Sommaire pour 2025-09-10 de Cape Times

Shareholders will receive a R73-per-share special dividend on top of other benefits South African shareholders in Anglo American will receive a R73 per share special dividend in addition to other economic benefits after the global miner agreed to a tie-up creating a merged entity with Teck Resources more than a year after turning down an offer from BHP. Teck Resources is a Canadian mining company. Its merger with Anglo American will be under a merger of equals is expected to yield $800 million in pre-tax recurring annual synergies. South African shareholders in Anglo American stand to get a windfall from the transaction, said analysts. Anglo American has been re-strategising after it rebuffed a buyout offer from BHP. “South African shareholders will receive the economic benefits of the merger without paying…

South Africa is a water-scarce country, facing profound water security challenges that are now being compounded by climate change. South Africa’s climate story is in many ways is a water story. Droughts and floods arrive in the same breath, shifting from one extreme to the next with devastating consequences. As climate impacts intensify, water emerges not merely as a casualty but as a catalyst shaping emissions, resilience, and social justice. If South Africa fails to integrate water into its climate response, it risks compounding crises of scarcity, inequity, and fragility. The Climate Crisis as a Water Crisis At its core, South Africa’s climate crisis is a water crisis. Floods, droughts, and crumbling infrastructure are no longer distant risks they are lived realities. The 2015–2018 Cape Town drought, culminating in the…

SUPER Group paid out a substantial special dividend of R16.20 for the year to June 30, arising principally from the sale of SG Fleet in Australia, compared with 60 cents a share paid out a year before. The special dividend amounted to R5.54 billion in total, and the per share payout was more than the share price of R14.12 on Tuesday. Tuesday’s share price was also well below the R24.15 it traded at one year before. The group did not, at the release of annual results on Tuesday, declare an ordinary dividend. The sale of SG Fleet in Australia had unlocked R7.47bn in capital and also enabled a R1.96bn repayment of interest-bearing debt. This dramatically improved the group balance sheet, reducing net gearing to 20.6% from 136.3%. Marking a transformative…

South Africa’s youngest learners are falling behind before they even reach Grade R, with fewer than half of four-year-olds enrolled in Early Learning Programmes (ELPs) developmentally on track. This is according to the Thrive by Five Index, the country’s largest survey of preschool outcomes, released this week. The survey, conducted every three years, assessed 5 000 children across 1388 ELPs in all nine provinces. A smaller sub-study also looked at children from low-income households who are not enrolled in any ELPs. The findings paint a stark picture. “Too many young children in South Africa start school without the skills needed to succeed in the foundation phase and beyond,” the Index states. According to the results, only 42% of enrolled four-year-olds are on track for early learning, while 28% are falling…

Racism was the most common equality complaint received by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in the 2024/25 financial year, followed by cases related to disability. Dr Martin Nsibirwa, head of research at the SAHRC, told reporters yesterday that while the Commission received 2,352 complaints during the year, it resolved 7 516 cases over the same period. The bulk of complaints dealt with socio-economic rights, including access to health care, food, water, and social security. Administrative action, equality, education, and labour relations followed. Among public entities, the Department of Home Affairs drew the most complaints. “If there’s one government department that affects all of us, it’s Home Affairs,” Nsibirwa said. “It affects you when you are born, during your life, and when you die.” Other departments frequently cited included…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya acknowledged the poor timing of the controversial trip to Iran given global geopolitical tensions. Ramaphosa said Maphwanya had conceded that the trip’s timing was ill-judged and that his statements in Iran reflected the long-standing diplomatic ties between the two countries. “I had a long discussion with him, and we both agreed that the timing could have been managed differently,” the president said. Ramaphosa was responding to a parliamentary question posed by Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader and MP Mmusi Maimane, who had demanded clarity on the nature of South Africa’s relationship with Iran and whether any action had been taken against Maphwanya. “We do not have any military operations with Iran,” said Ramaphosa. He explained that Maphwanya’s…

Could earlier clashes against the Black Ferns XV hold the blueprint for a potential Springbok Women’s victory over New Zealand in Saturday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final at Sandy Park in Exeter? Few expect Swys de Bruin’s team to cause another upset at the tournament in England where they have already accounted for Italy and reached the knockout round for the first time, their 57-10 loss to France notwithstanding. However, the matches in Cape Town in July and early August against players deemed to be on the fringes of selection for the New Zealand first team may prove instructive, especially the way the Bok Women fought back in the second match after being outplayed in the first. The DNA of the two New Zealand teams is the same, with…

South Africa’s economy gained momentum in the second quarter of 2025 as it delivered its strongest growth in two years, largely driven by strong production side, household consumption and softer imports. Data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Tuesday showed that real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.8% between April and June following a marginal increase of 0.1% in the first quarter. Stats SA’s chief director for national accounts, Dr Bokang Vumbukani-Lepolesa, said eight out of 10 industries registered growth, with manufacturing contributing the most, followed by mining and trade. Vumbukani-Lepolesa said the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector saw a 2.5% rise during the period, thanks to stronger activity in both horticulture and animal products. “After two consecutive quarters of decline, manufacturing and mining turned positive. Manufacturing production…

