Podcasts about business unity south africa

HOT TOPIC Topic: Budget passed but what does it mean for GNU Guest: Khulekani Mathe - CEO of Business Unity South Africa.

CEO of Business Unity South Africa, Khulekani Mathe recently became one of South Africa's most important voices in business. Mathe became CEO of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) at the start of the year, after former CEO Cas Coovadia announced his plan to retire in 2025. The two men were formerly colleagues at the Banking Association of South Africa. Mathe joined BUSA in 2023 with succession planning in mind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clement Manyathela speaks to Mike Shingange, the COSATU Deputy President and Khulekani Mathe, the CEO of Business Unity South Africa about their expectations ahead of the President’s speech. Mathe says the President must commit to economic reforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trade union Cosatu, its members and some workers are today embarking on national wide march in support of the labour federation's call for more employment opportunities for citizens, decent work, action on  the crippling economy in the country and a mortarium on retrenchments among other grievances.  Business Unity South Africa says it's concerned about the strike and has some reservations about today's march. Here's BUSA's CEO Designate, Khulekani Mathe. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC News reporters; Nosipho Radebe, Corbin August and Itumeleng Kgajane

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU, is staging a nationwide strike today to protest plaguing issues affecting South Africans. This includes widespread job losses, rampant corruption, escalating cost of living, and Eskom's proposed 36% tariff hike. The SACP, FEDUSA and other COSATU affiliates will join the Section 77 nationwide strike. Meanwhile Business Unity South Africa, BUSA have raised concern about the economic impact of the strike. To elaborate further on their concerns, Elvis Presslin spoke to  Khulekani Mathe, CEO Designate at Business Unity South Africa and COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, Matthew Parks

President Cyril Ramaphosa sê hy is bereid om na werkbare voorstelle oor die Nasionale Gesondheidsversekering te luister. Hy het Dinsdag met Business Unity South Africa se leierskap vergader om die omstrede NGV-wet te bespreek. Die organisasie sê die wetgewing is in sy huidige vorm onwerkbaar en skadelik vir die land se gesondheidstelsel. Ramaphosa het gister by die Afrika-lugvaart-en-verdedigingskou by die Waterkloof Lugmagbasis in Centurion gepraat en sê sy doel is om billike en gehalte-gesondheidsorg te bied:

Stephen Grootes talks to Estienne de Klerk, CEO of Growthpoint SA, about the company's annual income slump of 10% attributed to the challenging environment of high interest rates. In other interviews on this episode   on The Money Show, Khulekani Mathe, CEO designate of Business Unity South Africa, shares his leadership philosophy as a "shapeshifter" in the business world, emphasizing adaptability and innovation in an ever-changing environment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, in How I make Money we are looking at leadership and what it takes to become a proficient CEO to generate income. To discuss what, in their opinion, makes a great executive, Stephen Grootes is joined by Professor Bonang Mohale, Chancellor of the University of the Free State, former president of Business Unity South Africa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of Business Unity SA, Cas Coovadia, the chancellor of the University of the Free State and a former president of Business Unity South Africa, and managing director of Krutham, Peter Attard Montalto, discuss the recently announced cabinet and the Government of National Unity (GNU) with host Ray White. JSE lists Rainbow Chicken Rainbow Chicken Limited satisfies all JSE requirement. Commencing on June 26, 2024, its shares will be listed on the Main Board of the JSE.  Business Book feature -   Optimal by  Daniel Goleman Daniel Goleman, the author of Optimal, discusses how to maintain organizational and personal excellence on a daily basis in his most recent book. Which, in this timely and helpful book, emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) and how it impacts both personal and professional life. Ian Mann, an MD at Gateways Business Consultants and a frequent book critic, is interviewed by host Ray White. How I Make Money - with Executive Headhunter  Verushka Singh Verushka Singh is a Principal Consultant at Amrop Woodburn Mann in South Africa, with over 15 years of expertise in the recruiting market. She speaks with host Ray White on what she looks for as a headhunter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Host Ray White, speaks with Peter Attard Montalto, the managing director of Krutham, Professor Bonang Mohale, the chancellor of the University of the Free State and a former president of Business Unity South Africa, and Cas Coovadia, the CEO of Business Unity SA, about the recently announced cabinet and the Government of National Unity (GNU).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Bonang Mohale, Chancellor of the University of the Free State and Former President of Business Unity South Africa, converses with host Bruce Whitfield about the investment appeal of South Africa Inc. As the country celebrates 30 years of democracy amidst a turbulent election year, the focus shifts to how South Africa is faring in its efforts to attract investors. Andrew Levy, Labor Analyst at Andrew Levy & Associates, joins host Bruce Whitfield for an examination of South Africa's job market. The recent rise in the nation's unemployment rate to 32.1% in the last quarter of 2023, along with job cuts across fifty percent of South Africa's industries, underscores the significant economic challenges facing the nation. Martin Kingston, Chairman of Business for South Africa (B4SA), joins host Bruce Whitfield to explore the latest developments in South Africa's reconstruction efforts amid a tumultuous election year, paying tribute to Workers' Day. Léan Boezaart, CEO of Freedom of Movement (FOM), joins host Bruce Whitfield to discuss his career path, entrepreneurial passion, and the vision he holds for Freedom of Movement (FOM), a business he co-founded in 2013. Following the completion of his articles in 2011, Léan was sponsored by Deloitte to pursue a childhood aspiration of becoming a professional golfer. Transitioning to the professional circuit in 2012, he competed in South Africa (Sunshine Tour) and internationally, giving his all to the pursuit.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Bonang Mohale, Chancellor of the University of the Free State and former President of Business Unity South Africa, converses with host Bruce Whitfield about the investment appeal of South Africa Inc. As the country celebrates 30 years of democracy amidst a turbulent election year, the focus shifts to how South Africa is faring in its efforts to attract investors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Municipal debts to Eskom have surged to R74.52 billion, This debt has more than doubled since 2021, with 60% owed by just 10 municipalities. While eight municipalities have been granted approval to join the Treasury's debt relief initiative.Elvis Presslin spoke to Business Unity South Africa head of energy and environment desk, Happy Khambule...

