Sunday Tribune 2025-04-27

Ian Wyles Auctioneers is featuring two properties that will go under the hammer during their multi-property auction on April 30 at 11am at the Oyster Box Hotel, 2 Lighthouse Road, uMhlanga Rocks. The first property is a three-bedroom family home with a granny flat at 21 Robin Hood Road, Escombe, Queensburgh. The residential suburb is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and offers convenient transport links and proximity to essential amenities. The home comprises: Comfortable lounge area with easy access to the outdoor entertainment areas Dining area, adjacent to the lounge Kitchen, featuring built-in cupboards, stone countertops, and modern built-in appliances, including an oven, stove, and extractor fan. Separate scullery and laundry room Three spacious bedrooms, main en-suite, all featuring built-in cupboards, modern finishes, and ample natural light Family bathroom with…

Old Johannesburg Warehouse (Old JW) Auctioneers’ Durban branch has a bumper sale of more than 800 lots of antiques, artworks, collectables, jewellery and coins, taking place during the first week of May. Rare treasures to be discovered on the sale include a 19th Century scale model of a ‘man-o-war’ sailing ship crafted from small bits of bone. Charles Kerr, specialist valuator for the company, said: “The piece was possibly made by a French prisoner of war who found his way to an English prison during the Napoleonic wars. Such prisoners were often conscripts who were artists or sculptors, and who had no place on the battlefield. It was fairly common practice for such prisoners to fashion elaborate artworks from their weekly ration of soup bones.” In keeping with the military…

Investors seeking an opportunity in uMhlanga should take note: In2assets are offering the top two floors of the iconic Durban structure The Arch Complex through an exclusive tender process. The Arch Complex is the tallest building on the Umhlanga Ridge skyline. The combined 1 803m² across the 22nd and 23rd floors previously housed the Pencil Club, now under business rescue. Now offered unfurnished (with furnishings available separately), the space presents a canvas for visionary investors. “The property’s previous incarnation featured amenities that define ultra-luxury,” said Rainer Stenzhorn, national sales and marketing manager at In2Assets. “From the rooftop swimming pool with panoramic ocean views to the fully-equipped commercial kitchen and banquet facilities, every element was meticulously crafted by award-winning designers.” The 360-degree views encompass Umhlanga’s pristine coastline, the Indian Ocean horizon,…

South Africans celebrated Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s announce- ment made on Thursday that the National Treasury will no longer be implementing the controversial 0.5 percentage points increase in value-added tax (VAT) from May 1, which was proposed in the national Budget to plug the R58 billion fiscal deficit. His decision marks a significant victory for financially constrained consumers and highlights the government’s responsiveness to widespread pushback and legal challenges, even from its own coalition partners within the Government of National Unity (GNU). Godongwana had last month proposed to increase the VAT from 15% to 15.5% from 1 May, and to 16% a year later, after his Budget speech was unexpectedly postponed at the eleventh hour in February when he proposed to increase VAT by a once-off 2 percentage points. Instead,…

On Friday, the world marked Girls in ICT Day which brought up the critical question in the industry, are we doing enough to ensure that girls are not only included in the digital future, but leading it? A woman in tech and a director at Bizmod Consulting, a proudly women-led company, Jessica Nyarayi Tandy said she sees this day not as a checkbox on the advocacy calendar but as a strategic moment to recommit to what truly matters: intentionally building a future where girls are not simply included in ICT, but are leading it. Despite strides in awareness, the numbers remain sobering, with 30% of science and ICT professionals are women, globally. Less than 3% of female students in higher education pursue ICT courses and in Sub-Saharan Africa, women make…

As the ongoing global trade war escalates, experts are increasingly concerned about its ramifications for cross-border payments, particularly in Africa. Cornelius Coetzee, Country Manager for Verto South Africa, sheds light on the current economic landscape, revealing that the turbulence is deeply rooted in the United States’ efforts to foster a stronger domestic market under the Trump administration. While tariffs have been paused for the time being, the implications for the South African economy and its critical relationship with the US, could be significant. “The rationale behind the trade war is an attempt to build a self-sustaining US economy, yet statistics indicate that the US remains reliant on global partnerships for two-thirds of its economic output. Trump’s attempts to cut aid and reduce government spending were aimed at domestic recovery, but…