Mmakgoshi Lekhethe, the first female CEO of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), is a trailblazing leader who officially took office in February 2025. Her star shines bright. In an interview with Business Report, shortly after presenting the IDC’s annual results, Lekhethe reflected on the path that led her to head one of South Africa’s most influential development finance institutions. The IDC’s mandate is to drive sustainable economic growth and build inclusive economies by promoting industrialisation, supporting entrepreneurship, and fostering job creation, particularly for black-owned businesses, women, and youth. Lekhethe was born in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga. She grew up in a family of five children, the only girl among four brothers. At the age of five, she moved with her family to Burgersfort, a small mining town in Mpumalanga. Her mother was…

South Africa’s solar energy sector has seen remarkable growth in recent years. This has been driven by falling equipment costs, technological advancements, and a shortage of electricity. Globally, the cost of solar panels and batteries has dropped by as much as 40% to 60% over the past two years, in addition to improvements in panel efficiency and battery power density. This means users can now install fewer units to achieve the same output. Combined with a more easily navigated regulatory framework and the risk of loadshedding returning, solar energy has become an increasingly viable option for households and businesses across the country. One of the most significant advantages of solar energy is how quickly it can be deployed. Residential installations can be completed in a single day, while larger commercial…

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Tuesday for "more flexibility" from the EU in the transition to electric cars as resistance grows over plans to phase out combustion-engine vehicle sales by 2035. Merz made the appeal at the opening of the IAA motor show in Munich, as Europe's struggling automakers line up to plead for the bloc to reconsider the plan aimed at combating climate change. German titans VW, BMW and Mercedes-Benz as well as US-European giant Stellantis have voiced concerns as they struggle to build up competitive electric vehicles (EV) against Chinese rivals like BYD. While he did not openly criticise the EU's deadline to halt sales of new combustion engine cars in a decade, Merz said he wanted to see "more flexibilty" in European regulation. "We are of course…

At least 86 officials were charged in connection with the unnatural deaths of prisoners between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Parliamentarians also heard yesterday that there was an alarming 30.09% increase in the number of unnatural deaths of offenders over the past three years. Briefing the Correctional Services Portfolio Committee, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Incarcerations and Corrections Riaan Botha said there were 1718 deaths in prisons over the past three years. The deaths were made up of 1144 natural deaths, 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, and 422 unconfirmed or under investigation deaths. Botha said of the 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, 67 were suicides, 55 homicides, 22 unknown, and eight were attributed to substance abuse. “Suicide was the leading cause of confirmed unnatural deaths in correctional facilities over the past three years and quarter…

DEPUTY National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya was dealt a huge blow when the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria dismissed his urgent application to return to work and slapped him with a cost order. Sibiya turned to court for an urgent order to return to work after Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola issued him with a stay-at-home order, pending an investigation and to interdict Masemola from instituting a process parallel to the judicial commission of inquiry into criminality, political interference, and corruption in parts of the criminal justice system. The commission was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa and will be chaired by retired Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. Sibiya had asked the court for an order declaring that Masemola’s decision to direct him to “stay at home, pending an investigation” unlawful…

Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia has admitted that he does not believe there is yet a concrete plan to stop the wave of gang violence devastating the Cape Flats. Cachalia yesterday told Mitchells Plain residents that while a strategy had been presented to him, it has not been resourced or implemented. “The provincial commissioner and the head of crime intelligence presented me with a plan. They must still implement that plan. They must still resource that plan, that plan that is needed. So we need a stabilisation plan. "We need to go on the offensive against the drug lords, stabilise our communities, make sure that we are in charge, not the criminals. But the truth is, I don’t believe that plan is yet in place,” Cachalia said during a…

Last year, my mate and sports agent Shafiek Mouton phoned me and asked what my day looked like. I told him I was off and about to head to the shops, nothing exciting. Then, casually as ever, he dropped a bombshell: I was one of his “phone-a-friend” lifelines on the Afrikaans version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Everything was hush-hush, of course. He’d been sworn to secrecy, as we were in July and the show would only air in November. Not long after, a woman called asking me to sign an NDA. It all felt very cloak-and-dagger, as if answering a quiz show question was national security stuff. I nearly forgot about it, until the call came through while I was leaving the shop, soaked in the pouring…

Durban’s Super Giants have significantly bolstered their squad with some high-profile signings, including that of Proteas T20I captain Aiden Markram at the SA20 Auction held in Johannesburg yesterday. After reaching the final in the second season, the Durban-based side endured a dramatic fall from grace in the third edition, finishing bottom of the standings with just two wins from ten round-robin fixtures earlier this year. As a result, head coach Lance Klusener found himself under pressure, although the franchise opted to retain him for the fourth season, which is set to kick off on Boxing Day later this year. Held at The Galleria Conference and Events Venue in Sandton, the auction saw the Super Giants come out firing, clearly determined to strengthen their squad ahead of the upcoming campaign. In…

