BUSINESS
SOUTH AFRICA: Nomvuyo Treffers revolutionized the way of wearing swim caps.
Nomvuyo Treffers lives in Cape Town, South Africa. She is married and she is step-mother to a teenage boy and a mother of two girls. The inspiration behind “Swimma Caps” is a mom of big haired girls with dreadlocks who couldn’t find fitting caps anywhere, and who loves water even more. Ze-Africanews.com has met this phenomenal african woman.
Ze-Africanews: How did the idea of making afro comfortable swim caps or shower caps for dreadlocks, braids, weaves, long & high volume hairstyles come to you ?
Nomvuyo Treffers: The idea came because of a personal frustration of not having a swimming cap that fits over my hair. To an extent the same applied to my daughters – the swimming caps that my daughters previously used were small and often very uncomfortable. There was a lot of pulling and stretching over their high volumed hair. My daughters love swimming and most of the time they would invite me to swim with them. I would at times agree and deal with the long process of having to dry my hair later. Because of this, I would prefer to mostly sit on the sidelines. It frustrated me knowing that they will soon grow older and I am missing out on having spent quality time with them especially for something they love. Being a gym member where it’s compulsory to wear swimming caps to use the indoor pool finally made me realise that there were many people out there that faced the same dilemma with their hairs.
Ze-Africanews: What kind of materials do you use to make the caps?
Nomvuyo Treffers: We use silicone for its waterproof and durability qualities.
Ze-Africanews: Do you collaborate with many schools in Cape Town and in Johannesburg to supply them with swimma caps?
Nomvuyo Treffers: We supply a number of schools in South Africa.
Ze-Africanews: Because of Swimma Caps, can we now say that having a big hair is no longer an obstacle to swimming?
Nomvuyo Treffers: Certainly, for those that swim and have access to pools. Of course there are sadly still other obstacles for many people, but that’s a different debate.
Ze-Africanews: Being a photographer, what is the link between your work and the idea of creating this kind of caps for black girls ?
Nomvuyo Treffers: There are 2 links I think – one is that in both cases it’s a business, and in both cases creativity is involved. I love the process of creating something, whether that is beautiful pictures, or a swimming cap – it comes from the same place inside of me I think. To an extent both Swimma Caps and my photography stemmed from a similar background – I turned into a photographer partly because of my love and desire of making pictures of my family. Swimma Caps was born out of a desire to spend time with that same family.
Ze-Africanews: Currently, you only sell & deliver across South Africa, do you intend to expand worldwide to other black girls around the world?
Nomvuyo Treffers: Swimma Caps is a South African business but we do ship to other countries around the world already. I need to point out that while in general it is black people who have the problems of not finding a cap that fits and for whom wet hair is a bigger problem, but we have had many requests across the colour lines for caps that are simply more comfortable !
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The presidency of Togo has announced that the project to exploit the manganese mine of Nayega, located in the Savanes region in the north of the country, is entering its operational phase. According to a statement issued on June 10, 2025, production is scheduled to start at the end of June 2025, with an initial volume of 4,000 tons per month, which should gradually double to reach 8,000 tons per month.
Keras Resources is the technical partner retained by the Togolese government to carry out this project. A statement from Keras, relayed by the presidency, details that the company signed a cooperation agreement in 2023 with the Togolese state, owner of the mine through the Togolese Manganese Company (STM). Under the terms of this agreement, Keras will receive a remuneration of 1.5% of the mine’s gross revenue for three years for its advisory services, as well as 6% for brokering services.
The reserves of the Nayega mine are estimated at 8.5 million tonnes, which would allow exploitation over a period of 11 years. The authorities of Lomé welcome the expected contribution of the mine to the national budget, a benefit that should be strengthened by the rigorous management of the generated revenues, as indicated by our colleagues from Agence Afrique.
With a growing global demand for manganese, particularly in steel alloys and renewable energy technologies, Togo is seeking to assert itself as an essential supplier of this strategic ore. This positioning could play a catalytic role for the national economy, always according to information from the Africa Agency.
Source: senego / Photo credit: Republicoftogo.com
The Gabonese government decided on Friday to ban the import of broilers in order to promote national poultry production and ensure food security, according to the final communiqué of the council of ministers chaired by the head of state, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
The ban will be effective from 1 January 2027, thus leaving a period of 18 months (1 year and 6 months) for actors in the sector to structure themselves, invest and prepare to meet national demand.
“This measure aims to restore domestic poultry production, boost agricultural investment, reduce food dependency and strengthen the trade balance,” the government hopes. Gabon also hopes to foster “the emergence of a network of rural jobs, the rise in quality of products consumed locally and the creation of an economic ecosystem around this sector”.
The government has also planned a detailed operational plan to be presented within 45 days by the ministers responsible for economy and trade.
Libreville dreams of reducing its dependence on poultry imports and strengthening the country’s food security. In addition, the promotion of local poultry farming should have a positive impact on rural areas, generating jobs and contributing to the development of a vibrant poultry ecosystem.
Imported frozen chicken is the most consumed food in Gabon because of its low price and packaging ready to be thrown into a pot.
“The star of the freezer” is how Gabonese people refer to frozen chicken because it is often the only food, if not the default food, found in the freezers of Gabonese families.
Frozen chicken and meat are generally imported from Latin America and Europe. Their massive presence on the market has destroyed local production.
The Council of Ministers also announced a ban on exporting crude manganese from 1 January 2029. The objective is to promote local industrial development, create jobs and maximize the value of this resource, of which Gabon is the world’s second largest producer.
Sources: gabonactu.com
Mauritania is in the spotlight. On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Sidi Ould Tah was elected president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), at the annual meeting of the institution held in Abidjan. He succeeds Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, in office since 2015.
His election came after a hard-fought duel against Samuel Munzele Maimbo of Zambia, who finished in second place. The election, which was marked by major geopolitical and economic issues, took place against a background of high expectations regarding governance and development financing on the continent.
The Senegalese Amadou Hott, long perceived as one of the favorites, finishes in third place, followed by the South African Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala. Despite significant diplomatic support, notably for Hott, the momentum in favour of Sidi Ould Tah has prevailed in the last few rounds.
Former minister and general manager of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Sidi Ould Tah is recognized for his experience and strategic vision. He will officially take office on 1 September 2025.
Photo credit: Forbes Africa
