Opinion

Companies mint it while the state and the healthcare system pay the price

Out of date exchange control red tape and racial job quotas are among the obstacles to investment, says Daan Steenkamp

"Policy uncertainty hits a record high". Is that a headline that induces panic, or one that needs perspective and remedies? After all, what goes up can come down.

In September, Johannesburg hosted the Global SME Finance Forum 2025, a sideline event of South Africa’s G20-B20 presidency. The conversations on these platforms centred on the cost of capital for African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remaining too high.

Every now and then the market offers a window of opportunity — a moment when the stars align and it becomes clear that it is time to act. That moment is now for anyone with foreign currency exposure.

Tilly Norwood never existed. That did not stop her from becoming the newest darling on TikTok and Instagram. She quipped from cafés, she pouted in parks, and she gathered followers by the hundred thousand.

This past week, private hospital group Netcare reported a sharp rise in demand for mental health care in South Africa, a trend echoed by medical aid and insurance claims.

To reach net zero, the demand for critical minerals by clean energy technologies is expected to nearly triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040, reaching 40MT a year.

In Africa, particularly Tanzania, startups often believe public relations is reserved for big corporations with lots of money.

The steady stream of elite interest signals a powerful economic opportunity that South Africa can, and must, harness, writes Roxy Robinson.

Tumi Tsehlo, chair of SACEEC, says BEE is among the problems holding back industrialisation and exploitation of critical minerals

SA Inc is ready to roll up its sleeves, invest in capacity and, perhaps most importantly, invest in creating the skills that will create quality long-term jobs, writes Philippa Rodseth.

The decisions we make now will determine whether the continent becomes a global growth engine or remains on the margins of the global economy, writes Derick De Zilva.

We need a new kind of public servant — one that doesn’t get tired, doesn’t get bribed and has no 'cousins' needing jobs, writes Gugu Lourie.

Boards now demand evidence — and that includes a track record for the compliance technology providers themselves, writes Arthur Goldstuck.