Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

HARARE — Zimbabwean equities extended their recent advance on Monday, with the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) All Share Index rising 1.89 percent as financial counters led a broad-based recovery in large-cap stocks.

The All Share Index closed at 484.61 points, while the ZSE Top 10 gained 2.32 percent to 491.51 points and the Top 15 advanced 2.18 percent to 502.87 points.

The rally lifted total market capitalisation to ZWG108.61 billion, from ZWG106.31 billion at the previous session, although trading liquidity remained relatively modest. The market recorded 51 trades worth ZWG5.82 million.

The Small Cap Index was unchanged at 100.11 points, while the Mid Cap Index edged down 0.02 percent to 485.17 points, reinforcing the concentration of the day’s gains in larger counters.

CBZ drives financial-sector rally

Financial stocks were the principal engine of the advance, with the Financials Index jumping 6.24 percent to 550.02 points.

CBZ Holdings was the day’s strongest major counter, surging 11.97 percent to 4,151.43 cents, while ZSE Holdings gained 9.05 percent to 229 cents.

AFDS rose 3.21 percent to 1,550.71 cents, TNCI advanced 1.38 percent to 30.05 cents and Proplastics increased 0.70 percent to 134.94 cents.

The financial sector’s performance is particularly significant given the increasing importance of large, liquid counters in a market where investors continue to face limited opportunities for deploying substantial capital.

Market analysts told The Zimbabwe Financial Mail that the latest rally appeared to reflect a combination of investor concentration in established counters and growing expectations around earnings visibility.

“CBZ’s move is large enough to materially influence the broader index, but the more important issue is whether the gains are being supported by fundamentals rather than simply liquidity chasing a limited number of counters,” one equity analyst said.

Another analyst said the financial sector’s outperformance reflected the market’s preference for companies with diversified revenue streams and stronger balance sheets.

“Investors are increasingly differentiating between counters. Financial stocks with scale, earnings visibility and the ability to benefit from monetary stability are attracting more attention than smaller companies where liquidity remains thin,” the analyst said.

Market capitalisation passes ZWG108 billion

Monday’s advance pushed ZSE market capitalisation above the ZWG108 billion mark, extending the strong re-rating seen across the exchange during 2026.

The rise also reflects the increasing concentration of market value in the exchange’s leading companies. ZSE data for 2025 showed that the five largest contributors to market capitalisation were Delta, Econet, FBC Holdings, CBZ Holdings and RTG, with the top counters accounting for a substantial proportion of total market value.

The concentration has become more relevant following Econet’s move towards leaving the ZSE. Equity analysts have previously argued that capital released by the proposed delisting could be redirected into other blue-chip counters, particularly financial stocks such as CBZ and FBC.

“The market is effectively going through a reallocation process. When a major counter disappears from an exchange, investors do not necessarily leave equities; institutional portfolios still need exposure to listed assets,” an analyst told The Zimbabwe Financial Mail.

Dairibord bears the brunt of selling

The strongest negative movement came from Dairibord Holdings, which fell 7.73 percent to 385.77 cents.

Ariston declined 1.05 percent to 7.52 cents, while Delta was almost unchanged, easing 0.03 percent to 3,239.99 cents.

The weakness in Dairibord contrasts with the broader market rally and highlights the increasingly stock-specific nature of trading on the ZSE.

Analysts said investors were likely to scrutinise corporate announcements and trading updates closely before committing capital to counters whose earnings outlook is changing.

Monday’s session coincided with a heavy flow of corporate disclosures, including trading updates from ART Corporation, CFI Holdings, Star Africa, Willdale and a half-year special-purpose ZWG financial statement from Tanganda.

“The volume of corporate information coming into the market is important because investors are beginning to have more fundamental information with which to distinguish winners from laggards,” another analyst said.

Tigere falls despite broader market strength

The listed property market moved sharply against the wider equity trend.

Tigere Property Fund declined 8.10 percent to 109.95 cents, reducing its market capitalisation to approximately ZWG2 billion. Revitus Property Fund was unchanged at 198.25 cents.

The decline illustrates the divergence between financial and property counters, with investors apparently rotating towards financial equities during Monday’s session.

