Table of contents for 2026-01-26 in Cape Times

Transnet has announced a landmark signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (PoABI) and the Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Center (APEC). The signing took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Transnet said the partnership signifies a major milestone in efforts to modernise South Africa’s port system, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen regional trade competitiveness. “It establishes a framework for cooperation in port operational excellence, digitalisation, sustainability, infrastructure planning, and regional corridor development to strengthen South Africa’s logistics performance.” Transnet added that the collaboration introduces global best practices, technical training, benchmarking, and advisory support to build long-term institutional capacity within Transnet divisions. “The MoU includes cooperation on hinterland corridor development and global investment programmes, including opportunities linked to…

Team South Africa has returned from the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos expressing confidence that the country’s reform agenda is beginning to resonate with global investors, a marked shift from previous years dominated by concerns over energy shortages and logistics bottlenecks. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Friday said this year’s engagement with investors took place against a far more positive domestic backdrop, particularly regarding electricity supply. “The positive thing is that we have come to this WEF with good news. Electricity challenges and outages are now a thing of the past,” Godongwana said in an interview on Friday. He added that structural reforms are starting to bear fruit, while South Africa’s macroeconomic environment remains stable — a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for stronger growth. “The…

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said on Friday that South Africa returned to this year's World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos with tangible evidence of economic progress, presenting a compelling case to global investors and business partners that the country’s reform agenda is delivering results. Key government ministers and leaders from industry and state agencies accompanied Godongwana. He reiterated that the team used the forum in Davos to highlight recent achievements, including the removal of South Africa from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist, an upgrade of its sovereign credit rating by S&P Global, and structural reforms under Operation Vulindlela that have improved electricity supply, modernised port and freight rail operations, and boosted investment in infrastructure. “When we came here in 2025, we presented our ambitious plan for driving economic…

A life uninspected is not worth living says Plato. Over a period of 24 years and counting, I have been a columnist in the Business Report, writing two articles a week interrogating South Africa through a lens of numbers. The interrogative narrative is undergirded by a trove of evidence. This has created a Lehohla Ledger of 2 745 instruments. The Lehohla Ledger with its Ten Commandments that consist of Digital Codes of one-one (11), two-two (22), three-three (33), four-four (44), five-five (55), six-six (66), seven-seven (77), eight-eight (88), nine-nine (99) and zero-zero (00) is the Numerical Conscience through which the totality of South African life and life elsewhere will be inspected, the nation is inspired, the nation reclaims its freedom and in the final analysis life is…

Valterra Platinum’s share price built on a year-long rally on the JSE on Friday after it said headline earnings per share (HEPS) will increase sharply by between 85% and 105% for the 12 months to December 31, 2023. The mining group, which was previously known as Anglo Platinum, said in a trading statement the sharp increase was due to a 26% stronger PGM dollar price of $1 852 per PGM ounce, as well as the delivery of R5bn operational cost reductions, more than offsetting the impact of inflation and R1.7bn one-off demerger related costs. Valterra’s share price increased by 3.29% to R1 687.84 on Friday afternoon on the JSE. The share price has steadily risen over 176% over the past 12 months. Headline earnings were expected to increase by the…

Emmanuel Macron and his blue aviator sunglasses have become the unexpected breakout stars of the World Economic Forum in Davos this year. It is a rare sight to see a world leader sporting dark shades during a formal indoor keynote, but the French President has carried the look with a mix of military precision and cinematic flair. By choosing the aviator, he has leaned into a style that is perhaps the most recognisable eyewear style in history. The aviator shape is a true design classic that originally took flight in the 1930s to help pilots navigate high-altitude glare. While it started as functional gear for the cockpit, it became a cultural icon thanks to the silver screen. We most often associate this look with the high-octane energy of Tom Cruise…

IF THE adult female loggerhead turtle rescued last month had been reported a day later, she would have died. Concern arose over Finley’s health after she was observed floating for an extended period near Richards Bay in December. When Finley was spotted on December 20, the Arboretum Veterinary Clinic reported that it received a call about a sluggish sea turtle and decided to embark on a rescue mission. They located the turtle and successfully brought her to shore with the help of many bystanders. The group asked that she be called Finley. The clinic contacted Dr Francois Lampen at uShaka Marine World who confirmed she is a female and appears to be old, as she has a lot of barnacles on her, which is not a good sign, indicating…

Police are investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving after a car plunged off Chapman’s Peak Drive into the rocks below yesterday morning. Both occupants survived. Chapman’s Peak Drive was closed in both directions and motorists were advised to use alternative routes until the road was re-opened. Video footage of the motor vehicle accident shows the car mangled on the rocks just above the waves, while a man can be seen making his way out of the vehicle. A man at the scene taking a video explained: “This is where they are. There is one gentleman. They came off this cliff all the way from the top, so it’s about 100 metres, 50 metres from the top. “One gentleman is lying on his back, kicking his legs. We are…

