Table of contents for 2025-05-15 in Cape Times

Stocks on the JSE defy local employment figures and rally to a fresh record high Stocks on the JSE defied disheartening local employment figures and rallied to a fresh record high on Wednesday, surging past the 93 000-points mark as the easing tensions between the US and China also buoyed global markets. The world’s two largest economies have agreed to cut the hefty import tariffs on each other's goods for 90 days whilst negotiations for a permanent deal are underway. The US will lower those tariffs from 145% to 30%, while China's retaliatory tariffs on US goods will drop to 10% from 125%. US President Donald Trump said weekend talks had resulted in a "total reset" in trade terms between the US and China. As the markets cheered the news,…

The Portfolio Committee on Minerals and Petroleum Resources has resolved to conduct an urgent oversight visit on Alexkor. This follows a briefing from the Equitable Access Campaign (EAC) on its petition for investigations into reports of general accountability failure, maladministration and corruption at State diamond miner Alexkor. This move comes in the wake of the EAC's insistence on launching a public inquiry to address the apparent collapse of accountability mechanisms over the past five years, during which Alexkor has continually received audit disclaimers. EAC's Gavin Craythorne, who this week addressed the portfolio committee after petitioning the Speaker of Parliament, told Business Report on Wednesday that several inquiries into anomalies at Alexkor were shut down without the public getting the answers. These include parliamentary appearances, a forensic investigatipon by Gobodo Consultants,…

In the first quarter of 2025, there were 930 000 primary agriculture jobs in South Africa, an 11% yearly decrease and a 1% quarterly increase. Strong activity in the livestock industries and the recovery of grains and oilseeds from the drought served as the foundation for the quarterly improvements. Many individuals are becoming more and more aware of the significance of the agriculture sector for the country's overall economy as well as for jobs and food security. This has been proven on a few occasions, including during the COVID-19 lockdown periods and in Q4 2024, when the sector kept the country's economy fromentering a recession. Therefore, it raises some concerns when the sector has a quarterly or annual reduction in employment. But depending on the nature of the sector, employment…

South Africa’s “VAT desert storm” may have ended, at least for now, after witnessing political theatrics and policy paralysis, that attempted to bring snow to a desert while bidding to solve the dry revenue generation period. It almost displayed itself through a public gallery with all the makings of a political thriller—multiple plot twists, frantic coalition bartering, and a final “U-turn of the century”—yet the real victims, township businesses and family-run businesses, are left wondering if it is going to rain cats and dogs or bring clear blue skies for VAT season. While the ANC, DA and EFF spar over “fiscal sustainability” versus “taxing the rich,” township spaza shops, clothing retailers and small cafés were caught in the crossfire. When President Cyril Ramaphosa attempted to patch his dripping VAT shack,…

Homes are continuing to increase in value, with a gain in cost averaging 2.2% year-on-year in April, which is the fastest pace at which housing has become more expensive in two years. The April figure represents an increase from the 2% recorded in the FNB House Price Index (HPI) for March. FNB projects house price growth to approach the 3% mark by 2026. In 2023, South Africa’s residential property market comprised 6.91 million properties and was valued at R6.789 trillion, City Mark data indicates. This is the latest information available to IOL. According to Statistics South Africa’s latest General Household Survey, a typical South African household had about 3.2 members. More than three-quarters of homes had four to five members or fewer, while only 13% of households contained six members…

THE State Security Agency is setting up a panel to investigate and discipline those implicated in wrongdoing by the Zondo Commission and other probes, according to Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. “The agency is completing the process to establish a panel to undertake disciplinary inquiry related to the work of the Zondo Commission, the High Level Review Panel, and other investigations. The implementation of the outstanding recommendations will be prioritised and finalised in the current financial year,” Ntshavheni said. This comes as the SSA is redesigning its structure and redefining its mandate. Responding to questions in the National Council of Provinces, Ntshavheni said a skills audit was conducted across the agency to clarify skills and competency gaps. “The skills audit outcome has supported the skills refresh through retraining, voluntary severance package or…

Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald said his hands are tied in revoking the parole of Janusz Walus, who killed former SACP general secretary and Umkhonto weSizwe chief of staff Chris Hani. This emerged when Groenewald made a presentation on the process leading to the revocation of parole for parolees to the Correctional Services on Tuesday. EFF MP Carl Niehaus said the release of Walus meant that he was not placed under permanent control of the Correctional Services system. “If he breaks the parole condition as any other lifer would have done and is returned to prison, that would not happen.” “Would the minister consider, under the circumstances, to approach the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and also the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and request to make a…

THE Kagiso Rabada drug ban is now a thing of the past. The fast bowler apologised to the public in his statement, followed all the rules set out by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sports (SAIDS) in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and served his one-month suspension in April. As a result, all-format coach Shukri Conrad and Test captain Temba Bavuma included the 29-year-old in the Proteas squad for next month’s World Test Championship final against Australia at the home of cricket. However, what stings the most to some around the country, and certainly to former Australian captain Tim Paine and perhaps to the Australian media, is how the fast bowler’s situation was not publicised on April 1st or soon after, when the player received the positive…

The late Robin Williams delivered an excellent set on the comedic absurdities of golf in his Grammy award-winning one-man show back in 2002. It had the Broadway audience in stitches, and has since garnered over seven million views on YouTube. Even golfers appreciated Williams’ spoof of their beloved game, with current Masters champion Rory McIlroy and South African legend Gary Player among those who sent heartfelt condolences upon Williams’ death in 2014. This past week, I watched another Robin Williams closely at the Turkish Airlines Open — but this was no laughing matter. Here was a young man, just 23-years old, playing for his livelihood among some of golf’s biggest names at the Regnum Carya Golf Club. The former Fortress Rookie of the Year on the Sunshine Tour in 2023…

South Africa's agricultural industry has highlighted its resilience in the face of many challenges at the 2025 Nampo Harvest Day conference, which entered the second day on Wednesday in Bothaville in the Free State. Brendan Jacobs, head of agribusiness at Standard Bank South Africa, said agriculture was under pressure from rising input costs, extreme weather events, tightening margins, and trade agreement challenges. “Nampo Harvest Day 2025 arrives at a pivotal moment for South Africa’s farming sector. This year’s Nampo is more than an exhibition; it is a rallying point for real-world, farmer-led solutions. "From mechanisation and market access to financial tools and agri-tech, the event brings together farmers, agribusinesses, and financiers to explore what it will take to sustain growth and resilience across the sector.” Jacobs said the discussions at…

South African small businesses are continuing to display resilience, demonstrating remarkable resilience and optimism for the future in the face of political and economic uncertainty. A recent report, The State of South African Small Business 2025, conducted by the global small business platform Xero reveals that a staggering 83% of small businesses witnessed revenue growth over the past year, while 90% expressed confidence in their prospects for growth moving forward. Despite concerns that loom over the business landscape—nearly two-fifths of the surveyed entrepreneurs were worried about political instability, and more than a quarter anticipated service delivery challenges such as load shedding—small businesses are showing optimism for the year ahead. According to the report, within the next year, 42% of small businesses plan to invest in upskilling their staff, while 40%…

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) economic growth revisions of South Africa to a meagre 1,5% in 2025 and just 1,8% by the end of the decade should be, and is, cause for alarm. This as growing tensions expand between one of South Africa’s largest trading partners, the US, which saw its new President impose, and then walk-back from, the hefty 30% tariffs inflicted on all imported goods from South Africa. Coupled with rising internal tensions threatening the Government of National Unity, the IMF’s assessment is a call to act. It is with this in mind that the Presidency was recently engaged to strongly emphasise the need to breed more home-grown startups and unicorns, which are businesses that surpass the $1-billion in valuation. Go1 was the first from our shores, followed…

Dipula Properties is on the hunt for additional retail properties, ideally convenience, rural or township shopping centres north of the Orange River, CEO Izak Pieterse said Wednesday. Dipula, the black-managed property group that celebrates two decades of operation this month and which has 61 retail, office, industrial and residential properties mainly in Gauteng, intends to sell its residential rental units, which represent 4% of income. This is to re-allocate capital to the retail and industrial sectors that are core to its business, he said. Speaking at the release of results for the six months to February 29, Pieterse said a few opportunities may close in the short term. The property portfolio’s value increased by 5% to R10.3 billion. Distributable earnings a share (DPS) increased 4.2%, on track with full-year…

enX Group, the JSE-listed manufacturer and distributor of power equipment and chemicals, saw its share price shoot up over 10% on Wednesday after it confirmed a strategy to grow its businesses and dispose of them if opportunities become available. The share price increased by 10.89% to R4.99 on the JSE Wednesday afternoon, but the price is much lower than the R9.20 it traded at a year ago. The net asset value per share was R8.65, compared to R9.06 on August 31, 2024. The company had paid a special distribution of R1.55 per ordinary share on April 7, 2025, amounting to R283 million. In its results for the six months to February 28, the company directors reported a good performance in the Chemical segment; however, with almost no load-shedding in the…

