Category: Africa

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has called for stronger collaboration to implement government’s national industrial strategy aimed at diversifying, decarbonising and digitalising the economy, while positioning the Eastern Cape to attract investment and strengthen its automotive sector.

Tau was speaking at the Export Symposium and Exhibition in KuGompo City in the Eastern Cape, where he highlighted the need for the province to respond proactively to changing global trade requirements and safeguard its position in international markets.

He said the European Union’s (EU) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and other global trade measures were creating an urgent need for South Africa to adapt its industrial and export strategies.

Tau stressed that decisions in the automotive sector must be taken well in advance, given the long lead times involved in production and investment decisions.

“There is a need to transform our automotive sector’s current difficulties into opportunity, by developing an end-of-life vehicle policy and positioning the province as a leader in the renewable energy space,” he said.

“Our goal should be to drive production in the Eastern Cape and position it as a leading province in decarbonisation by making the industry competitive in the current environment.”

Tau said a coordinated response was also needed to address challenges at local government level, including systematic and structural issues that could undermine investment and industrial development.

He said resolving these challenges would help accelerate economic diversification and the implementation of decarbonisation measures needed to sustain critical industries such as automotive manufacturing.

“It is also important to understand future production decisions in the automotive sector, including energy production and logistics. The EU measures have a significant impact on local government and industries, and that is why I’m emphasising the need for support for our national strategy to address these challenges,” Tau said.

He stressed that the Eastern Cape needed to move quickly to adapt to global environmental and trade requirements if it was to remain competitive and prevent production and market share from shifting to other countries.

“Our response is to make decarbonisation part of industrial policy, and not separate from it. Our new Industrial Development Strategy places decarbonisation, diversification and digitalisation at its centre,” Tau said.

He said government was working with the Industrial Development Corporation and international partners on a steel decarbonisation roadmap, which includes hydrogen-based production pilots, renewable energy integration and a just transition for workers.

Tau also outlined measures to strengthen South Africa’s export capacity, including efforts to expand the mandate of the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa to serve emerging exporters directly.

The department is also reviewing the National Exporter Development Programme to help develop the next generation of South African exporters.

Tau said these initiatives would be implemented in partnership with the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Special Economic Zones and industry partners.

The partnerships are intended to convert investment and production opportunities into increased exports, industrial growth and job creation in the province. – SAnews.gov.za

 

 

 

 

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South Africa and Zimbabwe have identified the construction of the Third Limpopo Bridge and the operationalisation of the Beitbridge One Stop Border Post as important projects in translating bilateral partnership into tangible economic outcomes.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said the projects were among key outcomes of the Fourth Session of the South Africa–Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC), which concluded its Ministerial Segment in Pretoria on Thursday.

“We are encouraged by the decision to identify high-impact priority projects, including the construction of the Third Limpopo Bridge, the operationalisation of the Beitbridge One Stop Border Post, a fertiliser manufacturing plant, regional automotive component manufacturing, platinum group and precious metals value-addition plans, as well as industrial parks or Special Economic Zones,” Lamola said.

He said the two neighbouring economies occupy a strategic position within Southern Africa’s trade and logistics architecture, given their links through the North–South Corridor and the Beitbridge Border Post.

“Our partnership must now translate ambition into implementation,” the Minister said.

Lamola said closer cooperation in transport infrastructure, border efficiency, energy connectivity and the movement of goods and people will strengthen regional integration and support industrialisation across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

He also called for greater cooperation to expand manufacturing capacity, promote beneficiation of mineral resources, modernise agriculture and strengthen food security, while creating opportunities for small enterprises, women and young people.

The Minister said several agreements will be signed during a meeting of the two countries’ leaders, providing a legal framework for cooperation in various areas.

“These agreements are important because they provide a legal framework for our cooperation in various areas. They will strengthen institutional collaboration, expand trade and investment, promote industrialisation, and deepen regional value chains,” he said.

The BNC also welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Diplomatic Training, which Lamola said will deepen cooperation between the two countries’ diplomatic academies and help prepare a new generation of African diplomats.

On the economic front, discussions on trade and investment have been particularly robust and called on relevant departments to intensify their engagements to create clear pathways for accelerated cooperation.

He acknowledged that further work and consultation would be required to advance the identified priority projects.