Pretoria Capitals 158/7 Dewald Brevis 101, Bryce Parsons 30; Marco Jansen 3/10, Anrich Nortje 1/19 Sunrisers Eastern Cape 162/4 Matthew Breetzke 68*, Tristan Stubbs 63*; Keshav Maharaj 1/23 SEC won by six wickets Unheralded Sunrisers Eastern Cape batter Matthew Breetzke described winning the Betway SA20 as “special” after the Gqeberha-based team beat the Pretoria Capitals by six wickets to claim their third title in four seasons. Going into the final, Breetzke was by no means the form player, while Tristan Stubbs’ numbers were arguably worse. However, under immense pressure at Newlands on Sunday, it was this duo that stood out, digging in to take the Sunrisers over the line. Both batters showed great determination, rotating the strike consistently and running hard between the wickets as they struggled to find boundaries…

Aston Villa closed to within four points of the Premier League summit with an impressive 2-0 win at Newcastle, while Chelsea climbed into the top four on Sunday. Villa bounced back from a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Everton last weekend to remain on the fringes of the title race. Emi Buendia put Unai Emery’s men on course for their first win at St James’ Park since 2005 with a brilliant strike from outside the box on 19 minutes. Newcastle were shorn of inspiration without injured captain Bruno Guimaraes in a damaging defeat for their chances of Champions League qualification. Ollie Watkins set the seal on Villa’s victory when the England international headed in Lucas Digne’s cross two minutes from time. Newcastle slip to ninth but remain only three…

After more than 60 years of production in Rosslyn, Nissan has sold the plant to Chinese manufacturer After more than 60 years of production at the Nissan Plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, the sale of land, buildings and associated assets including its stamping plant was driven by needing to look at how to keep an important South African manufacturing plant viable, protect jobs, and find a long-term solution that made sense not only for the business, but for the country. That thinking ultimately led Nissan to a deal with Chinese manufacturer Chery. Speaking to Independent Media on the sidelines of the Nissan GTR's AGM at their head office in Irene, Pretoria, Nissan Africa president Jordi Vila said that once production of the NP200 ceased, it became clear that something had to…

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has said the department has long accepted the reality of the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and will continue to work with other countries that retain their membership in the global body. This follows the US announcement on Friday, in a joint statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, confirming its withdrawal from the WHO, as promised by incumbent President Donald Trump when he took office last year. In a response to Business Report, Motsoaledi said the warning had come soon after Trump took office in 2025, when the US president announced that his country would withdraw from the World Health Organisation. The US subsequently boycotted multilateral health forums…

Workers and the nation this week received a deeply worrying reminder about the still fragile state of the Denel Group, the state’s defence manufacturing company, with management’s warning to staff at two of its divisions, Denel Dynamics and Denel PMP (Pretoria Metal Pressings), that there may not be funds to pay their salaries this month. Fortunately, after interventions by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), and the unions organising at Denel; the National Union of Mineworkers, the National Union of Metalworkers and Solidarity, this crisis was averted and workers were paid. We must remain extremely concerned given the devastation unleashed upon the Denel Group during the decade of state capture and corruption, about the state of this once great state-owned enterprise. The systematic vandalism of Denel is well…

Shoppers gave the retail sector a welcome boost in November, with new figures showing that sales were stronger than expected and supported by Black Friday-related promotion. Data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reveal that retail trade sales rose by 3.5% compared with the same period last year, a positive sign for both consumers and businesses. Experts have welcomed the increase in retail sales. Stats SA said that the largest positive contributors to this increase were general dealers (2.2% and contributing 1.0 percentage point); all ‘other’ retailers (8.0% and contributing 0.8 of a percentage point); and retailers in pharmaceuticals and medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries (10.1% and contributing 0.6 of a percentage point). Stats SA added that seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0.6% in November 2025 compared…

WHEN people imagine divorce, they often picture explosive arguments, dramatic ultimatums, or a sudden walkout. But therapists say many relationships do not end with a bang. They fade quietly. While overall divorce rates are declining, relationship experts warn that many separations begin long before the word “divorce” is ever spoken. The early signs are often subtle: emotional distance, secrecy, and a noticeable shift in priorities that can be easy to explain away until it is too late. According to Dr Michael Salas, a licensed professional counsellor–supervisor, the most dangerous stage of a relationship breakdown is often the silent one. “By the time one partner brings up divorce, they’ve often been grieving the relationship privately for months, or even years,” says Dr Salas. “What looks calm on the surface is often…

