Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-11-14 i Mercury

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, has called for an urgent overhaul of South Africa’s building regulations and approval systems to fast-track infrastructure development, saying bureaucratic red tape continues to delay projects and undermine economic growth. Speaking at the 2025 National Construction Summit on Thursday, Macpherson said it was unacceptable that developers and government entities were still forced to wait up to two years for construction plan approvals. He warned that such delays were slowing down the momentum required to boost economic growth and meeting the country's infrastructure needs. With the summit attended by more than 2 000 delegates from government, business, and labour, Macpherson said consensus was emerging around one priority: accelerating delivery by cutting red tape. "We know that further work needs to be done to remove…

When Siya Kolisi ran onto the field for his 100th Test, he carried more than a rugby ball. He carried the hopes of a nation — one that has struggled for decades to reconcile excellence with equity, history with hope. But this milestone wasn’t his alone. It was the shared triumph of a partnership that quietly rewrote what leadership looks like: Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus. One, a young man from Zwide township who learned to fight for every meal. The other, a maverick strategist from the Free State who saw genius where others saw risk. Together, they didn’t just win two World Cups. They showed that transformation — when done authentically — is not a buzzword. It’s a competitive advantage. The Partnership Principle Having worked with leaders across five…

About 84% of South African of multinational and large companies are struggling to recruit the skilled professionals they need, a notable increase from 79% in 2024. This is according to Marisa Jacobs, Managing Director at Xpatweb, who says the talent search is intensifying across key sectors. Jacobs notes that both formal qualifications and relevant work experience remain decisive in securing professionals for roles, particularly in engineering, ICT, healthcare, STEM education, media and marketing, and artisanal trades. She emphasises that South Africa’s economic growth depends on its ability to attract and retain top talent, especially as global competition for critical skills intensifies. According to Jacobs, employers continue to report difficulty sourcing skilled professionals locally, with many citing challenges in finding candidates who possess the right combination of academic credentials and practical…

Virgin Active, the global chain of health clubs and gyms controlled by JSE-listed investment holding company Brait, is making an operational turnaround, and its revenues are growing strongly across all territories. Brait has a strategy of unlocking value and optimising its assets to return capital to shareholders and has previously hinted at listing Virgin Active. In Brait’s results for the six months to September 30, released on Thursday, Virgin Active’s UK business reported revenue growth of 12%, South Africa 15%, Italy 7%, and APAC 13%. Brait’s net asset value per share was up 5% to R3.21 from R3.06 reported for the 2024 financial year. Its share price slipped 4.2% to R2.06 on Thursday afternoon. Membership growth increased marginally despite club refurbishment closures and higher terminations in some territories. Capital expenditure…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has given the construction industry the green light to initiate mega infrastructure projects to turbocharge the country's economy through infrastructure development. Ramaphosa said his administration has placed the infrastructure development programme at the centre of the country's economic growth. Ramaphosa, who is preparing to welcome international leaders to the G20 Summit next week, addressed the 2025 National Construction Summit held at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni yesterday. He stated that the R1 trillion medium-term budget allocation by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is central in his administration’s bold plans for the country, with all the involved ministers also committed to seeing the country being turned into a big construction site. On Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that the government will allocate over R1 trillion to public infrastructure…

KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers has welcomed the additional allocations made by the National Treasury to support critical provincial priorities in the 2025/26 financial year. The KZN Treasury said in a statement that the allocations were announced by Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday. The provincial treasury said the following key allocations had been made: Health: An additional R1.39 billion has been allocated to the Provincial Equitable Share (PES) for Health. This funding will address urgent pressures in the department, including the continued employment of community service doctors and interns, offsetting budget pressures in personnel, and funding essential goods and services. Education: The Education sector will receive R640.8 million to retain teachers and offset budget pressures under Compensation of Employees. Further allocations include R354…

There have been 8 854 high-risk cases flagged by the National Treasury, in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Revenue Service, amid their campaign to identify and eliminate “ghost workers”. Ghost workers are individuals who are listed on the payroll but do not perform the duties associated with their position – including individuals who have left the public service or who are deceased. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the progress that has been made in identifying ghost workers during his 2025 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday. In his MTBPS, he said government has initiated an audit to not only identify ghost workers, but also identify payment irregularities across national and provincial departments. “The National Treasury has partnered with the Department of Home…

