Finance & Equity

Holding onto spreadsheets and resisting digital transformation creates a barrier to growth. Businesses in every sector share one critical trait - their finance teams sit at the heart of the organisation. However, despite rapid global evolution and increasingly dynamic industries, most finance teams still rely on manual processes and spreadsheet-driven decision-making.

For Mzansi’s small businesses, Heritage Month arrives at a pivotal moment. It marks the start of the year’s busiest trading season. The weeks ahead often determine not just whether a business survives. They also determine if it can seize new growth opportunities.

Tax evasion goes far beyond legal tax avoidance. It is the practice of illegally hiding income or profits to avoid paying tax, costing countries over $500 billion a year. In many cases, tax crime and hidden owners depend on opaque ownership structures that conceal who really owns assets, where transactions are flowing, and other patterns of criminal behaviour.

Every year during National Wills Week, thousands of South Africans take advantage of the opportunity to have a basic will drafted for free. Yet many still put it off, assuming they will “get to it one day”. The truth is clear. Dying without a will can leave your loved ones facing unnecessary stress, delays and financial hardship if something happens to you.

Thousands of South Africans who have traded or invested in crypto assets may soon face severe penalties. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has started issuing letters to individuals suspected of undeclared crypto gains. Experts warn that those who fail to act now risk not only hefty fines but also potential criminal prosecution.

With the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’s review imminent, the country faces more than the risk of remaining greylisted. Outdated and costly international money transfers undermine competitiveness, increase trade risks and deter investment. A month remains before the FATF’s follow-up site visit. This visit will decide whether the country is ready to be taken off the dreaded FATF greylist.

Africa's agricultural future requires bold climate-mitigation practices across the value chain. This vision is best realised with the strategic backing of strong financial partners who are committed to supporting Africa's agricultural transformation.

In meeting its policy commitments and addressing regulatory challenges posed by the rising prominence of non-bank payment operations, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) published two draft documents in the first quarter of 2025. In their policy document, colloquially referred to as Vision 2025, the SARB presents its vision for modernising South Africa’s National Payment System (NPS).

The soon-to-be-enacted Conduct of Financial Institutions (COFI) Bill is the next step in South Africa’s outcomes-based, principles-led market conduct regulation. Once effective, the Act will consolidate conduct-related provisions from multiple financial services sector laws into a single framework.

Consumers in shops all around the country expect payments to work as they should every time. They demand instant transactions, often blissfully unaware of the complexity that lies beneath. That is the job of a good payments service provider. A good payment provider keeps the technical complexity invisible while delivering service inside the 130-millisecond benchmark.