Star 2025-11-26

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a far-reaching proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe allegations of serious maladministration, improper conduct and possible corruption at South African Tourism (SA Tourism), marking one of the most significant interventions in the entity’s recent history. The proclamation follows years of controversy at the organisation, which has faced persistent governance instability and a collapse in industry confidence. Proclamation 297 of 2025, signed by the President and gazetted this week, empowers the SIU to investigate allegations centred on the procurement of media buying services, including three specific invoices and purchase orders. The SIU’s mandate includes examining payments made for services that were never rendered, partially delivered, or not executed in accordance with contractual obligations. This comes after the previous SA Tourism board suspended the…

Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal has announced a major investment of more than R1.1 billion in network infrastructure for the current financial year (FY2026), reinforcing its commitment to expanding connectivity and accelerating digital inclusion across South Africa’s most populous province. The announcement was made during a media roundtable on Tuesday, led by Imran Khan, managing executive for Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal, alongside the company’s provincial leadership team. Khan said the investment reflects Vodacom’s long-term vision of building a digitally inclusive KwaZulu-Natal where all communities—urban and rural—have access to the opportunities offered by the digital economy. “Vodacom's R1.142bn investment in KZN's network infrastructure during the financial year demonstrates the company's commitment to ubiquitous connectivity across the province," Khan said. "The investment breakdown includes R796 million for radio projects, R289m goes to transmission, R36 million towards energy,…

South Africa will rely on a collective South African Customs Union (SACU) tariff offer, together with its own direct negotiations, to reverse the 30% tariffs imposed by the United States in September, senior trade official Ambassador Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter told Parliament on Tuesday. Mlumbi-Peter, the deputy director-general for trade in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), said South Africa has been in continued engagement with the US on an agreement that would establish reciprocal tariffs, with the primary objective of reducing the recently imposed duties. "There are also discussions on a tariff offer. This will be a SACU offer given that South Africa is part of a customs union. So, SACU is finalizing that with a view to submit it as soon as possible," Mlumbi-Peter said. "The aim…

Bank and parastatal agree to end litigation, and settlement is made without any admission of liability South African state-owned logistics firm Transnet and Nedbank said on Tuesday they have reached a confidential commercial settlement to end their ongoing litigation, with the bank agreeing to pay Transnet R600 million. Both parties said the settlement was made without any admission of liability. Transnet and Nedbank said the agreement was aimed at avoiding lengthy and costly court proceedings and preventing damage to their long-standing commercial relationship. They said they continued to stand by their previous statements on the dispute. The litigation stems from interest-rate swap transactions concluded in 2015/16 during Transnet’s multibillion-rand locomotives procurement programme, which featured in the judicial inquiry into state capture. A year ago, Business Report reported that Nedbank had…

The Department of Agriculture (DoA) has dismissed claims by the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) that the regulatory system responsible for approving fertilisers, pesticides, farm feeds and veterinary products is facing a “total administrative breakdown.” This follows a strongly worded letter of demand sent by Saai’s attorneys to the Minister of Agriculture, the department, and the Registrar of Act 36, calling for urgent intervention. In its statement, the department on Monday said it had taken note of what it described as “misleading public statements” made by an agricultural lobby group regarding delays and inefficiencies in processing applications governed by the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act. It stressed that despite challenges, the system was not in a state of collapse. “Upon assuming office, the Minister of Agriculture,…

As dawn breaks over South Africa, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills countless homes, a staple for nearly half of the nation’s adult population despite ongoing inflationary pressures. A year after scrutinising the coffee landscape, it’s time to delve back into how coffee enthusiasts across demographics react to the lingering price hikes, notably as inflation fluctuates. According to new insights from Eighty20, the leading consumer strategy firm in South Africa, coffee preferences have surfaced as both resilient and evolving. Although coffee prices have continued to rise sharply, the latest statistics revealing a staggering 22.3% surge in instant coffee prices year-on-year in August 2024, consumption figures remain robust. This increase placed instant coffee alongside eggs as one of the few items in South Africa’s grocery basket experiencing inflation above 20%.…