Some South Africans are unhappy that President Cyril Ramaphosa met Elon Musk in New York last week, but I get it: just as it can sometimes soothe us to look up at the vastness of the stars, so too it can be a balm to the soul when you’re worth $450m to stand before someone worth 600 times more and ponder the great mysteries, like how many couches it would take to hide $270bn. 

Of course, I also understand the controversy. Even as an industrialist Musk has split public opinion, with some believing him to be an engineering genius and brilliant leader, while others, who can read, don’t. ..

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