Category Archives: South Africa News

South Africa News

Digital agency 8909 expands leadership team

Digital agency 8909 has made three significant new appointments to their leadership team. Manisha Jogi has been promoted to  Head of Strategy, Yuvisti Ramgulam has been appointed as Head of Client Service, and Khanya Sijaji has been promoted to  Executive Creative Director.  Jogi will be in charge of translating client marketing strategies into well thought out brand, […]

Indirect tax developments in Sub-Saharan Africa

By Jana Botha, VAT Consultant, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg There have been significant developments in indirect tax within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in the past year. The vast majority of developments have been based around VAT amendments and policies, as well as general budget updates for 2022 across SSA. This article includes key developments from Ghana, Kenya, […]

He who shouts loudest…improving mining outcomes through transforming leadership

By Arjen de Bruin, Managing Director at OIM Consulting The archetype exists for a reason: the mining supervisor, yelling at those he is supposed to lead; entertaining no discussion, questions or other perspectives. It’s his way or the proverbial highway. The leadership style best associated with the mining sector is seen as assertive at best, […]

New Report Shines a Light on Artificial Intelligence in Africa

The State of AI in Africa Report by the AI Media Group South Africa, offers an analysis of the emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) landscape in Africa. It contains multiple statistics and trends while offering insights on key factors and communities driving the ecosystem across the continent.  Report author, and CEO of the AI Media Group, […]

Is your employee communication strategy keeping up with global trends?

Caroline van der Merwe, COO of SmartWage, an innovative HR and communications technology company, says that effective communication is key to a productive workforce, and achieving this in the South African context requires employers to bridge the digital divide. The human need to communicate is as old as time. The first printing press, which introduced […]

Why should you hire a digital marketing agency?

Jacques Du Bruyn, Managing Director, Flume  South African’s adoption of digital tech puts us ahead of many bigger economies. If you look at aspects like the way we bank and how we pay for products and services, we’re way ahead of places in Europe and the USA.  The speed at which we’ve adopted that tech […]

Global Alliance Africa collaborates with Energy Catalyst to introduce South Africa’s local energy ecosystem to opportunities within the UK

Africa’s population is the fastest-growing in the world – putting immense pressure on the development of Africa, especially the high demand for access to energy1. According to the Tracking Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) seven: The Energy Progress Report by the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the UN Department of Economic and Social […]

Inner cities are growth engines attracting young homebuyers

Inner city living is boosting the city residential property market and driving urban rejuvenation Inner cities. Love them or hate them, they play a crucial role in stimulating, supporting and enhancing a country’s economic growth. They are hubs for productivity, and due to the scale, diversity and density of activity, ideas and information flow freely, […]

To create a world class supply chain, the SA logistics industry needs better, faster KYC

Estimates suggest the logistics industry contributes around 10 to 12 percent towards South Africa’s GDP. But in order for the country to command a larger market share for its products on the global stage, supply chains need to be world class to ensure efficient delivery of goods. One way to increase efficiencies is by implementing KYC […]

New report unpacks principles necessary for gig work readiness in South Africa

Data released by Statistics South Africa in Q4 of 2021 showed that 45% of young people aged–34 years were not in employment, education or training. This means more than four in every 10 young males and females were unemployed and not receiving skills training. In 2022, predictions for the South African youth unemployment rate are […]

Smart minds look to smart solutions at Africa’s only dedicated Smart Cities Summit

Big industry players join forces to tackle urban decarbonization challenge   The world’s population is on a fast-track from rural to city living. With around 55% already residing in urban areas, this figure is expected to rise to 70% by mid-century. Cities may be the engines of growth and account for more than 80% of global […]

Northern Cape set to benefit as the ‘New Oil’, Copper, is set for steady climb as world economy pilots to green

