News in South Africa 14th July: 1. Rand breaks through R18/$: The rand broke through the psychologically important R18/$ level for the first time in just over three months on Thursday, boosted by positive US data, along with hopes that Chinese stimulus will offer support to commodity prices. The local currency reached R17.99/$ in mid-morning […]
News in South Africa 23rd June: 1. Renewables put on hold: As South Africa ramps up its roll-out of renewable energy, it is now confronting the same challenge faced by countries across the globe. Depleted grid capacity in resource-rich areas is making it increasingly difficult to connect new renewable energy projects to the grid, particularly […]
News in South Africa 15th May: 1. US won’t sanction SA over weapons row: South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said his country resolved a row with the US over allegations that Pretoria supplied weapons to Russia and it’s unlikely to face any repercussions. A furore erupted on May 11, when US Ambassador to South […]
News in South Africa 24th April: 1. Eskom warning from IMF: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that South Africa’s electricity crisis poses a significant threat to the country’s fiscal health. It also said Eskom must reduce its reliance on government funding. This was said at the IMF’s Spring Meetings with the World Bank […]
News in South Africa 4th April: 1. Why Eskom is exempted: National Treasury claims pressure would be placed on the fiscus and the borrowing powers of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) if the exemption granted to Eskom from disclosing irregular and fruitless expenditure in its annual financial statements was not considered. Reacting to widespread criticism of the […]
News in South Africa 19th January: 1. Eskom diesel nightmare: Eskom is living hand-to-mouth in its efforts to obtain the diesel needed to continue running its open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs), which, in the face of prolonged power generation outages, is the only way the utility can stave off severe and ongoing curtailment of South Africa’s […]
News in South Africa 9th January: 1. New goals for government: ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said load shedding, crime, and corruption were harming the party’s public standing and should be tackled head-on in its 2023 priorities. Ramaphosa was speaking at the party’s January 8 birthday celebrations in Bloemfontein, the Free State, on Sunday. The speech […]
News in South Africa 30th November: 1. Eskom’s power station shut down plan: Eskom plans to decommission and repurpose coal-fired power plants at Camden, Hendrina, and Grootvlei at an estimated $2.6 billion (R44 billion) for the three. This follows the government decommissioning and repurposing of its oldest power station Komati in Mpumalanga, with the help […]
News in South Africa 29th November: 1. Infrastructure growth not a reality: The South African government has put a spin on infrastructure projects worth billions of rands as a way to drag the economy out of stagnation – but the PR belies the reality that not much has been done over the last few years […]
News in South Africa 19th October: 1. Gauteng – water shortage: South Africa’s major cities in the Gauteng Province – the country’s economic heartland – are experiencing major water shortages. In Johannesburg and Tshwane taps have run dry, with numerous areas experiencing intermittent supply while some areas have no water at all. The province has […]