Taxi boss Kholwani Prayman Ntanjana has been described as the alleged orchestrator of the attack on Advocate Coreth Naudé SC. Naude, who had been appointed by SARS to handle a tax inquiry, was shot in her vehicle on July 18, 2024, at the entrance of Premier Hotel in Umhlanga. At the time, Naudé was conducting a tax inquiry into Andile Mpisane, the son of the controversial Durban businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize. She was shot in the neck, face, and shoulder, and had to undergo reconstructive surgery on her jaw. During Ntanjana’s bail application in the Durban Magistrate's Court yesterday, the State submitted an affidavit from Warrant Officer Praved Maharaj, the investigating officer. The State is opposing his bail. Maharaj described how Ntanjana met with his co-accused, Siyanda Mbulwana and Mcebisi Runeyi…

Crime continues to be a national scourge, and recently released statistics reveal that business-owned vehicles are a higher risk to crime than personally-owned vehicles. Business-owned vehicles range from cargo trucks with trailers to courier vehicles delivering items ordered online. Crime targeting these vehicles proves highly lucrative, with criminals acquiring the vehicle, the goods being transported, and the driver’s personal belongings, such as a mobile phone. Higher risk Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for January to June 2025 show that business-owned vehicles are 48% more likely to be targeted than personally-owned vehicles. This trend is largely driven by hijackings, with notable shifts in both timing and location. Mpumalanga has emerged as a new hotspot, and incidents are increasingly occurring during the week rather than over weekends. Gauteng leads The Tracker Vehicle Crime…

Forging partnerships to deliver prosperity for all Over the last two decades, we have entered a profoundly different period in global history, the era of a multipolar world. The emergence of the BRICS grouping, which represents around 40% of the world’s population and GDP, is significant because, for the first time, it offers people from the Global South a genuine opportunity to benefit from the growing wealth of the world. I have never seen BRICS as being opposed to the West. On the contrary, for many years, BRICS has supported globalisation. Remembering Thomas Friedman’s The World Is Flat, the sharing of information, resources, knowledge, and technology has the potential to create immense wealth for the entire world. This is the promise of BRICS and of a multipolar world. The BRICS…

When Audi joins Formula One in 2026, it will mark one of the most anticipated manufacturer entries in recent memory. The German automotive giant isn’t merely arriving as a sponsor or engine supplier — it’s entering as a full factory team, taking complete control of Sauber Motorsport and rebranding it as Audi F1 Team. Backed by the vast resources of the Volkswagen Group, Audi’s project represents a major long-term commitment, with ambitions to fight for championships by 2030. Audi’s entry into Formula 1 will officially come through its acquisition of Sauber Motorsport AG, the Swiss-based outfit currently racing as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. From 2026, the Hinwil operation will become Audi’s official works team, competing under the Audi name with a completely new chassis and in-house power unit. Sauber’s…

Just five months after lifting the ICC World Test Championship mace, Temba Bavuma and his Proteas team face arguably their toughest examination yet at the iconic Eden Gardens. It has been 29 years since the Proteas last won a Test at the citadel of Indian cricket, and 15 years since they triumphed anywhere across this vast country. None of the current squad has ever tasted the sweet success of a Test victory on Indian soil. At times during the intervening period, it has seemed as though South Africa were destined never to prevail there again, especially after the 3-0 humbling they suffered on their last visit in 2019. Bavuma was part of that disastrous tour, managing just 98 runs with a top score of 38 and an average of 16…

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka feels the club must block out outside distractions and stay focused as the London side sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League after 11 matches. The Gunners have collected 26 points from eight wins and two draws but were held to a 2-2 draw at Sunderland last weekend, allowing Manchester City to trim the gap with their 3-0 victory over Liverpool. “We just have to win every game, that’s the mentality we go into the game with and see where it leaves us,” Saka told talkSPORT, in an interview published yesterday. “We cannot get carried away with what people are saying, because one day they say something and the next day they say something else. People’s opinion about us changes like the…

Competition Commission report lauded as heralding a new era for local journalism and media sustainability In a landmark moment for the South African media industry, the Competition Commission unveiled the final report of its Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry on Thursday, heralding a new era for local journalism and media sustainability. This comprehensive report not only details the challenges the industry faces but also promises transformative support, encompassing a substantial R688 million Media Support Package over the next five years, the culmination of an agreement with tech giants Google and YouTube. This will fund national, community and vernacular media through a combination of content licensing, innovation grants, and capacity-building initiatives. It includes support for newsroom innovation, contributions to the Digital News Transformation Fund, and funding for vernacular-language training…

