Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-06-12 i Mercury

The vaping industry has called for smarter nicotine policies as South Africa grapples with alarming increases in combustable tobacco smoking rates. This comes as Parliament continues to hold public consultations on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, which seeks to impose stricter product and related product processing, regulate tobacco product and advertising, and standardise the ‘packaging and appearance’ of tobacco and electronic delivery system products. The Tobacco Bill prohibits leaves no room for any form of display of tobacco and electronic delivery systems, including both nicotine and non-nicotine products. Delivering oral submissions to the Portfolio Committee on Health on Wednesday, Kurt Yeo from Vaping Saved My Life made a plea not only for regulated alternatives but for a complete paradigm shift in how South Africa views…

During a session marred by discontent, the committee objected to the classification of information by the BRPs Parliament's Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade has rejected an attempt by the South African Post Office's (Sapo) Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs), Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons, to provide a partial update containing classified information deemed commercially sensitive. The committee, chaired by Sonja Boshoff, on Wednesday cited the significant public interest in Sapo's ongoing struggles and the use of public funds in the rescue process as the rationale for their decision. During a virtual session marred by increasing discontent, the committee expressed strong objections to the classification of information by the BRPs, arguing that their role in managing a public entity should not shield them from stringent accountability expectations. Boshoff resolved to…

Sentiment in the business sector in South Africa has remained volatile despite a minor rebound following fears over US trade policy, including former President Trump’s threat to impose 30% tariffs. The latest release of the Business Confidence Index (BCI) by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) has revealed a complicated landscape for businesses, as the index experienced a notable fluctuation in recent months. The BCI dropped by 8.6 index points in April to a measure of 114.9, before recovering slightly by 0.9 index points in May, culminating in a score of 115.8. Waldo Krugell, economics professor at North-West University, said that this decline was in line with other high-frequency data indicators. “Basically, it’s businesses that are now more pessimistic about the prospects for doing business during the…

Though the buzzwords “job creation” and “economic growth” often dominate boardroom discussions, it is the humble Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that truly bring these concepts to life. SMEs are the ones taking risks, hiring locally and revitalising our markets. Yet, they are the ones struggling, particularly in accessing the skills they desperately need. The growth potential is clear - SMEs do not simply fill gaps in the market, they create new ones. They innovate and they adapt with a nimbleness that bigger entities lack but this potential is often choked by a lack of resources, especially in upskilling their workforce. It is unrealistic to expect SMEs to compete on a global scale, if they’re perpetually battling to stay afloat due to a skills deficit. Corporate self-interest - strengthening the…

Assura, a leading UK healthcare real estate investment trust, on Tuesday accepted a sweetened, best and final cash offer from private equity-backed Sana Bidco, valuing the company at approximately £1.7 billion (R41bn). Assura is listed on the London Stock Exchange with a secondry listing on the JSE. The deal comes after a brief bidding war with Primary Health Properties (PHP), which has now been effectively sidelined. Sana Bidco - a consortium formed by US private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and infrastructure investor Stonepeak - increased its cash offer to 50.42 pence per share, up from its original bid announced on April 9. Including declared dividends of 1.68 pence, the offer values Assura shares at 52.1 pence, representing a 39.2% premium over the pre-offer closing price on February 13.…

There are differing opinions on whether President Cyril Ramaphosa's national dialogue will have a significant impact or bring solutions to the pressing issues the country is facing. On Tuesday, Ramaphosa announced the appointment of an “eminent persons group” made up of 31 South Africans who will lead the National Dialogue, set to take place on August 15. Among others, the group includes Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, leader of the Zion Christian Church, Grace Bishop Engenas Lekganyane, leader of the St Engenas Zion Christian Church, Bheki Ntshalintshali, unionist and former COSATU General Secretary and Siya Kolisi, Springbok captain and world champion. “At every turning point in our history — from ending apartheid to building democracy — it has been dialogue that led us forward,” Ramaphosa stated. The National Dialogue will not be…

PESTICIDES were responsible for the majority of poisoning deaths in children and adults over a two-year period nationally, research has found. The data published in the South African Medical Research Journal (SAMJ) detailed how researchers collected data from postmortem folders from a sample of non-natural/injury deaths from 65 mortuaries in eight provinces and from the Western Cape provincial health department for all injury deaths electronically and routinely captured from 16 mortuaries. The research came after a rise in foodborne illnesses and related child deaths last year, where a total of 890 incidents were recorded, and 22 children died after eating contaminated food, reportedly purchased at informal spaza shops and street vendors. After scientific testing, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases found that the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto,…

