Star 2025-09-12

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which had anticipated a South Gauteng High Court judgement to liquidate empowerment company BT Industrial Group (BTIG) for an R136 million debt has had to hire private security to guard equipment at the company's premises amidst fears they have already begun asset stripping. The legal matter has been postponed sine die following the late filing of an application to oppose the liquidation order. This is as the matter had been set for Thursday for a final judgement by the Gauteng High Court, which had been expected to grant the IDC authority to dispose of the moveable property of the BTIG to recover the debt. The court could not confirm the order after the BTIG, through its attorneys, filed a notice to oppose, requiring…

Week-long fair featured 2 148 exhibitors from 132 countries and more than 112 000 delegates The curtain has fallen on the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF 2025), and the event has officially set a new record in trade deals, promising to be a game-changer for Africa’s economic integration. Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), this year's fair facilitated a significant $48.3 billion in trade and investment agreements against the target of $44bn. Algeria accounted for $11.4bn in signed deals, with another $11.6bn currently in the pipeline. This considerable figure eclipses the $43bn in deals from the previous fair held in Cairo in 2023 and the $42bn agreements made in Durban in 2021, spotlighting the event’s critical role in unlocking Africa’s economic potential. The week-long fair attracted a remarkable turnout,…

Energy policy experts say the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM), which is expected to unlock new investment in power grid infrastructure should be complemented by clarifications on contracts, tariffs structure and complemented by wider reforms such as the unbundling of Eskom. South African Renewable energy and independent power producer, NOA, believes that SAWEM is a catalyst for the South African energy sector but reckons that more needs to be done for the platform to yield tangible benefits for South Africa’s wider economy. “SAWEM is part of South Africa’s (energy sector) reform journey – it enables transparency, liquidity and efficiency. But wider reforms also matter (including) Eskom unbundling, NTCSA independence, vesting contracts, capacity markets, as well as industry, regulator and public sector collaboration,” said Andrew Taylor co-founder of NOA Group.…

Recovery in South Africa’s mineral productivity could help uplift the country’s GDP growth although analysts see further improvements to port and rail logistics as providing impetus to the mining sector, which raised production by 4.4% year-on-year in July. The largest positive contributors to South Africa’s year on year mining sector production growth for July included iron ore, which rebounded 12.2%, platinum group metals (PGMs), which grew 6.2% ‘other’ metallic minerals whose output was stronger by 45.8%. On a seasonally adjusted basis, South Africa’s mining production increased by 1.0% in July 2025 compared with June 2025. This followed month-on-month changes of 0.4% in June 2025 and 3.7% in May 2025, according to data from StatsSA. “Mining production (not seasonally adjusted) expanded by 4.4% y/y in July, accelerating from 2.5% (previously 2.4%)…

When South Africa’s Cabinet approved the nation’s bid to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix at Kyalami beginning in 2027, it marked more than a moment of motorsport nostalgia—it was a powerful statement of intent for the country’s socio-economic future. The announcement, confirmed on 5 September 2025, commits to a three-year hosting term, fully financed by the private sector, with the aim of catalysing job creation and economic growth. Relighting a Legendary Circuit Kyalami is no stranger to speed. From hosting its first Grand Prix in 1967 to welcoming the final South African races in the early 1990s, the circuit has seen legends like Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, and Jody Scheckter cross its finish line. Now, the FIA has greenlit upgrades to elevate Kyalami to Grade 1 status—without altering its…

Airports Company South Africa's (ACSA) announcement of its R1.1 billion net profit for the financial year 2024/2025 represents more than a financial milestone, it embodies a transformative moment that illuminates the company's evolving role as a critical economic engine for South Africa and the broader African continent (ACSA, 2024). This record performance positions ACSA at the nexus of continental integration efforts, particularly within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), where aviation infrastructure serves as a fundamental enabler of economic transformation. Through an emic lens, examining ACSA's trajectory from within the African development paradigm reveals how state-owned aviation entities can catalyse regional prosperity whilst advancing infrastructure renewal, employment generation, technological innovation, and inclusive enterprise participation. ACSA as a Continental Gateway: Beyond National Borders ACSA's network of nine…