The ZSE ETF Index gained 0.46 percent, while all four ETFs recorded unchanged prices, apart from CSAG, which was quoted at 11.30 cents without a reported percentage movement.

Liquidity remains the key question

Despite the index gains, the relatively low turnover remains a central concern for investors.

Only 51 trades generated ZWG5.82 million in turnover against a market capitalisation exceeding ZWG108 billion. That relationship underscores the depth and liquidity challenge facing Zimbabwe’s equities market.

Historical ZSE data has shown that foreign participation remains important to overall liquidity, although foreign investors were net sellers in 2025, with a net selling position of ZWG1.16 billion.

An analyst told The Zimbabwe Financial Mail that rising prices without a corresponding expansion in turnover should be interpreted cautiously.

“A sustained bull market requires breadth and liquidity. If index gains continue to be concentrated in a handful of counters while turnover remains thin, the market can re-rate quickly in either direction,” the analyst said.

Another market observer said the immediate question was whether Monday’s gains would broaden beyond financials.

“CBZ and ZSE Holdings have provided the leadership, but the durability of the rally will depend on whether industrials, consumer counters and smaller companies begin participating. A broader advance would provide stronger evidence of improving market sentiment,” the analyst said.

Earnings will determine the next phase

The latest rally comes as listed companies increasingly provide investors with fresh operational data, giving the market a clearer basis for assessing earnings prospects.

For CBZ, the latest price movement is consistent with the company’s position as one of the exchange’s largest counters. Its 2025 annual report showed that the group’s share price had already risen strongly during the preceding year, while management highlighted capital strength, funding structures and strategic partnerships as central to its growth strategy.

For investors, the challenge is now separating genuine earnings-driven revaluation from price momentum.

The market’s next phase is therefore likely to be determined less by the headline index and more by corporate profitability, dividend capacity, liquidity and the ability of individual companies to translate Zimbabwe’s evolving monetary environment into sustainable real returns.

Monday’s session delivered a strong headline performance, but the message from analysts is clear: the ZSE needs broader participation and deeper liquidity to turn a concentrated rally into a durable bull market.

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HARARE — Star Africa Corporation is beginning to convert a more competitive domestic pricing strategy into stronger volumes and earnings, with Goldstar Sugars sales volumes jumping 38 percent in the quarter ended June 2026 as the sugar producer moved to capture demand and improve utilisation of its refinery.

The latest trading performance provides the clearest indication yet that the price reductions introduced in the previous financial year have begun to translate into higher physical sales.

Group revenue increased 31 percent during the quarter, while operating profit before the contribution from the group’s associate rose 58 percent. The earnings growth came despite gross margin narrowing to 17 percent from 18 percent, indicating that higher throughput and operating leverage are currently doing more work in driving profitability.

Equity Axis reported that the volume recovery followed Star Africa’s decision to lower prices to defend its position in the domestic market, with the strategy now producing a substantial increase in Goldstar’s sales.

Volume growth becomes the earnings engine

Goldstar’s 38 percent increase was accompanied by a 19 percent rise in volumes at Country Choice Foods, the group’s sugar-specialties business.

Together, the performances lifted group revenue by 31 percent, while operating profit before associate earnings increased 58 percent. The divergence between revenue and operating profit is particularly significant because it indicates that Star Africa is gaining operating leverage as more product moves through its existing manufacturing infrastructure.

A refinery carries a substantial fixed cost base covering labour, maintenance, utilities, quality control and administration. Once production increases without a proportionate increase in those costs, each additional tonne can make a greater contribution towards operating profit.

Equity Axis noted that the June quarter demonstrated this process in practice, although the company has not provided sufficient quarterly data to calculate precise plant utilisation or contribution per tonne.

For Star Africa, the commercial objective is therefore shifting from simply defending market share to maximising the productive capacity available at Goldstar.

Price cuts carry a margin trade-off

The strategy is not without risk.

Gross margin declined to 17 percent from 18 percent as higher input costs absorbed part of the benefit generated by stronger volumes. Fuel was identified as one of the principal cost pressures, creating a delicate balance between stimulating demand through lower prices and protecting profitability.

