Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-07-02 i Cape Times

The ongoing evolution of trade relationships between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa has entered a critical phase as the USA moves towards establishing a new trade-matters template. This template will guide its future engagements with African nations, a development revealed by Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Zuko Godlimpi, following discussions last week with the US Assistant Trade Representative for Africa, Connie Hamilton. On the heels of South Africa's submission for a proposed Framework Deal aimed at bolstering trade and investment relations with the US, the government has urged local businesses to brace themselves for potential changes poised to emerge from this new framework. Godlimpi's dialogue with Hamilton occurred during the recent US-Africa Summit in Luanda, Angola, where pertinent issues surrounding reciprocal tariffs were also addressed. While the…

South African made vehicles and components are exported to 155 international markets. South Africa’s automotive industry has expressed anxiety about the potential impact of the impending export tariffs from the United States after vehicle exports rose by 7.9% in June, despite the growing toll of geopolitical and trade-related disruptions. The Automobile Business Council (Naamsa) on Tuesday said vehicle exports increased by 2 647 units year-on-year to 36 343 units exported in June from the 33 696 units exported during the same month last year. The automotive industry contributes 5.2% to South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP), 3.2% in manufacturing and 2.01% retail. In 2024, the export of vehicles and automotive components reached a record amount of R268.8 billion, equating to 14.7% of South Africa’s total exports. Vehicles and components are…

Sentiment in the manufacturing industry in South Africa remained in the contractionary territory despite ticked up slightly in June, marking its second-highest reading of the year. Data from the Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) on Tuesday revealed a modest recovery in South Africa’s economic landscape, with the index rising by 5.4 points to reach 48.5 in June from 43.1 in May. Despite this encouraging movement, the PMI indicated that the economy remained in contractionary territory for the eighth consecutive month., revealing the ongoing struggles facing the nation. Nonetheless, economists welcomed this increase, noting that the 5.4-point gain stood as the most significant rise since the 9-point jump recorded between August and September of 2024. Nkosiphindile Shange, economist at the Bureau for Economic Research, which conducts the PMI on behalf of…

Speaking at the G20 High Level Intergeneration Dialogue in Sandton last Friday, Deputy President Paul Mashatile emphasised the imperative of empowering youth to lead economic and social transformation and to be at the core of the global engagement on the future of the society they will inherit – It was warming. We have observed the month-long sacrament called youth month in South Africa by bemoaning our challenges and celebrating our youth heroes and trailblazers. Now that the elders have once again temporarily remembered the youth of 76 we must not cast our eyes off the existential global crisis - the climate crisis. South Africa’s energy transition is both a national imperative and a strategic opportunity for youth empowerment. The convergence of youth unemployment, skills shortages, and infrastructure challenges makes it…

Hyprop has entered into an agreement to sell 50% of the Hyde Park Corner shopping centre, together with the rental enterprise thereon, for R805 million, to Millennium Equity Partners, with an option to dispose of the remaining 50%. The JSE-listed retail-focused Real Estate Investment Trust with properties in mixed-use precincts in South Africa and Central and Eastern Europe said Tuesday that the transaction was consistent with the company’s strategy to allocate more capital to the Western Cape and Eastern Europe, and focus on regional malls rather than mid-sized malls. Millennium is a property private equity fund, the general partner of which is beneficially owned by Stanger Enterprises, TF Holdings, and Nisela Private Equity, none of whom are related parties of Hyprop. Hyprop’s directors said the proceeds of the disposal would…

A former deputy director-general at the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DAC), who was fired after she tried to reveal the identity of a whistle-blower within the National Arts Council (NAC), has failed in her bid to get her job back. Kelebogile Sethibelo was dismissed in her absence in July 2019 after she failed to attend the disciplinary inquiry against her. Her dismissal followed two allegations of misconduct related to attempts to reveal the identity of a whistle-blower and insubordination. Aggrieved with the dismissal, she referred a dispute to the bargaining council. Following unsuccessful attempts at conciliation, the matter came before an arbitrator, who ruled her dismissal to be fair. Unhappy with this finding, Sethibelo now turned to the Labour Court. In an investigation conducted by law firm Cliffe…

Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s spokesperson says the DA's decision to lodge a criminal complaint against the Minister appeared to be a tactic aimed at drawing attention away from “the real work of governance and development”. “The Minister has consistently acted in good faith and within the bounds of the law,” Nkabane's spokesperson Camagwini Mavovana said. The DA yesterday lodged a criminal case against Nkabane, accusing her of lying to Parliament about the appointment of ANC-linked individuals to Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) boards. DA federal chairperson Helen Zille and DA MP Karabo Khakhau, who serves on the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, lodged the charges at the Cape Town Central police station. Khakhau said the charges relate to Nkabane's alleged deliberate misrepresentation of the appointment…

