MIL Africa Engine

Source: Government of South Africa

In a move to ensure that the country’s rail passenger trips target of 600 million by 2030 is achieved, government has released a series of Requests for Information (RFI) for ideas and investment from the private sector to modernise and grow South Africa’s rail system.

“Participation in the RFI process will assist the organisation to gather information, innovative ideas, and solutions which will guide future Requests for Proposals for private sector investment in the passenger rail sector,” Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy said on Sunday in Pretoria.

The request covers a range of different areas, including fare collection systems; depot management; utilisation and the commercialisation of the Passenger Rail Agency of South African (PRASA) fibre network to enhance digital connectivity.

It also includes operational resilience within the rail sector and beyond, as well as insights and innovative ideas for a new era of long distance regional rapid transit.

By the end of May 2025, PRASA had successfully commissioned 35 out of 40 passenger corridors and had achieved an annual audited figure of 77 million passenger journeys.

“To continue on the recovery path, PRASA requires additional investment that cannot be carried by the fiscus alone. These RFIs are not tenders — they are an invitation for the market to help us design the future of rail. Together, we can rebuild confidence in public transport, open up investment opportunities, and connect South Africans to the growth we all deserve,” the Minister said during a media briefing.

As part of efforts to modernise the passenger rail system, South Africa is moving towards a single, tap-and-go ticket that you can use across trains, buses, and even taxis.

“No more queues or paper tickets — just one account-based system that makes travel easier and helps us manage revenue transparently and efficiently. The private sector has an important role to play to make this a reality.

“We’re partnering with the private sector to modernise our major maintenance depots at Braamfontein and Wolmerton. This will mean faster train repairs, better reliability, and new investment in nearby areas — creating jobs and boosting local development. It is for this reason that the private sector participation is of paramount given the magnitude of this project,” Creecy said.

PRASA is rolling out thousands of kilometres of fibre[1] optic cable as part of its new signalling system along the railway lines.

“We’re opening this door for private partners to help us turn that network into a source of income — by offering broadband and digital services — while strengthening safety and real-time communication across the rail system.

“We’re planning a new generation of regional trains — faster, safer, and more  frequent — connecting cities like Pretoria, Johannesburg, Polokwane, Musina, Mbombela and Durban using our existing network up to 120 kilometres per hour, building new 160 to 200 kilometres per hour regional lines, and testing the water for a new 300-kilometre-per-hour high-speed railway between Johannesburg and Durban,” she said.

These lines will shorten travel times, reduce travel costs, take pressure off the roads, and stimulate new development in towns along each route. 

“These regional projects are not possible without private sector partnership. Through this RFI, we’re inviting skilled private operators to lease and manage our new and old fleet under clear performance standards — keeping them safe, reliable, and on time.

“PRASA’s new blue trains, built at the Gibela factory in Nigel, are world-class. We also have older yellow trains that can be repurposed for new uses,” the Minister said.

At the same time, government is partnering with manufacturers to position South Africa as Africa’s leading train builder — creating jobs, boosting local manufacturing, and turning the country into a regional export hub, in line with the African Union’s 2015 resolution.

“The rail and port freight RFI process is part of our broader Freight Logistics Roadmap, which seeks to restore efficiency, reliability, and competitiveness in the movement of goods across our economy.

“It also reflects the government’s commitment to implementing the National Rail Policy (2022), the National Ports Policy, and the Private Sector Participation Framework (2023), all of which recognise the critical role of partnerships with the private sector in revitalising our transport infrastructure,” Creecy said.

Both policies maintain public ownership of the rail and port network while promoting private sector investment to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

“The RFI process is a critical step in this private sector participation journey and reflects the government’s acknowledgement of the importance of considering the rail passenger and freight logistics landscape from the perspectives of all interested and affected parties to develop effective and sustainable solutions,” the Minister said.

The RFI must be completed online, and the portal will remain open from 26 October 2025 to 15 December 2025.