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has issued a heartfelt appeal to men across the province to prioritise their health and seek medical assistance when necessary, stressing that doing so is “not a sign of weakness.” Speaking on the department’s KZN Health Chat multimedia programme recently, Simelane said the department is intensifying efforts to bring health services closer to men, who are often reluctant to access them. Simelane warned that many men die prematurely from treatable illnesses simply because they delay seeking help. “It is not uncommon for men to suffer from a severe headache, due to high blood pressure or a hypertensive crisis, and not seek help up until it leads to something as serious as a stroke.” To address this challenge, the Department has established 129 Men-Friendly Clinics throughout…

The death toll from the devastating floods in the Eastern Cape has climbed to 49, Premier Oscar Mabuyane confirmed during a media briefing yesterday, describing the situation as one of the most painful tragedies to hit the province in recent years. The floods, driven by relentless rain, strong winds, and landslides, have wreaked havoc, particularly across the OR Tambo and Amathole District Municipalities. Mabuyane confirmed that 39 deaths had occurred in the OR Tambo District alone, including schoolchildren who were swept away in a flooded minibus taxi while en route to school. “The number of people confirmed to have been in the minibus is 13 learners with two adults, the driver and the assistant,” Mabuyane said. “Sadly, four of those learners have been confirmed to be deceased, together with the…

Willie le Roux has enjoyed a stellar career, with the two Rugby World Cup triumphs with the Springboks the stand-out moments. The 35-year-old fullback has featured for many clubs, franchises and provinces too – from Boland and the Cheetahs in the early days, to Wasps in England and now the Bulls. Yet in over 15 years, he has only celebrated one trophy: the 2011 Currie Cup First Division title with Boland, alongside his late teammate Cornal Hendricks. So, Saturday’s United Rugby Championship final against Leinster in Dublin (6pm SA time start) is an extra special encounter for Le Roux, who will hope to lift the cup for his friend Hendricks too. Le Roux feels that the key to victory at Croke Park will be about handling the magnitude of the…

Kagiso Rabada has already delivered a special bowling performance. He may now have to double up with the bat on Thursday for the Proteas to keep going toe-to-toe with Australia in this fast-moving World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. The opening two sessions belonged to Rabada and the Proteas. They had the large number of Proteas fans in the stands chanting traditional South African songs as the Aussies were blown away. “It felt like a home game,” Rabada said. But he also admitted that the eventual Australian may have been a few too many. 212, you'll take that. But we thought probably 160 is what we should have had them at,” he said. The fact that it was that much was largely due to a non-review by the Proteas…

While thousands cheered on Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn as they powered from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in their 2025 Comrades Marathon victories, another group of determined athletes faced their own marathon – this one on greens in the Kingfisher Bowling Association. Last Sunday marked the conclusion of sectional play and the beginning of playoffs in the KZN Men’s and Women’s Pairs Bowling Championship, with 190 pairs teams representing districts from across KwaZulu-Natal. Hosted by the Kingfisher Bowling Association, the event coincided with turbulent weather conditions as a cut-off low weather system disrupted much of the province — echoing the chaos of the 2024 KZN Singles finals when storms similarly interrupted play. Despite the adverse conditions, the championship pressed on with spirited competition. In the men’s final, the host club’s pair…

ENTERTAINMENT company MultiChoice, releasing its results for the year ended March 31, 2025, disclosed a loss of 2.8 million active linear subscribers in the past two financial years. In the reporting period linear subscribers were down 1.2m, or 8%, to 14.5m active subscribers, with the loss evenly split between South African (0.6m) and Rest of Africa (0.6m). The group said although reflecting an improvement on 2024 trends, "this indicates ongoing broad-based pressure across the group’s entire customer base". "The past two financial years have been a period of significant financial disruption for economies, corporates and consumers across sub-Saharan Africa due to challenging macro-economic factors. Combined with the impact of structural industry changes in video entertainment such as the rise of piracy, streaming services and social media, this has materially affected…