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a leading supplier of products, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation. Business Unity South Africa president Mxolisi Mgojo reports that the collaboration between business and government to turn around the performance of Transnet could result in the struggling State-owned freight logistics group moving significantly more volumes in the year to March than was guided in earlier forecasts. In a briefing this week following the most recent meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa, his Cabinet and the senior business leaders who have signed up to support government in tackling the triple crises in electricity, logistics and crime, Mgojo reported that there had been "remarkable progress" in recent months. Transnet, he reported, was now forecasting volumes of greater than 151-million tons for the 2023/24 financial year, rather than the 142-million tons outlined in October. The former Exxaro CEO attributed the improvement to the culture change that had accompanied the appointment of interim leadership late last year at both Transnet and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), with two of those executives, Michelle Phillips and Russell Baatjies, having recently been confirmed as the permanent CEOs of Transnet and TFR respectively. "There has been a remarkable, and I will say a really remarkable, improvement in what we've been able to achieve," Mgojo, who is playing a central role on behalf of business in the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC), asserted. Nevertheless, the logistics crisis remained a "critical risk to the economy", with mining stockpiles having increased to "unsustainable levels" and coal exports at their lowest levels in 30 years. Likewise, truck congestion at certain borders, which at times resulted in queues of up to 10 km, was negatively affecting various communities and road infrastructure, while the agriculture sector remained deeply concerned about persistent challenges at key export ports, such as Cape Town. Mgojo reported that the NLCC had agree on six priority actions to tackle the crisis, including ongoing delivery on the Transnet Recovery Plan, with a focus on implementing operational excellence centres and the secondment of technical resources to the utility. "We have also, as business, brought in a lot of other private sector technical expertise into the fold and these experts have been seconded to work within Transnet and they have primarily been brought in to provide critical support to senior executives." Many of the secondees are former senior Transnet executives themselves, and they have been assisting with efforts to reduce the backlog of ships at anchorage at ports such as Durban and Cape Town, as well as with the spares constraints that have been afflicting rail operations on key rail corridors, including coal. The other five NLCC priorities are: Advancing the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill to implementation, with Mgojo optimistic that Ramaphosa will sign off soon on the legislation passed by Parliament on February 29; Improving security on key corridors transporting coal and chrome; Implementing the Freight Logistics Roadmap, which includes plans for third-party access to the rail network and the splitting of TFR into the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager and the Transnet Freight Rail Operating Company; Expediting the Private Sector Participation framework across ports and rail; and Addressing the remaining procurement issues, relating largely to critical spares. Despite this progress, however, Mgojo stressed that the continued poor operational performance and inefficiencies at Transnet continued to cost the economy R1-billion a day, which he said underlined the urgency of both the recovery plan and the associated reforms.

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a leading supplier of products, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation. Business Unity South Africa president Mxolisi Mgojo reports that the collaboration between business and government to turn around the performance of Transnet could result in the struggling State-owned freight logistics group moving significantly more volumes in the year to March than was guided in earlier forecasts. In a briefing this week following the most recent meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa, his Cabinet and the senior business leaders who have signed up to support government in tackling the triple crises in electricity, logistics and crime, Mgojo reported that there had been "remarkable progress" in recent months. Transnet, he reported, was now forecasting volumes of greater than 151-million tons for the 2023/24 financial year, rather than the 142-million tons outlined in October. The former Exxaro CEO attributed the improvement to the culture change that had accompanied the appointment of interim leadership late last year at both Transnet and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), with two of those executives, Michelle Phillips and Russell Baatjies, having recently been confirmed as the permanent CEOs of Transnet and TFR respectively. "There has been a remarkable, and I will say a really remarkable, improvement in what we've been able to achieve," Mgojo, who is playing a central role on behalf of business in the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC), asserted. Nevertheless, the logistics crisis remained a "critical risk to the economy", with mining stockpiles having increased to "unsustainable levels" and coal exports at their lowest levels in 30 years. Likewise, truck congestion at certain borders, which at times resulted in queues of up to 10 km, was negatively affecting various communities and road infrastructure, while the agriculture sector remained deeply concerned about persistent challenges at key export ports, such as Cape Town. Mgojo reported that the NLCC had agree on six priority actions to tackle the crisis, including ongoing delivery on the Transnet Recovery Plan, with a focus on implementing operational excellence centres and the secondment of technical resources to the utility. "We have also, as business, brought in a lot of other private sector technical expertise into the fold and these experts have been seconded to work within Transnet and they have primarily been brought in to provide critical support to senior executives." Many of the secondees are former senior Transnet executives themselves, and they have been assisting with efforts to reduce the backlog of ships at anchorage at ports such as Durban and Cape Town, as well as with the spares constraints that have been afflicting rail operations on key rail corridors, including coal. The other five NLCC priorities are: Advancing the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill to implementation, with Mgojo optimistic that Ramaphosa will sign off soon on the legislation passed by Parliament on February 29; Improving security on key corridors transporting coal and chrome; Implementing the Freight Logistics Roadmap, which includes plans for third-party access to the rail network and the splitting of TFR into the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager and the Transnet Freight Rail Operating Company; Expediting the Private Sector Participation framework across ports and rail; and Addressing the remaining procurement issues, relating largely to critical spares. Despite this progress, however, Mgojo stressed that the continued poor operational performance and inefficiencies at Transnet continued to cost the economy R1-billion a day, which he said underlined the urgency of both the recovery plan and the associated reforms.

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a leading supplier of products, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation. Both Cabinet and organised business have lauded the five-year public-private partnership agreement between Sasol and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), under which the energy and chemicals group will fund the maintenance and repair of a dedicated fleet of 128 ammonia tankers. In a statement following its February 28 meeting, Cabinet welcomed what it described as a "first-of-its-kind" partnership agreement, which it said would advance the country's Freight Logistics Roadmap, drafted to turn around the underperforming sector. Likewise, in welcoming the appointments of Michelle Phillips and Nosipho Maphumulo as CEO and CFO respectively at Transnet, Business Unity South Africa said the State-owned utility's recovery would be assisted through the signing of "mutual cooperation agreements" between Transnet and its customers. Neither Sasol nor TFR were willing to disclose the contract value, but Sasol CEO Fleetwood Grobler previously underlined the risk that "persisting supply-chain challenges in South Africa" posed to its chemicals business. Sasol Chemicals produces and sells more than 540 000 t/y of ammonia, which is used to make a variety of fertilisers and industrial chemicals for the agriculture, mining, textile and metalworking industries and supplies to key clients such as AECI in Modderfontein had been disrupted by the lack of availability of rolling stock. AECI told shareholders shortly after the Sasol-TFR deal was announced that it was still pursuing a hybrid sourcing strategy to reduce its dependence on South African supply and had already successfully imported ammonia through the Port of Richards Bay. Sasol and TFR confirmed with Engineering News that no new wagons would be purchased under the agreement. Instead, the focus was on refurbishing, with the support of Transnet Engineering, the existing assets to enable their full utilisation, while minimising the need for significant capital investment. Sasol base chemicals VP David Mokomela confirmed that the agreement would secure the transport capacity needed by the group's Secunda and Sasolburg facilities, while acting TFR CEO Russell Baatjies described the agreement as a significant step toward addressing the industry's current capacity challenges. "These trains will operate primarily on the Secunda-to-Isando and Sasolburg-to-Isando routes, which are in the Central Corridor," the companies confirmed in response to questions posed by Engineering News. "The Richards Bay service (through the North Corridor) may be considered, depending on market demand and capacity availability," they added. Besides rolling stock repair and maintenance, the companies confirmed that other investments were also being implemented on the Secunda-Isando corridor. "These include the opening of rail maintenance facilities in Secunda … [and] other investment types that are currently under review, all aimed at enhancing rail efficiency for the benefit of the industry." Both Sasol and TFR insist that the transaction, which covers 128 ammonia rail tankers in a bigger fleet of 350, did not require approval by the competition authorities, but they confirmed that it was assessed by the Competition Commission as well as internal legal counsel. "As this is specialised equipment, it is not open to others. "However, TFR is engaging other players who may wish to also pursue a similar approach with the entity."

