Category Archives: South Africa News

South Africa News

Has the PE industry failed Sub-Saharan Africa?

View from the Carlton Centre, Africa's tallest building. Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Photo Credit: Adamina (www.flickr.com).

African PE (Private equity) firms raised less than $20bn in the decade to 2018, equivalent to just 2.5 per cent of the capital raised by the world’s emerging markets, according to a Preqin report. Moreover, most of that African capital was invested into the relatively advanced economies of South Africa and North Africa, with very […]

The impact of COVID-19 on finance and investment in Africa

An illustration created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the structure of the coronavirus now named COVID-19. Source: ScienceSource.com

By Morne van der Merwe, Managing Partner, and Wildu du Plessis, Head of Africa, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in mass production shutdowns and supply chain disruptions due to port closures in China, causing global ripple effects across all economic sectors in a rare “twin supply-demand shock”. With South Africa having just […]

Why South Africans Are Setting Up Business in Dubai

Nightscape of the high-rise section of Dubai, Unitd Arab Emirates.

The UAE serves as a key location for investors from South Africa. Whether it’s through Dubai mainland or a Dubai free zone, South Africans continue to reach out to UAE business setup advisors and Dubai business setup consultants for their company setup needs. It is estimated that 60,000 to 80,000 South Africans reside in the Emirates, and many iconic South […]

How fintechs are making Africa a leading global Innovation Hub

Image by i_am_zews

In a continent where over 60% of the adult population is unbanked and the financial sector is considerably underdeveloped, fintech has been a welcomed revolution that is seen to be boosting Africa’s financial infrastructure. With a growing population, an increasing rate of mobile and internet penetration, combined with a substantial need for financial inclusion, Africa […]

Financial Scams – How to avoid becoming a victim

Herman Lombard

South Africa has significantly more financial crime than most other countries. With a rate of 77% compared to a global average of 49%, SA is something of a hotbed for fraud and scams. As consumers and insurance-seekers we need to understand the risks of economic crime and how to avoid becoming a victim, the risks of […]

How Barcodes are Transforming Healthcare:

buy barcodes South Africa

Barcodes have become such a powerful piece of technology that it would be difficult to think of an industry that would not benefit from using them. This sentiment can also be applied to the healthcare industry – where barcodes are used in almost every step of the healthcare process. From the second the patient comes […]

Outlook for Cape Town property landscape – Where to invest

“As we end 2019, and reflect on some of the highlights, it’s heartening to note that banks were lending up to 105% and aggressively competing for business – to this end the sentiment was that this was a bullish move by the banks and likely to have been based on a sense that the market […]

How Black Friday is giving Africa’s economy a lift

It is quite phenomenal how in recent years, both ecommerce players and retailers have used Black Friday to sweep thrifty shoppers off their feet. So much that the shopping event is no longer restricted to a single-day shopping spree but has rather taken over the entire month to become Black November. If you drove around […]

How can barcodes help your small business? The Benefits explored:

When you think of barcodes, the first thing that springs to mind is probably shopping at a big supermarket. I bet you didn’t know that barcodes can actually be an invaluable asset to any business, big or small? This is because, while huge warehouse establishments have successfully implemented barcoding systems for years, it was only […]

Demand for African Talent is Increasing

Strategies to share talent between Africa and France By Kiné Seck Mercier A young woman spends her youth in Nigeria, leaving to attend a university in London. She goes on to work in the United States, Ghana, South America, Kenya and Zambia, finally settling in Paris. In many ways, she is illustrating an increasingly common […]

Introducing 180 Lounger – Cape Town’s Trendiest New Rooftop Venue

Introducing 180 Lounger - Cape Town's Trendiest New Rooftop Venue

 Nestled in an office park in Cape Town’s bustling Bree Street, 180 Lounger is a rooftop venue that is set to change the game when it comes to rooftop events in the Mother City. Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. It has gorgeous views of Table Mountain and the ocean and […]

