Category: MIL-OSI

In line with efforts to boost regional trade and financial integration, the Angolan kwanza has joined the Southern African Development Community real-time gross settlement (SADC-RTGS) system as a settlement currency.

This development was announced on Monday by South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor Lesetja Kganyago and Governor of the Banco Nacional de Angola Manuel Tiago Dias. 

“The kwanza’s inclusion supports regional payments modernisation efforts and aligns with the Group of Twenty’s (G20) cross-border payment goals of reducing costs, increasing speed and improving efficiency in cross-border transactions,” SARB said in a statement.

The Angolan kwanza is the second settlement currency to be introduced in the SADC-RTGS system, which has settled transactions exclusively in South African rand since its inception in 2013. 

The system has processed R250.7 billion worth of transactions per month since its introduction.  

 It is operated by the South African Reserve Bank, as appointed by the SADC Committee of Central Banks Governors.

There are currently 15 countries participating in the SADC-RTGS system.

“By enabling direct settlement in kwanza, participants transacting in the currency can reduce foreign exchange conversion requirements, helping to lower transaction costs for participants and their customers. 

“A more diverse set of settlement currencies in the system makes it easier for businesses and customers to transact across SADC countries in local currencies. 

“Faster settlement can also help businesses manage cash flow more efficiently and access funds more quickly when trading across the region,” SARB said.

The Reserve Bank said the intention is to onboard additional regional currencies, such as the Botswana pula, in due course. 

“By joining the SADC-RTGS system, a country can enable its currency to play a greater role in regional trade and finance, reduce reliance on foreign currencies and intermediaries, lower the cost of doing business across borders and strengthen its position within the evolving Southern African and African financial landscape,” SARB said.

The enablement of a multi-currency capability in the SADC-RTGS system is one of the strategic initiatives to strengthen regional financial integration, promote greater use of local and regional currencies in cross-border trade and reduce reliance on non-SADC currencies. –SAnews.gov.za

 

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National Treasury will release the remaining July 2026 equitable share allocation previously withheld from municipalities with a view of protecting communities from the “consequences of failures” by municipalities.

This according to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana who, together with Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, briefed the media on Tuesday.

“The decision follows the comprehensive assessment process undertaken, including the active monitoring of compliance by the affected municipalities after National Treasury temporarily withheld transfers in terms of section 216(2) of the Constitution, read with the applicable provisions of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (MFMA).

“I wish to make it clear that the decision to release the remaining transfers does not mean that the affected municipalities have satisfied the requirements of the MFMA, the Municipal Regulations on Financial Misconduct Procedures and Criminal Proceedings, or the requirements previously communicated in my letters addressed to the respective mayors and the press statement released by the department earlier this month,” he said.

Godongwana explained that National Treasury is releasing the funds to protect service delivery.

“National Treasury has decided to release funding… because we have withheld it for close to 30 days which ends on Monday, 3 August, and to avoid having an adverse short- to medium-term effect on the delivery of basic municipal services.

“The equitable share is an important source of funding for basic services, particularly services provided to poor households. National Treasury must therefore balance its constitutional responsibility to enforce financial management requirements; with the need to avoid communities carrying the immediate consequences of failures by municipal institutions and officials.

“The release must accordingly be understood as a conditional release, intended to protect basic service delivery while requiring affected municipalities to correct the serious weaknesses identified through the section 216(2) process,” he noted.

The next step

The move to withhold shares was taken after some municipalities continued to adopt unfunded budgets, accumulate Unauthorised, Irregular, Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure (UIFWE) and fail to meet statutory obligations to Eskom, water boards, SARS, the Auditor-General, and pension funds.

As of Tuesday, some 20 of the initial 69 affected municipalities have already received their full equitable share, 21 have received partial allocations and the remaining 28 have not received allocations to date.

As the allocations are released, Godongwana noted that Treasury will follow this up with:

• Letters to Premiers with strict conditions for consideration in withholding the December 2026 instalment of the Equitable Shares;
• Letters to both MECs for Finance and CoGTA with strict conditions for consideration in withholding the December 2026 instalment of the Equitable Shares; and
• A structured compliance programme will accompany the release. The first formal reporting deadline remains 30 September 2026, in accordance with my July 2026 letter.

Municipalities are also required to submit quarterly reports and supporting evidence. 

“They must also demonstrate achievement of the applicable UIFWE processing and reduction requirements. National Treasury will then require further measurable improvement during October and November 2026.

“By 31 October 2026, affected municipalities must demonstrate processing of matters outstanding as at 30 June 2026 through the required legal processes.