Migration

Meanwhile, the Minister said the two countries have also engaged frankly on migration, with discussions guided by mutual respect, shared responsibility and adherence to international and regional obligations.

“We reaffirm our commitment to managing migration in a lawful, humane and coordinated manner, while unequivocally rejecting xenophobia, vigilantism and all forms of violence directed against foreign nationals,” he said.

Implementation

Lamola said the success of the BNC will ultimately be measured by the implementation of decisions taken and their impact on citizens.

“Our Heads of State rightly expect outcomes that are credible, implementable and capable of improving the daily lives of our citizens,” he said.

To strengthen accountability, the two countries have agreed to deploy an electronic monitoring system to track implementation of decisions taken during the BNC.

“It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to ensure rigorous implementation, effective monitoring and sustained coordination between our respective institutions. I am pleased that we have agreed to deploy an electronic monitoring system to track the implementation of the decisions that we have taken,” Lamola said.

The Minister said the BNC had reaffirmed the strategic importance of the South Africa-Zimbabwe partnership and renewed the commitment to advancing prosperity, stability and sustainable development.

He said the countries’ shared history, geography and aspirations placed a responsibility on both governments to build a partnership that delivers tangible economic results for current and future generations.

READ | Lamola calls for South Africa-Zimbabwe ties to deliver jobs, investment and infrastructure

The Fourth Session of the BNC will culminate in a meeting of the two countries’ leaders on Friday, where several agreements are expected to be signed. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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The eThekwini Municipality has reported steady progress in restoring and strengthening the city’s sanitation infrastructure through extensive repair, rehabilitation and preventative maintenance programmes underway across Durban.

The progress was outlined in an update presented on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, to the Presidential eThekwini Working Group’s (PeWG) Workstream 2 on Water and Sanitation.

According to the municipality, the number of fully functional pump stations has increased from 235 in June to 239, while approximately 80% of wastewater flows lost during the floods have been recovered.

Officials confirmed that work is continuing to restore the remaining flood-affected infrastructure and improve the overall reliability of the city’s sewer network.

“As part of its flood recovery programme, the municipality has implemented approximately 21 sewer rehabilitation projects, spending more than R141 million since 2023. These projects include sewer pipe replacement, construction of pipe bridges, reconstruction of manholes, river crossings, gabion protection and other infrastructure restoration works,” the municipality said.

The city is also undertaking long-term rehabilitation at key wastewater treatment facilities and sewer infrastructure sites, including the Northern, Umbilo and uMhlanga Wastewater Treatment Works.

In parallel, the municipality is refurbishing pump stations and rolling out proactive maintenance programmes aimed at reducing equipment failures and sewer overflows.

The city also continues to advance sanitation interventions in informal settlements and rural areas. These include sewer maintenance and cleaning, the rehabilitation and upgrading of wastewater treatment works, and improving sanitation facilities for residents.

Bathing beaches safe for swimming

Meanwhile, the municipality said the majority of the city’s bathing beaches remain open and safe for swimming, with the latest water quality monitoring results showing low E. coli levels at most beaches.

“The municipality continues to work with national government and other stakeholders through the Presidential eThekwini Working Group to accelerate the recovery and renewal of sanitation infrastructure, while ensuring environmental compliance and reliable services for residents,” it said. – SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa and Zimbabwe must move beyond their strong historical and political ties and translate their bilateral relationship into tangible economic opportunities, including investment, trade, jobs, infrastructure and improved livelihoods.

This was a message delivered by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, on Thursday, at the opening of the Ministerial Meeting segment of the Fourth Session of the South Africa–Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Pretoria. 

The Minister said the two countries had a strong foundation for deeper cooperation, anchored in their shared history and geographical proximity, but stressed that the success of the BNC would ultimately be measured by its impact on the lives of ordinary people.

“Our political relationship is strong. Our historical bonds are deep. Our geographical proximity creates enormous opportunities. What is required now is to convert these advantages into concrete programmes and projects that improve the lives of our peoples,” Lamola said.

He called on Ministers and senior officials from both countries to identify areas where progress could be accelerated and to address obstacles that have delayed the implementation of bilateral commitments.