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a leading supplier of products, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation. Both Cabinet and organised business have lauded the five-year public-private partnership agreement between Sasol and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), under which the energy and chemicals group will fund the maintenance and repair of a dedicated fleet of 128 ammonia tankers. In a statement following its February 28 meeting, Cabinet welcomed what it described as a "first-of-its-kind" partnership agreement, which it said would advance the country's Freight Logistics Roadmap, drafted to turn around the underperforming sector. Likewise, in welcoming the appointments of Michelle Phillips and Nosipho Maphumulo as CEO and CFO respectively at Transnet, Business Unity South Africa said the State-owned utility's recovery would be assisted through the signing of "mutual cooperation agreements" between Transnet and its customers. Neither Sasol nor TFR were willing to disclose the contract value, but Sasol CEO Fleetwood Grobler previously underlined the risk that "persisting supply-chain challenges in South Africa" posed to its chemicals business. Sasol Chemicals produces and sells more than 540 000 t/y of ammonia, which is used to make a variety of fertilisers and industrial chemicals for the agriculture, mining, textile and metalworking industries and supplies to key clients such as AECI in Modderfontein had been disrupted by the lack of availability of rolling stock. AECI told shareholders shortly after the Sasol-TFR deal was announced that it was still pursuing a hybrid sourcing strategy to reduce its dependence on South African supply and had already successfully imported ammonia through the Port of Richards Bay. Sasol and TFR confirmed with Engineering News that no new wagons would be purchased under the agreement. Instead, the focus was on refurbishing, with the support of Transnet Engineering, the existing assets to enable their full utilisation, while minimising the need for significant capital investment. Sasol base chemicals VP David Mokomela confirmed that the agreement would secure the transport capacity needed by the group's Secunda and Sasolburg facilities, while acting TFR CEO Russell Baatjies described the agreement as a significant step toward addressing the industry's current capacity challenges. "These trains will operate primarily on the Secunda-to-Isando and Sasolburg-to-Isando routes, which are in the Central Corridor," the companies confirmed in response to questions posed by Engineering News. "The Richards Bay service (through the North Corridor) may be considered, depending on market demand and capacity availability," they added. Besides rolling stock repair and maintenance, the companies confirmed that other investments were also being implemented on the Secunda-Isando corridor. "These include the opening of rail maintenance facilities in Secunda … [and] other investment types that are currently under review, all aimed at enhancing rail efficiency for the benefit of the industry." Both Sasol and TFR insist that the transaction, which covers 128 ammonia rail tankers in a bigger fleet of 350, did not require approval by the competition authorities, but they confirmed that it was assessed by the Competition Commission as well as internal legal counsel. "As this is specialised equipment, it is not open to others. "However, TFR is engaging other players who may wish to also pursue a similar approach with the entity."

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a leading supplier of products, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation. President Cyril Ramaphosa used his final State of the Nation Address ahead of upcoming elections to reiterate government's commitment to reforms in the country's failing power and logistics sectors, including one that would open the electricity transmission sector to private investors. Speaking against the backdrop of almost daily power disruptions, South Africa's worst-ever year for loadshedding in 2023, and a precipitous collapse in the freight rail service, which was constraining key commodity exports, Ramaphosa described the power and logistics crises as the "most important constraints on economic growth". Ahead of the speech, Business Unity South Africa called on the President to signal government's commitment to opening up space for greater participation by the private sector in building, operating, and maintaining critical logistics networks and generating energy. The organisation also called for a clear acknowledgement of the partnership between government and business in the areas of energy, logistics and crime and corruption. In his address, Ramaphosa listed a series of collaborative initiatives under way through the National Energy Crisis Committee to tackle loadshedding and even expressed confidence that "the worst is behind us and the end of loadshedding is finally within reach" - a claim that was met with audible scepticism from opposition lawmakers. Included in his list was a series of initiatives to facilitate new private generation, as well as the financial support extended to Eskom last year under a R254-billion debt-relief package, which Ramaphosa said was helping the utility fund much-needed maintenance. Also highlighted was the connection of 2 500 MW of utility-scale wind and solar following the revival of the public renewable-energy programme five years ago, as well as the procurement of projects with a combined capacity three times that, some of which were already under construction. The President also noted that 120 utility-scale private generation projects were under development following the removal of the licensing requirement for such facilities. The doubling last year in the capacity of solar photovoltaic installed on household and business rooftops was lauded as a success, even though most of these investments were made in response to extreme power disruptions. The installed base is now estimated to be above 5 000 MW. Without specifically referencing the grid constraints that were preventing new generators from connecting to the network, the President said that 14 000 km of new transmission lines would be built to accommodate more renewable energy. "To fast-track this process, we will enable private investment in transmission infrastructure through a variety of innovative investment models," he announced. Further reforms - including a major legislative overhaul outlined in the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill, currently serving before lawmakers - would facilitate a future "competitive, sustainable and reliable" electricity supply industry. While insisting that the transition away from coal would proceed at a "pace, scale and cost that our country can afford and in a manner that ensures energy security", he also highlighted the economic potential associated with the green economy. "With our abundance of solar, wind and mineral resources, we are going to create thousands of jobs in renewable energy, green hydrogen, green steel, electric vehicles and other green products." Ramaphosa also noted that financing pledges for the country's Just Energy Transition Investment Plan had increased from about R170-billion to almost R240-billion and announced the establishment of a Climate Change Response Fund to "build our resilience and respond to the impacts of climate change". On the freight logistics crisis, the President insisted that action was...

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a leading supplier of products, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation. President Cyril Ramaphosa used his final State of the Nation Address ahead of upcoming elections to reiterate government's commitment to reforms in the country's failing power and logistics sectors, including one that would open the electricity transmission sector to private investors. Speaking against the backdrop of almost daily power disruptions, South Africa's worst-ever year for loadshedding in 2023, and a precipitous collapse in the freight rail service, which was constraining key commodity exports, Ramaphosa described the power and logistics crises as the "most important constraints on economic growth". Ahead of the speech, Business Unity South Africa called on the President to signal government's commitment to opening up space for greater participation by the private sector in building, operating, and maintaining critical logistics networks and generating energy. The organisation also called for a clear acknowledgement of the partnership between government and business in the areas of energy, logistics and crime and corruption. In his address, Ramaphosa listed a series of collaborative initiatives under way through the National Energy Crisis Committee to tackle loadshedding and even expressed confidence that "the worst is behind us and the end of loadshedding is finally within reach" - a claim that was met with audible scepticism from opposition lawmakers. Included in his list was a series of initiatives to facilitate new private generation, as well as the financial support extended to Eskom last year under a R254-billion debt-relief package, which Ramaphosa said was helping the utility fund much-needed maintenance. Also highlighted was the connection of 2 500 MW of utility-scale wind and solar following the revival of the public renewable-energy programme five years ago, as well as the procurement of projects with a combined capacity three times that, some of which were already under construction. The President also noted that 120 utility-scale private generation projects were under development following the removal of the licensing requirement for such facilities. The doubling last year in the capacity of solar photovoltaic installed on household and business rooftops was lauded as a success, even though most of these investments were made in response to extreme power disruptions. The installed base is now estimated to be above 5 000 MW. Without specifically referencing the grid constraints that were preventing new generators from connecting to the network, the President said that 14 000 km of new transmission lines would be built to accommodate more renewable energy. "To fast-track this process, we will enable private investment in transmission infrastructure through a variety of innovative investment models," he announced. Further reforms - including a major legislative overhaul outlined in the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill, currently serving before lawmakers - would facilitate a future "competitive, sustainable and reliable" electricity supply industry. While insisting that the transition away from coal would proceed at a "pace, scale and cost that our country can afford and in a manner that ensures energy security", he also highlighted the economic potential associated with the green economy. "With our abundance of solar, wind and mineral resources, we are going to create thousands of jobs in renewable energy, green hydrogen, green steel, electric vehicles and other green products." Ramaphosa also noted that financing pledges for the country's Just Energy Transition Investment Plan had increased from about R170-billion to almost R240-billion and announced the establishment of a Climate Change Response Fund to "build our resilience and respond to the impacts of climate change". On the freight logistics crisis, the President insisted that action was...

Ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SoNA), this evening, the African National Congress (ANC) assured that it remains steadfast in its resolve to overcome challenges facing the country and to continue steering South Africa toward prosperity. Ramaphosa will deliver his eighth SoNA with many expectations from citizens, political parties and business. The ANC said Ramaphosa would be delivering the address amidst progress and challenges. "This year's State of the Nation Address is expected to reflect on the gains we have made as a nation as well as affirm our determination to defend our democracy from opportunistic elements that are set on undermining the unstoppable programme of transformation. The address must be a beacon of hope as it accounts on commitments made whilst pointing us all in the direction that must now be taken to transform South Africa in the interest of a better life for all," said the ANC. NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE BILL The ANC also asserted its commitment to bring the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) to fruition. It said it "strongly" supports the NHI Bill as a vital step towards achieving universal healthcare coverage. The Bill was processed by the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces last year and sent to the President to be signed into law. The NHI Bill was met with criticism, however, with business groups pushing Ramaphosa to delay signing it into law, saying that it did not pass constitutional muster and would likely lead to many legal and social troubles down the line. In an open statement to Ramaphosa, Business Unity South Africa and Businesses for South Africa petitioned the President to first test the constitutionality of the NHI Bill before signing it into law. However, the ANC believes that by pooling resources and addressing disparities, the NHl will improve health outcomes nationwide. Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya noted that Ramaphosa was still considering the NHI Bill and that the President's legal advisers were looking at the proposed legislation. SOUTH AFRICAN SUCCESS Meanwhile, the ANC said that it also celebrated the country's achievements on the global stage, from "asserting moral leadership" to showcasing the talents of South Africans in sports and in music. "Despite global shocks like the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical unrest, South Africa's resilience shines through, propelling us on an upward trajectory despite economic setbacks. This year's State of the Nation marks the culmination of an extraordinary term of office characterised by several severe global shocks, as well as the rise of South Africa's prominence as an international moral authority on the global stage," the ANC said. The party noted that the sixth administration faced the daunting task of reinvigorating and fortifying the State, which It said had been weakened by corruption and counter-revolutionary elements. Through concerted efforts, the ANC said significant progress has been made in combating corruption and rebuilding State institutions. The party said that the ANC-led government had dramatically improved access to education from early childhood right through to post-school education. Nearly every young person aged 15 to 24 years of age is literate, and adult literacy now stands at 85%, up from only 64% in 1996. "Today we have a growing black and skilled professional sector. Many interventions have been introduced, including school fee exemption, the school nutrition programme and scholar transport which ensures that poverty does not stand in the way of children's access to quality education. It is this administration that has seen the highest percentage of people writing matric and passing matric, a testament to the ANC's commitment to education for all," the party pointed out.

Noluthando Mthonti-Mlambo speaks to BUSA CEO, Cas Coovadia about BUSA's expectations for the SONA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen promised on Tuesday that if President Cyril Ramaphosa rams through the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, the DA will immediately take him to court to protect the country's health system against what the DA calls the African National Congress's (ANC's) gutting of the country's health system. Steenhuisen was outlining the DA's blueprint to "rescue South Africa" after the 2024 general elections, when he said a new government would immediately prepare to introduce a new Budget to reflect its new priorities. He said the DA would bury the ANC's "job-killing policies", including land expropriation without compensation, the nationalisation of mines, farms, industry and the Reserve Bank, as well as the "madness" of the NHI. Steenhuisen said the DA fully supported the call by business leaders for Ramaphosa not to sign what is widely being called an "unconstitutional" NHI Bill, and to instead refer it back to Parliament. He applauded Business Unity South Africa and Business for SA for taking what he described as a principled stand against the NHI, after they also urged the President to refer the Bill back to Parliament. The NHI Bill was passed by the National Council of Provinces in late 2023, and sent to Ramaphosa to be signed into law. Government has stood firm in its support for the Bill, brushing off warnings that it undermines universal healthcare instead of advancing its progress. However, the Bill has been sharply criticised by doctors, health facility providers, and health insurance companies. Steenhuisen noted that the process that led to the Bill ignored public input and said the Bill itself was riddled with unconstitutional clauses. On December 14, the DA wrote to Ramaphosa imploring him to refer the NHI Bill back to Parliament, making the point that given the flaws in the Bill, it was, in fact, his constitutional duty to refer it back. Last month, the DA received a response from Ramaphosa's Parliamentary Counsellor Gerhard Koornhof. Steenhuisen noted that without even so much as addressing the substance of the party's request, Koornhof simply said: "You are kindly reminded that the DA participated in the Parliamentary process related to this Bill. The Bill was thereafter approved by both Houses, in a Parliamentary process in which the DA participated." Steenhuisen criticised Ramaphosa for seeing fit to send such a "politically-motivated response", which in no way dealt with the issue of the unconstitutionality of the Bill. He said this demonstrated that the ANC was putting the country's health sector at risk purely for political reasons. "Ramaphosa's apparent determination to ram this Bill through apparently to stick it to the DA, would be a violation of his constitutional duty to this country. We, therefore, also welcome the announcement by business leaders that they are considering legal action against Ramaphosa if he persists along this route," he said. ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION Meanwhile, Steenhuisen highlighted that if it came into power, the DA's "jobs-friendly" Budget would redirect priorities from destructive policies, towards job creation. He said for the first time in three decades, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, investors and hard-working South Africans would see a Budget that respected them. "For too long, the ANC has viewed economic growth with suspicion, and the people who create jobs as the enemy. With the DA in government, investor sentiment will soar and our new Budget will kickstart economic growth and job creation," he added. The immediate stimulus of a jobs-friendly new Budget will be followed by the introduction of the DA's Responsible Spending Bill and the Social Impact Bill. The former will introduce a debt rule that limits the amount of debt any government can add to the fiscus. The race-based Black Economic Empowerment will be replaced with "means-tested" empowerment that will benefit the 30-million people who still live in poverty and who...