The portal can be accessed on the Department of Transport and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) websites or directly at www.psp-rfi.co.za.

The Passenger Rail RFI will remain open for a period of eight weeks. –SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

During the current financial year, Eskom has ensured a consistent electricity supply for over 98% of the time due to the ongoing technical improvements achieved under the power utility’s Generation Recovery Plan.

As a result of this work, the power system continues to be stable, resilient and reliable with the plan yielding sustained grid stability and on-going efficiencies.

The country has gone 161 consecutive days without loadshedding, with only 26 hours recorded between 1 April and 23 October 2025.

“Generation performance has improved significantly, with the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) having reached 70% and surpassing this level more than 24 times since August 2025.

“From 1 to 23 October 2025, the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF)—which measures the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages—reduced to 22.85%, reflecting a 2.81% improvement compared to 25.66% during the same period last year,” Eskom said on Friday.

The Planned Capacity Loss Factor (PCLF), which accounts for planned maintenance, increased to 12.55%, up from 12.51% recorded the previous year. 

The increased planned maintenance is aligned with Eskom’s maintenance schedule and ongoing efforts to improve and maintain plant reliability and operational consistency.

During the period between 10 and 23 October 2025, Eskom recorded an average of 9 954MW in unplanned outages—an improvement from 11 155MW during the same period last year. 

“This year-on-year reduction of 1 201MW in breakdowns reflects the growing reliability and resilience of the generation fleet.

“From 1 to 23 October 2025, the EAF stood at 64.28%, an improvement from the 61.44% recorded during the same period last year. This shows an improvement of 2.84% because of reduced unplanned outages and additional generation capacity,” the power utility said.

From 1 April to 23 October 2025, diesel expenditure remained consistently below budget, reflecting reduced reliance on the country’s diesel-powered Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) fleet, with the year-to-date load factor further decreasing to 6.06%. 

According to Eskom, this trend highlights ongoing efficiency improvements, a significant reduction in dependence on diesel generation, and a sustained shift toward more cost-effective primary generation sources.

To further strengthen grid stability, Eskom is planning to return a total of 1 715MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 27 October 2025, and throughout the coming week.

Eskom published the Summer Outlook on 5 September 2025, covering the period 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026, which forecasts no loadshedding due to the structural progress in plant performance as a result of the ongoing implementation of the Generation Recovery Plan. –SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter, has welcomed the decision by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to delist South Africa from its grey list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring. 

“This is a significant moment for our country and a testament to the whole of government approach and its institutions to restore the integrity of our financial system,” the Commissioner said on Friday.

The decision to delist South Africa was taken at the conclusion of meetings of the FATF Plenary, which took place over 22-24 October 2025 in Paris, France.

“While the FATF’s initial grey-listing in February 2023 was a consequence of systemic weaknesses aggravated during the era of state capture, SARS is acutely aware that it, along with other key institutions, was impacted and must continue to play a crucial role in preventing any future regression.

“We recognise that removing the designation of grey listing is not a finish line but a milestone on a long-term journey toward building a robust and resilient financial ecosystem,” he said.

The FATF is an intergovernmental organisation and finance watchdog that was established to combat money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing, as well as other threats to the integrity of the international financial system. 

It sets global standards for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, promotes the effective implementation of these standards, and conducts mutual evaluations of member countries to assess their compliance with the FATF Recommendations.

“This delisting is a vote of confidence in South Africa’s progress, but it is not an end to our vigilance. The fight against financial crime and corruption is a continuous one. 

“SARS remains committed to upholding the highest standards of financial integrity and, as we approach the new round of FATF review commencing in the latter part of 2026, SARS will work relentlessly to ensure that we do what is required to combat the illicit economy. 

“By doing so, we will not only maintain our standing with FATF but, more importantly, continue to build public trust and confidence in our financial system, and create a stronger, more prosperous South Africa for all,” Kieswetter said.

SARS supported the national efforts to meet the 22 action items required by the FATF. 

