July 19, 2023
South Africa: Consumer Inflation Within Reserve Bank's Target Range Ahead of Rate Decision
South Africa's consumer price index (CPI) braked significantly in the year to June to 5.4% from 6.3% in May. Pointedly, it fell within the central bank's 3% to 6% target range for… Read more »
South Africa: South Africans Digging Deeper Into Debt to Cover Living Costs - Old Mutual Savings & Investment Monitor
The 2023 report presents a sobering picture of falling consumer confidence in the economy, and South Africans having to resort to polyjobbing to supplement their incomes. Read more »
South Africa: Back On the Road After Attacks, Truck Drivers Fear for Their Lives
Drivers are back behind the wheel after the highway attacks that saw 20 vehicles torched have subsided. Read more »
July 18, 2023
South Africa: Transnet Freight Rail's Performance Still Off-Track, Despite Decline in Security Incidents
Transnet Freight Rail has seen a decline in security incidents such as cable theft which have hobbled its operations, but its overall performance on crucial lines remains well… Read more »
South Africa: Arcelormittal SA Shares Crash After Headline Earnings Expected to Tumble Into Red On Rolling Blackouts
ArcelorMittal's South African share price sank by more than 40% on Tuesday after the steelmaker said it expected interim headline earnings to tumble into a loss in the face of the… Read more »
July 17, 2023
South Africa: Eskom and Its COO Jan Oberholzer to 'Part Ways By Mutual Agreement'
Amid its search for a permanent chief executive officer, Eskom's former chief operating officer will leave the power utility at the end of this month. Read more »
South Africa: Analysts Divided On Whether Reserve Bank Will Hike Rates Again On Thursday
Analysts are divided on the prospects of the South African Reserve Bank raising or holding its key repo rate -- and by extension, the prime lending rate for consumers -- when its… Read more »
July 16, 2023
South Africa: Port of Richards Bay Reopened to Trucks After Non-Compliance Certificate Lifted
The Port of Richards Bay reopened to truck traffic at the weekend after a non-compliance certificate for undisclosed 'environmental management issues' was lifted. Meanwhile, three… Read more »
July 13, 2023
South Africa: Data Shows Mining Output Declined in May
Data on Thursday showed that output in South Africa's mining sector resumed its decline after a brief bump in April. Meanwhile, Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe was… Read more »
South Africa: KZN Commuters Deal With Skyrocketing Travel Costs, Unemployment As Prasa Network Lies in Ruins
The grand looting, thieving and vandalisation of South Africa's vital rail network has been well-documented, but the least told story is how those poor families, school children,… Read more »
South Africa: Road Freight Association Boss Has 'Zero' Confidence Police Will Stop Truck Burnings
Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association, has no confidence in the capacity of the police to address the latest spate of arson attacks on trucks. Read more »
July 12, 2023
South Africa: Stage 8 Load Shedding 'A Possibility' Should Another Cold Spell Coincide With Failure of Units, Says Eskom
At dawn on Wednesday, South Africa was once again moved into Stage 6 power cuts. As winter bites, Stage 8 load shedding is 'still a possibility' -- albeit less likely, given the… Read more »
July 11, 2023
South Africa: Authorities On High Alert After Truck Torchings Coincide With Anniversary of 2021 Riots
There has been speculation that the latest bout of torching of trucks was a deliberate effort to coincide with the annual Southern African Transport Conference to embarrass the… Read more »
July 09, 2023
South Africa: Top Five Life Insurers Pay Out More Than R43-Billion in 2022
Five of the biggest life insurers paid out a total of R43.2-billion, but that's less than the year before as the effect of the pandemic recedes - even although it hasn't… Read more »
South Africa: National Toll Route Reopened After Gunmen Set Fire to Six Trucks
A clean-up operation was under way at Van Reenen's Pass in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday after six trucks were set alight in the early hours of the morning. A group of armed men stopped… Read more »
July 06, 2023
South Africa: Mpumalanga Highveld's Deadly Air About to Become Even Deadlier As Kusile SO2 Bypass Gets Green Light
An additional 674 human beings are projected to die if the Kusile bypass is operational until the end of March 2025. The deaths are attributed to an increased risk of stroke,… Read more »
South Africa: Solar Power Brings Horsepower to Energy-Starved Wild Coast Community's Eco-Tourism Drive
An electric vehicle powered by the sun? It's not a mirage, but a reality as a Wild Coast eco-lodge proves that electric vehicles are the way to go even in a time of Eskom crisis. Read more »
South Africa: Chinese Economy Stutters, With Massive Geopolitical Implications
This was meant to be the year of the great Chinese rebound. Unshackled by the world's most draconian Covid restrictions, economists expected the Chinese economic tiger to roar back… Read more »
July 03, 2023
South Africa: Absa Purchasing Managers' Index Falls to 47.6 in June, Lowest Level in Two Years
The Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a key indicator of the manufacturing sector's health, declined 1.6 points in June to 47.6, its lowest level since mid-2021. Read more »
July 02, 2023
South Africa: Mediclinic Discharges Its Final Set of Results After 37 Years On the JSE
After 37 years of being listed on the JSE, the hospital group Mediclinic was delisted towards the end of May. The delisting followed a £3.7bn buyout by a consortium… Read more »
South Africa: Coke Smugglers Playing Chicken With Port Authorities
Cocaine hidden in frozen poultry has been found in Brazil, en route to South Africa - with some seasoning in Spain. Fruit exports are also a cover for drug shipments between the… Read more »
Botswana: Botswana and De Beers Ink a Last-Minute, 10-Year New Deal On Diamond Sales
Botswana and diamond miner De Beers announced on Saturday they had reached an 'agreement in principle' on a new 10-year sales agreement. This came hours after the previous sales… Read more »
South Africa: Upbeat Ramokgopa Commits to Tackling Criticism of New Rules to Prevent Grid-Hogging
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa was upbeat for a second week running during a media briefing on Sunday during which he reported a stabilisation of the grid and reduction… Read more »
June 29, 2023
South Africa: Foreign Direct Investment Inflows Shrink to Almost Nothing in Q1 - Reserve Bank
Foreign direct investment inflows to South Africa shrank to almost nothing in the first quarter of 2023, while the outflow of portfolio investments picked up pace, the central bank… Read more »
South Africa: Factory Gate Inflation Slows in May, but Reserve Bank Signals Rates to Remain Elevated
South Africa's producer price index slowed to 7.3% on an annual basis in May from 8.6% in April. This follows a significant softening of consumer inflation in the same month. But… Read more »