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LOAD SHEDDING: 9 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY

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South Africans to take necessary precautions in protecting their property

South Africa, 08 March 2022: South Africa’s power utility Eskom has announced Stage 2 shedding until 05:00 on Wednesday, 9 March. This is due to various units that have tripped in Matla, Kendal, Matimba, Kusile and Grootvlei, while a unit each at Arnot, and Hendrina power stations was forced to shut down.

This, in addition to other units that had tripped during the weekend, reduced available generation capacity, forcing Eskom to rely heavily on emergency generation reserves to keep the lights on.

Marius Steyn, Personal Lines Underwriting Manager, says South Africans need to mitigate the damages caused by load shedding by being prepared before the power goes off.

“The reality is, load shedding has an immense impact on consumers and businesses alike – who must cope with the damage to appliances brought on by power surges or risk loss through theft, burglary as a result of faulty security systems,” said Steyn.

Steyn cautions consumers and provides things to consider mitigating risks that may be caused by power cuts:

  1. Ensure that your alarm system is in working condition and the backup battery is fully functional to provide power to the system in the event of load shedding.
  2. Spare torch or headlamp: Keep a torch in your car, if you arrive home at night during a power outage. Most smartphones also have built-in torch or torch apps which come in handy during unexpected power outages.
  3. Emergency contact information: Save emergency contact information on your phone but also keep a paper copy safe and accessible. This should include the emergency services such as the fire department, police, and medical services. Also include contact information of friends and family along with insurance information.  
  4. Charge your cell phone, laptop, and tablet: Ensure your cellphone, laptop, and tablet devices are fully charged ahead of scheduled blackouts. Be sure to charge them again as soon as possible after the power returns. It’s also a good idea to have an emergency phone charger (like a power bank) close by, this comes in handy during extended power outages. Staying connected internet is a great way to keep in touch with what’s happening as well as for regular updates, remember to use devices sparingly during outages so that you don’t drain the battery completely before the power returns.
  5. Gas for cooking and lighting: Get a small LP gas bottle and lamp. It gives good quality lighting for a large area and can also be used for cooking and boiling water. It’s a good idea to keep hot water in a thermal flask so that you can make hot drinks, also consider preparing meals beforehand if you know when there’s going to be a scheduled blackout.
  6. Keep bottled water: Keeping emergency water stored is easy when frozen. This frozen bottled water will help keep food cold during a power outage and will also not spoil.
  7. Unplug your cables: Consider any electrical connection as live during a power outage as power can return at any time. Unplug any electronic devices or equipment or switch it off at the wall, including telephone cables. This is due to the surges in power that may occur when electricity is restored.
  8. Make use of surge protection: Electric surges are one of the biggest causes of damage to equipment during a power outage. Installing a surge protection device can help minimise some damage in unforeseen situations. Have a surge protection device fitted to your electrical distribution board or at the power outlet to the electronic device.
  9. Back up your data: It is always important to back up data, make it a priority to save your data offsite, in case of a hard drive crash or unforeseen electrical fault. Online “cloud-based” backups are very convenient and are mostly automated, which means that you have one less thing to worry about.

“Santam remains ready to assist policyholders with any claims resulting from power cuts. The household policy provides limited cover for power surges that could be associated with power cuts with the option to increase the cover for power surges at an additional premium. For example, if the insured amount for power surge is increased the policyholder could have peace of mind that unforeseen power surge damage to appliances, due to the restoration of power after a power cut, would be covered,” says Steyn.

Santam provides cover to:

·         Protect electrical fixed machinery from power surges by increasing the limited cover provided. By taking out additional power surge cover under your building insurance, this will provide more peace of mind that electrical fixed machinery, used for domestic purposes, such as swimming pools, Jacuzzis, boreholes, sprinkler irrigation systems, and electric gates, will be covered in the event of power surge damage.

·         Cover the contents of fridges and freezers if there is accidental spoilage due to a change in temperature if the power cut exceeds 24 hours.

“To prevent unforeseen damage and losses, we urge households to revisit their insurance cover and obtain advice from their brokers to take into account different circumstances and risk situations which may arise as a result of power cuts,” Steyn concludes.