Economists and analysts believe a 25 basis point interest rate cut is likely when the South African Reserve Bank’s (Sarb) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets next week This comes as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday confirmed that government had officially lowered the inflation target from the previous 3–6% range to a single-point target of 3%, in line with global best practice. Neil Roets, CEO of Debt Rescue, on Thursday said the new target represented a “significant structural shift” that could improve household financial stability over time. “We at Debt Rescue see this as a significant structural shift that has the potential to improve long-term financial stability for households. A lower target aligns South Africa with global best practice and, over time, should translate into lower borrowing costs and stronger…

A group of at least 23 South African consumers is set to take legal action against SA Relocations Group, a relocation and immigration services company, after allegedly being defrauded of more than R1.7 million in prepaid deposits. The group, represented by consumer law attorney Trudie Broekmann, claims the company collected full payments for services that were never rendered. “These clients paid 100% deposits for the shipping of goods which were collected but never shipped as promised or delivered at all,” says Broekmann. SA Relocations Group, which describes itself as a comprehensive relocation expert with a “proven track record,” allegedly failed to deliver on its commitments and abruptly ceased operations mid-service. Broekmann described the company’s conduct as a “disappearing act,” leaving clients stranded and out of pocket. Juliata Prinsloo, a financial…

Cross-border payments provider Verto has hailed the recent Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement presented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. The statement not only marks a significant reaffirmation of South Africa’s commitment to financial stability but is seen as a strategic move to fully utilise the credibility gained from the country’s recent exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. James Booth, Verto’s Head of Revenue, said, “The Minister has met the moment.” He emphasized that the country’s removal from the grey list represented an essential regulatory victory, paving the way for further fiscal and monetary strategies designed to stabilise the economy. In his address, Godongwana announced a commitment to cap government debt at 77.9% of GDP and introduced a new inflation target of 3% with a tolerance band of…

Cell C Holdings’ offer to qualifying investors has opened, with the JSE listing date for the South African telecom operator set for November 27, 2025. The offer includes up to 173.4 million shares, along with an additional 9.52 million shares, which features an allocation of up to 68 million shares to a new empowerment ownership structure. The offer, representing 54% of Cell C’s shares, opened on Thursday and will close on November 21, according to a pre-listing statement. Proceeds from the listing are expected to reach up to R6.5 billion, which includes an allocation of shares valued at approximately R2.4 billion to an empowerment vehicle. The market capitalisation of the listing is estimated to be between R10 billion and R12 billion, with the offer price range set between R29.50 and…

Businesses have left eThekwini in favour of the northern parts of the province amid persistent water and sanitation challenges. Despite 18 months of intervention at the highest level, water and sanitation in the eThekwini Municipality continue to be a serious problem. The business community has expressed frustration over the situation, leading some mid-size businesses to relocate to other areas of the province, with the biggest beneficiaries being regions like the Ilembe District. Businesses voiced their concerns yesterday as the Presidential Ethekwini Working Group toured the municipality's projects to assess the progress made to date. The group was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa nearly two years ago following complaints from the business community about the state of the municipality amid several crises, including water and sanitation issues. The group has several…

In a decision that once again confirms the rights of pension funds to prioritise the financial needs of dependents over inheritance claims, the Financial Services Tribunal ruled in favour of a widow being the beneficiary of her late husband’s R7.6 million pension. The widow, only identified as Mrs G, faced the wrath of her two stepsons after they had lost out on receiving a portion of their late father’s pension. They turned to the tribunal and asked it to reconsider the Pension Fund Adjudicator's determination to uphold the allocation of a death benefit by the Old Mutual Superfund to their stepmother. The deceased was a member of the fund from October 4, 1991, until his passing in February 2021. Following his death, a benefit of R7.6 million became due…

A police officer is under investigation following findings that earlier this year, he accessed the police system and cleared the criminal record of James Stuart Scharnick, an alleged associate of embattled deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya. The impromptu media briefing called by provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s office yesterday was addressed by provincial Deputy Commissioner for Crime Detection Major-General Anthony Gopaul. Gopaul discussed criminal cases linked to Scharnick, who has opened cases, including one of defeating the ends of justice against the South African Police Service’s head of Crime Intelligence, Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, at the Pretoria Central police station. Scharnick opened the cases after testimony from Khumalo at the Madlanga Commission which related to his alleged dealings with Sibiya. Gopaul said yesterday that Scharnick had a criminal record…