The escalating crisis of counterfeit goods in South Africa has intensified calls for urgent measures to combat organised crime, following a series of high-profile arrests linked to illicit alcohol trade syndicates. Recent statistics reveal a staggering 55% increase in illegal alcohol volumes since 2017, prompting officials and activists alike to classify the situation as a national crisis. Last month IOL reported that the Drinks Federation of South Africa (DF-SA) found that the volume of counterfeit alcohol in the country reached 773 000 hectolitres in 2024. This surge has coincided with several police operations aimed at dismantling the networks behind these illegal products after Gauteng police, on Monday, acting on a tip-off conducted a raid in the city centre which led to the closure of an illegal alcohol manufacturing facility in…

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved a $474.6 million (around R8.4 billion) loan earmarked for South Africa's Infrastructure Governance and Green Growth Programme (IGGGP). This funding, designed to bolster the country's transition to a low-carbon economy, is a vital component of South Africa’s ongoing efforts to enhance its energy landscape amidst pressing challenges. The IGGGP represents the second phase of the bank's strategic backing for a Just Energy Transition in South Africa, following the success of the earlier $300 million Energy Governance and Climate Resilience Programme, approved in 2023. This prior initiative succeeded in reinforcing financial stability whilst expanding renewable energy capacity throughout the nation. Structured around three crucial pillars—transforming energy security through power sector restructuring, promoting a low-carbon and just transition, and enhancing transport efficiency—the IGGGP is…

I quite like reading through policy documents, which I know is a little odd, but we are about to publish our third scrap metal report in July, and I got stuck into some of the documents which preceded the implementation of the Price Preference System (PPS) in 2013. The goals were so noble, yet the outcomes have been so perverse. It reminds me that once the government opens that free money tap, it is very hard to ever close. A reason South Africa’s industrial policy has yielded such poor economic returns since the first Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) was published in 2007, is that no one wants to think about trade-offs. There is an assumption that once we identify a problem, whatever is implemented will solve the problem (PPS…

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa recently approved average tariff increases of 12.74% for Eskom direct customers (effective April 1, 2025) and 11.32% for municipalities (effective July 1, 2025). These adjustments, coupled with structural changes to tariffs, including an overall increase in fixed charges and winter energy time-of-use peak energy charges for large industry, mining, and commercial customers, are forcing businesses to re-evaluate their energy strategies. The current energy climate in South Africa presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses. The reality of persistent tariff increases and the ongoing need for energy security means that relying solely on Eskom is no longer a viable long-term strategy for many industrial and commercial operations. Businesses are also facing a threat of tariffs being added to goods they export to the…

Impala Platinum Limited (Impala) and Impala Bafokeng Resources Proprietary Limited (IBR), two key subsidiaries of Implats in response to low prevailing rand platinum group metal pricing have agreed to consolidate their operations. "This consolidation will align the legal structure with current reporting lines in place, and facilitate and progress the realisation of synergies between the two operations," Implats said in a statement. It is expected that, over time, the consolidation will improve profitability and ensure the sustainability of the combined operations, which shall be ongoing and continuous. Implats said there is no cash consideration attributable to the consolidation, nor will the shareholders of Implats, Impala or IBR change due to the consolidation. The consolidation also does not involve any related parties to the Implats group. The consolidation will see Impala…

Astral Foods, which is planning to expand its recently approved bird flu vaccination programme, wants the government to ease conditions for such initiatives and to finalize payments of compensation to the industry for birds culled to control diseases in the past few years. This appeal comes in the wake of mounting challenges within the poultry industry, which has been grappling with heightened biosecurity risks following successive bird flu outbreaks. Gary Arnold, CEO of Astral Foods, told Business Report in an interview on Tuesday that the company will ramp up its poultry vaccination against bird flu. This comes after the company on Monday announced that the Department of Agriculture had approved its bird flu vaccination program at one of its farms in the country. “It's only 5% being vaccinated.…

The process to choose the country’s next deputy chief justice starts today when the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and leaders of political parties and others within the legal fraternity will interview three possible candidates. But President Cyril Ramaphosa, as head of the National Executive, after consulting the JSC and the leaders of parties represented in the National Assembly, will have the final say over who will stand by the side of Chief Justice Mandisa Maya. The position of deputy chief justice has been vacant since September 1 last year, when the then-Deputy Chief Justice Maya rose to the position of chief justice. The three candidates who will be interviewed are Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo, Free State Judge President Cagney Musi, and Northern Cape Judge President Pule Tlaletsi. A fourth…