Small Business South Africa. A Plea to Big Business and Government

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“Getting Big Business South Africa and Government to pay their small business suppliers on time is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses and when the problem persists too long, it can ultimately shut down a small business. More than ever before, now is the time to ensure that all your small business suppliers are paid quickly. We are urging Big Business South Africa and Government to release these all important payments now”, That’s the urgent plea from Mike Anderson: NSBC Founder & CEO.


COVID-19 and the economic downturn has and will continue to have a devastating  impact on small businesses throughout South Africa. Small businesses need to pay their workers, their rent, suppliers and other key operating expenses, and survive as a family. What they don’t need right now, or at any time in fact, is that additional burden of not receiving payment on outstanding invoices. We have limited control over how long the pandemic will disrupt our nation, but we are in control how quickly we can pay our small business suppliers , says Anderson.


For any business, the amount of money flowing in or out is critical to its success. When money is tight, paying basic bills can get challenging. But when cash is plentiful, a business can invest in its future by expanding, buying new equipment, hiring key staff or retaining key staff by rewarding them further.  


Anderson continues, through the Prompt Payment Code, a National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) initiative, the NSBC is challenging the way small businesses are being paid. We are championing the importance of big business and Government paying small business suppliers within 30 days or much quicker. It’s a highly recognised process where Business South Africa and Government openly commit to paying small businesses on time.


The findings of the recent COVID-19 National Small Business Survey clearly indicates that late payments are at an all-time high as small businesses are waiting too long to get paid. The average amount owed to each small business is now at its highest level. Big Business and Government are mainly to blame for small businesses waiting for payment. More than half of all small businesses in South Africa are burdened with late payments. The result is that small businesses are going out of business due to late payments.


Intentional late or non-payment is totally unacceptable, says Anderson, as in most cases when a small business goes out of business a family goes out of business. Procurement policies urgently need to be changed to accommodate for early payments. Late payments to small businesses coupled with the current crisis and the economic downturn spells out disaster for many small businesses, the mainstay of our economy, the very engine of our society and the future of job creation.


We see small businesses going out of business every day, in many cases due to cash flow as a result of late or non-payment. Prompt payment is vital to the cash flow of every business, and especially to smaller businesses. The Prompt Payment Code is about encouraging and promoting best practice between government, larger organisations and their small business suppliers.


“We all have a collective responsibility to do whatever we can to keep small businesses in business and their workers employed. By paying small businesses quickly, this is the most meaningful step in the right direction


Media contact:
Twané Gouws
Email: twane@nsbc.africa
Website: www.nsbc.africa
Cell:  084 603 1763

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Government leaders throw weight behind Durban ICC Leadership

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Leaders in government have lauded the Durban International Convention Centre’s efforts aimed at empowering leaders through hosting the landmark Durban ICC Leadership Summit taking place on 19 September 2019, featuring accomplished business leader and internationally acclaimed speaker Bishop TD Jakes.

The Leadership Summit is a platform where thought leaders will engage in a strategic dialogue about pressing leadership issues in South Africa. 

Bishop TD Jakes is the Keynote Speaker for the Summit and will also be imparting his business knowledge during a Masterclass session themed: “Principles to succeed in business”, in which he will discuss developing business leaders, entrepreneurship, developing successful businesses and building sustainable enterprises.

Leader of Government Business, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who is also the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal has pledged her support for this event, which promises to be a thought-provoking Summit.

Other prominent speakers who will be engaging on various topics include Bishop Vusi Dube, Apostle Collins Dhlomo, Vivian Reddy, Pastor Phil Dooley, Dr Basil Tryon, Ms Zanele Mbokazi, Bishop Mosa Sono, Ms Nomusa Dhlomo and Dr Allen Joseph.

During the Summit Speakers will be discussing topics such as ethical leadership, transgenerational leadership, women in leadership, progressive leadership, and leading in difficult times.

Dube-Ncube who is passionate about women empowerment said she has always held the view that the economic well-being of a society cannot be achieved if women are massively underprivileged, particularly in the employment sector, compared to their male counterparts. 

She also believes that an economy cannot remain healthy without utilising the contributions and skills of women in different economic activities whether it’s education, health, engineering, construction, information technology, maritime, mining or automotive industry.
 