Nhlanhla Sehume speaks to Sanelisiwe Jantjies, Social Policy Manager from Business Unity South Africa about their call for more clarity on immigration white paper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lester Kiewit speaks to Cas Coovadia, CEO of Business Unity South Africa, about the statement from Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni that the private sector is out to collapse the state.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Clement Manyathela speaks to Khulekani Mathe, Deputy CEO at Business Unity South Africa and Solly Phetoe, Cosatu General Secretary about how the Minister of Finance should approach the mid-term budget and how it will affect the economy and citizens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noluthando Mthonti-Mlambo speaks to the Deputy CEO of Business Unity South Africa, Khulekani Mathe about their expectations as business for the MTBPS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC) will adopt a two-pronged approach to addressing the rail, port and road crises currently undermining growth and job creation in South Africa, whereby several urgent interventions will be pursued in parallel to a reform agenda with longer-term implications, including the opening of rail and port networks to private operators. The Presidency's project management office head Rudi Dicks tells Engineering News that government and business have already agreed to jointly support the workstreams that will be formed under the NLCC, the final terms of reference for which are likely to be signed off later this week. Business has also agreed in principle that a portion of the R100-million Resource Mobilisation Fund, created to finance the injection of private-sector expertise into the National Energy Crisis Committee (Necom), can also be used to support the NLCC. In addition, former Exxaro Resources CEO Mxolisi Mgojo and Toyota South Africa CEO Andrew Kirby will serve as CEO-level representatives on the NLCC, supported at a technical level by Business Unity South Africa deputy chairperson Khulekani Mathe and Integrated Supply Chains executive consultant Ian Bird. Government is still in the process of finalising its representatives, but Dicks reports that key Ministers, including Enoch Godongwana, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Sindisiwe Chikunga and Pravin Gordhan, will participate and will be supported at a technical level by either directors-general or deputy directors-general. Likewise, Transnet will be expected to direct senior executives to participate in the workstreams, as has been the case with Eskom executives within Necom. Operation Vulindlela will play the role of secretariat and several of the transport-related reforms that it is pursuing will be folded into the work of the NLCC. The secretariat will continue to draw in technical support from specialists such as Jan Havenga, Sarah Truen and Jaap van der Merwe. The NLCC will be chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who will meet with the structure every six weeks. Dicks reports that a workstream will be created specifically to address several urgent problems across the logistics sector, with a particular focus on key corridors handling commodities such as coal and iron-ore, as well as containers. Volume recovery targets have not yet been finalised, but these are likely to be central, given Havenga's estimate, as reported by News24, that South Africa's logistics crisis may have lopped as much as 6.68% off of the country's gross domestic product last year. There will also be an intervention to combat ongoing cable theft, as well as serious maintenance and spares backlogs across Transnet's port and rail systems, including the problem of long-standing locomotives that has arisen as a result of a contractual impasse between Transnet and CRRC, of China. In addition, the congestion that has developed along key road corridors, such as the N2, N3 and the N4, as well as at certain land borders will receive dedicated attention, with the NLCC aiming to draw in all the public sector departments and agencies responsible for border management. Particular priority will be given to the extreme delays that have developed at the Lebombo border crossing at Komatipoort, as a result of a combination of increased road haulier volumes to offset the degeneration in the rail service, as well as technical problems at the border itself. The steep decline in Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa volumes will also receive urgent attention, but Dicks says any devolution of responsibility for passenger rail to metropolitan councils is likely to form part of a more medium-term reform process. Workstreams will also be established to address ongoing procurement problems at Transnet, as well as the reforms required to support greater private sector participation across the rail and harbour networks. Dicks insists that government will take the lead in the workstream on priv...

Die president van Business Unity South Africa en ook die kanselier van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat, Bonang Mohale is op Reputation Poll International se lys van die mees gerespekteerde Afrikane vir 2023. Die verkiesings-kriteria het reputasie, invloed en sigbaarheid ingesluit. Mohale is ook 'n skrywer van topverkopers, professor in die regte aan die Johannesburgse Kollege vir Besigheid en Ekonomie en voorsitter van die Bidvest-groep. Mohale sê hy is geëerd om erkenning te kry.

Business Unity South Africa president Bonang Mohale joined Eusebius McKaiser to discuss his recent opinion piece (https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2022-12-15-the-anc-cannot-fix-itself-south-africas-last-hope-is-business/ ) in which he argued the ANC cannot fix itself. Instead, he is of the view business is South Africa's last hope. The discussion starts with an analysis of the ANC's recent elective conference. McKaiser invited Mohale to comment on the new leadership composition of the top seven officials, and the party's highest decision-making structure, the national executive committee. Mohale argued that the inefficient manner in which the elective conference was run, and the strategic error of allocating most of the time to leadership elections rather than to a deep examination of ideas and policies, is evidence of an ANC that is unable to fix itself. He expanded on this diagnosis in the conversation with podcast host, TimesLIVE contributor and analyst McKaiser.

Business Unity South Africa president Bonang Mohale joined Eusebius McKaiser to discuss his recent opinion piece (https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2022-12-15-the-anc-cannot-fix-itself-south-africas-last-hope-is-business/ ) in which he argued the ANC cannot fix itself. Instead, he is of the view business is South Africa's last hope. The discussion starts with an analysis of the ANC's recent elective conference. McKaiser invited Mohale to comment on the new leadership composition of the top seven officials, and the party's highest decision-making structure, the national executive committee. Mohale argued that the inefficient manner in which the elective conference was run, and the strategic error of allocating most of the time to leadership elections rather than to a deep examination of ideas and policies, is evidence of an ANC that is unable to fix itself. He expanded on this diagnosis in the conversation with podcast host, TimesLIVE contributor and analyst McKaiser.

Organised business has called on government to fund adequate and reliable diesel supply for the country's national peaking generators, which it describes as critical to ensuring that Eskom can best manage a stable grid and mitigate a further escalation in loadshedding levels. In a joint business statement on loadshedding, the Energy Council of South Africa, Business Unity South Africa and Business Leadership South Africa said that, while they recognise diesel generation to be a short-term measure, it was nevertheless “an important bridge for the ongoing maintenance work and unplanned outages over the next six months”. In a separate statement the National Treasury indicated that “Eskom did not apply for funding through the budget process and Eskom management should therefore take all necessary steps to ensure they secure the diesel needed to avert severe loadshedding”. However, the National Treasury added that it was acutely aware of the impact that Eskom's diesel shortages may have on already severe levels of loadshedding. “For that reason, the National Treasury will continue with the engagements with the Department of Public Enterprises and Eskom aimed at identifying solutions to this matter.” Eskom confirmed in mid-November that it had depleted its diesel budget for the 2022/23 financial year, which runs until March 31, having spent more than R12-billion between April and November against an initial budget for the year of R6.1-billion. It also warned that the risk of loadshedding would increase in the coming month as it took down Koeberg Unit 1 for extended maintenance of up to 200 days, and as a result of a chimney duct failure at the Kusile power station that would take several months to repair. While Eskom decided to postpone the start of the Koeberg shutdown, which was initially scheduled for December 8, it intends to proceed on December 10, which implies that loadshedding will been increased by a stage every time it is implemented over the coming year, as Unit 2 will enter into extended maintenance soon after Unit 1 is returned to service. Organised business expressed deep concern about the current elevated status of loadshedding, which was not only “hugely detrimental to our economy and all citizens”, but also posed a major safety and security risk to business, infrastructure and household assets. Nevertheless it expressed support for Eskom leadership and staff and called for “calm and well-executed actions”, while encouraging business, labour and civil society to help wherever possible by reducing electricity demand. The statement stands in stark contrast to those made by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who argued that “Eskom, by not attending to loadshedding, is actively agitating for the overthrow of the State”, adding that “loadshedding is becoming worse than State Capture”. Business, meanwhile, encouraged Eskom to take all the necessary steps to mitigate a further deepening of the crisis and said it would continue to support the electricity crisis plan and be proactive in resolving the electricity crisis. “South Africa will end loadshedding through collaboration and working together to achieve a sustainable and reliable electricity system.”

