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Legislative Environment News

Firm emphasises valorisation

By: Lumkile Nkomfe 23rd February 2024 To advance circularity and sustainability in the rubber manufacturing industry, leading rubber crumb manufacturer Mathe Group emphasises a strong focus on valorising waste rubber as a means of increasing supply amid increased demand. Rubber crumb is used on roads and artificial sporting fields,... →

Ramaphosa sets May 29 election date

By: Reuters 20th February 2024 South Africa will hold national and provincial elections on May 29, President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said on Tuesday. "I call on all South Africans to exercise their democratic right to vote and for those who will be campaigning to do so peacefully, within the full observance of the law,"... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Good governance key to addressing water infrastructure challenges

By: Lumkile Nkomfe 16th February 2024 Transparency, accountability and good governance practices are critical to address the current water infrastructure crisis in South Africa, emphasises Talbot, a sustainable water solutions company. Water infrastructure encompasses everything from dams, reservoirs, water treatment systems and... →

MUNICIPAL MALAISE Municipalities across South Africa are struggling to resolve challenges pertaining to the maintenance of wastewater treatment plants, pump stations and associated infrastructure

Can SA mining prevent more hostage dramas in 2024?

By: Darren Parker 16th February 2024 Since October of last year, several unlawful underground protests have raised serious concerns about the potential emergence of a new trend in which frustrated underground mineworkers turn to unlawful sit-ins and hostage-taking as a means of having their demands met. Although the South African... →

S Africa’s infrastructure at a crossroads – council

By: Lumkile Nkomfe 16th February 2024 Industry body Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) has emphasised the significance of maintenance as a proactive measure against further decay of South Africa’s infrastructure. The council acknowledges the existing challenges facing the country but is optimistic about addressing them to... →

BRIDGET SSAMULA Many countries rely on the private sector to kickstart projects because these companies have done the research and built the prototypes, whereas with government, you have to wait for a more economic design solution that can be implemented at mass scale to push the developmental agenda

2024 could be ‘turning point’ for infrastructure sector

By: Lumkile Nkomfe 16th February 2024 Amid an evolving political landscape and the imminent challenges of an upcoming national election, Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) underscores the critical need to expedite infrastructure development and for continuity in South Africa, emphasizing the importance of proactive planning and... →

CHRIS CAMPBELL The private sector is an integral part of this country and this is why South Africa needs to break down barriers and build relationships

Hill-Lewis urges Ramaphosa to fast-track devolution of rail, policing powers to deal with crises

By: Sashnee Moodley 6th February 2024 Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is looking to President Cyril Ramaphosa for answers on the delay of the national Rail Devolution Strategy, which could save lower-income families R932-million every year. Hill-Lewis pointed out that Ramaphosa had promised that the strategy would be out in 2023,... →

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis

New Bacsa to support business, govt collaboration in fight against crime, corruption

By: Darren Parker 5th February 2024 Industry body Business Against Crime South Africa (Bacsa) has been confirmed as the primary point of contact for business interaction with government on crime and corruption through government structures, including the National Priority Crime Operational Committee (NPCOC). This signals an... →

Food distributor welcomes chicken import rebates but warns of supply chain issues

By: Sabrina Jardim 30th January 2024 The International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) confirmed on January 25 that it is lifting punitive tariffs on imported chicken as a response to the impacts of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu, which has “ravaged” global and local poultry supplies.... →

Hume International logistics and operations director Roy Thomas

AMIE welcomes rebates for boneless, bone-in chicken product imports

By: Sabrina Jardim 26th January 2024 The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of Southern Africa (AMIE) has welcomed the decision by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel and the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) to implement rebates on boneless and bone-in chicken cuts,... →

Treasury snafu complicates fines process for dodgy auditors

By: News24Wire 16th January 2024 The Finance Ministry has been forced to re-gazette the maximum fines that can be imposed on auditors and auditing firms for misconduct after the words "per charge" were omitted for two of the sanctions that were promulgated in June 2023. That seemingly minor oversight has complicated future... →

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana

South Africa prepares Bill to form State-firm holding company

By: Bloomberg 10th January 2024 South Africa’s minister of public enterprises will soon introduce a bill in parliament to establish a government firm that will own and manage at least 13 of the country’s state-owned companies. The National State Enterprises Bill will establish the State Asset Management and provide for the... →