“By 30 November 2026, there should be a demonstrable increase in the number of matters as at 30 June 2026 that have progressed through the UIFWE reduction and disciplinary board processes to conclusion,” Godongwana highlighted.

Municipalities’ progress will be measured in reductions in UIFWE as well as the implementation of consequence management actions.

The National Treasury will “assess whether matters have moved through the required investigation, disciplinary, recovery and criminal processes”.

“National Treasury recognises that communities should not carry the immediate consequences of failures by municipal institutions. That consideration is central to the decision to release the remaining July 2026 transfers.

“National Treasury remains committed to support municipalities during this period on their road to compliance and to assist municipalities in avoiding another withholding of the equitable share,” Godongwana concluded.

The next tranches of the equitable shares are expected to be disbursed in December this year and March 2027. – SAnews.gov.za

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Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Prof Blade Nzimande, says mineral beneficiation must sit at the absolute centre of Africa’s economic conversation to move the continent beyond merely exporting raw materials.

Speaking during a panel discussion on critical minerals at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrialisation Week, currently underway at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC, Minister Nzimande outlined how strategic local processing can create regional value chains and sustainable economic growth.

Minister Nzimande opened his remarks by referencing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s keynote address at the 2026 Africa Energy Indaba.

He echoed the President’s assertion that Africa’s vast underground critical minerals are increasingly essential for global technological and energy sector applications.

“President Ramaphosa emphasised that the promise of Agenda 2063 relies not just on universal access to energy, but on productive access.

“This is access that empowers African economies to move beyond merely exporting raw materials and towards localised value addition,” Nzimande said.

The Minister stressed that critical minerals have become the bedrock of modern economic growth, industrial competitiveness, energy security and the global transition to clean technologies.

For the SADC region, he noted, the challenge is no longer about proving the existence of these resources, but actively leveraging them to unlock widespread industrialisation.

Articulating the perspective of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the Minister highlighted that critical minerals are strategic enablers of future industries rather than ordinary commodities.

He reflected on two primary areas driving South Africa’s transition: the Hydrogen Economy and the Battery Economy.

He indicated that both sectors serve as central pillars of South Africa’s Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (2022–2032), which directly supports the nation’s just energy transition and inclusive economic growth.

To strengthen local capacity and unlock the high-value potential of these clean energy sectors, Minister Nzimande reminded delegates of the country’s long-standing institutional foundations.

This includes the government’s approval and deployment of the 15-year Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) strategy, launched in 2007, which established a strong foundation for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation continues to lead public-private partnership models aimed at bridging foundational scientific research with market-ready, practical manufacturing solutions across the SADC region. –SAnews.gov.za

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Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, has called on Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to move beyond exporting raw minerals and instead, build regional value chains that drive industrialisation, create jobs and strengthen Africa’s economic sovereignty.

Speaking during a panel discussion on critical minerals at the SADC Industrial Week in Durban on Monday, Nzimande said the region’s abundant mineral resources should become the foundation of future industries, rather than remaining commodities for export.

Referencing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s remarks at the 2026 Africa Energy Indaba, Nzimande said Africa’s vast reserves of critical minerals presented an opportunity to transform the continent’s economy.

“President Ramaphosa emphasised that the promise of Agenda 2063 relies not just on universal access to energy, but on productive access. This is access that empowers African economies to move beyond merely exporting raw materials and toward localised value addition,” he said. 

He said mineral beneficiation must become central to Africa’s development agenda.

“Therefore, mineral beneficiation must sit at the absolute centre of Africa’s economic conversation. Critical minerals are now the bedrock of economic growth, industrial competitiveness, energy security, and the global transition to clean technologies,” the minister said. 

For the SADC region, Nzimande said the challenge was no longer the availability of critical minerals but how Member States could use them to build stronger economies.

“For us in the SADC region, the question is no longer whether we possess these critical minerals. The real question is how we leverage them to build resilient regional value chains, unlock widespread industrialisation, and create sustainable prosperity for our people,” he said. 

Hydrogen and battery economy

Nzimande said the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) views critical minerals as strategic resources that underpin future industries, particularly the hydrogen and battery economies.

He said both sectors are central to South Africa’s Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (2022 – 2032) and support the country’s just energy transition and inclusive economic growth.

To strengthen South Africa’s hydrogen economy, he highlighted government’s approval of the 15-year Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) Research, Development and Innovation Strategy in 2007.

The strategy aims to develop local expertise, skills and high-value hydrogen fuel cell technologies.

Nzimande said the department had established three Centres of Competence focusing on catalysis, hydrogen production, storage and distribution, and systems integration and technology validation.

According to the Minister, the centres have developed platinum group metals-based catalysts, membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells and electrolysers, and metal hydride hydrogen storage technologies, strengthening South Africa’s position in the global hydrogen market.