The Free State High Court has granted the NPA a R32 million preservation order against Ace Magashule and others linked to the asbestos corruption and money laundering scheme. Included in the court order is a luxury Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, allegedly purchased in cash for R2 million - a symbol of the lavish lifestyle funded by illicit gains. According to the NPA, the seized assets are believed to be the proceeds of a web of criminal activities, including theft, fraud, corruption, and money laundering, orchestrated at the expense of the Free State Department of Human Settlements (FSDHS). “The involved individuals, companies, and trusts are alleged to have engaged in a complex web of financial flows, designed to strip the FSDHS of its much-needed resources," said NPA national spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga. “They…

THE men accused of assassinating controversial businessman and alleged underworld kingpin, Mark Lifman, failed in their bail appeal in the Western Cape High Court. Johannes Hendrik Jacobs and Gert Johannes Bezuidenhout face charges of premeditated murder. The duo were arrested in close proximity to the Garden Route Mall in George on November 3, 2024. Lifman was assassinated in the parking lot of the mall. The pair made their first appearance on November 5, 2024, and applied for bail on January 16, 2025. Investigating officer, Lieutenant Colonel Christiaan van Reenen, opposed their bail and provided a timeline that showed that on October 29, 2024, Bezuidenhout obtained permits for several firearms from Professional Protection Alternative Security, which were valid until November 3, 2024. Two days later, on October 31, 2024, the accused…

A little over a month ago, Proteas batter David Bedingham suffered a broken toe in his first fixture of the season back with Durham in the County Championship, keeping him out of action. As a result, at some point, there was a concern about his availability for the World Test Championship final. However, all those concerns were put to bed when Proteas all-format coach Shukri Conrad included the 31-year-old middle-order batter in his squad this week for the June 11-15 final against Australia in London. “In my first game, I got hit by the ball on my toe, and it broke my toe. So, it’s been frustrating because I think the thing with the toe is you can’t do much rehab... there’s nothing you can do,” Bedingham told Independent Media…

The South African Under-20 men’s national team have covered the hard yards in the ongoing Africa Youth Championship after reaching the semi-finals to qualify for the World Cup. Amajita beat the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 1-0 in extra time of the quarter-final at Suez Canal Authority Stadium on Monday night. That result, courtesy of a goal from Thabang Mahlangu, meant that Amajita will return to the global showpiece in Chile later this year for the first time since 2017. Amajita have coach Raymond Mdaka and his technical team to thank for their preparations, having also won the Cosafa Championship to qualify for Afcon, which is held in Egypt. However, while most of the job is done, the current crop of players will be eager to follow in the footsteps…

Trade unions and other experts have raised concern about South Africa's unemployment rate rising to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025 from 31.9% in the final quarter of 2024 . According to Statistics South Africa, youth unemployment is currently at 46.1% in the first quarter of 2025. Matthew Parks, parliamentary coordinator for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), said job numbers typically increase during the festive season as sectors like retail and hospitality thrive. Parks said this decrease in employment was extremely worrying. “We cannot continue to normalise an economy where four out of 10 South Africans cannot find work. Our unemployment levels and the inability of an economy stumbling along 1% growth annually to absorb new labour market entrants must be treated as the existential threat…

South Africa is standing at a critical crossroads. The recent headlines have been dominated by the outcry over a few dozen South Africans, described loosely as "Africans," who accepted an opportunity to relocate to the United States in search of a better life for their families. This has been treated as a national scandal, a media frenzy that conveniently diverts attention from the harsh reality millions of South Africans face daily. While we debate the choices of fifty-odd individuals, the true scandal lies in the staggering unemployment rate in South Africa, which now hovers just under 33%. That is one in every three people without a job. For our youth, the situation is even more dire, with nearly two-thirds of young South Africans locked out of economic participation. This is…

