Lower inflation to benefit economy more slowly in face of steep administered prices – Absa CIB

Lower inflation would help to reduce inflation expectations and inflation over the long term and, ultimately, lead to lower interest rates, which would benefit consumers by lowering debt-servicing... 

Business confidence insufficient to accelerate investment for meaningful economic growth – index

The Rand Merchant Bank (RMB)/Bureau for Economic Research (BER) Business Confidence Index (BCI) again declined, by one point, to 39 for the third quarter. This follows a five-point decline in the... 

S&P PMI for Aug details easing cost pressures, improved output but declining employment

The S&P Global South Africa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for August showed that cost pressures eased for South African businesses, which helped to sustain the expansion in overall operating... 

Murray & Roberts Limited secures additional R80m in business rescue funding

Murray & Roberts Limited (MRL) – currently under business rescue – says its business rescue practitioners (BRPs) have secured an additional R80-million in post-commencement finance (PCF), which... 

Cashbuild grows revenue, operating profit, HEPS and dividend

JSE-listed building materials and products retailer Cashbuild has reported a 5% year-on-year increase in revenue for the financial year ended June 29 to R11.5-billion, while its operating profit... 

Eastcape Midlands College opens lab, Centre of Excellence for electrical apprentices

Technical and vocational education and training college Eastcape Midlands College (EMC) opened an electrical laboratory, and the French Southern African Schneider Electric Education Centre... 

Sarens wins awards for Zambia Fertiliser and Kamoa Copper projects

Heavy lifting and engineered transport services company Sarens has received the Excellence in Engineering award for its Zambia fertiliser project and the Best Project of the Year award for the... 

Global SME Finance Forum an opportunity to diversify export relationships, funding sources

The upcoming Global SME Finance Forum, which is an official side event of the G20 South Africa Presidency, will provide access to international funding solutions and market opportunities for South... 

Google.org provides $1m for Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery Institute

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (Mind) Institute has been awarded core funding of $1-million by Internet services firm charity and philanthropy... 

Small businesses complete Phase 3 of dtic, SAB Foundation export programme

Entrepreneurs funded by independent small, medium-sized and microenterprises funding trust SAB Foundation have completed the third phase of the Export Readiness Programme facilitated by the... 

Bidvest posts 5% revenue growth, while Citron acquisition gives it growth prospects in North America

JSE-listed diversified services, trading and distribution company Bidvest reported that revenue grew by 4.9% to R126.6-billion for the year ended June 30, up from R120.7-billion in the prior... 

Mining industry flags electricity, permitting, illegal mining during engagement with DMPR

The price of electricity for energy-intensive users, permitting challenges and the conversion of marginal shafts to small businesses were among the suggestions and problems mining industry... 

Calls for draft Mineral Resources Development Amendment Bill withdrawal

Agricultural industry organisation AgriSA has called on government to withdraw the draft Mineral Resources Development Amendment Bill and subject it to a full socioeconomic-impact assessment... 

Malatsi stresses need for reliable, affordable connectivity to drive economic growth

“Reliable and affordable connectivity is a basic requirement for full economic participation,” said Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi on August 28. “Connectivity is not... 

Bidcorp delivers revenue, profit growth despite cost of living challenges facing consumers

JSE-listed food services multinational Bidcorp reported net revenue for the financial year ended June 30, of R235.6-billion, up 4.3% in rand terms from the R225.9-billion reported in the prior... 

Vuyani Ntsimango appointed new harbour master of Port Elizabeth port

State-owned ports operator Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has appointed Captain Vuyani Ntsimango as the new Harbour Master at its multi-cargo Port of Port Elizabeth (PoPE), with effect... 

South Africa’s SMME sector could accelerate job creation with greater support

The small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) of South Africa contribute about 35%, or R2.5-trillion, of the country's yearly GDP, account for 50% of all formal employment and create 60% of... 

ACSA posts profits after tax, to accelerate capex to improve airports infrastructure

State-owned airports operator Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has posted a profit after tax of R1.1-billion for the financial year ended March 31, up from the profit of R472-million reported... 

Aspen warns of lower full-year earnings

JSE-listed pharmaceuticals manufacturer Aspen has warned that its normalised headline earnings a share are likely to drop by 27% to 32% to between R10.15 and R10.89 a share for the financial year... 

Adcock’s full-year results benefit from good second-half performance

JSE-listed pharmaceuticals manufacturer Adcock Ingram has recorded a 1% increase in revenue to R9.76-billion for the financial year ended June 30, while basic earnings a share increased by 8%... 