The economics of the strategy depend on incremental volumes generating enough additional gross profit to offset the thinner percentage margin and the additional costs associated with servicing higher production and distribution volumes.

“The critical issue for Star Africa is not whether lower prices can generate volume — the June quarter has answered that question. The more important question is whether every additional tonne creates sufficient contribution after refining, distribution, energy and working-capital costs,” an Equity Axis analyst told The Zimbabwe Mail.

The analyst said management should therefore assess future pricing decisions according to incremental profitability rather than market share alone.

“If volume growth continues while gross margin remains broadly stable, the operating leverage becomes increasingly attractive. But if margins continue falling faster than volumes rise, the economics of the strategy will weaken,” the analyst said.

Capacity is the next constraint

Star Africa now faces a different problem from the one it confronted when it began reducing prices: it needs to ensure that production capacity keeps pace with demand.

Goldstar experienced water-supply interruptions during the June quarter, while delays in obtaining critical spare parts affected plant availability amid logistics disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

The company has since commissioned additional boreholes, while the delayed spare parts have arrived and utility availability has improved.

Equity Axis said the developments could increase productive operating hours and create the next leg of earnings growth if the refinery can convert improved availability into higher output.

The distinction is important. Star Africa is no longer attempting to manufacture demand; it has evidence that customers are responding to its pricing strategy. The operational challenge is now to produce enough sugar reliably to satisfy that demand.

Domestic market provides strategic advantage

The stronger Goldstar performance also points to the value of the domestic market.

By increasing locally refined sugar volumes, Star Africa can expand refinery utilisation without relying primarily on volatile export markets. The domestic customer base includes beverage manufacturers, confectionery producers, food processors and other industrial consumers.

That creates a potentially attractive growth model because higher local demand can be served through existing distribution infrastructure while increasing utilisation of the refinery.

The company also maintains quality certifications required by major industrial customers, an increasingly important competitive advantage as the market becomes more supply-sensitive.

For industrial buyers, price is only one component of the purchasing decision. Consistent quality, reliable deliveries and adequate production capacity become increasingly important once a supplier has secured a customer relationship.

Country Choice adds another growth channel

The 19 percent increase in Country Choice Foods volumes provides a second growth avenue for the group.

Unlike basic granulated sugar, the specialty business allows Star Africa to package and process sugar into differentiated products, potentially generating greater value from the same underlying production platform.

Equity Axis noted that the continued growth of Country Choice could become increasingly important to the group’s product mix and wider margin equation.

If Goldstar maintains strong volume growth while Country Choice continues expanding at double-digit rates, the group’s earnings profile could become less dependent on the economics of bulk granulated sugar.

Botswana exposes the supply constraint

The principal weakness during the quarter came from Star Africa’s associate operation in Botswana, where the group’s share of associate profit declined 25 percent because of product supply constraints.

The problem is strategically significant because it reinforces the broader capacity issue confronting the group. Star Africa has rising domestic demand, a growing specialty business and an associate facing product shortages.

“In effect, Star Africa has several identifiable markets that can absorb additional production. That makes restoring refinery uptime particularly valuable because the company is not producing into an uncertain market — there is already evidence of unmet demand,” the Equity Axis analyst said.

The opportunity, however, remains dependent on the economics of production. Higher output achieved through excessive energy consumption, overtime, maintenance costs or expensive logistics could dilute the operating leverage achieved in the June quarter.

Earnings recovery enters a scaling phase

Star Africa’s latest performance marks a transition from an initial turnaround strategy into a scaling exercise.

The key indicators are moving in the right direction: Goldstar volumes rose 38 percent, Country Choice volumes increased 19 percent, group revenue climbed 31 percent and operating profit before associate earnings surged 58 percent.

The principal warning signal is the decline in gross margin to 17 percent.

“The next phase is about proving that the June quarter was not a one-off volume recovery. Investors need to see production catching up with demand, plant availability improving and operating profit continuing to grow faster than revenue,” the analyst said.

The next trading update will therefore be closely watched for four indicators: production growth, sales volumes, gross margin and operating profit.

