Viewpoint

The Financial Intelligence Centre’s attempt to impose retrospective penalties for a period extending fully five years prior to the existence of any lawful authority is not merely misguided, it is a brazen affront to the rule of law.

Businesses are expanding across borders. New trade corridors are emerging. Regional ambition also remains strong. However, liquidity, payment and execution challenges continue to shape the reality of doing business across Africa. Six months into 2026, African trade is growing, but it appears to be telling two stories at once.

For many South Africans, interacting with the government still involves repeating the same process over and over again. Whether citizens apply for an ID, access healthcare, navigate the justice system, or engage with social services, they often resubmit the same information. They also move between disconnected processes. Records do not always align. Each interaction can feel separate from the last.

The Middle East conflict continues to destabilise an already volatile global economy. It is driving energy price shocks, inflationary pressure and heightened uncertainty for developing economies, particularly those exposed to energy and currency volatility. In South Africa, economic shockwaves continue to drive up fuel prices, strain energy systems and push the cost of living beyond reach.

South Africa’s migration anger may be less about borders than personal debt, rising costs and a shared household finance crisis. Every Africa Month, South Africa marks the African Union’s 63-year-old dream of shared sovereignty, shared prosperity and a borderless continent built together. Africa Day fell on 25 May. The flags went up. The speeches were made.

Trust is the foundation of every relationship, whether in business, sport, friendship, or marriage. Once broken, can it ever truly be restored? Or must we create something entirely new?

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, one of the most revolutionary ideas in human history emerged - the corporation. Today, the concept seems entirely ordinary. Companies own assets, enter into contracts, raise capital, employ people, and continue operating long after their founders have passed away.

Across Africa’s food and feed processing sectors, sustainability is increasingly moving to the centre of operational decision-making. Importantly, this shift is not being driven by environmental commitments alone. Instead, many businesses are driving it through more immediate priorities. These priorities include operational efficiency, profitability, resilience and long-term competitiveness.

The global shift toward clean energy, electric mobility and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world’s economic priorities. At the centre of this transition are critical minerals, including copper, lithium, cobalt, manganese, rare-earth elements, and platinum group metals. Without them, solar panels do not function, batteries do not store power, and data centres cannot scale. The green economy is, quite literally, built on rock.

Experts at the World Health Organisation (WHO) have long argued that another pandemic remains an epidemiological certainty. However, the global systems designed to protect populations still raise serious concerns. This reality has become increasingly urgent. It is both perplexing and inspiring that in 2026, we continue to address fundamental questions concerning the effective delivery of healthcare services to various populations.