After months of stagnation and uncertainty, South Africa's economic landscape has witnessed a notable shift in the BankservAfrica Economic Transactions Index (BETI). The index, which measures the value of electronic transactions processed through BankservAfrica on a monthly basis at seasonally adjusted real prices, rebounded to an index level of 138.3 in May, a rise from 136.2 recorded in April. This marked a welcome break from an eight-month trend of inactivity, sparking hope for sustained economic recovery. According to Shergeran Naidoo, BankservAfrica’s head of stakeholder engagements, this improvement could signify a turning point. “The BETI improved to an index level of 138.3 in May, up from the 136.2 recorded in April, breaking an eight-month trend of sideways movement,” Naidoo said. However, experts urged caution, emphasising that while this uptick was encouraging,…

Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has expressed serious concerns regarding more than R86 million paid to the South African Post Office (Sapo) business rescue practitioners (BRPs), Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons, since their appointment in 2023. Members of Parliament on Wednesday questioned the revelation of zero consequence management at Sapo as wasteful and fruitless expenditure was sitting above R200 million since 2021. This comes as R152m remains unaccounted for in the current year, with further reports of R136m being written off by the BRPs. "I would like to understand that it is two people, that is already R86m spent on them, please Auditor-General, take us nicely. Did you have sight of what the R86m was paying for? What are the other consultants? What is the period of…

The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) returned to the US for the first time in 15 years, where it was first hosted. In 2009, Kansas City welcomed just a few hundred ecosystem stakeholders who banded together with one vision – to build a “one global entrepreneurial ecosystem’’. The movement has now quite literally mushroomed over the years and has seen thousands of ecosystem stakeholders meet annually to discuss better ways to support the development of entrepreneurs across the globe. In 2017, South Africa hosted the GEC, which welcomed over 5000 delegates from 160 countries onto our shores. Last week, the City of Indianapolis greeted 3455 participants from 141 countries, marking the 15th Global Entrepreneurship Congress under the theme, the “Bold Change the World”. With over 148 sessions and 200 speakers, the…

Pan African Resources on Wednesday reported record second-half gold production and a sharp reduction in debt for the 2025 financial year, as the miner looks to ramp up output by more than 40% in the coming year. The announcement, however, was overshadowed by a fatal accident at its Barberton operation earlier this month. The South Africa-focused gold producer said one employee lost their life at the Sheba Mine on June 6. The company said it will continue efforts to achieve “zero harm” across its operations. Despite the tragedy, operationally the company ended the fiscal year on a strong note. Gold production for the second half of 2025 is estimated at approximately 112 000 ounces, a 32% increase from the first half (84 705 ounces), driven by improved grades, stronger performance…

EFF leader Julius Malema is expected to address supporters in Durban on Sunday at the party’s national Youth Day event as it looks to rejuvenate its support in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of next year’s local government elections. The event will be held at King Zwelithini Stadium in uMlazi, with the EFF saying it wants to pay special attention to the township in a bid to increase its seats in the eThekwini Municipality in next year's polls. Malema is also set to visit the Nazareth Baptist Church (Shembe) on Saturday. The party said the visit is in line with the party's commitment to engage with religious and cultural groups that play a critical role in the spiritual, social and moral fabric of South African society. The party has tasked its eThekwini councillor…

The authorities are clear that even desertion or adultery are not blameworthy conduct to render the dissolution of a customary marriage; they merely are a reason for marital breakdown, an acting judge said in finding that the customary marriage entered into by a couple in 1978 was still in force. The first wife of a man who died in 2023 turned to the Eastern Cape High Court to declare the deceased’s marriage to his second wife in terms of civil law null and void. Although the first wife and the deceased parted ways in 1998, he had no right to marry his second wife 19 years later, the first wife said. Her argument was based on the fact that he was still married to her when he remarried. Acting Judge…

THE Mobeni Heights Crematorium in Chatsworth is set to undergo repairs and a facelift after it was temporarily shut down. It was closed after the furnaces malfunctioned. The eThekwini Municipality has now allocated R14 million to repair the furnaces and to give the entire facility a facelift, said eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba, who visited the facility this week. He said the municipality was accelerating the process of restoring the crematorium. Xaba said he saw firsthand the challenges at the crematorium, which was closed three weeks ago due to the furnaces’ malfunctioning, as they were prone to overheating, resulting in high emissions. To remedy the situation, the municipality has started the process of procuring two furnaces, which will be installed by the end of August 2025. Xaba has pleaded for patience…