If higher refinery utilisation allows Star Africa to maintain volume growth without further material margin erosion, the company could extract significantly more earnings from its existing manufacturing base.

If production remains constrained while demand continues to rise, however, the group risks leaving revenue on the table or losing customers to competitors capable of supplying the market more consistently.

For now, the June quarter suggests that Star Africa’s lower-price strategy has successfully stimulated demand. The more consequential question for shareholders is whether the company can now produce enough sugar, at a controlled cost, to turn that demand into sustainable operating profit.

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LAS VEGAS — A prosecutor said Monday that while few have been willing to speak about the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, Duane “Keffe D” Davis is the “one person who has a hard time being silent.”

“Let’s be clear, Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. But he did plan the shooting in retaliation of the beating of his nephew,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors at the start of Davis’ Las Vegas trial. “Remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself.”

Davis, 63, could get life in prison if he’s convicted of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer in the defense opening called the prosecution’s narrative “fiction.”

Palal showed jurors video of Shakur’s entourage attacking Davis’ nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson outside the boxing match at the MGM Grand hours before the shooting on Sept. 7, 1996.

Davis spent the next two hours planning how to get even, said Palal, and Shakur was gunned down “in an act of revenge.”

Shakur remains a cultural icon and is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time, despite dying at 25.

What he told the FBI and investigators

In a 2008 interview with a federal task force investigating the killing of Shakur’s rival, the Notorious B.I.G., Davis instead talked about the Shakur shooting. He described handing a gun to the men in the backseat of a white Cadillac that fired on a black BMW with Shakur and Marion “Suge” Knight inside.

As prosecutors played audio of Davis explaining the moment Shakur was shot, members of Shakur’s family, including his stepbrother Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, stared ahead and listened intently from the audience.

Palal told jurors Davis held onto a visceral hatred for Shakur for decades that drove him to speak.

He said the defendant talked to the FBI in 1998 and again in 1999, admitting he had been in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting.

In 2009, he admitted to his role in the killing in an interview with Las Vegas police, Palal said.

“And now 30 years later, we’re going to ask you to finally hold Duane Davis accountable,” Palal said.

He also showed jurors the 2019 memoir that Davis co-authored, “Compton Street Legend,” that the prosecution will use and that the defense fought to keep out of the trial, along with several of the defendant’s interviews.

How Davis’ legal team is defending him

Davis, wearing a blue suit and tie, sat quietly with his hands folded on the table in front of him, occasionally nodding along as his attorney gave his opening, and often scanned the room during testimony to see who was in the gallery.

“What they are telling you, they are representing as fact, when it’s really fiction,” Michael Sanft said. “There’s no facts.”

He said Davis wasn’t previously charged because law enforcement knew that he was “full of crap.”

The defense attorney also pointed to missing documents in the original investigation and distrust between police departments.

He called one detective’s work “biased,” “sloppy” and “incomplete.”

Sanft said outside court at the end of the day that he thought the 30 years that had elapsed would help Davis.

“The length of time is going to be a huge problem for people trying to recall things, to remember things,” the lawyer said. “That’s just not how it works.”

Asked about the oddity of calling his client “full of crap” and similar things, he said, “We all have a family member who’s like that.”

Briefly a suspect in Notorious B.I.G.’s death

Former Los Angeles Police Department detective Fred Miller — assigned to the investigation of the 1997 shooting death of the Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace — testified remotely and said that Davis had briefly been suspected in that shooting.

Davis admitted to being present at a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles where Wallace and Sean “Diddy” Combs were guests. Wallace was shot as he was leaving.

Sanft objected to the inclusion of the testimony. The judge, with prosecutors’ agreement, told jurors that police do not believe Davis was involved.

Most eyewitnesses are no longer alive

The story of the drive-by shooting has long gripped the hip-hop community, partly because no one was charged until Davis was indicted in 2023.

The other three men riding in the Cadillac have all died in the years since.

Retired Las Vegas police officer Garry Dale was the first of the 35 to 45 witnesses the prosecution plans to call at the trial expected to last about a month.

He testified that he and another officer stopped Knight and Shakur’s car for missing a license plate, warned them and let them go.

