All companies are also expected to experience some AI-related skills gap this year. “Skills related to AI are hugely in-demand among African organisations, with 85% saying AI development skills are a priority, and 83% prioritising Generative AI skills. To help close the AI skills gap, two-thirds of organisations are introducing career development initiatives with AI specialisation to upskill or reskill employees.”

Overall, the most in-demand tech skill among African organisations is cybersecurity. “Eighty-six percent of companies said cybersecurity skills were important to them, a significant increase over the 63% that said the same in our previous research. The growing importance of cybersecurity may be partly explained by the rapid growth of Africa’s digital economy and the millions of citizens that are being brought into the digital fold through public and private sector initiatives.”

Changing workplace expectations

There are far-reaching changes in the expectations of both employers and employees regarding skills and the workplace compared to a few years ago. “Eight in ten African organisations said supporting skilled employees’ requests for hybrid or remote work is their top skills-related challenge this year, a significant increase from only 32% who said the same in our previous survey.“

The non-technical attributes that African organisations look for in potential hires have also evolved. “In 2023, technical skills and industry-specific skills were the top attributes. Affordability was somewhere near the bottom, with less than a third of organisations saying they consider it during the hiring process. This year, affordability is the number one candidate attribute for African organisations, with adaptability a close second.”

Adaptability is essential in light of the need for employees to be upskilled or reskilled with AI skills. “Reskilling is a top skills-related priority for 38% of companies this year, with 48% saying the same of upskilling employees. Unsurprisingly, two-thirds of companies said helping employees understand why reskilling is necessary is one of the top challenges this year.”

Training, skills development in the spotlight

Pillay says companies are stepping up their IT training and skills development efforts to help meet the demand for skills. “Ninety-four percent of African organisations offer training and skills development to employees at least monthly, an increase from 74% in our last survey. The number of companies offering training opportunities to employees at any time also increased from 28% in our last survey to 37% this year.”

Surprisingly, the portion of companies’ IT or HR budgets allocated to skills-related initiatives has declined since 2023. “The drop in budget allocation for skills development requires an urgent rethink. Organisations that don’t invest in appropriate skills now may find they are unable to leverage innovations and emerging technologies, leaving them trailing their more skills-enabled competitors.”

SAP’s ‘Africa’s AI Skills Readiness Revealed’ report is now available and can be downloaded here

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of SAP Africa.

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The agreement was finalized virtually in the last week of November. Mourad Mizouri, AMAN Union Project Manager and speaker during Session 4 of the 14th AMAN Union Annual General Meeting announced the agreement during a session focused on unlocking trade opportunities between Arab and African regions, underscoring its strategic importance.

As the Coordinator of the Arab-Africa Guarantee Fund, ICIEC is joining forces with ITFC, which represents the Secretariat of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program. Together with Jef Vincent and ActorX GmbH, ICIEC aims to provide a clear roadmap for the establishment and operationalization of the Fund. The initiative will include comprehensive market analysis, consultations with stakeholders, and strategic recommendations to ensure that the Fund operates efficiently and sustainably. 

The Africa-Arab Guarantee Fund is positioned as a transformative initiative under the AATB Program, aiming to close critical gaps in trade and investment facilitation between the two regions. By delivering innovative guarantee solutions, the Fund is expected to empower businesses and investors and significantly enhance economic opportunities across Arab and African nations. 

Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Khalid Khalafalla, Officer-in-Charge of ICIEC, said: “This agreement underscores ICIEC’s commitment to facilitating sustainable economic growth and fostering stronger trade and investment linkages between Arab and African countries. The Africa-Arab Guarantee Fund has the potential to transform trade and investment landscapes in both regions, and this collaboration is a crucial step toward realizing its full potential.”

As a leading multilateral institution providing Shariah-compliant insurance and reinsurance solutions, ICIEC’s role in this collaboration aligns closely with its mandate to promote trade and investment in Member Countries.    

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The award acknowledges ICIEC’s pivotal contributions to two transformative projects. In Côte d’Ivoire, ICIEC partnered with AfDB to provide €194 million in insurance support for financing ESG projects. The facility will fund initiatives in renewable energy, education, pollution control, biodiversity conservation, health infrastructure, and sustainable water management, aligning with Côte d’Ivoire’s Sustainable Framework.

In Senegal, ICIEC and Standard Chartered signed a €103 million insurance agreement to support the government’s initiative to install 50,000 off-grid solar streetlamps in rural areas. This milestone advances renewable energy adoption, enhancing safety, boosting economic activities, and reducing carbon emissions while improving life quality in rural communities.