Parliamentarians yesterday expressed their unhappiness with the state the South African Post Office (SAPO) was in, with one even suggesting that the state-owned enterprise should just close shop. This is after the Office of the Auditor-General (A-G) briefed the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) about SAPO’s audit outcomes for 2024/25. The entity, which is under business rescue, obtained for a third year in a row a disclaimer of audit opinion. This is deemed the worst audit outcome as it means that SAPO provided insufficient evidence in the form of documentation on which to base an audit opinion. ANC MP Helen Neale-May said SAPO was a relevant institution to communities and South Africans, but it was allowed to disintegrate over the years. “It is very disheartening to see such an…

In some ways, David Kriel has been a Swiss Army knife for the Bulls over the last few years. Having started out as a fullback for the Pretoria franchise, Kriel was then shifted to wing, and eventually inside centre. This season, he has operated mainly at outside centre, and even been called upon to take over the goal-kicking at times. His best effort off the tee was undoubtedly the two match-winning kicks against Benetton and Leinster. Last October, Kriel banged over a touchline conversion after the hooter to secure the victory over Benetton in Treviso, and in March this year, he landed a penalty in the fifth minute of injury time – about 40 metres on the angle as well – to clinch a 21-20 triumph over Leinster at Loftus…

Avedia Energy has made a significant move in the country's energy landscape by receiving its first delivery of imported LPG at their facility in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape. This milestone by the South African-registered liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) company marks a promising new chapter in the LPG market that aims to provide cleaner energy sources to lower-income households. In an interview with Business Report on Wednesday, Avedia's managing director Atose Aguele expressed enthusiasm over the delivery of LPG in Isotainers. “We also have LPG pipelines that are under construction in Saldanha Bay. However, we are pleased to have received our first Isotainers,” Aguele said. “This will be a game changer for LPG, as it currently is expensive, and with us entering the market, we expect that we will provide LPG…

A structural reversal in global capital allocation away from US assets now appears to be underway. We expect this to weaken the US dollar and provide significant support to emerging markets, which are increasingly well-positioned to benefit from this rebalancing in global portfolio flows. The world is overexposed to US assets. Since the global financial crisis in 2008, the allocation of US assets in global investment portfolios has increased rapidly, reaching extreme levels. Although this trend has been recognised as unsustainable for some time, a combination of key factors has continued to reinforce it. These include large fiscal deficits in the post-Covid period, persistent weakness in eurozone growth, the dominance of the US technology sector, and a prolonged period of elevated interest rates in the US. These dynamics pushed US…

There is a strong case for diversity and inclusion in business – and not just among large corporates. Given the vital role that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play in the South African economy, their potential to contribute to a more inclusive and diverse economic landscape should not be overlooked. Research shows that building diverse teams is so much more than a moral or ethical imperative. In an increasingly interconnected working world, diversity can translate into tangible business metrics. For example, in a study conducted by LinkedIn, 60% of respondents said that diversity within their sales team contributed to greater levels of success. In this particular study, ‘success’ was benchmarked across a number of different metrics. The study reveals that teams with more diversity were tied to higher sales conversion…

The National Employers’ Association of South Africa (Neasa) and Sakeliga have officially notified the Minister of Employment and Labour, Dr Nomakhosazana Meth, of their intent to seek an urgent interdict against the contentious Employment Equity (EE) regulations. This comes after the department published two sets of EE Regulations on 15 April - the General Administrative Regulations, and Regulations on Sector Numerical EE Targets - following the commencement of the Employment Equity Amendment Act, No. 4 of 2022, on 1 January 2025. The proposed regulations mandate employers to adhere to strict hiring quotas based on race, sex, and disability, with penalties for non-compliance reaching up to 10% of a company’s turnover. Section 15(A) of the Equity Employment Amendment Act empowers the minister to set numerical targets. According to the Act, the…

South Africa’s residential rental market has kicked off 2025 with a remarkable performance, showcasing the best results in several years. According to the latest PayProp Rental Index, average national rental growth reached 5.6% in the first quarter of this year, marking the strongest quarterly increase since the third quarter of 2017 and pushing the average rent to R9 132. Notably, February saw a staggering year-on-year rental increase of 6%, the highest monthly growth recorded since August 2017, indicating a burgeoning recovery in the sector. This impressive rise comes alongside a favourable inflation landscape as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation fell from 3.2% in both January and February to a low of 2.7% in March. The resulting gap between rental growth and inflation is significant—standing at 2.8% in both February…