Hotel Development Industry in Africa

Zanzibar

Introduction           The development of a country partly depends on the expansion of their hotel and tourism industry. Africa is facing a tough time economically and they are trying their best to fight back this economic crisis. They focus on the hotel management sector and try to develop this industry. A hotel is not only […]

How Industry 4.0 tools can aid property development

Greater Cape Town. January 2007. Photo Credit: Andrew Massyn

The property sector has a great knack for changing with the times. When the internet boomed almost twenty years ago, property development companies quickly integrated it into their services.  We have evolved and are thriving in this digital space. Auctioneering, in particular, has seen vast changes online, from merely posting properties up for auction to […]

How To Get Started Importing Goods Into South Africa

Map of South Africa, with provinces, neighbouring countries and oceans labelled in English. Author: Htonl. Source: Wikipedia.

Many business owners across the world want to import goods into South Africa. Unfortunately, many of these business owners are discouraged by South Africa’s complex import process, rules and regulations. For this reason, new-to-market importers like yourself refrain from bringing goods into South Africa. In turn, you miss out on profitable business opportunities. If you […]

The impact of Brexit on South Africa and Africa

View from the Carlton Centre, Africa's tallest building. Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Photo Credit: Adamina (www.flickr.com).

By Morne van der Merwe, Managing Partner and Head of the Corporate/M&A Practice,  Baker McKenzie Johannesburg  Countries in Africa are preparing for the reality that a hard Brexit could lead to increased risk aversion and reduced investor appetite for trade in the region. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), said recently that […]

Innovative funding models in EduTech help to eliminate skills shortages

According to the latest figures released by Stats SA, South Africa’s unemployment rate jumped to a staggering 29% in the last quarter – the worst it’s been since 2008. The unemployment rate for the youth in particular is one of the highest in the world – currently sitting at 56.4%. With all eyes on government […]

Fueling the future of oil and gas infrastructure

An aerial view of Cape Town in the Western Cape.

Stephan Burger, Vice President MOGS Oil & Gas Services  In this Op-Ed piece MOGS Vice President Stephan Burger speaks to the theme of Africa Oil and Power – the continent’s premier platform for energy investment. AOP’s theme #MakeEnergyWork  will showcase the energy sector as a key driver of economic growth, jobs and opportunity for Africa’s […]

Prioritise MRO strategy to manage costs for your company

By Brian Andrew, Managing Director South and Sub-Saharan Africa at RS Components It does not matter if times are good or bad – waste is never welcome at any proactive business. Business is primarily driven by profit and efficiency, and waste is an attack on both. But many businesses, particularly among manufacturers, overlook a major […]

Funding Africa’s Infrastructure Gap

Key to enabling African economies to make the most of their opportunities is developing infrastructure in the region. Across the continent, new laws are being implemented and alternative sources of infrastructure funding are being sought in order to kick-start direly needed infrastructure projects. At the centre of it all is China, which is providing alternative […]

Seven Things to Consider When Transacting in Africa

By Morne van der Merwe, Managing Partner, and Wildu du Plessis, Head of Africa at global law firm Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg  Ahead of the Baker McKenzie African Transactional Summit taking place in Johannesburg in May 2019, Baker McKenzie lawyers based in Africa, alongside the Firm’s global Africa specialists, as well as lawyers from our […]

A Thorough Assessment of Johannesburg – The City of gold

View from the Carlton Centre, Africa's tallest building. Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Photo Credit: Adamina (www.flickr.com).

Located in the second largest continent Africa, Johannesburg is the largest city of South Africa. It is the most populous city of South Africa as well. It is known as the city of gold, the modern day El Dorado. Popularly known as the home town of great leaders and activists like Nelson Mandela and Desmond […]

Investments into the South African hospitality sector

African Business News

JLL has released its 2019 SA Hotel Investment Outlook report forecasting that R1.9 billion will be invested into new hotels, and around R6.9 billion in total over the next three years. This translates into 3,900 new rooms across South Africa. The report highlights that there has been a clear shift in the way that capital […]