“It is for these reasons as the provincial government we are championing women empowerment programmes. The governing party in this province, has made significant progress in political representation of women in decision making, particularly at the provincial and local tier of government,” she said.

Dube-Ncube said there are different sectors of the economy that government has identified to drive radical economic transformation for the benefit of women across the province.  These sectors include manufacturing, tourism, automotive, mining, maritime as well as clothing and textile.

“We are serious about empowering women to get into these sectors of the economy. We commit to work with all government departments and municipalities to make it possible for women. The key issues that we need to discuss include how to speed up economic empowerment and skills development initiatives for women especially those in rural areas,” Dube-Ncube added.

EThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said he was pleased that EThekwini will host this Leadership Summit which will be instrumental in building both our business and community leaders in general to be better leaders. 

“This Summit could not have come at a better time when the country is repositioning itself to grow our economy. I have no doubt that the knowledge that will be imparted in this Summit by internationally acclaimed speaker and businessman Bishop TD Jakes will assist in addressing some of the challenges facing our country such as unemployment, poverty and inequality,” said Kaunda.

The one-day Summit will take place from 9am to 4pm. Tickets for the event are available through Computicket and package prices range from R500 to R5900 per person, and R6900 for the Masterclass ticket.

For more information about the Durban ICC Leadership Summit visit https://icc.co.za/event/durban-icc-leadership-summit-2019/<Image: It’ s all systems go for the inaugural Durban ICC Leadership Summit featuring Bishop TD Jakes including a host of other prominent leaders. This Summit taking place on 19 September 2019 promises to be a powerful interaction between pastors and business leaders.>


Issued by: The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC)
For more information contact: Durban ICC Corporate Affairs Manager
Gugu Sisilana, Tel: 031 360 1302 or Email: GuguSisilana@icc.co.za
 

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MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS PUBLISHES AMENDMENTS TO THE FINANCIAL PROVISIONING

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MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS PUBLISHES   AMENDMENTS TO THE FINANCIAL PROVISIONING REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO MINING IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

21 MAY 2019 

The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane, has published further amendments to the Financial Provisioning Regulations for the rehabilitation and remediation of environmental damage caused by the prospecting, exploration, mining or production operations in Government Gazette No. 42464 (Notice 667) for public comment.

The amendment regulations have been published in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998).

The “One Environmental System” for mining came into existence in December 2014 initiating the streamlining of the licensing processes for mining, environmental authorisations and water use. The system  represents Government’s commitment to improve the ease of doing business and further enhance South Africa’s global competitiveness as a mining investment jurisdiction.

Under the One Environmental System, The Minister of Mineral Resources issues environmental authorisations and waste management licences in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA), and the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008), respectively, for mining and related activities. The Minister of Environmental Affairs will be the appeal authority for these authorisations.

In November 2015, in line with the “One Environmental System”, under which all environmental matters pertaining to mining are to be regulated in terms of the environmental legislation, the Financial Provisioning Regulations were published in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).

These purpose of these Regulations are to make  financial provision for costs associated with the remediation and rehabilitation of environmental impacts associated with mining activities. As a result of continued discussion with stakeholders, the Minister published proposed amendments to the Regulations on 10 November 2017, for public comment.

As part of the “One Environmental System”, the requirements for financial provisioning for rehabilitation in the mining sector were transferred from the MPRDA to NEMA through the Financial Provisioning Regulations, as of November 2015. These regulations, which are implemented by the Minister of Mineral Resources, regulate the manner in which holders and applicants of various types of mining rights and permits must provide for and execute rehabilitation of the environmental impacts from mining activities. 

In consultation with the Department of Mineral Resources, the South African Revenue Services, National Treasury and the Department of Water and Sanitation, several proposed amendments were made to the regulations in November 2017 and gazetted for public comment. Based on the comments and inputs received from various sectors, further amendments have been proposed and have been gazetted by the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane.

Some of the more significant proposed changes being considered are:

·         the introduction of a specific obligation of the holder to rehabilitate and remediate environmental damage;

·         the identification of circumstances under which the Minister of Mineral Resources, may access the financial provision of a holder;

·         clarification that the financial provisioning does not include funding for an incident;

·         the requirement for the funds set aside for residual and latent impacts to be ceded to the Minister upon the issuing of a closure certificate;

·         the strengthening of the provisions for the holder to disclose information;

·         the ability for a holder to claim against their financial provision 10 years or less before closure in order to facilitate closure under strict conditions;

·         the offences have been broadened; and

·         the content of the various plans for the calculation of financial provisioning have been amended to provide more clarity and to align with the calculation of the financial provision.