More details have emerged following the official reveal of the new Toyota Hilux in Thailand, and no doubt South Africans will be champing at the bit to continue its status as the country’s favourite bakkie. We know that the new Hilux will also be built at the Prospecton plant in Durban, but at this stage, we know only that it will be released sometime in 2026, with models and specifications still under wraps. Powertrains According to the official Australian press release, all grades of the new Hilux will be powered by the company’s 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, producing 150kW and 500Nm of torque paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Variants fitted with a six-speed manual transmission develop 420Nm of torque. At this stage, there is no official word on whether…

Hugo Broos has urged Safa to lay the foundation for a new generation of football stars by emphasising the integration of youth talent into Bafana Bafana — a move aimed at solidifying the future of South African football. The Bafana Bafana coach has underscored the gradual need to field players from the U17 and U20 national teams in the senior squad. This strategy aims to ensure that continuity and international experience can contribute to the team’s long-term success. Broos believes Safa should establish a dedicated U23 national team during every Fifa international break. Recognising the value of experience gained at youth level, he says this is crucial to maintaining a continuous pathway for talented youngsters to develop into top-tier players. The renowned Belgian tactician — who a few years ago…

Casric Stars have carried the sting of last season’s near miss in the PSL promotional/relegation play-offs into this campaign — and turned it into early momentum in the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC). The Mpumalanga-based side came within touching distance of their top-flight dream but fell just short at the final hurdle, with Orbit College finding another gear to clinch promotion to this season’s Betway Premiership. Now, as the MFC pauses for the international break, the Bucs Mthombeni-led outfit sit proudly at the top of the league standings. Casric hold a slender one-point lead over second-placed Milford FC, who have shown notable growth after a promising 2024/25 campaign that saw them finish in the upper reaches of the table. Affectionately known as The Believers, Casric have already claimed a crucial win…

South Africa's 2025 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) struck a noticeably positive and pragmatic tone, signalling government's renewed commitment to fiscal sustainability and a pivot from consumption to growth-enhancing investment. The most significant takeaway from the 2025 MTBPS is National Treasury’s pledge to restore fiscal sustainability and stabilise government debt. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that government debt is expected to stabilise at an estimated 77.9% of GDP in the 2025/26 fiscal year. This marks the first time since the 2008 financial crisis that the debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to stop growing, a reversal of a 15-year trend of debt accumulation. A primary budget surplus (where revenue exceeds non-interest spending) of R68.5 billion - or 0.9% of GDP – is expected in the current year. This surplus is forecasted to…

South Africa’s mining sector recorded modest growth in September 2025, supported largely by stronger output from platinum-group metals (PGMs), gold, and coal, according to Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) on Thursday. The data shows that mining production increased by 1.2% year-on-year in September, while seasonally adjusted mining output rose 2.5% in the third quarter compared with the second quarter of the year. Jean-Pierre Terblanche, principal service statistician at Stats SA, said the 2.5% expansion in the third quarter was mainly driven by platinum-group metals, which surged 6.7%, adding 1.7 percentage points to overall growth. Gold production also jumped 5.9% year-on-year in September, the strongest annual gain since July 2023, following a 3.6% decline in August. On a seasonally adjusted basis, gold production increased 6.6% in September, rebounding from a 3.6%…

As South Africa becomes increasingly digitised, the way we communicate and plan for the future has fundamentally shifted. According to the 2025 DataReportal, 50.8 million South Africans are now online, representing 78.9% of the population. While this signals remarkable progress, it also reveals a quiet trade-off: convenience often comes at the expense of depth and connection. In-person meetings have become video calls. Conversations have turned into messages. And many of the moments that once brought people together now happen in isolation, even when shared online. This shift has crept into how we think about retirement. Topics like financial freedom, legacy, and life after work are often left undiscussed, not because they are unimportant, but because they carry emotional weight. Retirement is not just a financial milestone; it is a psychological…

