Star 2025-11-12

South Africa’s manufacturing production rose slightly by 0.3% year-on-year in September, reflecting modest growth in an otherwise strained industrial landscape. According to data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Tuesday, this marked the first month of industrial growth, albeit very mild, following two consecutive months of decline. Stats SA said the motor vehicles, parts and accessories, and other transport equipment division recorded a 7.6% increase while the food and beverages division also expanded by 1.8%. StatsSA’s director of industry statistics, Nicolai Claassen, said five of the 10 manufacturing divisions reported positive growth rates over this period compared to the same period last year. However, on a month-on-month seasonally adjusted basis, which is critical for calculating quarterly GDP growth, Classen said manufacturing output declined by 0.5% in September, following increases…

in nearly a year, but constraints remain South Africa’s official unemployment rate fell to 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025, the lowest level in nearly a year, as 248 000 more people found work between July and September. This jobless rate the lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2024, falling from 33.2% in the second quarter of 2025, marking the first decline this year. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) on Tuesday reported that the number of employed persons increased to 17.1 million, while the number of unemployed persons decreased by 360 000 to eight million between the second and third quarters of the year. As a result, the overall labour force shrank slightly by 112 000 (0.4%), while the number of discouraged work-seekers…

Chocolate has always occupied a special place in our lives. It is comfort after a long day, and the small indulgence we allow ourselves when we need it most. But in today’s marketplace, chocolate is becoming something more. It is also a test case for how consumer psychology is reshaping industries, and it may hold one of the sweetest opportunities for South Africa’s economy. Globally, shoppers are no longer satisfied with taste alone. Rather, they are increasingly seeking products that align with their values: sustainable, ethically sourced, healthier, or more artisanal. This is not just a lifestyle trend but a psychological shift. Research endorsed by the World Economic Forum shows that buying ‘greener’ goods is positively correlated with subjective wellbeing. In other words, consumers do not just enjoy the product…

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia together hold one of the world’s richest seams of the minerals that power the energy transition. The DRC produces around 70% of global cobalt, alongside vast copper reserves; Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer. On paper, this should have been the foundation for a continental value chain: ore mined in Central Africa refined locally into battery precursors, then processed further in industrial hubs like South Africa, which has decades of experience in catalytic converters and metallurgical engineering. The reality is much different. Most cobalt and copper leave the region in semi-processed form, shipped to Asia for refining and battery production. While Zambia has invested in smelters and refineries, and the DRC has announced policies to encourage local beneficiation, progress has been uneven,…

The launch of Globba, a groundbreaking cross-border payments platform powered by Mastercard Move and integrated into FNB and RMB Private Banking apps, has set a new benchmark for digital financial connectivity across Africa. The collaboration between FNB and Mastercard aims to simplify, secure, and speed up the way South Africans send money abroad—bridging both local and international economies. The new solution, unveiled in Johannesburg on Tuesday, supports transfers to more than 120 countries, reaching destinations via bank accounts, mobile wallets, or cash pickup locations. It forms part of FNB’s wider strategy to enhance digital inclusion for underbanked and underserved communities while enabling seamless cross-border financial flows across key corridors like Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and Ghana. Following its successful rollout in South Africa, the partners plan to expand Globba across FNB’s…

Since the late 1990s, South Africa has been participant in the global economic system. We have built a formal economy that is, in many sectors, efficient and globally competitive. Yet, this very engine of our prosperity is failing. It is constrained, unable to expand at a rate that reverses our chronic unemployment and stubborn poverty. Frankly, the formal economy is failing the majority of our populace. Millions find themselves marginalised—trapped in the informal economy, underemployed, or entirely without work, devoid of a sustainable income. Deep poverty remains the stark reality for too many. The heart of the problem is saturation. Our economic environment offers little room for organic growth. It is dominated by large industrial monopolies that control the market, while below them, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operate…