About 10 minutes later the officers responded to a shooting call and found EMTs pulling Shakur from the car. Dale said Knight had been grazed by bullets, but told the officers to take care of Shakur.

Dale jumped in the ambulance and asked Shakur who shot him. The retired officer said that Shakur said something like “no, we’ll take care of it.”

Brent Becker, a former Las Vegas homicide detective, testified that Knight showed up to a police interview with attorneys, which he thought was odd because Knight was a victim. Knight was timid, his interview was practiced and he told investigators he knew nothing, Becker said.

“I thought he lied to us,” Becker said in video testimony.

Becker said it was difficult to get other witnesses to talk and they “were leaning on” Davis, Anderson, Deandrae “Freaky” Smith and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown as the men in the Cadillac, but had no living witnesses who could identify them.

Witnesses describe the night Tupac was shot

Ingrid Stokes testified that she and her friends were heading home from Las Vegas when they encountered Shakur and Knight, who were friends with a woman in Stokes’ group.

Knight invited them to a nightclub, she said, and they decided to meet them there.

The car Stokes was riding in was one lane over and a car length ahead of Knight’s vehicle, when they heard gunshots.

Stokes said they drove off in fear and almost hit a white four-door vehicle in the process.

When they returned to the scene, police made them sit on the sidewalk and treated them like suspects, she said. Stokes was scared to be seen in public talking about the case, worried about poor treatment from law enforcement and the potential for retribution.

“Snitches get stitches,” she said.

Source: AP

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LOS ANGELES — Chris Brown and Usher have added eight more stadium dates to their blockbuster R&B Tour, taking the North American co-headlining run to 59 shows after the concert series generated more than $101 million in box-office revenue from its opening eight performances.

The expansion comes as demand continues to surge for the joint stadium production, which has become one of the biggest live R&B events of the summer.

According to AllHipHop.com, the additional dates will take the tour into new markets including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Columbia and Indianapolis, while several cities will receive additional performances after strong ticket demand.

Atlanta will host a fifth show, Los Angeles a fourth, while East Rutherford and Miami will each receive a third performance.

AllHipHop.com described the tour as having “absolutely dominated the summer”, highlighting the commercial strength of bringing together two of contemporary R&B’s biggest performers.

$101 million from first eight shows

The financial performance has been particularly striking.

The first eight shows generated more than $101 million in gross box-office receipts, while more than 566,000 tickets were sold across the first 13 concerts. Every one of those performances reportedly sold out.

The figures underline the scale of consumer demand for a tour that combines two established catalogues and two distinct generations of R&B performance.

The tour opened in June at Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High and has since expanded into a large-scale stadium production featuring elaborate staging, choreography and a setlist spanning the careers of both artists.

Rather than presenting Brown and Usher as separate headline acts, the production brings the pair together throughout the show.

A different approach to the stadium tour

The nearly three-hour production is structured around nine cinematic acts, allowing the artists to alternate between their individual catalogues while repeatedly returning to joint performances.

The setlist brings together major hits from both careers, including Usher’s “U Remind Me” and “Yeah!”, alongside Brown’s “With You”, before the two performers combine for collaborative moments such as “New Flame.”

The format gives the tour a broader narrative than a conventional co-headlining concert, with each performer receiving substantial space to showcase his catalogue while maintaining the central partnership between the two stars.

The production also incorporates tributes to influential figures in popular music, including Prince, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye.

Stadium records add to momentum

The tour’s commercial impact has extended beyond ticket sales.

Detroit’s Ford Field has reportedly set a new venue record after the tour played three consecutive nights at the stadium, marking the first concert tour in nearly 25 years to achieve the feat.

The Washington, D.C. run has been equally significant, with more than 122,000 fans attending three performances at Northwest Stadium. The attendance figure established a new stadium record and marked the first three-night concert run in the venue’s history.

The performances also reportedly rank among the five highest-grossing shows in the stadium’s 29-year history.

For promoters and the wider live-entertainment industry, the figures demonstrate the continuing commercial power of major R&B catalogues when combined with large-scale stadium production.

Supporting acts and surprise appearances

The tour has also benefited from an extensive supporting cast.

Mario, Eric Bellinger and Tank have joined the production as live backing vocalists while also performing selections from their own catalogues.

