News in South Africa 20th February: 1. Rand weakens: The rand has weakened with the market worried about South Africa’s marked fiscal slippage. In the 2023 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MBTPS), gross debt was projected to peak at 77.7% of GDP in 2025/26, far higher than February 2023’s Budget estimate of 73.6%. Investec Chief Economist […]
News in South Africa 15th January: 1. Massive electricity price hike: Despite having the worst year of load shedding in 2023, and many analysts noting it is firmly here to stay in 2024, South Africans must prepare for another double-digit Eskom tariff increase this year. In December 2023, the High Court of South Africa rejected […]
News in South Africa 12th January: 1. SA to pay back R28 billion: Nations in Sub-Saharan Africa have been locked out of international debt markets for 22 months now, and investors are increasingly betting the drought will soon end as countries seek funding for a slew of principal payments coming due this year and next. […]
News in South Africa 21st December: 1. Festive road fiasco: South Africa’s roads are hazardous, more so over the festive season when dangers multiply with more motorists reported to be driving under the influence. In one week alone, the Western Cape recorded a more than 300% increase in drunken driving arrests, with other provinces echoing […]
News in South Africa 19th December: 1. Severe water shortages: Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, has pleaded with residents of Gauteng to reduce their water consumption as the water supply remains vulnerable to disruptions and may not be able to meet demand, resulting in shortages. Johannesburg and its surrounds have been hit by […]
News in South Africa 12th December: 1. NHI means more tax and less benefits: The National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill last week got the nod from the National Council of Provinces and has now been plonked in the lap of President Cyril Ramaphosa. Other than expropriation without compensation, few statutory artefacts have elicited such exasperation from those […]
News in South Africa 11th December: 1. South Africa’s 2023 in review: With 2023 coming to a close, Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busiswe Mavuso has looked at the progress South Africa has made during the year and the setbacks. The good Despite a record year of load shedding, there has been progress in the […]
News in South Africa 28th November: 1. Over 1000 businesses closed in 2023: Data from Stats SA shows that 136 businesses closed their doors in October. According to Stats SA, the 120 businesses closed down voluntarily, while 16 did so on a compulsory basis. This means that over 1,376 businesses have been liquidated since the […]
News in South Africa 20th October: 1. Tax filing season starts: The first deadline for the 2023 tax filing season is Monday (23 October), when non-provisional taxpayers must submit their annual tax returns. Taxpayers with more complicated financial affairs or different income streams have until 24 January next year. Taxpayers who have been auto-assessed but […]
News in South Africa 17th October: 1. Food insecurity warning: The number of people unable to meet their minimum food consumption needs in South Africa is expected to marginally decline to just under one in two by 2025, according to the World Data Lab. The firm, which conducted research for Shoprite Holdings Ltd.’s food index, […]
