Tag: infrastructure

Mining, until now, has been the sector in South Africa where social and labour plans are a legal requirement. These plans are designed to ensure that while companies take value out of the ground, as is the case for miners, they also leave something of value behind.

On 6 August 2025, the cabinet approved the National Water Amendment Act to be tabled at Parliament. This will mark the third amendment to the National Water Act, 1998. The first amendment was in 1999, and the second in 2014. Across South Africa, the government is keenly aware of the issues facing the water sector and is taking decisive action.

For much of the last century, investment success depended on foresight. Investors believed they could anticipate market cycles, economic turning points and policy changes to stay ahead. But that paradigm is shifting. Today, markets no longer respond only to fundamentals such as interest rates or corporate earnings. Instead, fast-moving, unpredictable forces now dominate.

Southern Africa’s Private Equity (PE) industry remains cautiously optimistic. The outlook is underpinned by deal-making momentum, resilient portfolio performance and a shift toward more diversified investment strategies. These evolving dynamics were unpacked at our recent PE Connect event. Industry leaders explored the key drivers and pressures shaping Southern Africa’s private equity market.

Companies are struggling to take the first step into Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, there is a way around the overwhelm. AI has become the corporate obsession of 2025. From the explosion of ChatGPT to the everyday integration of tools like Microsoft Copilot, companies echo with conversations.

There has been a noticeable shift in global trade. While it might feel distant, it is already knocking on South Africa’s door. Tariffs are climbing again, fast and hard. Our research shows that the average US tariff rate has risen from around 2.4 percent at the end of 2024 to 29 percent today. That is the highest level in over a century.

The numbers tell a sobering story. South Africa welcomed 5.85 million international tourists from January to July 2025. This marks a 14% increase over 2024. Yet, we remain frustratingly close and still far from our pre-pandemic peak. We are just 33,000 visitors short of 2019 levels, a mere 1%.

Will your business still be alive in 10 years? Many will not. The pace of change is leaving even Moore’s Law behind. Nvidia’s AI hardware supremo, Jensen Huang, recently claimed that AI capability has increased a million-fold in the last decade. He also suggested this growth may continue at the same pace. To say established businesses face disruption would be an understatement

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.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept waiting on the horizon. It is here. And it is moving fast. For South Africa, a country facing structural challenges but rich in ingenuity and potential, AI brings both monumental opportunities and real risks. The question is no longer whether we will participate in this new world of AI. The real question is how.