The concept of ‘sustainable end state’ has also been introduced in the draft amendment to allow mines to practically reach a point where a closure certificate can be issued and the methodologies for calculating the financial provision have been simplified and the timeframe for setting aside the financial provision has been amended.

These proposed amendments have been effected to provide more clarity to the sector, to confirm that funds set aside for financial provisioning are for use by the Minister of Mineral Resources, should a holder not fulfil their rehabilitation commitments, and to facilitate the actual closure of mining operations.

Interested and affected parties are invited to submit, within 45 days of the publication of the Gazette, written representations or objections to the following address:

By post to:         Department of Environmental Affairs

                        Director-General

                        Attention: Ms Dee Fischer

                        Private Bag X447

                        Pretoria

                        0001

By hand at:       Reception, Environment House, 473 Steve Biko Road, Arcadia, Pretoria

By email:           Dfischer@environment.gov.za

Any inquiries in connection with the notice can be directed to Ms Dee Fischer at 012 399 8843.

Comments received after the closing date will not be considered.

To access the government gazette, click on: 

https://www.environment.gov.za/sites/default/files/gazetted_notices/nema107of1998_proposedregulations_financialprovision.pdf

For media inquiries contact Albi Modise on 083 490 2871

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No experience for entry-level jobs is a game changer

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Thursday, February 28, 2019

From 1 April, job experience will no longer be a pre-requisite for those applying for entry-level jobs in the public service.

Deputy President David Mabuza said this when answering oral questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa made a call during his State of the Nation Address that experience will no longer be a prerequisite when applying for an entry-level job under the public employment programmes, in order to address the youth unemployment crisis.

“As for implementation of this pronouncement, the Minister for Public Service and Administration has issued a Directive to all government departments on its implementation, and the commencement date is the 1st April 2019. 

“In terms of this Directive, all the Departments are required to introduce a graduate recruitment scheme, and to identify graded posts based on the need identified in the departmental Human Resource Plan, and other service delivery improvement initiatives. 

“The Department of Public Service and Administration will soon be undertaking roadshows to further engage with national and provincial government departments on the implementation of this change,” he said.

In his State of the Nation Address, the President said government has decided that the requirement for work experience at entry-level in state institutions will be done away with.

In saying this, the President said young people needed to be given a real head start in the world of work and that they should not face barriers and hindrances as they seek to find work.

Addressing the National Assembly on Wednesday, Mabuza said the decision to remove the experience requirement is a game changer and will see a decrease in the high unemployment of suitably qualified young people.

“We have seen in the private sector other similar initiatives that also afford our unemployed youth an opportunity of a first time job, and we call upon all our partners in the private sector to embrace this change,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Programmes to prepare youth for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

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Thursday, February 28, 2019

Deputy President David Mabuza says government is implementing programmes in a way that ensures that the country is prepared and does not lag behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

Mabuza said this when he fielded oral questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday. 

“…Government is alive to the changing environment and has committed to ensuring that key programmes are implemented to align our training and development with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

“We cannot afford to lag behind emerging global developments and that is why we must engage in a process of continuous innovation, research, skilling our people, in particular the youth, in order to meet the demands of today’s knowledge-based economy,” he said.           

ANC MP Cornelia September had asked Mabuza to unpack government programmes that are targeted towards youth and women with a view to addressing unemployment and how the programmes would prepare them for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

Mabuza said in everything government does, there is an understanding and clarity that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is “not a destination, but a reality of the moment”. 

He said the pace of change over the last few years has largely been shaped by technological disruption and innovation. 

“Already, there are sectors that are now supplemented by robotics and other artificial intelligence inventions. 

“Simply put, there are jobs that were previously considered as vocational but are now becoming technology-intense and require specialised knowledge and skills. We therefore have to keep up with these developments.”

Mabuza said it is precisely for this reason that the process is currently underway to appoint individuals to the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as announced by the President in the State of the Nation Address in 2018. 