“Let us ensure that the decisions we take here are supported by clear responsibilities and realistic timelines. The true measure of the success of this Bi-National Commission will be the extent to which our decisions translate into investment, trade, jobs, infrastructure, energy security, food security and improved livelihoods for our peoples,” he said.

The BNC, established in April 2015, serves as the central mechanism for managing and advancing the strategic partnership between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

More than 33 agreements and memoranda of understanding have been concluded between the two countries across various areas of cooperation.

Unlocking economic potential

Lamola identified infrastructure connectivity, energy, agriculture, critical minerals and private-sector investment as key areas where the two countries can deepen cooperation and unlock economic opportunities.

He said South Africa and Zimbabwe are integral partners in the North-South Corridor, with the Beitbridge Border Post serving as a major gateway for the movement of people and goods between the two countries and the wider region.

“We should use this shared geographical and economic advantage to deepen cooperation along the corridor, including through the modernisation and expansion of road and rail infrastructure, the improvement of border management systems, the development of logistics facilities and the strengthening of connectivity with ports and regional markets,” Lamola said.

He also called for stronger cooperation in water security and digital connectivity, saying infrastructure cooperation should extend beyond transport to support communities, agriculture, industry, trade and investment.

The Minister highlighted the agricultural relationship between the two countries, noting that South Africa was Zimbabwe’s second-largest agricultural export market in 2025, with exports valued at approximately US$202 million.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, was South Africa’s second-largest agricultural export market globally and its largest on the African continent, with exports valued at approximately US$1.1 billion.

Lamola said the two countries should expand their cooperation beyond trade in finished products to include seeds, machinery, agricultural technologies and agro-processing.

“This should form part of a broader effort to develop regional value chains. Our two countries should work together to ensure that the minerals, agricultural products and other resources produced in our region generate greater value within Southern Africa,” he said.

He also urged the countries to pursue greater beneficiation and value addition in the minerals sector, particularly as both are endowed with critical minerals that are increasingly important to the global economy.

Migration and energy cooperation

The Minister also placed migration high on the bilateral agenda, describing the Zimbabwe–South Africa route as one of Africa’s busiest migration corridors.

He said Zimbabwe is the largest country of origin for migrants to South Africa, accounting for approximately 48 percent of the migrant population.

Lamola said the two countries needed to strengthen cooperation on migration management, border governance and the facilitation of lawful movement.

“Safe, orderly and regular migration benefits South Africa, Zimbabwe and the wider region. Together, we must continue to cooperate on migration management, border governance and the facilitation of lawful movement,” he said.

He welcomed the Southern African Development Community’s call for a migration dialogue aimed at addressing the underlying drivers of migration and developing sustainable regional responses.

Energy security was also identified as an important area for closer cooperation, with Lamola calling for collaboration in electricity generation, transmission and regional power connectivity through the Southern African Power Pool.

He said this should include investment in new generation capacity, renewable energy and technologies capable of strengthening the resilience of both countries’ energy systems.

From bilateral ties to regional integration

Lamola said South Africa and Zimbabwe should ensure that their bilateral cooperation contributes to wider regional integration and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

He called for joint initiatives that support SADC priorities, particularly infrastructure development, industrialisation, energy security, food security and regional value chains.

The Ministerial segment will feed into the Heads of State meeting on Friday, when President Cyril Ramaphosa will host Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the Fourth Session of the South Africa–Zimbabwe BNC in Pretoria. – SAnews.gov.za 

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The National Treasury has invited public comments on a sweeping regulatory proposal to centralise South Africa’s multi-billion-rand worth of unclaimed financial assets under a newly established central administrator.

In 2022, the estimated value of these assets was R88 billion. Unclaimed financial assets include dormant bank accounts, unclaimed retirement benefits, and unpaid dividends, investment and insurance proceeds. 

“The paper proposes establishing a central administrator for unclaimed financial assets. The administrator would be responsible for record-keeping and tracing of asset owners and beneficiaries. 

“It also considers institutional options for the central administrator, including establishing a new entity or appointing an existing administrator with the necessary scale and capabilities,” National Treasury said in a statement on Thursday.

The proposed reforms aim to improve the identification, tracing and payment of owners and beneficiaries of unclaimed financial assets, while creating a consistent national approach to how these assets are recorded, administered and managed.

