Star 2026-02-12

South Africa’s garment industry could secure an additional 81 million locally produced garments a year by 2030, lifting manufacturing output by nearly R8 billion and creating up to 34 000 jobs, if retailers, manufacturers and policymakers align behind a focused localisation drive. This is the central finding of a comprehensive feasibility study released on Wednesday by the Localisation Support Fund (LSF), which maps out a practical pathway to expand domestic sourcing in line with the objectives of the Retail-Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather (R-CTFL) Masterplan. The year-long study, commissioned by the LSF and conducted by industrial development consultancy BMA, assessed demand among major South African retailers, mapped capacity and capability across nearly 200 local garment manufacturers, and developed a commercial business case and action plans to accelerate localisation. According to…

The African Gold Council (AGC) was launched at the Investing in African Mining Indaba on Wednesday with the aim of building an economic eco-system on the continent around gold, instead of simply exporting the mined yellow metal in unprocessed form. Beneficiation of the continent’s mineral wealth is a buzzword among policy-makers at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town this year. AGC CEO Jude Uzonwanne said the AGC, an organisation that is independent from the World Gold Council, would work towards making the yellow metal a cornerstone of value and beauty in Africa again, putting it back into the role it had many years ago, when many Africa tribes adorned the metal for beauty, and as a store of wealth. In more practical terms, the advocacy agency planned to promote the…

The rand strengthened more than 0.6% to R15.84 to the US dollar on Wednesday buoyed by elevated precious metals prices and a softer greenback, as President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday. At its highest since March 2022, the currency continued to be supported by positive domestic developments, including structural reforms, fiscal consolidation, credible monetary policy, and a stable governing coalition. Expectations over the SONA have once again converged on a familiar but decisive theme: confidence. Across the economy, stakeholders are looking for tangible signals that South Africa’s fragile recovery can be sustained. Early economic indicators in 2026 have pointed to what many describe as “green shoots.” Interest rates have begun easing, inflationary pressures have moderated, and load shedding has largely receded…

International financial institution issues warning over spiraling state public money spending The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that South Africa must urgently overhaul how it spends public money, from the public wage bill and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to procurement systems and social transfers, if it is to stabilise debt and restore fiscal sustainability. The IMF warning on Wednesday follows discussions with the government officials on economic developments and policies and comes ahead of the Minister of Finance tabling the 2026 National Budget later this month. In its 2025 Article IV Consultation, concluded this week, the IMF said though Africa’s most industrialised economy has managed to weather renewed global turbulence marked by rising protectionism, trade fragmentation and heightened policy uncertainty, longstanding structural constraints and mounting debt continue to weigh on…

The South African residential property market needs more formal stock in the bands where most households sit. If this does not happen, then homeownership will keep shifting toward rental, informal housing and delayed buying (older first-time buyers) on a long-run trend, says Hayley Ivins-Downes, the managing executive at Lightstone Real Estate. “This requires the formalisation of informal assets. Bringing the estimated 1.7 million unvalued properties into the formal registry would unlock billions in equity.” In the affordable band (R750k), transfer volumes decreased from 78,000 in 2014 to 38,000 in 2023 – a significant contraction. “In the affordable segments, there are currently 4.8 households for every one formal property available. This creates an “affordability trap” where families remain in informal or rental housing despite having the income to potentially service a…

South Africa and the rest of the African continent face a familiar paradox. Agriculture remains central to food security, employment and economic development, yet productivity growth is slow, climate risks are rising, and public resources are constrained. At the same time, Africa has access to some of the world’s most sophisticated international agricultural research institutions — many of them with decades of experience working on African soils and farming systems. The real problem is not a lack of knowledge, but rather our persistent failure to fully exploit it. Across the globe, a dense ecosystem of international agricultural research organisations exists, including the CGIAR network and its specialised centres, such as CIMMYT, ICRISAT, ILRI, IRRI, and WorldFish, alongside leading universities and regional research platforms. These institutions generate cutting-edge work on improved…