The commission will coordinate the development of South Africa’s national response through a comprehensive action plan to deal with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“As government, we recognise the need to make smart investments in research and development that support our industrialisation plan, including manufacturing, that will lead to the creation of more jobs,” Mabuza said.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is investing in a range of outreach interventions that enhance the capacity of young people and women to create employment opportunities for themselves and for others. 

The department also supports a number of accelerated training programmes in areas where there are dire skills shortages. This includes, for example, programmes providing training in data science and analytics.

“It also includes the mLab initiative that provides mobile application development support to youth-based enterprises. Through this programme, the DST is providing opportunities for more young people and women to interact with the technologies that will shape our future.

“Other initiatives include a network of Industrial Development Centres and technology stations where a large number of the beneficiaries are women and young people,” Mabuza said.

Getting youth and women on board 

Through the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, government is forging partnerships with key industry players in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) space to implement programmes that prepare youth for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

These programmes include the training of young people in various disciplines related to the 4th Industrial Revolution such as coding, data analytics and Blockchain.

“Our partnership with Google has, since 2017, benefitted 131 980 youth, 58% of whom are female.

“Through the South Africa Network Academy Programme, CISCO has, to date, trained 10 590 young people and has set a target of 15 000 in 2019.

“Over the past two years, the Huawei Seeds of the Future Program continues to expose students to advanced ICT knowledge,” the Deputy President said. 

In addition to this, Microsoft is involved in a new partnership programme in South Africa, targeting the training of a million youth by 2023.
    
“Young people will be the major beneficiaries of these training programmes. Government is also working on an enabling environment for e-commerce, which will go a long way towards enabling SMMEs to provide services and transact online,” Mabuza said.

Through its ICT Women Empowerment Programme, government has so far trained 450 women on digital skills to empower them with necessary skills required to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. – SAnews.gov.za

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SA to market itself in the US

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Monday, February 18, 2019

Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Bulelani Magwanishe is set to highlight trade and investment opportunities in South Africa at the 22nd Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit in New York.

Magwanishe is expected to outline trade and investment opportunities at the summit that gets underway in the United States on Tuesday.

Globally, the US accounts for 7% of South Africa’s total exports to the world and is ranked second as an export destination for South African export products in 2018.

“Bilateral trade between South Africa and the US has shown tremendous growth in the past few years. Total trade has increased from R141 billion in 2014 to R161 billion in 2017 but declined slightly to R157 billion in 2018,” said Magwanishe.

Bilateral trade between the US and South Africa is almost balanced with South Africa mostly enjoying a trade surplus against the US mainly due to exports of primary products and commodities.

However, Magwanishe said in terms of manufactured exports, the US continues to enjoy a trade surplus.

The Deputy Minister said the US remains as one of the key sources of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for South Africa, with bilateral investments at approximately R2.2 trillion in 2016.

In addition, there are about 800 US companies doing business in South Africa with an increasing number of South African companies also investing in the US.

Of the $4.2 billion foreign direct investment stock in the USA from Sub-Saharan African, $3.1 billion originated from South Africa.

The three-day summit, which concludes on Friday, will focus on how to expand wealth opportunities; supplier diversity opportunities; and diversity and inclusion for minorities and women.

It will bring together entrepreneurs, corporate executives and leading US members of Congress. Speakers at the summit include the host, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver and Gregory Meeks as well as Reverend Al Sharpton, among others.

The summit will be held under the theme: “400 Years Later: Closing the Wealth Gap, Expanding Opportunity”. 

Market access through the AfCFTA

While in the US, Magwanishe will also meet with existing and potential investors into South Africa that are looking to take advantage of the market access created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Last week, on the sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Session of Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President Cyril Ramaphosa handed over South Africa’s deposit of instruments on the ratification of the AfCFTA.

The AfCFTA, as one of the flagship projects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, aims to build an integrated market in Africa that will see a market of over one billion people with a combined GDP of approximately US$3.3 trillion. – SAnews.gov.za

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Gauteng eyes mega special economic zone

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Monday, February 18, 2019

The Gauteng government will be more aggressive and decisive in pushing their vision of turning the province into a single, multi-tier, mega special economic zone.