Egypt's Sisi sweeps to third term as president with 89.6% of vote

By: Reuters 20th December 2023 Abdel Fattah al-Sisi swept on December 18 to a third term as Egypt's President in an election where he faced no serious challengers, calling the vote a rejection of the "inhumane war" in neighbouring Gaza. The election, in which he took 89.6% of the vote according to the National Election... →

Photo by Reuters
Voting papers being handled in Egypt

Passage of NHI Bill would spell disaster for the health sector – BLSA

By: Darren Parker 11th December 2023 Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso has warned of the deteriorating health sector without the prospect of recovery, owing in large part to the passage last week of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law, barring the assent of President Cyril Ramaphosa. In her weekly... →

Diversification said to be key to industry’s survival

By: Trent Roebeck 8th December 2023 Despite Phase 1 of the “all-important” Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030 (Sugarcane Master Plan) having expired on March 31, 2023, government has allowed for two additional years so that South African sugar industry players can restructure and diversify. Sugar industry professional body... →

An aerial photograph of one of the sugar cane mills under the umbrella of the South African Sugar Association

FIELD OF DREAMS Flowing from Phase 1, at least ten product diversification opportunities have been identified and are being investigated in terms of viability

Financial support aids industry

By: Trent Roebeck 8th December 2023 To address the ongoing negative impacts and challenges posed by the Health Promotion Levy (HPL), or sugar tax, industry association SA Canegrowers, in partnership with millers from the South African Sugar Association (SASA), is providing R1-billion to support sugar industry players while the... →

LAND OF SUGARCANE Sugarcane field under the supervision of the South African Canegrowers Association

Mixed reactions to passing of NHI Bill

By: Sane Dhlamini 7th December 2023 Business groups Business Unity South Africa (Busa) and Business for South Africa (B4SA) are planning to submit a formal petition to President Cyril Ramaphosa to send the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill back to Parliament for amendments on the grounds of unconstitutionality.... →

Environmental leaders call for withdrawal of National Petroleum Company Bill

By: Schalk Burger 5th December 2023 Five leaders of environmental organisations have, in an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, called on government to immediately withdraw the National Petroleum Company Bill in addition to stopping all oil and gas exploration off South Africa’s coastline. The Green Connection strategic lead... →

Ramaphosa concerned developed countries not meeting climate funding obligations

By: Sane Dhlamini 4th December 2023 President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern that the developed economies are still not meeting their obligations to support developing countries with the finance, technology and capacity building needed for effective climate actions. In his weekly newsletter, following his attendance at the... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

COP 28 to host fossil fuels debate

By: Halima Frost 1st December 2023 This year’s Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, referred to globally as COP 28 and being held from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will look to address environmental issues, including decarbonisation... →

A glass glob perched on green moss signifying a global drive to a greener economy

GLOBALLY GREEN The drive to a decarbonised economy will again be addressed at this years Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Commission addressing gaps, challenges in BBBEE

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 30th November 2023 The Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act, now in its twentieth year, has achieved several successes, but challenges abound, and transformation is not at the requisite level, and the BBEEE Commission has therefore identified several gaps and areas that require addressing, with the... →

Access to water, logistics infrastructure major hurdles to hydrogen economy

By: Darren Parker 30th November 2023 One of the challenges standing in the way of South Africa becoming a world-class green hydrogen producer is that South Africa is a water-scarce country, and that enormous volumes of water are needed to produce hydrogen, law firm Bowmans associate Marga Jordaan has said. “[We] need to take into... →

hydrogen tank with solar and wind energy

Standard Bank denies currency manipulation allegations

By: Darren Parker 27th November 2023 Financial services provider Standard Bank has denied manipulating the value of the rand and having any involvement in anticompetitive or criminal conduct, despite admitting fault before the Competition Tribunal and a follow-up statement issued by the National Treasury on November 24 that spelled... →

Prosecutions coupled with zero-tolerance culture key to fighting SA’s corruption scourge

By: Darren Parker 24th November 2023 Corruption has long been an unhappy and increasingly harmful feature of the South African political, economic and business landscape. The extreme scale of this insidious problem came into sharp focus during the inquiry into State capture, however, which unearthed not only the far-reaching nature... →

Koko's Kusile case: State's corruption buster vows to keep punching despite court blow