Commenting on the recognition, Dr. Khalid Khalafalla, Officer-in-Charge of ICIEC, said: “This award underscores ICIEC’s commitment to enabling development that transforms lives and builds resilience in our member states. By facilitating innovative and impactful projects, we reaffirm our dedication to advancing sustainable growth and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

This milestone reflects ICIEC’s leadership in leveraging Shariah-compliant insurance to catalyze development and empower member states to create lasting positive change.

The post How ICIEC Earned the Title of “Insurance Adviser of the Year – Africa” Through Sustainable Development Efforts appeared first on NRI News.

DOHA: Qatar Airways Group has acquired a 25 percent stake in Southern Africa’s premier independent regional carrier, Airlink. The announcement is a continuation of the multi-award-winning airline’s ambition to further develop its operations across the African continent.

The investment in Airlink – which flies to more than 45 destinations in 15 African countries – will enhance a code-sharing partnership between the two airlines. The deal will bolster Qatar Airways’ Africa growth strategy and cement its role as a key driver to the continent’s economic success.

On the announcement, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “Our investment in Airlink further demonstrates how integral we see Africa being to our business’ future. This partnership not only demonstrates our confidence in Airlink, as a company that is resilient, agile, financially robust, and governed on sound principles but also in Africa as a whole, showing huge potential that I am delighted we can help start realizing.”

Airlink Chief Executive, Rodger Foster, said: “Having Qatar Airways as an equity partner is a powerful endorsement of Airlink and echoes our faith in the markets we currently serve and plan to add to our network. This transaction will unlock growth by providing efficiencies of scale, increasing our capacity, and expanding our marketing reach. By bolstering Airlink and its business, this investment will strengthen all of the existing airline partnerships Airlink has nurtured over the years.”

The partnership between Qatar Airways and Airlink seeks to align both carriers’ loyalty programs – Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Airlink Skybucks.

Qatar Airways currently flies to 29 destinations in Africa, and there’s been strong growth in the market with new destinations added to the Qatar Airways network on the continent since December 2020.

Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Harare, Kano, Luanda, Lusaka, and Port Harcourt are the African cities newly added to the extensive Qatar Airways network, while Cairo and Alexandria were resumed.

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Two positions on the Executive Council were also contested. Jannie Louw was re-elected for a second term and Adv. Willie Small was elected as a new member for a four-year term.

The full membership of the Executive Council now comprises (in alphabetical order, elected unless stated): Mark Alexander (president), Francois Davids (deputy president), Hennie Baartman; Belia Karsten, (independent), Melody Lekota (independent), Jannie Louw, Mary-Anne Musikewa (independent), Rian Oberholzer (CEO), Tryphosa Ramano (independent), Abubakar Saban (CFO), Randall September, Adv Willie Small, John Smit (players’ association nominee), Mimi Tau (independent).

The post Francois Davids Re-elected As SARU Deputy President appeared first on NRI News.

The 2023 version of the tournament saw eventual champions, Free State Women, promoted into the Premier Division, and a handful of individual players getting call-ups into national squads, with Free State’s Sikholiwe (Sne) Mdletshe earning Test caps for the Springbok Women, and Shannon-Lee Windvogel (SWD Eagirls) drafted into the Springbok Women’s Sevens squad.

There will be no promotion/relegation in 2024, but for Griquas Women (against Pumas Women), Limpopo Blue Bulls Women (versus Leopards Women) and Valke Rugby Union Women (facing SWD Eagles Women) a good start in front of their home crowd could establish a solid support base and momentum for the tournament, which will culminate in semi-finals on 3 August, and the final a week later on 10 August.

The Griffons Women, who will be coached by the experienced Shamila Louw and former Griffons stalwart, Tertius Maarman, assisting her, have a bye in the opening round.

The first round of action will start an exciting weekend of rugby in Kimberley, Polokwane, and Kempton Park and with no clear front runners at this stage of the tournament, some intriguing matches are on offer.

In Kimberley, Griquas, again coached by Ronald Maarman, with Claudia Francke (forwards) and Coerispa Links (backs) assisting him, will welcome Pumas Women to Kimberley Rugby Club.  The Pumas Women will start the competition with a new head coach Devril Boucher, who has been involved with the team in a variety of roles in the past. He will be assisted by Sbusiso Ngomane and the duo would love to start on a winning note.

Limpopo Blue Bulls Women will again be a strong contender in 2024. They have retained most of their playing squad from last year and head coach, Artwell Makhubela, is in charge again. He will be assisted by Andile Dzavana (backs) and Bryan Mashigo (forwards). They will face another regular contender in the Leopards, a finalist two years ago.

Leopards Head Coach Franklin Jackson will be without his assistant, Jackie Kriel, for their trip north as she is currently with the SA Students Sevens team abroad, but will have the comfort of former Springbok Women wing, Verana van Heerden, to bring massive experience and calmness to his young squad.

