Cape Times 2025-11-19

Ascendis Health on Tuesday announced that the vast majority of its shareholders have voted in favour of delisting the company from the main board of the JSE, marking the next phase of its successful strategic turnaround and growth journey. Shares in Ascendis Health, which is a South African health and wellness investment holding company were unchaned on the news. Ascendis Health first proposed delisting from the JSE on June 29, 2023 Of the shareholders who took part in the vote, almost 93% voted in favour of delisting. The holders of a majority of Ascendis shares have also indicated to Ascendis Health’s management that they want to remain on as shareholders after the delisting, showing strong support for the strategic direction that has been charted by the Ascendis management to…

The High Court in Gauteng has delivered a significant ruling in favour of consumer rights, dismissing an appeal by Sandton Repo Cars concerning a contentious vehicle sale. In a case that has garnered attention for its implications on consumer protection practices in South Africa, the court upheld a prior decision mandating the dealership to refund R459 900 to a consumer who purchased a 2018 Volkswagen Golf, which, unbeknownst to the buyer, had sustained damage in a previous accident. The dealership turned to the court after the National Consumer Tribunal ruled in June 2024 that it had violated the Consumer Protection Act by refusing to collect the faulty vehicle and issue a full refund. The consumer purchased the vehicle on May 13, 2020 for R459 900 and was told it…

South Africa’s flagship reform programme is facilitating unbundling at Eskom and Transnet South Africa’s flagship reform programme, Operation Vulindlela, has helped unlock about R500 billion in private-sector investment, largely driven by new electricity generation projects and reforms in telecommunications, including the long-awaited auction of 4G and 5G spectrum, which has opened the door to cheaper communication. But this progress, while significant, is still far from the investment volumes the country needs, said Rudi Dicks, head of the project management office in the Presidency and co-lead of Operation Vulindlela. Speaking during the latest PSG Think Big webinar on Tuesday, Dicks said the next phase of the program, Operation Vulindlela 2.0, is accelerating structural reforms at Eskom and Transnet, though the process remains highly complex. “We require not just R500bn, we require…

THE Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) delivered a resilient per-formance in the year ended 31 March, growing its assets to R2.7 trillion from R2.38 trillion and achieving a 14.1% investment return, despite a year marked by economic uncertainty both at home and abroad. The Fund maintained a strong 119% funding level, underscoring its long-term financial sustainability. Global markets were strained by ongoing geopolitical tensions, elevated energy costs and persistent inflation. Domestically, South Africa continued to grapple with sluggish GDP growth, structural bottlenecks and sectoral underperformance. However, improvements such as reduced load shedding and the formation of the Government of National Unity supported a modestly more stable economic environment. The GEPF said the introduction of the Two-Pot retirement system, which allows limited early access to pension savings, also had a noticeable…

When the G20 Summit convenes in South Africa, the world’s leaders will gather under the theme of Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability. These are powerful ideals, yet they cannot be realised without tackling one of the most pressing global challenges of our time, the rising cost and frequency of disasters. Over the past 50 years, the global economic toll of disasters has nearly tripled. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction confirms that global disaster losses have intensified in recent years, exceeding US$2 trillion a year, when accounting for cascading and ecosystem costs. These figures are not just statistics; they represent lives disrupted, livelihoods lost, and futures deferred. This escalation in disasters – from floods and fires to droughts and storms – reflects an increasingly volatile risk landscape. Higher costs…

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has formally approved the inclusion of indigenous crops and medicinal plants in the list of declared agricultural products, a move he says will unlock the economic potential of a long-marginalised sector valued at an estimated R12 billion a year. The Department of Agriculture (DoA) confirmed that the approval, granted on 21 July 2025, follows a request from stakeholders within the agricultural industry. The newly recognised products will now fall under the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act, enabling producers to benefit from statutory measures and structured market development. According to the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), indigenous crops and medicinal plants currently contribute less than 3% to South Africa’s annual agricultural output, which stands at approximately R450bn. Of the R12bn estimated value, about R3bn is attributed…