By: News24Wire 22nd November 2023 The National Prosecuting Authority's Investigating Directorate has suffered a blow in its fight against state capture, but it has vowed to keep punching. On Tuesday, the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court struck from the court roll a crucial corruption case involving a lucrative... →

Eskom's former CEO Matshela Koko

Seifsa urges dtic not to extend scrap metal ban

By: Creamer Media Reporter 21st November 2023 The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) says it has noted with concern submissions by other entities to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) calling for the extension to the scrap metal export ban which is scheduled to come to an end in... →

Seifsa president Elias Monage

Court strikes Koko Eskom graft case off the roll, finds there were unreasonable delays

By: News24Wire 21st November 2023 The Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday struck the case against former Eskom boss Matshela Koko and others from the roll. The court found that there had been unreasonable delays in the R2.2-billion corruption case against Koko and his co-accused. This, however, is not a... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Former Eskom boss Matshela Koko

South African construction sector – challenging at present but hope remains

17th November 2023 Amid the slow release of standardised bidding criteria by public sector entities, the South African civil engineering and construction sector is described as being on a “hiatus”, with it being almost impossible for companies to respond to vastly differing bid evaluation criteria, says industry... →

CHRIS CAMPBELL The 2022 preferential procurement regulations do not provide sufficient guidelines to inform public sector entities on how to shape criteria and avoid legal challenges

Visa backlogs causing critical skills deficit, undermining economy

By: Darren Parker 13th November 2023 A lack of critical skills is holding back the South African economy, Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso has said, adding that the country is not solving the problem as fast as it should be. In her weekly newsletter on November 13, she pointed to Home Affairs Minister Aaron... →

BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso

Africa must do more to advance its own development – Manuel

By: Schalk Burger 10th November 2023 Africa's business sector and governments must push harder in addressing the challenges facing the continent, as the biggest threat to its development is complacency, said insurance and investment management company Old Mutual chairperson and former South Africa Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Trevor Manuel

Brics expansion holds threats and opportunities for SA business

By: Nadine James 10th November 2023 The expansion of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) bloc, announced during the fifteenth yearly Brics Summit in August, has raised questions about South Africa’s role in the group and whether the perceived spurning of its more traditional allies and trade partners will have... →

Inside the Energy One Stop Shop and its drive to fast-track electricity projects

By: Cameron Mackay 27th October 2023 The Energy One Stop Shop (EOSS), officially launched by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel on July 27, is in the ramp-up phase of a four-stage process aimed at fast-tracking the regulatory approvals required for new self-generation projects and projects that will be connected... →

Saice, Cesa back Sanral’s decision to withdraw its preferential procurement policy

By: Darren Parker 26th October 2023 The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) and Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) have voiced their support for the decision by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) to withdraw its proposed preferential procurement policy. “We commend both the industry's... →

Barnes calls for overhaul of BEE, industrial policy to boost manufacturing growth

By: Marleny Arnoldi 24th October 2023 Government needs to evaluate whether current industrial policy and black economic empowerment (BEE) is truly contributing to growth in the manufacturing industry, says Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies manufacturing ambassador Professor Justin Barnes. Speaking at the... →

Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies manufacturing ambassador Professor Justin Barnes

SA urged to adopt innovation as it confronts big waste management problem

By: Simone Liedtke 20th October 2023 At the heart of South Africa’s environmental discussion is the pressing need to embrace a circular economy, but such a shift demands practical collaboration, inventive thinking and a resolute commitment to sustainable practices. During a Creamer Media-hosted webinar on waste management and the... →

BMA assures strike at Lebombo border will not disrupt services

By: Darren Parker 18th October 2023 The Border Management Authority (BMA) has assured that the planned strike action at the Lebombo border by the Nkomazi community on October 18 will be closely monitored to ensure no disruption of services. The BMA has been asked to receive the memorandum from the community, which highlights the... →

Automotive manufacturing remains dynamic, govt signals it is alive to industry challenges

By: Sabrina Jardim 13th October 2023 Despite the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and global supply chain disruptions, the South African automotive manufacturing sector still remains a significant contributor to the local economy, as highlighted during this year’s South African Auto Week, hosted by naamsa | The... →

Deputy President Paul Mashatile delivers a keynote address at the SA Auto Week 2023 conference

Deputy President Paul Mashatile addressed delegates at the SA Auto Week on October 13. Video and editing: Shadwyn Dickinson.

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