He also highlighted the recent handover of a Mobile Hydrogen Refuelling Station developed in partnership with North-West University and Toyota South Africa Motors to support the decarbonisation of the transport sector.

In addition, Nzimande officially opened the Rapid Prototype Training and Testing Facility, established with North-West University and African Rainbow Minerals, to accelerate the development of water electrolysis technologies from laboratory research to industrial application.

Advancing battery innovation

Nzimande said the department is also investing in South Africa’s battery economy through lithium-ion battery development for energy storage and electric vehicles.

The focus, he said, includes developing value-added manganese precursor materials through the Energy Storage Research, Development and Innovation Flagship Programme to promote manufacturing, beneficiation, technology transfer and commercialisation.

He added that the department is working with the University of Limpopo and the Manganese Metal Company to develop battery-grade manganese sulphate from both manganese metal and manganese ore.

“These initiatives represent decisive steps toward strengthening South Africa’s green hydrogen and battery innovation ecosystems. They also support the industrialisation of locally developed, publicly funded intellectual property through strong collaboration among government, industry, and academia,” he said. 

Supporting government strategies

Nzimande stressed that the department’s work is aligned with broader government strategies, including the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy, South Africa’s Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy, and the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM).

As part of this effort, the department has approved funding to secure Africa’s first International Network of Wind Energy Measurement Institutes accreditation for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Subsonic Wind Tunnel Facilities.

Nzimande said the accreditation would address a significant gap in South Africa’s wind energy measurement infrastructure while reducing costs and delays for industry.

“It will also enable the CSIR to offer world-class wind speed sensor calibration services to the South African, SADC, and broader continental markets,” he said. 

Nzimande said strengthening renewable energy capabilities would provide the enabling environment needed for the growth of the hydrogen and battery industries, both of which depend on specialised skills and locally available critical minerals such as platinum group metals, lithium, cobalt and nickel.

Building regional value chains

Looking ahead, Nzimande said the department’s objective is to develop technologies, innovation capabilities and technical skills that enable South Africa and the wider SADC region to capture greater value from their mineral wealth.

“For SADC, this means a collective shift away from basic extraction toward integrated value chains in beneficiation, mineral processing, battery materials, hydrogen technologies, rare earth applications, and advanced manufacturing,” the minister said. 

He said the region should position itself as a producer of advanced materials and green technologies rather than remaining primarily an exporter of raw minerals.

“Our vision is clear: SADC must become a resilient producer of advanced materials, hydrogen technologies, battery components, and manufactured products.

“By combining our vast mineral wealth with targeted science, technology, innovation, investment, and regional cooperation, we can build resilient industrial economies, create quality jobs, secure a meaningful place in global green value chains, and more fundamentally, safeguard the economic sovereignty of the African continent,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

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The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has urged all road users to exercise extreme caution as snowfall, icy conditions and freezing temperatures are forecast to affect motorists travelling through the Eastern Cape highlands, the Drakensberg region of KwaZulu-Natal, and routes towards Lesotho, from Tuesday evening.

The RTMC said the anticipated weather conditions are expected to create hazardous driving conditions, particularly on mountain passes, high-altitude routes and major transport corridors.

Motorists are advised to avoid unnecessary travel in affected areas and to remain alert for possible road closures, reduced visibility and slippery road surfaces.

The RTMC warned motorists not to drive around road closure barriers or attempt to cross roads covered by snow or ice. 

“Such actions place motorists, passengers and emergency responders at unnecessary risk and may delay rescue and recovery operations.

“Freight operators and public transport operators are also encouraged to closely monitor weather conditions and review travel plans where severe weather may affect operations.

“The RTMC, working together with provincial and local traffic authorities, law enforcement agencies and emergency services, will continue to monitor the situation and provide timely updates on road conditions and traffic management interventions.”

The RTMC appeals to all motorists to observe the following road safety measures:

• Reduce speed and drive according to the prevailing weather and road conditions.
• Extend the following distance between vehicles to allow sufficient stopping time.
• Avoid sudden braking, harsh acceleration and sharp steering manoeuvres on icy or snow-covered roads.
• Switch on headlights to improve visibility, even during daylight hours.
• Ensure vehicles are roadworthy, with tyres, brakes, lights and windscreen wipers in good working condition.
• Carry essential emergency supplies, including warm clothing, blankets, drinking water, non-perishable food, a fully charged cellphone and a torch.
• Check weather forecasts and official traffic updates before embarking on a journey.
• Comply with the instructions of traffic law enforcement officers and emergency personnel at all times.

–SAnews.gov.za

 

 

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