THE Pietermaritzburg High Court has set aside the conviction and sentence of a woman who falsely claimed to be the mother of a foreign national in an attempt to help him obtain a South African ID. This was after the magistrate conceded to making an error during sentencing proceedings. The error was flagged as problematic during a random process of checking decided cases by a committee at the Durban Magistrate's Court, leading to a Pietermaritzburg High Court review. High Court judges Robin Mossop and Murray Pitman found that Busisiwe Ndabezitha’s guilty plea was flawed because it lacked an admission that she was a civil servant—a prerequisite for conviction under the specific section of the Immigration Act. Ndabezitha had falsely represented to the Department of Home Affairs that she was the…

FIXING the country’s water supply and rural infrastructure will top the agenda for the newly-announced ANC task team and war room. During the party’s second day of the three-day lekgotla currently in Boksburg yesterday , ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile said the party will set up a war room to deal with local government challenges across the board. The party had tabled a political overview report at the lekgotla, which pointed to a lack of policy implementation as one of the party’s long-standing issues. Mashatile described the war room as targeted intervention, aimed at stabilising municipalities and improving service delivery. It will be led by the Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, who will monitor implementation across provinces, districts, and metros. He said this will ensure timely interventions so local…

The Western Cape has emerged as the epicentre of a diphtheria outbreak, carrying a disproportionate share of cases, clusters and deaths compared to the rest of the country. This is according to the latest situational report by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which shows 91 laboratory-confirmed cases of toxigenic respiratory diphtheria have been recorded nationally between January 2024 and January 18, 2026. Of these, 67 cases, nearly three quarters were reported in the Western Cape, exceeding numbers seen in other provinces such as Limpopo (9), Mpumalanga (8), Gauteng (4) and KwaZulu-Natal (3). The NICD notes that “the majority of confirmed cases and carriers (76%) are from the Western Cape.” Since late 2024, 25 diphtheria clusters have been identified across South Africa, 15 of them in the Western Cape,…

More arrests are expected after a 19-year-old was apprehended in connection with a mass shooting at a shebeen in Philippi East where nine people were killed. The suspect, arrested on Friday in Zweletemba, Worcester, will face nine counts of murder and one count of attempted murder when he appears in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court today. This comes as detectives from the Serious and Violent Crime Unit are investigating another mass murder, this time in Samora Machel where three young men were killed and a fourth victim wounded at the weekend. The shooting occurred on Saturday, in Oliver Tambo Drive. The victims aged between 16 and 21 years were seated inside a white Suzuki Ertiga when they were targeted by unidentified suspects who opened fire. Three victims between the ages of…

Sunrisers Eastern Cape pulled off an incredible heist to secure a third Betway SA20 championship in a thrilling final at Newlands yesterday. Dewald Brevis’ magnificent 101 had seemingly set up the Pretoria Capitals for their maiden title, but Sunrisers captain Tristan Stubbs (62 not out off 41 balls) and Matthew Breetzke (68 not out off 50 balls) delivered an unbroken 114-run partnership to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. The Sunrisers appeared dead and buried when they required 56 runs from the final four overs. Breetzke had held the innings together with 45 off 41 balls at that point, but he needed a partner to inject impetus from the other end. Enter Stubbs. The Sunrisers captain had been guilty of not seizing the momentum earlier in the competition, but…

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille is facing mounting criticism after stating that “there has never been a crisis at South African Tourism (SAT),” a remark that has sparked outrage among opposition parties and industry stakeholders. Speaking during an interview at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos last week, De Lille defended the embattled tourism agency and her decision to dissolve its board last year, replacing it with an interim structure. The move followed the suspension of SAT CEO Nombulelo Guliwe over allegations of financial misconduct. Among the claims was a R4.1 million prepayment to a service provider for work that investigators allege was never completed. The company implicated in the matter has denied any wrongdoing. “There’s never been a crisis in SA Tourism because at every financial year, as…

WeBuyCars investors would have seen an impressive 198% increase in their investment in the used vehicle group in just under 18 months since its listing on the JSE in April, 2024, chairman Johan Holtzhausen said. Writing in the annual report released on Friday, he said their shareholders had enjoyed an aggregate 195.4% growth in share price and cumulative dividend payout of 55 cents a share since listing. In the past financial year to end-September 2025, the share price had increased 64%, which he ascribed to mostly a function of performance and growth prospects. During that year, core headline earnings, which is the key performance metric for management to gauge the company’s success, increased 15% to R937.6 million. Revenue increased by 13.1% to R26.4 billion. Meanwhile, Friday’s closing price of R52.85…

Domestic financial markets continue their bullish run. The All Share index (ALSI|) on the JSE last week gained another 2 112 points, or 1.75%, after breaking through the 120 000 level the previous week. Since the beginning of the year the index has already traded higher by 4.9%. Over the last year the index is now higher by 44.7%. This reminds us of the previous massive boom in 2005 where the ALSI improved by more than 50%. The main reason for this sharp rise remains the same as over the last six months. The geo-political factors in the US, Middle East, Europe, and the Russia Ukraine conflict, together with the negative effects of the Trump administration current economic policies on the Dollar. These factors contributed to the ongoing safe-haven investments…