The Eagirls will enter the tournament as likely favorites, but the Valke Women cannot be underestimated. The SWD side has been a top-three side consistently and will again have their regular stalwarts available. Elize Arendse is back as head coach and she will be assisted by Nicolene Barendse, who played for the Eagirls till last year.

Valke Head Coach, Catherine Lowane and assistant, Collen Mabasa, will have a plan to combat the free-flowing attack from their visitors for sure.

The first round of fixtures (all on Saturday, 15 June 2024):

Griquas Women vs Pumas Women

Venue: Kimberley Rugby Klub, Kimberley

Kick-off: 10h30

Referee: Cammy Dyers

Valke Women vs SWD Eagirls

Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park

Kick-off: 12h15

Referee: Siyanda Pikoli

Limpopo Blue Bulls Women vs Leopards Women

Venue: University of Limpopo, Polokwane

Kick-off: 13h00

Referee: Excellent Mnkomo

The post Huge Anticipation As Women’s First Division Kicks Off appeared first on NRI News.

NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS: Heads of State, Ministers, government officials, and renowned captains of industry were among the over two thousand delegates attending day one of the 31st African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Annual Meetings (AAM) (www.Afreximbank.com) being held in Nassau, The Bahamas from June 12-15. Themed “Owning our Destiny: Economic Prosperity on the Platform of Global Africa,” the first day of the Meetings called to strengthen the linkages between Africa and the Caribbean, the sixth region of the African Union. These meetings are considered crucial for economic decision-makers in Africa and the Caribbean and are covered by the African, Caribbean, and international media.

In his welcome remarks, John Rolle, Governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas, encouraged the attendees to capitalize on the opportunities to learn, share, and network. He mentioned that the Caribbean could benefit from learning more about the Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) from Africa. He believes that with support from Afreximbank, the Central Banks across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) can work towards replicating that system.

Mr Rolle, said: “A successful project in the Caribbean could keep us on pace to deliver on targets that are already being set for an international payment system that, even at the retail level, is more integrated, faster, and significantly cheaper for the average consumer. If we perfect the multilateral cross-border payments and settlements arrangement, it could also help us to conserve the use of precious international reserves, especially if we expand intra-regional trade.”

In recognition of the increasingly closer linkages between Africa and the Caribbean and the movement towards a Global Africa uniting Africans, their diaspora, and descendants worldwide, the three-day event is taking place in The Bahamas jointly with the 3^rd AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF).

In his remarks, Denys Denya, Senior Executive Vice President of Afreximbank, said the AAM and ACTIF2024 were a reunion of all Africans in the context of Global Africa and would help shape the shared vision and aspirations of the Caribbean region and Africa.

Denya said: “For a continent that is endowed with such an abundance of natural resources, the quest for sustainable development has been a perennial struggle. The state of development across the Caribbean region, while not identical, is not quite different from this narrative. It is in this context of sustained deprivation and marginalization, that we seek to unify our forces in the context of Global Africa for a better future. In our unity, we have the numbers, we have the voice to sit at the table when decisions are made. We are a viable force to influence global decisions.”

Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, emphasized the significant trade potential between Africa and the Caribbean, projecting trade to reach US$1.8 million annually by 2028. She suggested it is time to explore establishing a free trade area between Africa and the Caribbean. “Trade agreements are one way to help bring down barriers and open new opportunities.

After the Opening Ceremony, delegates attended a session on “Building Resilience in an Era of Globalization,” featuring a keynote address from Dr Roger W. Ferguson, Former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve. Dr Ferguson, the first African American to hold that post, emphasized the importance of developing diverse and flexible systems to respond to challenges, highlighting the risks of rigidity in the face of shocks.

During the first plenary session, which looked at navigating economic transformation in a poly-crisis world, Chairman and Managing Partner of SouthBridge Group and Former President of African Development Bank Group, Dr. Donald P. Kaberuka, emphasized the importance of countries learning to manage crises rather than treating them as unique situations. Meanwhile, Prof. Jeffery Sachs, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, said that in the face of stiff competition internationally, Africa must unite. He said: “You cannot operate in this world as a small country. Even the small countries that are successful are part of somebody’s world. And Africa is too big to be part of somebody’s world. It’s got to be Africa as a fundamental pillar of the world scene.”

During the second plenary session before lunch, the Hon. Ken Ofori Attah, Economic Advisor to the President of Ghana, Hon. Hassan Abdalla, Governor, of the Central Bank of Egypt, and the Hon. Chad Blackman, Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Investment, Barbados, discussed best practices in dealing with macroeconomic crises, highlighting the importance of credibility, and having access to better financing options.