AI-powered business management platform launched to formalise, scale small businesses

Custom software development company Tati Software founder Bertha Kgokong has launched Skhokho 2.0 – a business management platform designed for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The platform aims... 

South African steel tube exporters to participate in Nigeria, Ghana trade mission

Industry body the Steel Tube Export Association of South Africa (Steasa) will participate in an outward selling mission (OSM) to Nigeria and Ghana from August 25 to 30 as part of efforts to... 

AIIM, Motseng Investment launch women-owned investment company

Private equity infrastructure fund manager African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) and diversified investment holding company Motseng Investment Holdings have formed the women-owned... 

Macsteel retrenches 39 employees, 253 accept voluntary severance packages as it undergoes restructuring

Steel merchandiser and distributor Macsteel has confirmed that 39 employees, or 1.4% of its total workforce, received formal notices of retrenchment on August 18, while 253 employees have accepted... 

Four sectors in the chemicals industry conclude wage negotiations for 2025 to 2028

The National Bargaining Council for the Chemical Industry (NBCCI) says wage negotiations for 2025 to 2028 have been successfully concluded across four sectors, with a 5.5% increase secured for the... 

Small businesses are struggling to grow, but optimistic about future – SBGI

The Small Business Growth Index (SBGI) shows that small businesses are experiencing a fragile recovery with deep-rooted challenges, with one-quarter of the 1 600 small and medium-sized enterprises... 

Dipula completes five strategic acquisitions for R700m

JSE-listed real estate investment trust Dipula Properties has made five strategic acquisitions totalling about R700-million, including the R480-million acquisition of Protea Gardens Mall, in... 

Africa fintech market set for growth, fuelled by demand for digital innovation

The African fintech sector is experiencing rapid growth, driven by a combination of economic expansion, high demand for financial services and innovative solutions addressing longstanding gaps in... 

PRO alliance relaunches waste picker registration programme

Producer responsibility organisation (PRO) the Paper and Packaging PRO Alliance has relaunched an upgraded South African Waste Picker Registration System (SAWPRS), which is the national... 

Veld fires can drive up food prices, especially meat – FNB Agriculture

The frequency and severity of veld fires are expected to continue increasing in South Africa and the damage could result in higher food prices, as this severely impacts on farm production costs,... 

Flash gala apple harvest rises 41% y/y to a record 1.48m cartons

Deciduous fruit marketing and distribution company Tru-Cape says the 2025 harvest season has delivered a record 1.48-million cartons of Flash Gala apples, which represents a 41% increase from the... 

Google for Startups Accelerator 2025 programme opens for South African founders using AI

Internet services company Google has announced the opening of applications for the 2025 Google for Startups Accelerator (GFSA) programme for South African founders. The programme will be a... 

WWF SA calls for responsible, sustainable mining to be top of G20 agenda

Local environmental and conservation organisation the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF SA) says the issue of the sustainable development of a transition minerals industry should be on... 

Accelerating reform momentum can deliver 3% growth in 24 months, says Mavuso

One in three, or 32.9%, of adults in South Africa are unemployed, highlighting that the economy is suffocating under the weight of structural inefficiencies that reforms could fix, says business... 

New Saliem Fakir book highlights inextricable link between climate, energy transition and development

Climate change is not only an environmental issue; rather, economic and social issues are at the core of the energy transition the world and Africa are grappling with now and, if these issues are... 

Step-change in grid construction seen as key to unlocking big renewables pipeline

South Africa can unlock an additional 53 GW of electricity generation capacity by constructing 14 000 km of transmission infrastructure – a critical step in enabling the electricity sector to... 

Step-change in grid construction seen as key to unlocking big renewables pipeline

South Africa can unlock an additional 53 GW of electricity generation capacity by constructing 14 000 km of transmission infrastructure – a critical step in enabling the electricity sector to... 

Redisa calls for new waste tyre management plan

Waste tyre recycling organisation the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (Redisa) has written to members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries... 

SA Canegrowers calls on food, beverage manufacturers and retailers to commit to buying local sugar

Industry organisation the South African Cane Growers' Association (SA Canegrowers) has called on food and beverage manufacturers and retailers to commit to buying mainly local sugar in order to... 

Agriculture outperforms rest of economy over 20 years despite margins being squeezed

The agricultural sector in South Africa outperformed the rest of the economy significantly over the past 20 years, despite input costs rising faster than inflation and, in most cases, rising faster...