The Office of the Premier in KwaZulu-Natal has been rocked by allegations of gender-based violence after the most senior civil service staff member in that office suddenly quit her post, allegedly after she was threatened by a male staffer. The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on the Office of the Premier, Mbali Frazer, raised the issue. She has written to Premier Thami Ntuli demanding an explanation regarding the resignation of Director-General Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, who resigned suddenly this week. Frazer said it was alleged that Mkhize quit after allegedly being subjected to verbal abuse and threatening conduct by a senior male staff member in that office. Attempts to contact Dr Mkhize were unsuccessful yesterday. The premier’s office acknowledged Dr Mkhize’s resignation a few days ago but did not give a…

Thousands of Mango Airlines passengers who were left out of pocket when the low-cost South African airline was grounded in 2021 may finally see some relief. Business rescue practitioner Sipho Sono has confirmed that affected travellers can now register their ticket details online to begin the long-awaited refund process. Mango, a subsidiary of South African Airways (SAA), was placed under business rescue in July 2021 after financial difficulties and regulatory hurdles forced it to halt operations. Since then, many customers who had purchased tickets for future flights have been left in limbo, unable to access refunds or rebook travel. In a promising development this week, Sono announced that the claims process is now open to those who never received their money back. “Passengers who were affected by Mango’s grounding and…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained a preservation order from the Special Tribunal for immovable property following an investigation into the alleged looting of National Lotteries Commission (NLC) funds earmarked for the construction of old age homes. The order forms part of a broader crackdown on a complex web of corruption involving the hijacking of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs), fabricated grant applications, and the diversion of public funds into private hands. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the probe centred around three NPOs, Matieni Community Centre, Lethabong Old Age Home, and War Against Rape and Abuse (WAR RNA), which collectively received over R66 million in lottery grants “under false pretences.” One of the central entities in the scheme is Matieni Community Centre, a defunct organisation that was allegedly fraudulently revived to…

Orbit College was forced to settle for a goalless draw against Casric Stars in the Premier Soccer League promotional playoff match staged at the Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg on Wednesday. The result sees both sides sitting on one point apiece, as the Rustenburg-based team now faces a long trip to the Western Cape, where they will meet PSL side Cape Town City, who are set to begin their bid to defend their top-flight status on home turf. With a valuable place in the Betway Premiership on the line, both teams entered the encounter fully aware of what was at stake, and the cautious opening exchanges clearly demonstrated how vital it was to begin the promotional playoffs on a positive note and build momentum going forward. Playing in familiar surroundings,…

Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen were at the crease when the Proteas unchoked at Centurion in December last year to qualify for a first-ever ICC World Test Championship final. Two big fast fast bowlers embraced passionately in the middle of the wicket after Jansen delightfully steered the winning runs past point. Jansen hauled out the big bear hug on Rabada again at Lord’s on a pulsating opening day of the WTC Final on Wednesday. Only this time it was to celebrate Rabada’s five-wicket haul and second at The Home of Cricket. But much has happened in between these two fateful days. Rabada, of course, tested positive for a banned substance and was instructed to appear before his comrades to apologise for his actions. It would be fair to say that…

The Springbok Women’s poor ball retention almost came back to bite them as they survived a late onslaught to hold off the Kenya Lionesses 19-12 in their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup clash at the Stade Makis in Antananarivo, Madagascar on Wednesday. The South Africans – who thrashed Uganda 62-7 in their tournament opener – were dominant in the opening 40 minutes, but could only muster 12 points from two tries and a conversion. The Bok Women, who are using the tournament as preparation for the World Cup in September, got stuck into the Kenyans from the start. The forwards, with the likes of tighthead prop Nombuyekezo Mdliki, captain and lock Anathi Qolo and hooker Luchell Hanekom prominent, made serious inroads on attack with their strong carries, and they were backed…

Mamelodi Sundowns’ legend Hlompho Kekana says the current crop of players have a chance to do better at the Club World Cup compared to the class of 2016. Sundowns will be back at the global showpiece which is scheduled to get underway on Saturday in the United States (US). Their last participation in the tournament was nearly nine years ago in Japan after they won their maiden CAF Champions League crown. That event exposed that they are still far-off from being a well-oiled machine as they lost their two games to Kashima Antlers and Jeonbuk Motors respectively. However, the play-offs format has since changed heading to the upcoming event in America as the football governing body, FIFA, has extended the event to 32 teams. As such, Sundowns are pitted in…