The provincial government has already started a compact and highly integrated single economy, Premier David Makhura said on Monday.

He was delivering his last State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the Alberton Civic Centre, Ekurhuleni, ahead of the May general elections.

Makhura used his speech to reflect on the progress made by the province since the dawn of democracy.

The economy has grown five times – from R290 billion in 1996 to R1.5 trillion in 2017.

The number of people employed in the Gauteng economy has also doubled – from 2.6 million in 1996 to 5.163 million in 2018.

Township economy

The provincial government has made irrefutable progress in the township economy by providing financial and non-financial support, access to markets and invested substantial resources in industrial infrastructures such as agri-parks, industrial parks, automotive hubs and eKasi Labs.

Prior to 2014, Makhura said the provincial government’s procurement spent on township businesses was R600 million and over the past five years has procured goods and services from township businesses, worth more than R22 billion.

“Gauteng is the pioneer, laboratory and leader in the revitalisation and transformation of township enterprises into sustainable and job-creating businesses.”

One of the great stories of the township economy is how the transformative partnership between Pick n Pay, Old Mutual Masisizane Fund, Gauteng Enterprise Propeller and township spaza shop owners moved 11 spaza shops from survivalist to sustainable businesses.

The programme, Makhura said, has enabled spaza shops to be converted into decent retail shops that have grown, on average from making R10 000 per month to R300 000 per month in profit.

In addition, the 11 township retailers have collectively created 220 new jobs in the townships as a result of their growth.   

“There is no doubt that our programme to revitalise the township economy has captured the imagination of millions of people. Township businesspeople are taking their destiny into their own hands,” Makhura said.

The Premier committed that the province will continue to create an enabling environment for the growth and sustainability of township businesses – while riding off illegal business spawning.

“The people of Gauteng, let me make it clear: we will not allow global criminal syndicates to take over townships and displace genuine township businesses. We are determined to close any illegally operating business in every part of our province.”

Already, law enforcement teams are moving in the municipalities, townships, suburbs and CBDs to put a stop to these criminal operations.

Bringing women into the mainstream economy

The Transformation, Modernisation and Re-industrialisation programme which aims is to bring women into the mainstream economy of the province – has also borne fruits.

Makhura reported, that his government spends 23% procuring goods and services from businesses owned by women while more than 7 000 women-owned cooperatives received financial and non-financial support.

“Women constitute the majority of the beneficiaries of most of the programmes of this ANC-led administration – 60% of the beneficiaries of the agri-enterprise programme; 55% of the bursary programme; 60% of Tshepo 1 Million and 65% of housing delivered.”

Over the past two years, more than 100 000 women have benefitted from public employment opportunities through the Expanded Public Works and Community Works Programmes.

The success of Welfare-to-Work pilot programme has also transitioned close to 36 000 young mothers who used to depend on child support grants, to proper jobs and self-employment through training and skills development.

Makhura said the young women are taking their destiny into their own hands by doing things for themselves.  

“The successes of these young women represent the general spirit of the women of Gauteng. They don’t give up. They want to live independent and fulfilling lives. We too will not give up the fight for gender equality and women empowerment.”

Gauteng Economic Development Plan

Another key economic project that the provincial government introduced was the Gauteng Economic Development Plan which has eleven key sectors located in five corridors – Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western and Central.

This programme – jointly with industry leaders – has put a lot of efforts towards the revitalisation of the manufacturing industry, focusing on the automotive sector, machinery and capital equipment, mineral beneficiation, aerospace industries, food and beverages and pharmaceuticals.  

Looking ahead, Makhura announced that six companies have committed to collectively invest more than R40 billion in the various corridors over the next twelve months.

These include the AB InBev planned investment in Emfuleni, TMH investment to revive DCD’s train manufacturing operations, and ACSA’s investment at O.R Tambo in Ekurhuleni planned investment by Cummins Engineering and CCL labs investments in Midrand, Johannesburg.

Car manufacture Ford is planning an expansion in Silverton and the Rainbow Junction investment mega investment in Tshwane, while the partnership with Reggio Emilia and Italian original equipment manufacturers (Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini), Chamdor is being developed into a township automotive hub.

