Cuba's Free-Market Reforms, South Africa's Immigration Debate & Gold Price Drop | Friday Drinks

Tinashe, Ranga, and Rufaro are back with another episode of Friday Drinks. The team unpacks Cuba's new free-market reforms, widely regarded as the country's biggest economic shift since the Cuban Revolution. They examine what these reforms could mean for Cuba's economy and discuss why free markets are often associated with investment, productivity, and economic growth. The conversation also explores the long-standing relationship between Zimbabwe and Cuba, including the bilateral teacher training programme established in the mid-1980s, through which hundreds of Zimbabwean teachers received training in Cuba. We turn to South Africa's illegal immigration debate, including reports that more than 8,200 foreign nationals have been voluntarily repatriated from South Africa, including about 1,500 Zimbabwean nationals. They also discuss South Africa's domestic challenges, particularly high youth unemployment, and how these issues shape the immigration debate. Finally, they examine the recent decline in gold prices, looking at why gold has tumbled from recent highs and what this could mean for investors and gold-producing economies such as Zimbabwe. If you enjoy insightful discussions on economics, business, public policy, and regional affairs, subscribe to Friday Drinks and join us for a new episode every week. Sponsored by Dairibord Zimbabwe.