White smoke flowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday night, signalling the election of a new pope.

Singapore-listed Golden Agri-Resources Ltd, the world's second-largest palm oil producer, said Wednesday its Liberia business Golden Veroleum has received a $500 million loan from the China Development Bank to develop palm plantations in the African country.

South Africa's Solidarity Union has blamed the government for Telkom's financial woes.

Africa is set for a new batch of luxury hotels after Starwood Hotels & Resorts World announced plans to open 50 new hotels in the continent and the Middle East over the next five years.

Nine South African policemen accused of killing Mozambican taxi driver Mido Macia have been denied bail.

The South African rand has fallen to a four-year low against the dollar after South Africa's current account deficit came in worse than expected for the fourth quarter of last year.

Nuclear energy group Westinghouse Electric has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) to "investigate and cooperate in the development of local fabrication capabilities for fuel assembly components".

The papal election process, or conclave, the process of selecting the next pope, will soon be underway in Vatican City, where 115 eligible cardinals are set to decide who should become the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Three crew members of a cargo ship kidnapped by heavily-armed pirates last month off Nigeria have been released.

Exxaro, South Africa's second-biggest coal producer, has confirmed that unprotected strikes are now under way at five of its mines: Matla, Arnot, Grootegeluk, Leeuwpan and Inyanda.

Uhuru Kenyatta has won Kenya's presidential election by the slimmest of margins – 50.

Former South African president Nelson Mandela (pictured) has returned home 'under the management of the medical team' following a visit to hospital and is doing well, says a statement by South Africa's presidency says.

Stormers and South African star winger Bryan Habana will miss up to 10 weeks of Super Rugby after tearing knee ligaments, Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has confirmed.

Business confidence in South Africa declined from a five-month high in February, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) says.

Uhuru Kenyatta's lead in Kenya's presidential race has slipped, according to a display by the electoral commission.

Football world governing body FIFA has written to the Nigerian Football Association over claims lesbians are banned from playing football in the West African nation.

Standard Bank has appointed two CEOs to replace the retiring Jacko Maree.

Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has told reporters his government cannot grant an amnesty to militant Islamist group Boko Haram because it is not known who its members are or what they want, describing them as "ghosts", operating under a "veil".