“Usually I would spend about 10,000 to 12,000 [South African Rands] on a bulk buy for the units of hair. But when I got this particular quotation, the hair on its own, the units I usually buy were at a total of 28,000 to 30,000” – Ziyanda Khumalo, South African small business owner Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja looks at how the attacks by the Houthis, a Yemen-based rebel group, are affecting Africa. He sits down with Johannesburg business owner Ziyanda Khumalo, who imports her products from overseas. He also hears from economist Joseph Busha, who explains how the events of the recent months in the Middle East are influencing the price of commodities in Africa. It all started on the 7th of October 2023, when Hamas and other factions attacked Israel. That country reported that more than 1,200 people were killed. This was followed by a barrage of Israeli air strikes and artillery on Gaza, which have so far claimed the lives of more than 23,000 Palestinians. This is according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. The Houthis subsequently launched attacks of their own on vessels passing through the Red Sea. They claim to be targeting Israeli-linked ships, in protest at the war in Gaza.