German industrial giant Siemens reported record net income for a third consecutive year on Thursday, which company executives credited to growth in areas like software and artificial intelligence. The Munich-based group netted 10.4 billion euros (about $12.1 billion) in income between October 2024 and September 2025, up 16 percent over the previous year. "We achieved (record profits) in spite of substantial uncertainties all around the world: geopolitics, new tariffs and protectionism, slow consumer spending," Siemens CEO Roland Busch told reporters and investors. Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects, orders climbed five percent to 78.9 billion euros. Siemens forecast revenue in the next year to grow between six and eight percent. The industrial giant makes products that range from trains and turbines to advanced medical devices and software for factories. Busch…

Independent Media executive chairman Dr Iqbal Survé has called for a more inclusive world order and a strengthening of the partnership between Africa and China. Speaking at the opening of the two-day Global South Media and Think Tank Forum in Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg yesterday, Survé described the partnership between Africa and China as a “beacon of what genuine cooperation can achieve”. He said the partnership was grounded in mutual respect, shared goals, and a commitment to building a fairer, more inclusive world order. “It is this spirit of partnership that must guide our collective efforts in reforming global governance to reflect a more equitable and representative system,” Survé stated. According to the businessman, the theme for this year’s forum, “Reforming Global Governance: New Roles and Visions for China-Africa Co-operation”,…

Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by SAPS KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, came to a halt during the testimony of suspended Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde. The parliamentary inquiry is probing the explosive allegations made by Mkhwanazi at a press conference on July 6, months after Mchunu issued controversial directives, including the disbanding of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) to SAPS national commissioner Fannie Masemola on December 31, 2024. Yesterday afternoon’s proceedings came to a halt when Nkabinde's testimony was challenged by members of Parliament (MPs), pointing out contradictions between the evidence he submitted in his affidavit to the committee and the verbal testimony he was delivering. Nkabinde had spent the morning testifying about how former police minister Bheki Cele had used…

Tensions are mounting in KwaDukuza Municipality after the ANC Youth League in the General Gizenga Mpanza Region accused the local municipality of corruption, nepotism and mismanagement, claims the municipality has firmly rejected as “unfounded” and “intimidatory”. In a scathing statement issued late last month, the ANCYL stated it was “appalled, though not surprised” by what it described as ongoing “unethical, corrupt and unjust employment practices” within the municipality. The League alleged that local youth were being excluded from job opportunities while friends and relatives of senior officials were placed in key positions without proper recruitment processes. “For far too long, the municipality has hired individuals from outside the town, while qualified local youth remain unemployed and excluded,” the statement read. “Posts are not advertised, interviews are skipped, and individuals are…

Omoda has released the details of their new C7 SUV to be launched this month that slots in between the C5 X Series and the range-topping C9. There are three variants of the C7, starting with the Luxury then the Elegance and the SHS plug-in hybrid tops off the range. Exterior The exterior is defined by an X-shaped frameless grille combined with slim LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights. Omoda has always been defined by its flowing designs, and in the C7, the lines from front to back give it an athletic stance, combined with 19 and 20-inch alloys with red brake calipers depending on the model. Interior With a 2.720mm wheelbase, there should be plenty of legroom for front and rear passengers, with 614 litres of boot space…

The Springboks have targeted the match against Italy as another opportunity to give some of their newly capped players a run at international level — a test to see if they can handle the pressure on foreign soil. Following last weekend’s brilliant 32-17 victory over France, the responsibility now rests on the shoulders of the 23 players selected to maintain that winning momentum against the Azzurri. With Italy coming off a strong win over the Wallabies, they’ll be playing in front of an expectant crowd at the Allianz Stadium, tomorrow, (2.40 pm kick-off), which should add to the spectacle. Head coach Rassie Erasmus has made several changes to his starting XV, with only four players retained from last weekend’s run-on side. A rookie front row will lead the scrum, and…

“Even when people mocked me, saying football was my girlfriend, I kept going because I knew what I wanted.” When you speak to Aubrey Modiba, you don’t just hear a footballer; you hear a man who understands what it means to chase a dream that, for many around him, once seemed impossible. His voice carries the calm confidence of someone who has walked through doubt, ridicule and rejection – and turned them into the rhythm of victory. From the dusty fields of Mentz, just outside Polokwane in Limpopo, to the floodlights of Loftus Versfeld and the national pride of the Bafana Bafana jersey, Modiba’s story is one of belief forged through hardship and hope. It’s a tale that stretches far beyond football – a reflection of what it means to…