Star 2025-05-05

The automotive industry in South Africa demonstrated resilience in April and increased new vehicle sales for the month by 11.9% in spite of the global economic landscape continuing to shift under escalating uncertainty. The Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) on Friday said the aggregate domestic new vehicle sales reached 42 401 units, up from the previous year's figure of 37 899 units. This surge reflected the industry’s structural depth, export capabilities, and ability to pivot within a shifting global economy even as external headwinds strengthened. Even though export sales decreased by 2 266 units, or 6.6%, to 31 822 units in April compared to the 34 088 vehicles a year ago, vehicle exports for the year to date were still 6.3% ahead of the same period last year. Naamsa CEO, Mikel…

The Aviation Co-Ordination Services (ACS) has celebrated its hold on the over multi-billion rand baggage handling monopoly after the Gauteng Division of the High Court dismissed the Airports Company of South Africa's (Acsa) appeal against an order that stopped it from procuring baggage screening equipment. In a statement on Friday, ACS welcomed the high court decision, saying it said confirmed that the critical replacement of aged Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) equipment may proceed at key international airports, which is crucial to ensure public safety and airport efficiency. The ruling upholds the High Court’s mandamus order of 5 November 2024, requiring Acsa and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to allow ACS to replace the relevant equipment at OR Tambo and King Shaka International Airports while a main review case…

In a recently published report by the Brenthurst Foundation, South African agriculture is depicted as resilient enough to navigate the challenges posed by the proposed tariffs from US President Donald Trump. Led by Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), and Tinashe Kapuya, a specialist in agricultural trade, the analysis asserts that with the right measures, South Africa can counteract the shock waves from this geo-economic upheaval. The report said that from a South African perspective, the upheaval of the global geo-economic and political landscape created heightened uncertainty, which demands a set of interventions that can effectively reduce risk, preserve economic interests, and continue to grow the country's economy through its export-led strategy. The report added that over the past two and a half…

April proved to be a challenging month for South Africa’s manufacturing sector as the latest Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) and sponsored by Absa, reported a significant decline, dropping to 44.7 points from March's 48.7. This latest survey reflected mounting concerns among industry participants, underpinned by global trade tensions and a turbulent local political environment. Manufacturing businesses across the nation faced deepening challenges, most notably illustrated by the sharp decrease in both business activity and new sales orders. The business activity index nosedived from 48.3 to a concerning 40, whilst new sales orders fell even more dramatically by 12.8 points to a subdued 36.1, indicating waning demand both domestically and internationally. The BER highlighted worrying trends, noting that the index tracking export sales…

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has ticked the right boxes in the appointment of an electricity advisory forum expected to help it navigate the robustly changing energy market, market commentators have said. This comes as Nersa last week announced its approval for the appointment of an advisory body, the Electricity Market Advisory Forum (EMAF), will advise Nersa on various matters related to the establishment of a competitive electricity market. In a statement on Friday, Nersa said the decision of the Energy Regulator recognised the profound changes anticipated in the electricity sector and the role of the Energy Regulator, heralded by the amended ERA, which includes the establishment of a competitive electricity market over the next five years. "The EMAF is a proactive move to involve stakeholders to…

With youth unemployment soaring—50% in South Africa alone—and a population projected to double to 2.5 billion by 2050, the continent teeters on the edge of crisis or transformation. Can black-owned enterprises, long stifled by systemic exclusion, ignite an industrial revolution that marries growth with equity? The evidence says yes. From Nigeria’s fintech pioneers to South Africa’s green energy innovators, black entrepreneurs are forging a path defined by local ingenuity and sustainable impact. Yet, their potential remains throttled by structural barriers. This piece dissects the problem, uncovers root causes and charts a pragmatic course forward—because Africa’s future demands nothing less. “Africa’s future lies in the hands of its entrepreneurs, who turn challenges into opportunities for inclusive growth,” says Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. That vision is unfolding now.…