Wholesale trade sales indicated a decrease by 0.8% in November 2025 compared with November 2024. An economist believes that the economy is still stabilising. Stats SA said that seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales increased by 2.0% in November 2025 compared with October 2025. “This followed month-on-month changes of 0.1% in October 2025 and -0.9% in September 2025.” Stats SA added that in the three months ended November 2025, seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales increased by 0.5% compared with the previous three months. “Measured in nominal terms (current prices), wholesale trade sales increased by 1.2% in November 2025 compared with November 2024. The main positive contributor was dealers in solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and related products (5.0% and contributing 1.0 percentage point). Wholesale trade sales increased by 1.0% in the…

More than 3,000 employees could keep their jobs as AMSA engages in advanced discussions with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and its parent company, ArcelorMittal Group, over a potential transaction. IOL previously reported that Newcastle communities have raised major concerns about the possible closure of ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa) and its long steel business, putting thousands of jobs on the line. At the time, Amsa said that the company had worked closely with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), government, and other stakeholders to explore every possible strategic option. No solution had been concluded. Talks between AMSA, its Luxembourg-based parent ArcelorMittal Group, and the IDC collapsed late last year after the company rejected a previous R8.5 billion non-binding proposal, which included the repayment of R7 billion in debt to its parent…

STEVE Biko Academic Hospital head of the gynaecology department Professor Priya Soma-Pillay has accused now former Pretoria midwife Yolande Maritz Fouchee of not paying attention to the risk factors of several of her clients. Fouchee is facing 14 charges, including one of culpable homicide and several charges of assault after a baby died weeks after delivery and three others were born disabled while she was in charge of delivering them. Fouchee, now a deregistered nurse, earlier denied any wrongdoing and explained that she did everything according to the book when she delivered the babies. However, Soma-Pillay disagreed in a statement issued to the prosecution as an expert witness to shed light on the treatment of Fouchee to the women who chose to have “home births” at her clinic.…

SIX-YEAR-OLD Ofentse Jayden Vinger had only attended school three days before his life was cut short during the Vanderbijlpark scholar transport accident that also claimed the lives of 13 other children. In a moving funeral service, where Ofense, along with Thato Moetji (17), and Bokamoso Mokhomo (12), a profound sense of loss engulfed the Saul Tsotetsi Sports Complex in Sebokeng yesterday as families and friends bid a farewell to the three children. Vinger, was a Grade 1 learner from Oliver Lodge Primary School. Family representative Mamotse Madlela read out a letter from his mother: “Ao ngwana waka hle (Oh, my child), you were so young, I only had you for six years. Not knowing you will only go to school for three days. “The whole week I have been so…

Adidas International and its South African licensee have failed in their attempt to move the SA Revenue Service’s (Sars’) bid to recover almost R1.9 billion in unpaid taxes from Gauteng to the Western Cape. The German sports apparel giant, which is registered in Switzerland, and Cape Town-based Adidas South Africa, had asked the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria for the matter to be heard in the Western Cape division of the high court as it would be more convenient. The legal battle emanates from Adidas’s challenge to Sars’ value determination in terms of the Customs and Excise Act. Adidas South Africa is licensed to sell branded products in its licensed territory including South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. According to court papers, the value determination…

Confident teenager Iva Jovic said yesterday she has no “underdog mentality” after barrelling into her first Grand Slam quarter-final and a meeting with two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka. The 18-year-old American was undaunted on John Cain Arena against the vastly more experienced Yulia Putintseva, ripping her apart 6-0, 6-1 in just 53 dominant minutes. It marked another giant step in the emergence of Jovic, who stunned two-time Grand Slam finalist and seventh seed Jasmine Paolini in round three for the biggest scalp of her career. She now faces the daunting challenge of Sabalenka, who swatted aside another teenager – Jovic’s good friend and doubles partner Victoria Mboko –in straight sets, also yesterday, 7-6, 6-1. “I don’t really feel like there is a lot of house money or underdog mentality…

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has urged patience and perspective after his side were held to a goalless draw by Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership. Pirates dropped points against Babina Noko on Saturday but remained firmly in the title race, with Ouaddou stressing that consistency and belief in the process will ultimately be decisive in what he described as a demanding league. “Every point counts in this league and I think we all agree that it’s a tough league and Sekhukhune is a very good team, one of the best teams in the league,” Ouaddou said. Pirates dominated large spells of the contest, controlling possession and territory, but once again found converting pressure into goals to be their biggest challenge. In spite of that, Ouaddou felt the overall…