Day One also saw Actress and JVL Media Co-Founder Viola Davis sign a memorandum of intent with Afreximbank and Fund for Export Development to create an African Film Development Value Chain. Following the ceremony, she emphasized the power of storytelling in reshaping the African narrative. She said the prevailing perception of poverty and suffering is intentionally perpetuated to justify mistreatment by oppressors, and so it is important for Africans to take ownership of their narrative.

After lunch, delegates attended three plenary sessions on the following topics: “Driving Economic Transformation in Global Africa: The Role of Emerging Afri-Caribbean Giants,” “Making the African Continental Free Trade Agreement Work for Global Africa,” and “Using Industrial Transformation to Build Bridges: The Global Africa Vision and Experience of the Dangote Group.”

The day closed with remarks from H.E. Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, who urged Africans to embrace the global African agenda, see themselves as they can and should be, and march into the future with the determination to write their own stories of success such as the African Continental Free Trade Area.

AAM and ACTIF are focused on addressing challenges that affect African and Caribbean economies, promoting growth, and accelerating trade and investment flows within Africa and with the diaspora. 

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The new deal – which is scheduled for final sign-off on Thursday – acknowledges that a compulsory, industry-wide eight-week shutdown is impossible to accommodate in a South African playing calendar that straddles the hemispheres (the international franchises play through the SA summer in the nine-month-long Vodacom Untied Rugby Championship, while the Springbok Test season and domestic competitions are rooted in the SA winter).

The South African Rugby Employers’ Organisation (SAREO) and MyPlayers (the professional rugby players’ organization) have agreed that accepting a 12-month season – while embedding player welfare strategies – was the optimal way to address an internationally unique match-scheduling challenge.

The agreement was brokered following arbitration of a dispute relating to mandatory rest periods for players. The arbitrator ruled that the players’ terms and conditions of employment required all contracted players to rest simultaneously for eight weeks. He also ruled that such rest periods were not contracted to take place within each 12-month cycle.

The new deal instead provides for the following:

• Structured, individualized eight-week rest periods for all players with formal notice periods when such breaks are to be taken;
• Adoption of World Rugby player load guidelines which are in finalisation;
• Maintenance of a strict, individual player load monitoring program;
• Broadened scope for the Joint Committee on Contracted Players’ Safety and Welfare and utilization of the Emergency Committee to ensure effective implementation of the new arrangements and;
• We adjusted travel arrangements for Vodacom URC/EPCR teams from 1 July 2025.

The original award cast doubt on the possibility of accommodating the Carling Currie Cup in the current season so as not to overlap with the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

However, the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division will kick off as scheduled in the first weekend of July (in a revamped format agreed by the General Council in December), while the First Division will spring into action this weekend with three matches scheduled for Saturday.

“This has been a very fruitful process, and the outcome is that we have collectively faced up to the realities of our post-COVID calendar and come up with a solution for a problem unlike any other sport that I am aware of,” said Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby.

Rian Oberholzer added, “Every sport, everywhere has an off-season, but we have found a way to balance the equation of maintaining our competition schedule to drive revenues for 12 months of the year while securing player welfare. We might have had to go through an arbitration to help concentrate minds, but the result is good.

The importance of player welfare was never in doubt. The challenge was to find ways to accommodate all needs. I’d like to thank MyPlayers and SAREO for constructively working their way towards this solution.”

Mandisi Tshonti, GM: of Player Affairs of MyPlayers said: “This agreement revolutionizes the South African playing calendar as it makes provision for non-stop professional rugby.

It ensures the commercial engine can keep delivering, by giving broadcasters and sponsors an optimal opportunity to partner with SA Rugby and the competing unions, while player welfare has been enhanced.”

The Premier Division of the Carling Currie Cup kicks off on the weekend of 5/6 July and will reach its climax with the final on 21 September. In an exciting new feature, the competition will be staged over one-and-a-half rounds, followed by two semi-finals and the grand finale.

The eight teams are divided into two pools of four each by last year’s standings. Pool A will consist of the Toyota Cheetahs (No. 1 ranked last year), the Vodacom Bulls (4), DHL Western Province (5), and the NovaVit Griffons (8).

Pool B sees the Hollywoodbets Sharks (ranked No. 2), Airlink Pumas (3), Fidelity ADT Lions (6) and Suzuki Griquas (7) grouped. Teams will play home and away matches within their respective pools plus a single round of games against sides in the opposite pool.

The two ranked teams in each pool will progress to the semi-finals on 14 September, with the two winners set to battle it out for the famous Currie Cup in the 21 September final.

Meanwhile, the remaining six provincial sides – the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, Valke, Leopards, Phangela SWD Eagles, Eastern Province, and Border – will compete against each other in the Carling Currie Cup First Division, with five rounds of league games scheduled. The opening round is this weekend, with the semi-finals scheduled for 20 July and the final for 27 July.

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