Organised business has called on government to fund adequate and reliable diesel supply for the country's national peaking generators, which it describes as critical to ensuring that Eskom can best manage a stable grid and mitigate a further escalation in loadshedding levels. In a joint business statement on loadshedding, the Energy Council of South Africa, Business Unity South Africa and Business Leadership South Africa said that, while they recognise diesel generation to be a short-term measure, it was nevertheless “an important bridge for the ongoing maintenance work and unplanned outages over the next six months”. In a separate statement the National Treasury indicated that “Eskom did not apply for funding through the budget process and Eskom management should therefore take all necessary steps to ensure they secure the diesel needed to avert severe loadshedding”. However, the National Treasury added that it was acutely aware of the impact that Eskom's diesel shortages may have on already severe levels of loadshedding. “For that reason, the National Treasury will continue with the engagements with the Department of Public Enterprises and Eskom aimed at identifying solutions to this matter.” Eskom confirmed in mid-November that it had depleted its diesel budget for the 2022/23 financial year, which runs until March 31, having spent more than R12-billion between April and November against an initial budget for the year of R6.1-billion. It also warned that the risk of loadshedding would increase in the coming month as it took down Koeberg Unit 1 for extended maintenance of up to 200 days, and as a result of a chimney duct failure at the Kusile power station that would take several months to repair. While Eskom decided to postpone the start of the Koeberg shutdown, which was initially scheduled for December 8, it intends to proceed on December 10, which implies that loadshedding will been increased by a stage every time it is implemented over the coming year, as Unit 2 will enter into extended maintenance soon after Unit 1 is returned to service. Organised business expressed deep concern about the current elevated status of loadshedding, which was not only “hugely detrimental to our economy and all citizens”, but also posed a major safety and security risk to business, infrastructure and household assets. Nevertheless it expressed support for Eskom leadership and staff and called for “calm and well-executed actions”, while encouraging business, labour and civil society to help wherever possible by reducing electricity demand. The statement stands in stark contrast to those made by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who argued that “Eskom, by not attending to loadshedding, is actively agitating for the overthrow of the State”, adding that “loadshedding is becoming worse than State Capture”. Business, meanwhile, encouraged Eskom to take all the necessary steps to mitigate a further deepening of the crisis and said it would continue to support the electricity crisis plan and be proactive in resolving the electricity crisis. “South Africa will end loadshedding through collaboration and working together to achieve a sustainable and reliable electricity system.”

Business Unity South Africa has urged a swift resolution to the uncertainty surrounding the political future of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Business Unity South Africa, BUSA says the country cannot afford further erosion of confidence and instability following the release of the scathing Phala Phala report against President Cyril Ramaphosa. The report compiled by the Section 89 panel states there's prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa may have acted inconsistently with his oath of office. BUSA has called on leaders to be statesmanlike during this time of uncertainty and avoid actions and narrative or rhetoric that is harmful to the country. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Hugo Pienaar, Chief Economist at the Bureau for Economic Research

Hot Topic with Professor Bonang Mohale, President of Business Unity South Africa on economic challenges facing South Africa and solutions to the crisis

Business Unity South Africa sê Eskom se nuwe direksie is 'n mengsel van vaardighede en kundigheid. Die raad van 13 lede bestaan uit ingenieurs, geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters, vakbondverteenwoordigers en kundiges oor energie-beleid en elektrisiteits-lewering. Volgens die uitvoerende hoof van Busa, Cas Coovadia, is die aanstelling van die nuwe direksie 'n belangrike stap in die regte rigting om die beurtkrag-krisis uit te wis.

Several organised business formations have outlined six recommendations in a joint position statement on carbon tax, which they argue will improve the carbon tax proposals in the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill and “avert unintended consequences”. Released by the Energy Council of South Africa, Minerals Council South Africa, Business Leadership South Africa, Business Unity South Africa, the South African Petroleum Industry Association and the Energy Intensive Users Group, the joint statement stresses that organised business is supportive of carbon pricing, including the carbon tax, to help decarbonise the economy and facilitate a just transition. However, the statement argues that the “carbon tax should be implemented at a pace and rate aligned to a developing economy that takes into account the challenges in South Africa including low economic growth, energy security and high unemployment”. The organisations recommend that yearly carbon tax increases be based on the prevailing consumer price index plus two per cent structure until at least 2030, rather than implementing the National Treasury's proposal of increasing the carbon tax rate for the 2023 to 2025 tax periods by a minimum of $1/t carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) and increasing thereafter to $20/tCO2e in 2026 and at least to $30/tCO2e in 2030. During Phase 1 of the implementation period, South Africa's headline carbon tax base rate was set at R120/tCO2e and, in February, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that the first phase would be extended for three years. He also announced that the carbon tax rate had been increased from R134/t to R144/t, and that the carbon tax rate would be progressively increased every year to reach $20/t by 2026 and $30/t in 2030. “We welcome the extension of Phase 1 and recognise the need to increase the rate of the standalone carbon tax to ensure that South Africa remains protected against border tax adjustments and can attract financing to enable the just transition,” the organised business grouping assert. However, they add that the South African economy cannot accommodate the steepness of the carbon tax rate increase in the proposed timeframe currently envisaged. The organised business formations acknowledge that carbon prices are high in other regions, including the European Union and Canada, but stress that these are ameliorated by various allowances, such as free allocations, indirect compensation, subsidies, ringfencing of carbon tax revenues, and funding support for innovation, technology, research and development. “For South Africa, such support measures/incentives are currently lacking, and we propose that these be explored and introduced in support of decarbonisation.” The organisations have, thus, called for the enacted allowances to be retained to 2030 and for other supporting policies and measures to be introduced to encourage decarbonisation and growth of low-carbon sectors. “We are concerned that the 2022 draft Bill does not retain the allowances to mitigate the impact of the rapidly increasing carbon tax proposals. “To date, these allowances have been instrumental in assisting business sectors requiring support, such as the mining, petrochemical, steel, cement, and other hard-to-abate sectors, from detrimental financial impacts. “There is therefore a need for greater policy certainty around the retention of allowances,” the joint statement reads. During the first phase, several tax-free allowances and offsets have been included, which have resulted in a materially lower effective tax rate. In a recent opinion article published on Daily Maverick, Just Share director Robyn Hugo warned that with such extensive allowances, even a much higher tax rate would be ineffective in driving the change required to ensure urgent decarbonisation. The third recommendation contained in the statement is for the implementation timelines to be revised on the basis that “business cannot afford the proposed tax rates and simultaneously m...

State-owned railways utility Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has confirmed that applications were received by the August 31 deadline for the slots being made available for sale to third-party operators on the Container Corridor from Gauteng to Durban and the South Corridor from Gauteng to East London. TFR did not immediately indicate how many bids had been received, however. The sale process for 16 slots across both corridors was initiated on April 1 and a bid submission deadline of May 31 was initially announced. However, following the April floods in KwaZulu-Natal, which severely damaged parts of the rail network, the deadline was postponed to the end of August. TFR did not provide a timeframe for bid evaluation, saying only that the applications would be evaluated over the next few months, with winning bidders to be announced once that process had been concluded. Ahead of the deadline for bids, some concern had been expressed about aspects of the slot-sale framework, including the two-year time limit, which was seen as insufficient for private operators to secure a return on their capital-intensive investments. However, Transnet stressed that slot sales would become an ongoing part of the TFR business model as envisaged in the Draft White Paper on the National Rail Policy and said that further slots would be released in 2023. In addition, Operation Vulindlela has identified third-party access to the freight rail network as a priority reform for supporting higher levels of economic growth. President Cyril Ramaphosa also highlighted the reform in a recent address to the Business Unity South Africa annual general meeting, where he described the return of rail and port operations to full capability as “essential for the recovery and future growth of our economy”. “The Economic Regulation of Transport Bill, once finalised, will provide for open and non-discriminatory third-party access to the rail network and the establishment of a Transport Economic Regulator. “In the interim, proposals are due from private operators for 16 slots made available by Transnet on the Durban-City Deep and Pretoria-East London lines,” Ramaphosa said. Transnet said it anticipated that the learnings drawn from the sale of these slots would provide key insights to the development of reforms set out in the National Rail Policy.