Limpopo’s provincial government has put its best foot forward to attract investment from multilateral financial institutions for critical infrastructure development projects that could yield economic growth and create jobs, including the protracted intra-provincial high-speed railway project. This comes as Premier of Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, participated in the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algeria this week where she made a business case for the province to prospective investors. Business Report witnessed a closed-door meeting on Saturday Ramathuba had with Denys Denya the executive vice president of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which organises the IATF. In an interview, Ramathuba confirmed that the IATF2025 allowed the provincial government the opportunity to engage with the bank and gave some details about what they engaged on. “We had a one-on-one session…

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) has announced a significant regulatory measure aimed at aiding exporters as they grapple with new tariffs imposed by the United States. This is as the US additional tariffs require exporters to coordinate their activities in developing joint infrastructure for exports, sharing of market information and coordination of activities to achieve economies of scale and efficiencies that enable them to be competitive, which may have contravened the Competition Act. During the 19th Annual Conference on Competition Law, Economics and Policy on Tuesday, deputy minister of the dtic, Zuko Godlimpi, revealed that the newly introduced Block Exemption for Exporters will allow businesses to collaborate effectively, without contravening the Competition Act. Godlimpi said the Competition Commission has contributed to policy changes in response to…

On August 27, 2025, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) announced that it had reached an out-of-court settlement with Eskom after errors were made in determining revenue for the current and following two financial years. This triggered sharp responses from across the industry. Stephen Grootes described it as “the electricity pricing farce”, while Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busisiwe Mavuso said it had the “farcical effect of allowing Eskom to charge tomorrow’s customers for yesterday’s costs.” Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramakgopa responded that government intends to change the entire system. The problem is that this recognition comes too late. It is evident that the Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD) methodology is outdated and not fit for purpose. Designed by Nersa in the early 2000s, it functioned reasonably…

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has greenlighted a significant adjustment in the maximum gas price set by Sasol Gas, raising it from R87.04 to R90.57 per GigaJoule (GJ) for the second quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year. This 4% increase comes in response to various market pressures, including the rising costs of gas imported from Mozambique, fluctuations in oil-linked derivatives, exchange rate movements, and shifts in the US Producer Price Index (USPPI). This quarterly adjustment is part of an ongoing strategy put in place by Nersa on June 30, 2025, granting Sasol Gas the authority to revise its maximum gas price every three months, based on changes in gas acquisition costs. Sasol Gas is required to demonstrate the rationale behind price changes by providing relevant cost and…

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said she welcomes the legal action taken by the dissolved board members of South African Tourism, who are seeking to have the Gauteng High Court declare her decision unlawful. Last week, the aggrieved board members approached the High Court not only to overturn De Lille’s decision but also to interdict her from appointing a new board. It also wants the dissolution suspended and the board reinstated. The minister accused the board of irregularly convening a meeting in August to appoint a chairperson following the resignation of former chairperson Gregory Davids on July 31 in the wake of placing CEO Nombulelo Guliwe under precautionary suspension. De Lille has faced public scrutiny for her decision to dissolve the board last month. “Well, it is their right to…

THE manufacturing of illegal alcohol is becoming more sophisticated, making it difficult to identify illicit products, says the South African Liquor Brand owners Association (SALBA). The organisation was reacting to a recent police operation which resulted in the arrest of seven people following the discovery of thousands of litres of ethanol at an illegal alcohol manufacturing facility in Klapmuts in the Cape Winelands. The five men aged between 25 and 43 and two women, both aged 20, were arrested on Monday at a building along the R44 in Klapmuts, where alcohol production equipment was found. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said: “Members of the Maitland Flying Squad followed up (on) information about a facility manufacturing illegal alcohol. The members visited the premises on the R44 in Klapmuts and…

A construction company is facing legal action after allegedly using inferior materials in the construction of a police station in Dysselsdorp, which subsequently collapsed. The Western Cape High Court has ordered the company to provide the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) with documents necessary for the lawsuit. Following a tender process, Reder Construction was appointed to construct a police station in Dysselsdorp in the Karoo for R39,468,931.99, but before completion of the project and handover of the site, one of the buildings collapsed. The collapsed building housed the police station’s charge office, public waiting room, administrative and safe custody areas, as well as the archives. The DPWI has taken the matter to court on grounds of breach of contract and wants further details from the construction companies for…

The search for the right player combinations and pairings for next year’s T20 World Cup continues for the Proteas as they take on England in three T20Is this week. Since coach Shukri Conrad took over the white ball teams, the side has lost five out of eight matches, including losing a Tri-Series in Zimbabwe before going on to lose 2-1 against Australia Down Under. Conrad has made several changes since those two tours, dropping spinners George Linde and Nqaba Peter, and batter Rassie van der Dussen, while Keshav Maharaj, Lizaad Williams and Donovan Ferreira have all been called back to the squad for the England series. With the first of three T20Is set to get underway at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff today, Markram emphasised that the team continues to build…