As we move through the second half of 2026, South African businesses are under increasing pressure to move beyond B-BBEE reporting and scorecards toward genuine, measurable transformation that supports both regulatory requirements and sustainable growth. 2025 was a year of intense discussion around Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE). Key developments included the rollout of the Employment Equity Act with its sectoral targets, ongoing debates about the practical implementation of the Codes of Good Practice, and the introduction of alternative empowerment models. While no wholesale restructuring of the B-BBEE framework was finalised, significant regulatory developments, particularly in Employment Equity, has signalled…
Author: Staff Writer
The Inaugural Fuels Industry Imbizo took place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The event, held under the theme, “Embracing the Future of Energy Mobility,” highlights the industry’s transition toward a diversified energy mix – from conventional fuels to rapidly emerging alternatives. Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, delivered the Keynote address on Day 1, which was followed by the panel discussion, “What the New Energy Vehicle Revolution Means for the Petroleum Sector”. The Electric Mission participated in strategic discussions with industry representatives from Toyota South Africa Motors, Volvo Car South Africa, Chery South Africa, First National…
dmg events and Koelnmesse, the organizer behind Anuga in Cologne, Germany, are bringing Anuga Select to South Africa, a new trade platform for Africa’s food and beverage industry. Evolving from the established Africa Food Show, formerly Africa’s Big 7, the event brings the international network and brand strength of Anuga to one of Africa’s key food and beverage trade hubs. Anuga Select South Africa will take place from 22 to 24 June 2027 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town. The launch follows the record-breaking success of this year’s Africa Food Show, which saw visitor registration double…
For more than 40 years, Norman Motsepe (56) has built a career around helping South Africans look and feel their best. Today, his son, Agobokwe (31), is helping to carry that legacy forward through Essence Hair Care, a family-owned business whose products are stocked in 20 Shoprite supermarkets across Gauteng. Long before Essence Hair Care existed, Norman had already established himself as a respected figure in South Africa’s haircare industry. Since the 1980s, he has worked with leading brands, tested products, owned salons across Pretoria and represented South Africa at the Bronner Brothers Hair Show in Chicago, earning recognition as…
Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs) are the lifeblood of the South African economy, but they are operating in an increasingly hostile digital environment. With cyber-attacks becoming more frequent, sophisticated, and automated, digital security has shifted from a back-office IT concern to a core boardroom priority. Yet, recent global research from IDC, commissioned by Sage, reveals a striking paradox. South African SMBs are poised to lead the world in cyber security investment and proactive vendor oversight, but this momentum is clashing with a stark reality: severe anxiety over emerging artificial intelligence (AI) threats, coupled with critical gaps in day-to-day operational resilience. For South…
In a year of standout South African matriculants, a handful of stories cut through – Ita Collins’s is one of them. The 2025 Head Girl of Roedean School graduated with nine distinctions and will begin her undergraduate degree at Harvard University later this year. Behind that result was a clear strategy: refining an already strong profile, rather than adding to it. “With an applicant like Ita, the work isn’t about doing more – it’s about helping the student see what’s already there,” says Brad Latilla-Campbell, Country Manager at Crimson Education, a global mentorship company that helps students gain admission to…
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) generate, on average, only around half the productivity of large firms. This is a gap equivalent to as much as 5% of GDP in advanced economies and up to 10% in emerging markets, according to OECD and McKinsey research. Despite increasing investment in software, ranging from CRM and ERP systems to accounting and HR platforms, this gap has not closed. In many cases, it is widening. According to analysis from The Productivity Institute, the issue is not a lack of tools, but a structural failure in how businesses are run. “SMEs don’t lack software, they…
JSE-listed Premier Group closed its 2026 financial year with record profits, a landmark acquisition, and a brand-new bakery. Full-year results for the year ended 31 March 2026 reflect earnings growth across every measure: Premier Group CEO Kobus Gertenbach says, “It’s the quality of these earnings that gives us the most confidence. Everything is driven by volume growth and operational efficiency rather than price. This really does speak to the underlying strength of our business model.” The engine behind those numbers remains Millbake, Premier’s bread, maize and flour division, which accounts for 81% of group revenue. A collapse in white maize…
The Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE) has launched eight new qualifications spanning engineering and information technology, marking the institution’s most significant academic expansion to date and reflecting a deliberate commitment to equipping South Africans for careers in two of the country’s most under-skilled sectors. The new qualifications range from Higher Certificate programmes at NQF Level 5 – designed to open the door for first-generation students and career changers – through to Bachelor’s degrees at NQF Level 7 across both engineering and technology disciplines. Together, they create a structured, accessible pathway from entry-level study to professional-grade qualification within a single institution.…
Conversations about money do not often come easily. The topic can seem private and sensitive, and, in many families, it is almost taboo. The problem? By avoiding these discussions, people lose out on essential information and are exposed to the risks of crippling debt, inadequate future savings, and poor budgeting practices. This is why Tina Manyanya, spokesperson at short-term credit provider Wonga, believes it’s time to normalise money conversations and remove the stigma, ensuring South African children are at the heart of this change – cultivating a culture of open, frank, and educational conversations. “Involving younger generations in conversations about…