Star 2025-09-17

Walmart wants another shot at cracking the Africa market. This time, it’s staking its name on it. About 15 years after the world’s largest retailer got a foothold on the continent with the purchase of a controlling stake in South Africa’s top food and household goods seller Massmart, its failure to gain ground is prompting a change in approach. The company - which sells everything from fashion and fishing rods to frozen peas and prescription medicines - is opening its first Walmart branded stores in the country this year in what could become a model for a continent with the planet’s fastest-growing population. The retailer, which has had success with branded stores in emerging markets like Mexico and China, is banking on its famed low prices to lure cost-conscious…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has announced that it is nearing completion of the long-awaited upgrade of Newark Road, a critical access route to the Port of Richards Bay, with 75% of the works already finished. The Port of Richards Bay has long been plagued by traffic congestion, particularly as the roads leading to the port are heavily utilised. Valued at approximately R20 million and scheduled for completion in December 2025, this capital project forms part of TNPA’s ongoing drive to modernise port infrastructure to enhance the safety and efficiency of cargo movement for port users. “This strategic investment will ensure that the Port of Richards Bay continues to operate as a world-class logistics hub," said port manager, Captain Dennis Mqadi. "We will continue to engage withport users on these…

Dominoes are continuing to fall at the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) over a series of allegations of maladministration and financial misconduct. This comes as the newly appointed acting CEO of the GPAA, Job Stadi Mngomezulu, on Monday suspended two senior executives, the acting chief financial officer (CFO) and the acting chief director of client relations management, who are implicated in the allegations. In an announcement sent to the GPAA staff on Monday night, which Business Report has seen, the suspension of acting CFO Kgaile Molebatsi and Eric Morudu, acting chief director for client relations management, was announced. "This decision follows the widely publicised allegations of maladministration of several projects at the GPAA. The Minister of Finance has since instituted an investigation into these matters. Following his appointment as the…

Court sets aside decision by Nersa to approve pipeline tariffs for 2023/24 financial year The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ruled in favour of Sasol Oil, setting aside a decision by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to approve petroleum pipeline tariffs for the 2023/24 financial year. Judge D. Makhoba found that Nersa acted unreasonably and irrationally when it imposed a uniform tariff across Transnet’s crude oil and multi-product pipelines, despite their significant cost and operational differences. Nersa had approved the tariffs on 23 February 2023, relying on a “rolled-in” tariff methodology adopted in 2011, which treats the entire network as a single system. Sasol challenged the decision under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), arguing that the approach unfairly disadvantaged users of the crude oil…

South Africa’s mining sector, long a cornerstone of the national economy, has after two consecutive quarters of decline, finally turned positive again. With StatsSA’s release of the Q2 GDP statistics on September 9, there is renewed hope for the industry's health and its vital role in the nation’s economic stability. This welcome recovery, however, exists in a world of complex threats – not least of which are those coming from the digital realm. Q2 mining output grew by 3.7%, the fastest pace since the first quarter of 2021 (4.4%). But while headlines often focus on commodity prices and logistical constraints as risks the sector, a less visible but equally critical threat is escalating: cyberattacks that jeopardise not only operational continuity and data integrity but also worker safety and national economic…

South Africa’s trade strategy has all the right ingredients: a focus on export-led growth, digital transformation, and the empowerment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These are not just aspirational goals—they are essential levers for economic resilience, industrial development, and global competitiveness. Yet, while policies may be in place, the reality on the ground tells a different story. For many entrepreneurs and small exporters, the barriers to trade are not market-related—they are administrative. The challenge is not a lack of demand for South African goods, but rather the complexity of getting those goods across borders compliantly and efficiently. The local eCommerce sector contributes over R55 billion to the economy and is growing at more than 11% per year. Globally, digital trade is driving the next wave of economic integration, especially…