It is further proposed that financial institutions currently holding unclaimed financial assets be required to transfer those assets to the central administrator and be invested with the Corporation for Public Deposits (CPD), a subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank responsible for managing public deposits from various governmental entities.

“This would replace the current fragmented approach with a single, accountable system for consolidating information, improving tracing efforts, standardising record-keeping and safeguarding the unclaimed assets, pending lawful claims by owners and beneficiaries. 

“By consolidating assets on a scale through the central administrator and investment with the CPD, the proposed model should also help reduce the erosion of unclaimed assets due to fragmented administrative costs,” National Treasury said.

The proposed reforms to address unclaimed financial assets will be implemented in phases, commencing with unclaimed retirement benefits and subsequently extending to other sectors.

The paper, titled “A Framework to Centralise Unclaimed Financial Assets in South Africa,”  builds on the Financial Sector Conduct Authority’s (FSCA) 2022 and 2024 reports on unclaimed financial assets. 

National Treasury has invited written comments on the proposals set out in the discussion paper and particularly the discussion questions.

Submissions should be limited to 10 pages and sent to Ms Alvinah Thela at retirementreform@treasury.gov.za by 19 September 2026. –SAnews.gov.za

 

 

 

 

 

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The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) has welcomed the launch of Higher Health’s first Comfort Room at Ekurhuleni East TVET College’s Springs Campus.

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, led the official launch on Thursday, with Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Mmapaseka Steve Letsike delivering the keynote address.

The Comfort Room is designed as a safe, accessible and stigma-free environment where students can pause, speak openly, seek assistance, access information and connect with appropriate support, without fear of judgement or stigma.

Letsike described the initiative as a practical intervention to help students access support for mental health, gender-based violence (GBV), HIV, and other psychosocial challenges.

“The Comfort Room may appear, at first, to be a physical space. But its meaning is much larger than the walls that contain it,” Letsike said.

Letsike said young people often carry personal challenges into institutions of learning, including mental health difficulties, GBV, HIV-related stigma, discrimination, social isolation, financial anxiety, and other psychosocial vulnerabilities.

“A student does not stop being a young woman when she enters a lecture hall. A student does not stop being queer when they register for a qualification. A student living with HIV does not leave stigma at the campus gate.”

She said access to education should mean more than simply entering an institution.

“It must also mean the ability to remain there, to feel safe there, to belong there, to complete a qualification, to transition into the world of work and ultimately to live with dignity,” she said.

Comfort Room offering

The Comfort Room builds on Higher Health’s established peer-to-peer and peer education model, recognising that young people are often more willing to speak to people they trust and with whom they can relate.

The space can support initiatives including Survivor Clubs, which provide peer support, solidarity and pathways to professional assistance for survivors of GBV.

It can also host Transforming Mentalities Clubs, providing space for reflection, accountability and behavioural change, as well as peer forums for young people living with HIV aimed at reducing stigma, improving treatment literacy, and promoting psychosocial wellbeing.

Other support includes mental health and wellbeing conversations, self-risk assessments, counselling referrals and peer-led assistance. The Comfort Room can also facilitate civic and soft-skills learning covering GBV, mental health, HIV, resilience, relationships, and emotional intelligence.

Getting help

Higher Health is the national agency responsible for providing holistic health and wellbeing support to students across South Africa’s post-school education and training sector.

Letsike said the initiative is particularly important in addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), noting that interventions should not only focus on responding to violence after it occurs, but also on prevention, early identification, survivor support and changing harmful social norms.

According to Higher Health, approximately 394,216 students have completed GBV self-risk assessments over the past four years, with more than 20,000 subsequently seeking psychosocial assistance or requesting support.

In mental health, more than 457,000 self-risk assessments have been completed, with approximately 188,651 young people identified as needing or actively seeking psychosocial support.

“Behind every one of those numbers is a human being. Perhaps the most important achievement is not simply that someone received a service. It is that somebody was finally able to say: I need help. Because stigma survives in silence,” Letsike said.

Safety and shaping society

She also stressed that the Comfort Room must remain genuinely inclusive and safe for all students, including lesbian, transgender and HIV-positive students, as well as students with disabilities.

“Safety cannot be majoritarian. If a space is safe only for those whose identities are socially comfortable, then it is not yet a safe space.”

Letsike also linked student wellbeing to broader questions of democracy, human rights and citizenship, urging young people to participate actively in shaping society.