Big Tree Copper chief executive Jan Nelson

Cape Town: Big Tree Copper chief executive Jan Nelson expects a steady climb in demand for the red metal over the next three decades. This, as the world has turned its full attention to sustainable energy and a greener economy.   It is likely the beginning of a super cycle. Investment bankers Goldman-Sachs already called copper […]

Putting the brakes on payment fraud at SA’s car dealerships

While every business, irrespective of size, is vulnerable to payment fraud worrying gaps in South African motor dealerships’ payment systems put the entire sector at risk. Ryan Mer, CEO at eftsure Africa,  a Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider, says the most common thread in cases of fraud is the human element which can involve sophisticated […]

Diagnosing the mining death toll: The link between workplace culture and safety

At the end of 2021, it was reported that mine deaths in South Africa had risen for a second consecutive year, increasing by almost 44% from 2020. The sector, which employs more than 450,000 people, had experienced a promising decline in fatalities since 2007 (where its annual figures resided at the 200-person fatality mark) up […]

The Travel Corporation releases its first Impact Report with leading-edge sustainability initiatives (globally, and in SA & Africa)

Creating positive change through climate action, food waste reduction, supporting developing destinations, animal welfare and additional projects Trattoria Terra Madre, featured on select Insight Vacations’ Italian itineraries, is a farm-to-table experience in Alberobello, Italy, advancing sustainable food production. Insight Vacations offers a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience on 94% of itineraries. The Travel Corporation (TTC), one […]

What keeps SA’s top CIOs awake at night post-Covid

South Africa’s top professional CIOs are grappling with enabling new work models and ensuring the wellness of their teams in the post-Covid environment. This emerged during the first IITPSA Pr.CIO® round table – a forum for professional CIOs who hold the Pr.CIO® designation. The CIOs from leading enterprises said rolling out and managing IT infrastructure to enable […]

Construction industry can provide a solid foundation for SA’s unemployed youth

Leading trade show hosts 25 free workshops to drive job creation For years, South Africa’s public and private sectors have talked about transformation as the key to unlocking economic growth and job creation. Yet in Q4 of 2021, national unemployment rose to 35.4%, with youth unemployment remaining at a dangerously high level of 66.5%[1]. Aubrey […]

Using powerful data to shut the door on SA’s biggest property scams

Fraud in the property sector has become alarmingly common in recent years. With substantial sums of money on the line, increasingly sophisticated scams have made easy targets of buyers and sellers, as well as various property practitioners like estate agents and conveyancers. But the tide is starting to turn as up-to-the-minute credible data makes it […]

People-first approach needed in AI era

 Automation, robotics and artificial intelligence can be a force for exceptional business progress, but could also cut jobs, impacting a multitude of workers and their families. Instead of cutting heads, organisations should be empowering employees with technology to become more valuable. This is according to Johan Steyn, technologist, management consultant, Chair of the Institute […]

People-first approach needed in AI era

Automation, robotics and artificial intelligence can be a force for exceptional business progress, but could also cut jobs, impacting a multitude of workers and their families. Instead of cutting heads, organisations should be empowering employees with technology to become more valuable. This is according to Johan Steyn, technologist, management consultant, Chair of the Institute of […]

Counting the real cost of cash in South Africa

Cash is still king in South Africa. But according to Anton van der Merwe, COO of leading pan-African fintech enablement partner, Ukheshe Technologies,  its long reign is increasingly under threat as businesses and consumers begin counting the real, hidden costs behind cash transactions. Whether its via cash, credit card, QR, crypto, or a smartphone wallet, financial transactions […]

The rapid rate of competition law developments across Africa

By Lerisha Naidu, Partner, Angelo Tzarevski, Associate Director, Sphesihle Nxumalo, Associate and Zareenah Rasool, Associate, Competition & Antitrust Practice, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg Baker McKenzie’s latest Africa Competition Report 2022 provides a detailed analysis and overview of recent developments in competition law enforcement and competition policy in 32 African jurisdictions and regional bodies. The Report outlines how, over […]