A succession of surprise appearances has added another layer of unpredictability, with guests including 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Ashanti, Method Man and Future appearing at different stops.

That approach has helped transform individual performances into events in their own right, giving audiences an incentive to follow the tour beyond the headline partnership.

More growth ahead

The eight newly announced dates suggest that the commercial ceiling of the R&B Tour remains higher than initially anticipated.

The expansion is particularly notable because several of the additional performances are not simply new markets; they are repeat dates in cities where existing shows have already generated substantial demand.

For Brown and Usher, the tour is consequently becoming more than a successful concert series. It is emerging as a major live-entertainment franchise built around catalogue strength, stadium-scale production and the combined drawing power of two artists with decades of commercial success.

With the tour now scheduled for 59 North American performances, the next test will be whether the additional dates can sustain the extraordinary sell-through rates and box-office momentum established during its opening run.

For an R&B genre that has repeatedly demonstrated its longevity through streaming, catalogue consumption and nostalgia-driven touring, the response to Brown and Usher’s collaboration offers perhaps the clearest evidence yet that its biggest stars can still command stadium-scale audiences.

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LOS ANGELES — South African pop star Tyla appears to be letting the internet run with its latest celebrity theory after social media speculation linked her jewellery collection to A$AP Rocky and, in turn, fuelled baseless rumours involving Rihanna.

The speculation began after fans noticed Tyla wearing colourful custom jewellery associated with Japanese creative Verdy and US jeweller Alex Moss. Because A$AP Rocky has also worn pieces created by the same collaborators, social media users began connecting the two artists, eventually turning a fashion coincidence into online rumours about an alleged relationship.

There is, however, no evidence that Tyla and Rocky are romantically involved or that the jewellery has any connection to an alleged affair.

Rocky has previously worn a Verdy-designed cartoon Jesus Piece created by Moss, while Tyla has also been photographed wearing custom pieces from the same creative circle. The shared jewellery designers therefore provide little basis for the claims circulating online.

Tyla appears to respond

The speculation intensified after a message attributed to Tyla’s Instagram Story circulated online.

“Imma leave every rumour to rock from now on. Have fun y’all. #APOP,” the message reportedly read.

Tyla did not explicitly identify Rocky or Rihanna in the post, nor did she directly confirm or deny the allegations being discussed online.

That ambiguity has nevertheless generated further interpretation, with social media users attempting to determine whether the post was a response to the rumours or simply a general comment about online gossip.

For now, there is no confirmation from Tyla that the post was specifically directed at the claims involving Rocky and Rihanna.

Met Gala moment reignites speculation

The latest rumours have also revived attention around an awkward-looking interaction involving Tyla and Rihanna at the Met Gala earlier this year.

Short clips from the event circulated widely online, with some viewers interpreting the exchange as evidence of tension between the two artists.

Tyla subsequently offered an explanation, saying she had approached Rihanna and that the singer told her that her “baby daddy” had been calling before leaving.

The encounter was subsequently interpreted by some social media users as something more significant than it was, despite Tyla rejecting the idea of a dispute between them.

According to TMZ, Tyla said there was no hostility between the pair and made her admiration for Rihanna clear. She reportedly said: “Everyone knows I love Rih.”

Fashion becomes fuel for celebrity theories

The episode illustrates how quickly ordinary connections within the entertainment and fashion industries can become the basis for elaborate online theories.

Custom jewellery frequently moves through the same networks of designers, stylists, artists and celebrity clients. A shared designer or similar piece does not establish a personal relationship between the people wearing it.

In Tyla’s case, the jewellery connection appears to have been enough for social media speculation to move from fashion to romance, despite the absence of supporting evidence.

The singer’s reported decision to avoid directly addressing the rumours may also reflect the increasingly familiar dilemma faced by celebrities: responding to every online theory can give a rumour greater visibility, while silence often creates even more room for speculation.

For now, the alleged Tyla-Rocky connection remains an internet theory rather than an established fact, while Tyla’s comments about Rihanna indicate that the widely circulated interpretation of their Met Gala interaction does not reflect the relationship she has publicly described.

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