She said citizenship extended beyond voting to include standing against discrimination, supporting peers experiencing mental health challenges, challenging HIV stigma, advocating for accessibility, and holding institutions and leaders accountable.

“The measure of today’s success will not be the ribbon we cut. It will be what happens tomorrow when a student walks through that door. Do they find judgement, or dignity? Do they find bureaucracy, or assistance? Do they find silence, or somebody prepared to listen?” Letsike said.

She said the ambition should be to expand the Comfort Room model across universities, TVET colleges and Community Education and Training colleges throughout the country.

“One successful Comfort Room is an important beginning. But a higher education system in which every young person knows that there is a safe door they can walk through is something much greater.

“It is institutional culture. It is social justice. And, in one small but powerful room, it is the promise of our Constitution becoming real,” Letsike said. – SAnews.gov.za 

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Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson says investigations into four building collapses, when considered together, point to recurring weaknesses across parts of the built-environment system.

“The principal problem identified by these investigations is inconsistent implementation, inadequate oversight, weak enforcement and non-compliance. At the same time, the reports identify areas in which the regulatory framework itself requires modernisation and strengthening,” the Minister said on Thursday, in Pretoria.

Macpherson was presenting the findings of investigations into four building and construction incidents that occurred in South Africa between December last year and March this year.

The investigations were commissioned against the backdrop of a deeply concerning period for building safety in the country.

The investigations followed serious incidents at Redcliffe in Verulam, eThekwini; Doornkop in Soweto; Ormonde in Johannesburg; and the Magnolia Development in Sea Point, Cape Town.

Across the four incidents, 17 people died, and 24 were injured.

“The second major finding is that significant unlawful construction can remain outside the formal regulatory system for far too long. Redcliffe and Ormonde are the clearest examples.

“In both cases, substantial construction had progressed without prior building approval. The investigations also raise concerns about the wider practice of construction proceeding first and approval being sought afterwards. That is unacceptable,” the Minister said.

He stressed that building approval is not unnecessary red tape.

 “It is a public-safety control. The purpose of obtaining approval before construction is precisely to allow the relevant authority to consider whether what is proposed complies with the law before people are exposed to risk.

“A system in which substantial construction can proceed and only afterwards be regularised fundamentally weakens that protection,” Macpherson said.

The third finding concerns what happens after approval has been granted and construction has commenced.

“The reports identify an excessive regulatory focus on the initial building-plan approval stage. Building control cannot stop when a plan receives a stamp. Authorities need visibility over what happens during construction. They need to know when construction has commenced,” the Minister said.

The fourth finding relates to municipal capacity and capability.

“The investigations raise concerns about shortages of suitably qualified building-control personnel, limited inspection capacity and the ability of municipalities to identify construction which has never entered the approval system,” he said.

Macpherson cautioned against generalising across all municipalities, saying the findings show materially different circumstances among the municipalities involved.

“The reports therefore recommend that the affected municipalities assess and strengthen their building-control capacity and enforcement systems,” the Minister said.

The fifth major issue is professional competence and accountability.

“The investigations raise concerns about inadequate supervision, failures to discharge statutory responsibilities and weaknesses in verifying whether people accepting responsibility for specialised or high-risk work have the required competence.

“The sixth finding is that our regulators do not share enough information with one another. Lastly, the finding raised concerns about consequence management.

“Where owners, developers, contractors or professionals deliberately ignore statutory requirements, penalties must provide a real deterrent,” the Minister said.

The reports recommend strengthening sanctions for violations of planning and construction requirements.

“Taken together, these are not four isolated lessons. They reinforce weaknesses that Government has now seen emerge across successive structural incidents.

“One of the important recommendations emerging from these investigations is that Government needs to become better at detecting risk before a collapse occurs,” Macpherson said.

He added that repeated building collapses point to deeper structural issues that must be urgently reviewed in order to improve building safety and construction oversight.

“As we work to turn South Africa into a construction site, it is critical that we do so in an environment where building construction can be trusted and the loss of life avoided.

“Increasing the pace and scale of construction cannot come at the expense of safety. In fact, the more we build, the more important effective building control, competent professionals, proper construction management and strong enforcement become,” the Minister said. –SAnews.gov.za

 

 

 

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