Tag: procurement

Collaboration between government and business is vital to realising economic growth. Government should set up a conducive environment for businesses to operate while businesses ensure that they help grow the economy and employ citizens. This partnership must ensure that socio-economic goals are also met for the benefit of citizens.

As the hype around artificial intelligence (AI), and more particularly, Generative AI, continues to grow, manufacturers must assess the benefits of adopting this cutting-edge technology into their platforms and processes. Similar to the innovation in cloud technology, the closer AI is to a business’s processes, the more transformative it will be.

Global tourism has begun surpassing its pre-COVID-19 peak. South Africa remains a popular tourist destination with the hospitality sector contributing significantly to its gross domestic product (GDP). Competition in the hospitality industry is intensifying, making the marginal and not-so-marginal gains offered by artificial intelligence (AI) a vital consideration for any hospitality operator.

South African policymakers learn all the wrong lessons from other countries. Rather than look to the free and prosperous societies of the United States and Europe, politicians and pundits would rather push us to imitate Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba and Zimbabwe. And even when policymakers identify genuinely good role models, they take the wrong lessons.

Maintaining exceptional health and safety (H&S) standards is integral to the ongoing success of any project in the mining, construction, and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) industries. However, the time and expenses involved can be discouraging, leading to less effective outcomes.

For any business involved in local or global trade, a robust supply chain is key to sustainable success. The simple reality is that trade disruptions come in many forms, from natural disasters and geopolitical crises, to trade conflicts and even pandemics; and in all these scenarios, a strong supply chain is required to keep a business running, avoid losses, and retain its edge over the competition.

South Africa is continuously suffering from the effects of corruption and drainage of resources, some of which were highlighted in the state capture saga. Optimistically, significant changes have occurred in the public and private spheres to ensure that the industrial-scale corruption perpetrated does not continue to repeat itself. One such change is the recent signing of the Judicial Matters Amendment Bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 3 April 2024.

As South Africa’s energy sector continues to evolve, understanding the changes in regulations, contracts, and market dynamics is crucial. The restructuring of South Africa’s regulatory framework, especially within the energy sector is critical given the present crisis the country is in. Unbundling, where different parts of the energy sector are separated, amounts to far more than just paperwork.

While the President has signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) into law, the bean counters at National Treasury have yet to start looking for their excel sheets needed to ensure the NHI is fully costed. The first reason is due to the confusion of objective versus political ideology. The NHI has been touted as introducing “universal healthcare coverage” (UHC).

The time has come for South African telecommunication companies to face greater scrutiny. With data prices higher in South Africa than in many other African states, these companies should be more accountable to their customers. Yet this is not happening.