Bakeries are proving to be a success story in eleven of the Department of Correctional Services' (DCS) centres in the country, saving the government millions each year. The DCS also announced that a bakery for Durban was commissioned on June 23 this year, for test baking purposes, adding to the 11 other bakeries that DCS has nationally, which are managed by correctional officials. The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services yesterday received an update from the DCS on the establishment of bakeries in correctional centres, including the cost breakdown on bread supply by external suppliers versus internal supply. The DCS stated that the construction of bakeries and the refurbishment of kitchens support self-sufficiency and sustainability. The DCS also believes that bakeries provide work opportunities to offenders, lead to offender skills development,…

Judge President Selby Mbenenge will not be cross-examined by sexual harassment complainant Andiswa Mengo’s legal team after their application was denied at the Judicial Conduct Tribunal yesterday. Tribunal chairperson, retired judge Bernard Ngoepe, denied the application brought by Nasreen Rajab-Budlender on behalf of her client Mengo. Further to Mbenenge, witnesses brought on his behalf will also not be cross-examined, Ngoepe ruled. The ruling was made in accordance with the Judicial Service Commission Act. “After looking at the Act, we are of the view that such a right should not be granted. We say so for certain considerations, indicating that we strove to achieve fairness as far as possible. “This includes that we allowed legal representation for the complainant, albeit within limits. Secondly, we allow the complainant’s legal representatives to put…

In Boxer’s first annual report since its listing on the JSE, the retailer revealed its ambitious plans for the 2026 financial year. The company aims to open 60 new stores (25 Superstores and 35 liquor stores), invest R1.2 billion in capital expenditure, and further expand and enhance the infrastructure that supports its growth and efficiency. As South Africa’s fastest-growing discount supermarket chain, Boxer acknowledged the emerging challenges ahead, including low price inflation, rising cost inflation, annual listing-related expenses, and increased competition within the market. Board chairperson James Formby reflected on the milestone, stating, "The listing of Boxer Retail Limited on the JSE and A2X in November 2024 was a defining moment for the Boxer Group. It marked a point of pride, purpose, and the culmination of decades of hard work,…

The 2025 citrus export season has now reached its peak. The estimates suggest that, should all go well, a record amount of 171.1 million 15kg cartons of citrus will be exported by the end of the season. As South Africa's largest agricultural export industry, the value of smooth and improved logistics is widely recognised by the sector. Port logistics have been receiving more attention in general, but the role improved rail usage can play in bolstering the sector should be more widely acknowledged. Just over a week ago, the first train carrying dozens of refrigerated containers of citrus departed from City Deep in Johannesburg to the port of Durban. 2025 is expected to be a bumper year for this route and its success is largely made possible by the organisational…

African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) on Tuesday said its Cato Ridge Works operations (CRW) and business would close permanently, and all affected employees would be retrenched on August 31, 2025. Its Malaysia business is also being sold. The CRW joint venture between ARM, which has well known South African businessman Patrice Motsepe as its biggest shareholder, and Assmang employed about 600 employees. ARM stated that a structured and comprehensive consultation process in accordance with Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act had been completed. “This decision has been reached after a comprehensive review of CRW's operational and financial position. Despite sustained efforts to explore alternatives to closure, the operation has continued to experience significant and unsustainable financial losses,” ARM’s directors said in a statement on the JSE's news service. They indicated…

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) yesterday adopted the terms of reference for the parliamentary inquiry into the Road Accident Fund (RAF). This was despite the MK Party expressing unhappiness with some of the terms of reference, such as allowing Scopa to accept assistance from any civil society organisation and barring the participation of witnesses’ legal representation during the inquiry. Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi said the inquiry will focus on the mandate of the committee, which relates to the use or misuse of public funds, maladministration, and others. “We need to hold a line on that because people will have all manner of complaints against different institutions. It is important we stay on the mandate of the committee,” he said. During the discussion, MPs had the opportunity to talk…

Banks that want to repossess a vehicle in a case where the owner has fallen in arrears with the monthly instalments are obliged to comply with the National Credit Act (NCA) to ensure that the consumer is aware that the bank is considering litigation against the payment defaulter. This was made clear by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in a case where Wesbank obtained an order by default against the vehicle owner, Charl Viljoen, because he never defended the matter in court. Viljoen told the court that he only heard a month after the order was made that his car was now repossessed. To make matters worse, the vehicle has meanwhile been sold at auction by the bank. He successfully turned to court to have the default judgment overturned, as…

Damian Willemse admits he is nervous ahead of his first match for the Springboks since the 2023 World Cup final, but as he returns to Loftus Versfeld, he carries the comforting memory of arguably his finest hour in a Bok jersey – at the same venue. It was in 2022, and a rusty South African side were on the verge of being upset by Wales. But when Willemse moved to flyhalf for Elton Jantjies in the second half, the game turned. With Handré Pollard-like composure, Willemse slotted the match-winning penalty. The Boks edged it 32-29. “That is a good memory,” Willemse smiled. “It was a scary day for us at Loftus. We did well to come back in the second half.” The fullback enjoyed an excellent run across 2022 and…