In a country like South Africa, where approximately 2.6 million small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) are competing for the attention of the same pool of cash-strapped customers, building a memorable brand is critical for success. Without it, you risk blending into the noise and being chosen based on price alone – a race to the bottom that no business can afford. The good news is that building a winning brand isn’t necessarily about big budgets or expensive ad campaigns. It’s about clarity, consistency and connection. Here’s how small businesses can create a standout brand in a crowded and competitive market: Start with what makes you different Every successful brand is built on a clear value proposition - a compelling answer to the question: Why should a customer choose you…

Tongaat Hulett’s Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) said they had received confirmation from the lenders, most South African banks, that they had received the balance of the funds owed to them by the Vision Consortium, the company that is taking over the struggling Southern African sugar group. This follows the Vision Parties confirming to the BRPs in April 2025 that they had secured credit approval to meet the payments of the balance of their obligations owed to the Lender Group, to enable the Vision parties to complete the acquisition of the claims and security. “This represents a significant step forward in the successful implementation of the BR Plan and reinforces the BRPs’ confidence in its ongoing viability,” the BRPs said in a statement. The BRPs said they were continuing to implement…

IMMIGRATION experts have warned that the issuance of fraudulent notices to undocumented foreign nationals is a widespread issue. This after the Hawks raided the Pretoria High Court this week following allegations that an employee has been issuing fraudulent notices of motion to undocumented foreign nationals to prevent their deportation to their countries of origin. The operation specifically targeted one office and an individual believed to be central to the commission of these offences. Hannes Breytenbach, a senior immigration consultant and founder of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants (BIC) Ltd, said his firm encountered clients who presented official-looking documents that had no legal standing over the years. He said in some cases, these documents delayed deportation proceedings, creating confusion and false hope for the individuals involved. Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the investigators…

THE National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) has referred more than 150 employees for lifestyle audits. This decision comes on the heels of increased scrutiny regarding the council’s operations, particularly following the catastrophic building collapse in George earlier this year. During a briefing to the Human Settlements Portfolio Committee, Department Director-General Alec Moemi disclosed that the lifestyle audits were initiated in response to a directive from former minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, as part of broader measures targeting entities under the department’s purview. “Initially, we focused on three of the six entities, and the others have since been asked to begin their audits,” Moemi said. “Unlike in the public sector, where executives must declare their income and assets annually, employees in entities like the NHBRC are required to complete these forms only…

A 51-year-old man, reportedly released on parole recently, and arrested after a missing girl was found at his home, is expected in court today on a charge of rape. Police said there is a possibility that more charges may be added. The desperate search for the missing nine-year-old girl turned into a night of chaos and violence in Hanover Park on Tuesday, after she was found inside the man’s home, just metres from where she was last seen. The young girl had been on her way to mosque at around 3pm when she reportedly encountered a man who handed her R20 and asked her to buy milk from a nearby tuckshop. According to her family, she never returned. Missing persons’ organisations were alerted and immediately began circulating posters of the…

Proteas Women all-rounder Chloe Tryon said the recent Tri-Series tournament in Sri Lanka, which they were knocked out of, was one of her hardest tours to date. The Proteas faced off against India and Sri Lanka in four matches, three of which they lost, before winning their last game. The experienced all-rounder said they left everything out on the field during the last game against Sri Lanka, and ended up taking away some valuable pointers for the World Cup in India in September and October. Managing their energy and effort in the heat and humidity that sub-continent cricket offers was one of the most vital takeaways from the tour, Tryon explained. Hot and humid, low and slow are the conditions teams are expected to face in places like India and…

There will be no complacency from the Bulls as they head into the final round-robin match of the United Rugby Championship (URC) against the Dragons on Saturday in Pretoria. That was the vow of hooker Johan Grobbelaar, who has been a pillar for the second-placed Pretoria side this season. The clash at Loftus Versfeld (3pm start) will give the Bulls the opportunity to finish second on the official URC log, and they only need a single point from the duel to secure the spot. It will put them in a position to play a home semi-final should they make it past the quarters, but they’ll only know at the end of the final round who they’ll be facing in the first knockout clash. According to Grobbelaar, there will be no…