These efforts include the following areas: 

• In partnership with other law enforcement agencies, SARS has strengthened its financial intelligence-gathering capabilities and increased investigations and asset preservation/recovery in relation to tax and customs crime matters involving complex money laundering and terror financing schemes.
• SARS has introduced beneficial ownership reporting obligations for legal persons and trusts as well as collaborated closely with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and the Master of the High Court (MOHC) to improve access to accurate and up-to-date beneficial ownership information for legal persons and trust.
• The Tax Administration Act was amended in 2023 to enable information exchange with CIPC, MOHC and the Department of Social Development (DSD) further supporting the national beneficial ownership information framework.
• The development and piloting of a digital traveller declaration system for cash and bearer negotiable instruments (BNIs) on entry and exit at all borders. This system enables the sharing of information with the FIC and is expected to become mandatory by the end of 2025.
• SARS provided training to its officials as well as other law enforcement officials on money laundering, beneficial ownership, legal gateways for information exchange and the application of mutual legal assistance.

SARS’s focus will now shift to embedding these improvements permanently and sustainably into its operations. This means continuing to:

• Make it clear and easy for taxpayers to comply with their obligations to pay tax.
• Enforce tax and customs laws decisively and fairly without fear, favour, or bias.
• Cooperate effectively with domestic and international partners in combatting the illicit economy.
• Utilise sophisticated data and business intelligence to understand and counter illicit financial flows. –SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

South Africa has officially exited the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist after successfully implementing key reforms to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

The decision to delist South Africa was taken at the conclusion of meetings of the FATF Plenary that took place over 22-24 October 2025 in Paris, France.

After South Africa was listed on the FATF greylist in February 2023, government worked tirelessly to address all the deficiencies that were identified by the FATF and which were reflected in the 22 Action Items in the Action Plan agreed between South Africa and the FATF.

The FATF is an intergovernmental organisation and finance watchdog that was established to combat money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing, as well as other threats to the integrity of the international financial system. 

It sets global standards for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, promotes the effective implementation of these standards, and conducts mutual evaluations of member countries to assess their compliance with the FATF Recommendations.

“Over the past 32 months, South Africa has engaged with a team of reviewers assigned by the FATF to assess progress against the Action Plan. This culminated in an on-site visit at the end of July 2025, when the assessors came to the country to confirm the sustainability of the reforms that had been reported to them,” National Treasury said on Friday.

This concluded with a meeting with Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr David Masondo, and Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Andries Nel, who assured the FATF of the South African Government’s political commitment to continue to sustainably improving the country’s Anti-Money Laundering and the Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) system.

“South Africa’s progress in addressing the AML/CFT deficiencies and exiting the FATF greylist represents a major policy and institutional achievement for the people of South Africa, particularly following the weakening of key law enforcement and other institutions during the state capture era. 

“However, while exiting the greylist is an important milestone and a demonstration of South Africa’s commitment to rebuilding the rule of law, it is only start of a broader process to continue to strengthen key institutions, improve enforcement and governance processes, and ensure that such improvements are sustainable and that our systems become increasingly effective in combating money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing. 

“Neither government agencies nor regulated entities in the private sector can afford to become complacent and stop improving. Instead, through public-private collaboration, they must continue to strengthen the AML/CFT system,” National Treasury emphasised.

The FATF requires countries that have exited the greylist to demonstrate continued commitment through measurable outcomes, including successful investigations, prosecutions, and sanctions as they relate to AML/CFT.

These actions will form the basis of the next FATF Mutual Evaluation for South Africa, which is expected to commence in the first half of 2026 and conclude in October 2027.

“To prevent being placed back on the greylist, it is important that systems of monitoring and enforcement work more efficiently and effectively, and that there are no gaps, by the time of the Mutual Evaluation. Preparations, in this regard, have already begun and we remain confident that South Africa will be able to sustain the progress made,” National Treasury said.

The department has congratulated Nigeria, Mozambique and Burkina Faso, which were also delisted from the FATF greylist this week. –SAnews.gov.za