State-owned railways utility Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has confirmed that applications were received by the August 31 deadline for the slots being made available for sale to third-party operators on the Container Corridor from Gauteng to Durban and the South Corridor from Gauteng to East London. TFR did not immediately indicate how many bids had been received, however. The sale process for 16 slots across both corridors was initiated on April 1 and a bid submission deadline of May 31 was initially announced. However, following the April floods in KwaZulu-Natal, which severely damaged parts of the rail network, the deadline was postponed to the end of August. TFR did not provide a timeframe for bid evaluation, saying only that the applications would be evaluated over the next few months, with winning bidders to be announced once that process had been concluded. Ahead of the deadline for bids, some concern had been expressed about aspects of the slot-sale framework, including the two-year time limit, which was seen as insufficient for private operators to secure a return on their capital-intensive investments. However, Transnet stressed that slot sales would become an ongoing part of the TFR business model as envisaged in the Draft White Paper on the National Rail Policy and said that further slots would be released in 2023. In addition, Operation Vulindlela has identified third-party access to the freight rail network as a priority reform for supporting higher levels of economic growth. President Cyril Ramaphosa also highlighted the reform in a recent address to the Business Unity South Africa annual general meeting, where he described the return of rail and port operations to full capability as “essential for the recovery and future growth of our economy”. “The Economic Regulation of Transport Bill, once finalised, will provide for open and non-discriminatory third-party access to the rail network and the establishment of a Transport Economic Regulator. “In the interim, proposals are due from private operators for 16 slots made available by Transnet on the Durban-City Deep and Pretoria-East London lines,” Ramaphosa said. Transnet said it anticipated that the learnings drawn from the sale of these slots would provide key insights to the development of reforms set out in the National Rail Policy.

Business Unity South Africa says its encouraged by and hopeful about the energy plans announced by the President.

With almost half of South Africa's exports at risk as the country's key trade partners prioritise imports from low-carbon economies, a new report urges South Africa to roll-out at least 190 GW of renewables by 2050 to sustain its economic competitiveness and lay the basis for employment creation. Titled ‘It all hinges on Renewables', the report has been published jointly by the National Business Initiative, Business Unity South Africa and the Boston Consulting Group. South Africa, the report states, is the second most carbon-intensive economy globally when compared with other economies with a gross domestic product (GDP) of more than $500-billion. It is also more than twice as carbon-intensive as the G20 average. “This puts almost 50% of exports at risk as key trade partners prioritise imports from low-carbon economies via carbon border tax adjustments and other mechanisms. “Amid stalled GDP growth, unemployment at about 35% and rising inequality, ‘more of the same' will not be enough.” The report, thus, calls for the ramp-up of renewables to be declared a “national priority” so as to unlock the R6-trillion required over the next three decades to decarbonise the economy, R3-trillion of which will be required in the power sector alone. “Capturing the opportunity presented by the green hydrogen economy requires potentially up to 170 GW to 200 GW of additional dedicated renewables capacity. “That means South Africa will need to build about 6 GW to 7 GW of renewables every year for the next three decades for the power system alone. “The annual renewables build rate would further increase if the green hydrogen opportunity is pursued.”

Trade compliance body the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) should be empowered to conduct verification of products and services that have been designated under localisation regulations to ensure that South Africa gains the expected benefits of localisation, international trade consulting practice XA International Trade Advisors head of research Dr Clive Vinti said during a webinar on July 19. Since the development of the initial local procurement accords and regulations in 2011 and more recently in the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, South Africa has identified local procurement as a primary policy to achieve industrial development in the country through the use of designation as one of the levers, he pointed out. In the initial Local Procurement Accords in 2011 and 2012, government committed to consult with businesses and industries on identifying products and services that could potentially be designated. Further, government also committed, as early as 2012, to measure the impact of designation on the relative competitiveness of designated products and its impact on job creation yearly. However, the Industrial Policy Action Plan is clear, and notes that there are no stringent legal or administrative measures to deal with noncompliance with localisation regulations and designations, and government is too uncoordinated, fragmented and institutionally weak to adequately monitor local content, Vinti said. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), in presentations to Parliament, has allocated R22-million for verification processes and the DTIC verified 74% of tenders in terms of localisation value, but only verified 10% of the total number of tenders in terms of localisation regulations. "It is clear there is a huge gap in terms of verification of local content compliance. There have been instances where companies have falsified local content declarations," Vinti said. Additionally, there are administrative justice challenges with current designation processes, as businesses are not aware when a product is being considered for designation, and only a National Treasury secular notice is sent out when a product or service is designated. It is also not clear what information and criteria were used to assess the viability of a product or service, and there are no review reports of the decisions, he noted. These challenges can be overcome by leveraging Itac and its expertise in verification in terms of trade policies and international treaty compliance. "We believe, as designation is significant, there must be a specific set of regulations for local content designation as a trade policy, and it must be administered similarly to other trade policies and regulations, such as anti-dumping measures," Vinti recommended. He said Itac was the most qualified body to administer local content designation and can ensure administrative justice in terms of fairness and lawfulness, as well as rationality by producing investigation reports. It is important to have complete transparency of the process of designating products, as there are cost impacts arising from designation, Vinti noted. A report by capital markets research and consulting firm Intellidex, commissioned by business organisations Business Unity South Africa and Business Leadership South Africa, showed that, if local content regulations were pushed through over the short term without due consideration for their impact, this would push prices of these products up by up to 20%. Comparably, a European Union study on the impact of renewable energy equipment localisation policies in South Africa found that prices in the renewable energy sector could increase by up to 10%, Vinti highlighted. The recent 2017 Preferential Procurement Policy Framework regulations have been challenged in court, but the declaration of invalidity of the regulations has been temporarily suspended. There are draft regulations expected this year, but i...

Cas Coovadia – uitvoerende hoof, Business Unity South Africa

It has been one year since the July riots occurred in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, and investor confidence still has not been restored , especially in KZN. Businesses remain cautious about investing in the province as conditions have remained the same. Business Unity South Africa meanwhile has warned that the country could be hit by more civil unrest. Business Day TV discussed this in detail with BUSA's CEO, Cas Coovadia

Business Unity South Africa doen 'n beroep op die regering om pro-aktief op te tree na betogings deur vragmotorbestuurders. Verkeersopeenhopings is dié week op die N3 by Van Reenenspas ondervind toe bestuurders beswaar gemaak het teen die indiensneming van buitelandse burgers in die sektor. Die hoofbestuurder van BUSA, Cas Coovadia, sê die uitwerking van herhaalde betogings dra by tot die agteruitgang van die ekonomie en kan beleggers afskrik.

