Star 2025-06-17

The agricultural landscape of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is currently grappling with the relentless spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), which has sparked significant alarm among local agricultural associations. As the ramifications of the outbreak unfurl, the Department of Agriculture is ramping up vaccination efforts while aiming to manage the crisis effectively. David de Jager, CEO of Tip-Top Milk—one of South Africa's leading raw milk logistics providers—last week said that the continued spread of FMD was placing South Africa’s dairy sector under severe strain. “Last week, the broader livestock industry, under the umbrella of the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu), urgently called for the formal declaration of FMD as a provincial disaster. When farms are quarantined inside Disease Management Areas, animals can't move. It affects breeding cycles, which could lead to overstocking and spikes…

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced that it will be establishing a new shipping route on the western coast of the continent among a plethora of measures aimed to facilitate the movements of goods between Namibia and Nigeria and boost intra-Africa trade. This comes as intra-African trade still remains very low at around 15% to 18% compared to nearly 70% in the European Union and around 50% in Asia. Afreximbank's director for trade facilitation and investment promotion, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, on Thursday said the continent was now in a good place to actually see a rapid increase in intra-African trade with the full operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA). Zanamwe said the Afreximbank has been putting in place a number of interventions that are breaking…

Resurging war may force the SA Reserve Bank to put interest rates cut on pause in July The resurging war in the Middle East may force the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) to put interest rates cut on pause in July as the escalation of oil prices to a three-month high may affect both global and domestic inflation outlooks. This comes as the Sarb last month reduced the policy rate by 25 basis points to 7.25% per annum, and the prime lending rate to 10.75% per annum, and revised down its inflation forecasts as consumer prices remained below the lower band of the 3-6% target range, currently at 2.8%. The Sarb said this reflected the lower starting point, as well as a stronger exchange rate assumption and lower world oil…

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has found itself at the centre of controversy after the recent withdrawal of Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) 18.19, which regulates engine overhauls for aircraft across the private flying sector, light commercial operations, aerial work, and flight training. This controversial decision raises concerns about potential paralysis in the aviation industry, with operators warning that it could ground up to 1 400 aircraft and threaten an astounding 300 000 jobs nationwide. The aviation regulator over the weekend insisted that the withdrawal of the notice, which did not affect commercial airlines, had been implemented after sufficient notice given two extensions since December 2023 that made the longest allowed time for an exemption from applicable regulations. The aviation industry's bone of contention is that there was no…

As much as I do not want to add another voice to the fiasco at the recent White House meeting between Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa it is a starting point for an article about how corruption, crime and food security end up in a concoction of another disaster for the citizens of the country. Ramaphosa stated, in defense of farm murder and genocide accusations that it is not a unique situation as South Africa has a serious problem with crime at all levels. All crime victims and citizens will agree with that statement, although it is the last thing foreign investors want to hear who at consider us as an investment destination. On August, 27, 2024 Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuizen launched a forensic audit into a R500 million…

In the theatre of corporate leadership, strategy is often presented as a management exercise, being something crafted by executives, presented in compelling slides, and approved by the board before being shelved until the next annual review. But governance theory, particularly King IV, challenges this view. Principle 11 is unambiguous: the governing body should govern risk in a way that supports the organisation in setting and achieving its strategic objectives. That is, strategy cannot be separated from risk, and boards cannot be passive participants in either. From observations of governance practice, it appears that the board’s involvement in strategy tends to be more reactive than generative. Strategic plans are often presented for endorsement rather than developed in close partnership with the board. Even multi-day strategic planning workshops, intended to promote alignment…