Star 2025-08-22

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) said on Thursday they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in promoting sustainable energy supply and infrastructure development across South Africa. "This marks a significant milestone in accelerating the country’s Just Energy Transition programme as South African ports are an integral part of this programme," TNPA said, noting that this landmark agreement signifies the entities’ readiness to create a more unified and efficient sustainable energy market while ensuring energy security. To ensure the effective implementationof the MoU, governance structures will be established through steering committees with workstreams, each with a specific focus on either technical, regulatory, or strategic aspects. Under this agreement, the partnership will ensure alignment in the licensing and operation…

Exxaro Resources’ share price shot up over 10% on Thursday after the mining and renewable energy group declared its 45th consecutive dividend of R8.43 per share for the six months to June 30 and following the acquisition of manganese assets for up to R14 billion. Headline earnings a share were up by 13% to R17.24. Revenue increased 8% to R20.6bn. Net cash of R12.4bn increased by 27% year-on-year, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation was up 10% to R5.6bn. The dividend was 6% up on the same period a year before. The share price traded at R182.07 Thursday afternoon, up from R166.10 a year ago. On May 3, 2025, Exxaro announced two separate agreements to acquire manganese assets from Ntsimbintle Holdings and OMH (Mauritius) Corporation. The price was…

SA president praises Japan’s willingness to adjust tariffs for strained partners President Cyril Ramaphosa has lauded Japan’s willingness to adjust tariffs for its strained partners, viewing it as a significant opportunity for deeper bilateral tariff cooperation in a bid to bolster South Africa's international trade in the face of evolving global tariffs. Speaking at the South Africa-Japan Business Forum on the margins of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) Summit in Yokohama on Thursday, Ramaphosa said Japan is a key pillar in South Africa's outreach. Ramaphosa made clear South Africa's readiness to engage in strategic sectors such as battery minerals, automotive components, renewable energy equipment, and hydrogen technologies. He outlined how his government has swiftly activated diversification strategies in the wake of recent tariff decisions by the…

Today’s employment landscape has changed drastically, with entrepreneurship at the center of this transformation. SMEs and small business owners have become the backbone of our economy, contributing around 24% of GDP. While South Africa boasts a vibrant start-up and small business sector, the critical question remains: how do we sustain this growth while simultaneously driving job creation? As it stands, entrepreneurship in South Africa is a driving force behind South Africa’s economic growth, especially in the small, medium, and micro enterprise (SMME) sector, which supports over 13 million employees. However, our SMME failure rate is among the highest in the world. To help stop this bleed, we need to develop school curriculums that equip learners with entrepreneurial skills, giving them the tools and confidence to overcome challenges they may encounter…

When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a National Dialogue on Poverty, Inequality, and Crime earlier this month, it was billed as nothing less than a reset of our democratic project. Forty million rand has been allocated to convene stakeholders from across society to address the country’s systemic failures—from unemployment to corruption to the breakdown of public services. Yet, the reception has been mixed. Two major opposition parties have boycotted the process, calling it political theatre. Civil society voices have questioned whether the dialogue will lead to action or simply more words. Business, for its part, has been largely muted—watching from the sidelines, waiting to see what comes of it. That silence is a mistake. Why This Dialogue Matters to Business South Africa’s economic health is inseparable from its social stability. Investors,…

The majority of South African consumers who applied for debt counselling in the three months to June were using personal loans to make the ends meet as the cumulative effect of inflation erodes their income. This is according to the DebtBusters' Debt Index for the second quarter, which underscored the harsh financial realities faced by South African consumers amidst continued economic pressure. DebtBusters noted that a staggering 95% of individuals who sought out debt counselling during the quarter had taken out personal loans, while more than half (54%) relied on one-month payday loans. While these short-term loans have become a critical financial lifeline for struggling households, they carry a steep price, with interest rates often exceeding 23% per annum. Despite a slight easing of inflation, families continue to grapple with…