The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) is finalising policy that will help to regulate the extent to which foreign nationals can be employed in South Africa, Minister Thulas Nxesi said on Friday. His comments come as trucker drivers this week intensified their national strike against the employment of foreign nationals, blocking the N3 in both directions on Van Reenen's Pass and at the Tugela Plaza, in KwaZulu-Natal, disrupting supply chains and freight logistics between Gauteng and the main port. Similar blockades took place on several national routes last year, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to order an Inter-Ministerial Committee, led by Nxesi, to address the concerns raised by truck drivers and small truck operators. The committee has already held a number of consultations with truck drivers' representatives and small truck operators. Nxesi said government was committed to addressing their issues in a way that ensured the long-term viability of interventions, some of which would require a longer runway, owing to legislative changes. For example, government in February formulated a National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP), which aims to effectively manage the rapid expansion of international migration flows. The department has concluded its consultative process for the NLMP and is in the consolidation phase. "The department intends to complete synthesising the recommendations by the end of June this year, and then present a consolidated document at Nedlac for a formal consultation with social partners,” Nxesi reported. The proposed NLMP aims to address South Africans' expectations regarding access to work opportunities, given worsening unemployment and the perception that foreign nationals are distorting labour market access. The NLMP, together with proposed legislation, will introduce quotas on the total number of documented foreign nationals with work visas that can be employed in major economic sectors. The NLMP goes hand-in-hand with a proposed Employment Services Amendment Bill, which provides a policy framework and the legal basis to regulate the extent to which employers can employ foreign nationals in their establishments while protecting the rights of migrants. Although Nxesi recognised the validity of some of the truck drivers' concerns, he said the “sabotage and staged crime being witnessed should be treated as such”. “What the truck drivers are doing is an affront to the entire South African community and should not be taken lightly,” Nxesi said, adding that it is posing a risk to human lives as well as the economy. Meanwhile, the DEL is also working to clamp down on truck drivers' illegal behaviour and creating the perception that the department is not doing anything to address their concerns. “We will not tolerate lawlessness in the form of road blocking. We urge law enforcement to unleash the full force of the law on those who use illegal means to express their grievances while undermining the rights of others,” Nxesi averred. Business Unity South Africa have stated their concern over national road blockages and disruption to alternative routes between Johannesburg and Durban. The organisation says this is a recurring occurrence and that there are hardly ever consequences for those perpetrating these acts. In the last few days, there have been more than 350 trucks blocked on either direction on the N3, leading to truck drivers being exposed to severe cold, possible violent looting and other aggravated assault, not mentioning they do not have the means to survive for days stranded in a truck in the middle of nowhere, the Road Freight Association (RFA) reports. The association bemoans the trade that will be lost this month over the unrest, highlighting the risk of ports becoming ghost towns and businesses closing down. RFA estimates that more than R300-million worth of damages and negative costs to the economy have already been incurred this month. "Act now, or we will have less of a country left,...

President of Business Unity South Africa & Chancellor of the University of Free State & Chairman of The Bidvest Group Limited Bonang Mohale explains how crucial board members' abilities are in operating an organization and assisting it in becoming more efficient, as well as if the government recognizes the need of having enough board members to assist SOEs as Eskom recover. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The role of gas in South Africa's future energy mix in the context of our Paris and Glasgow commitments to reduce our carbon emissions on a pathway to net zero by 2050 is stirring some heated debate. In response to this imperative, the National Business Initiative, together with Business Unity South Africa and the Boston Consulting Group has worked with corporate leaders to assess whether the pathways exist for the country's economic sectors to decarbonise by 2050. Recently it released its third report in the series, focusing on the role of gas in South Africa's path to net-zero. Academics argue that pursuing gas could lead to stranded assets while critics rebuff that we cannot ignore the economic realities of energy security and ignore potential resource endowments that could bring massive economic benefit if responsibly exploited. As always with these energy debates its complicated and the truth generally resides somewhere between those two poles. ​ Keshlan Mudaly, Principal - Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is one of the reports authors and joins our roundtable along with Craig Morkel, Chair of SAOGA's Gas Economy Leadership Group and CEO of iKapa Energy & Jarredine Morris, Senior Manager at The Carbon Trust

As the country experiences a little bit more freedom with the easing from level three lockdown to level 2, Business Unity South Africa says it has confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa to rescue the country from the deep economic slump it is currently facing. Many role players have expressed the believe that South Africa should return to level 1 to give the economy and especially sectors like the tourism and hospitality sector.

Well-known business leader Bonang Mohale (president of Business Unity South Africa) spoke to me about his open letter to president Cyril Ramaphosa on behalf of business leadership. We engaged on the role of business in tacklingurgent South African problems like youth unemployment, general unemployment and low growth. Mohale also gave a searing take on the state of the ANC, the state of the state, and the leadership of Ramamphosa himself. It was a wide-ranging conversation about how we may yet realise our developmental challenges. It is compulsory listening.

Business Unity South Africa is calling on government to implement a 24-hour curfew in key hotpots around Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, and for the full deployment of army and police to r

Business Unity South Africa has called on government to use the current Disaster Management Act to implement a 24-hour curfew in key hotpots around KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

Theo Vorster - uitvoerende hoof, Galileo Capital; Martin Kingston - adjunk-president, Business Unity South Africa; Bernard Swanepoel - direkteur van die Kleinsake-Instituut; Ina Cronjé - voorsitter, Trade & Investments KwaZulu-Natal en Ben Deysel - eienaar, Highway Junction Vragmotorhalte in Harrismith

Martin Kingston - Vice-President, Business Unity South Africa

Jabu Mabuza's untimely death due to Covid 19 has taken one the country's finest business leaders too soon. Mabuza is a former Board Chair of Telkom and Eskom and CEO of Tsogo Sun. As was the case when he left Tsogo Sun, Mabuza's hurried departure from Eskom opened other opportunities, he was snapped up by media and entertainment giant, MultiChoice, which appointed him the lead independent non-executive director. It was a position he held until his untimely demise this week. He will be remembered for his pathfinder contribution to township and rural economic participation during the apartheid era through his roles in the Southern Africa Black Taxi Association and the Foundation for African Business and Consumer Services (FABCOS). He also championed black economic participation and inclusive growth through his leadership of Business Leadership South Africa and Business Unity South Africa. But he didn't have it easy at Eskom To recall the extraordinary contribution Mabuza made to South African business Michael Avery is joined by Sipho Maseko, CEO of Telkom; Bonang Francis Mohale, Chancellor of the University of the Free State; Busi Mavuso, non-executive director, of Eskom and & Colin Coleman, a senior fellow and lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs

Business Unity South Africa is calling on government to assess pandemic related decisions. This comes after an alcohol industry-sponsored study found no evidence that the three coronavirus-induced alcohol bans were the main reason for decreased trauma admissions. Business Day TV spoke to BUSA CEO Cas Coovadia, for more detail.

Security is tight in and around the Parliamentary Precinct ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address this evening. Ramaphosa will deliver his second state of the Nation Address this year. The Presiding Officers of Parliament Thandi Modise and Amos Masondo say they are ready for the official opening of Parliament *this evening. Modise who is the Speaker of the National Assembly says she believes that this evening's proceeding will go well. Krivani Pillay spoke to Cas Coovadia, President of the Business Unity South Africa

Business is divided over its support for Wednesday's anti-corruption march by Cosatu. Business Leadership SA is the only formation that has fully endorsed the march. Business Unity South Africa and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry say they will not support the strike, but will respect their workers' right to protest. The labour federation says the marches will be directed at corruption in both the public and private sectors. Tshepo Mongoai reports…

Business Unity South Africa's vice president Martin Kingston, economist Dr Chris Malikane and Dr Azar Jammine, director and chief economist at Econometrix discuss the impact the downgrades will have on South Africans...