Sibanye-Stillwater and Far West Rand Dolomitic Association made a commitment to release 30 000 hectares of land for the development of the agri-industrial cluster in West Rand.

Makhura said Gauteng is also leading the country in promoting intra-Africa trade with Gauteng based businesses having more than 300 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects, worth R356 billion, across the major regions of the continent.

These projects have created and sustained more than 45 000 jobs in Gauteng while contributing to Africa’s industrialisation.

“All the afore-mentioned initiatives on the township economy, mainstream economy, infrastructure development and inter-Africa trade have helped us to create new jobs and sustain existing ones.”

Job creation

With regards to job creation, Makhura reported that Gauteng had 4.7 million people employed in 2014 and now has more than 5.1 million people employed.

This means that there are over 469 000 net new jobs that have been added to the provincial economy over the past five years. 

“The scale and impact of what we are doing with our industry leaders in the priority sectors of our provincial economy are incomparable. But we need greater coordination and collaboration within the Gauteng City Region if we are to maximise the impact.”

To keep the momentum, Makhura said the province needs to bring all social partners on board, especially labour. – SAnews.gov.za

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The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

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Focus turns to 2019 Budget

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Monday, February 18, 2019

Following the conclusion of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the debate by Members of Parliament – the focus now turns to the 2019 Budget.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is scheduled to deliver the 2019 Budget Speech and introduce the associated Bills during the plenary sitting of the National Assembly.

The speech will give details of spending and revenue collection plans to carry out the programme presented in the SONA.

The Minister of Finance presents the budget to Parliament, which, through recommendations from the Finance and Appropriations Committees of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, makes the final budget decisions.

The Constitution allows Parliament to make these decisions so that the people, through their democratically-elected representatives, have a say in budget choices which have a major impact on society.

Plenary sittings of the National Assembly on Tuesday and Thursday are also scheduled to consider five legislative issues and to hold two debates.

At Tuesday’s National Assembly sitting the subject for discussion is ‘Transforming the economy to serve the people’.

The National Assembly is also scheduled to consider the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Amendment Bill, a legislative proposal to amend the National Minimum Wage Act of 2018 and the Carbon Tax Bill.

For Thursday’s sitting, the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill and the Public Investment Corporation Amendment Bill have been scheduled.

Parliament will also hold an urgent matter of national public importance titled ‘Eskom energy crisis’.

Eskom which has reintroduced load shedding is facing myriad challenges that have affected its ability to meet the demand.

The embattled parastatal is facing a R420 billion debt burden and the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) says the State-owned entity (SOE) will cease to exist at the current trajectory by April this year.

Eskom’s Build Programme has added to the cost overruns and poor performance at the power utility. Medupi and Kusile have suffered massive delays and cost overruns due to poor planning, poor engineering designs, poor procurement practices and corruption.

The costs for the plants have escalated significantly to over R300 billion. – SAnews.gov.za

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The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

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SA speaks on crises in Mozambique, Zimbabwe

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by AKANI CHAUKE

Lindiwe Sisulu, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, said this after receiving a briefing from Ambassador to
Zimbabwe, Mphakama Mbethe, on the economic situation in the country after days of protests.

“The minister added that if the situation is not attended to, the current economic challenges can derail the political and economic progress the country has made since the election of the new president (Emmerson Mnangagwa),” ministerial spokesperson, Ndivhuwo Mabaya, said.

He quoted Sisulu as saying she had noted that protests in Zimbabwe had “calmed down and life in the streets of Zimbabwe is returning to normal.”

Protests engulfed Zimbabwe after president Mnangagwa announced a 150 percent increase in the price of fuel to over US$3 (about R45) a litre.

At least 12 people were killed amid a brutal response to the protests by police while an estimated 100 others were injured.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) arrested more than 700 culprits suspected of committing crime ranging from theft, looting, violence and public property destruction.

Property worth $300 million ((R4,15 billion) was vandalized and shops looted.

Meanwhile, Sisulu also received a briefing from Mozambique Ambassador, Mandisi Mpahlwa, on developments in Mozambique where four South Africans have drowned and a man is held on terrorism charges.

She extended condolences to the four affected families.

Sisulu said Andre Hanekom, who is detained for alleged terrorism was well and would appear in court soon.

– CAJ News

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The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

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