MIL Africa Engine

Tourism is not only about visiting South Africa’s most beautiful places, but it is also an accelerator of job creation, bolsters the economy and reinvigorates villages, townships, small towns, heritage sites and national parks.

This according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who has touted the sector as one of the industries capable of attracting “investment, earn foreign revenue, strengthen localisation and create employment at scale”.

During the launch of Phase three of the Government-Business Partnership, the President urged both the public and private sector to “remove the barriers holding the sector back”.

“Tourism is one of the fastest ways to generate jobs across a wide range of skills. Every additional visitor supports employment in accommodation, transport, food services, entertainment, retail and the creative industries.

“We must improve air access, modernise visa processing, strengthen destination marketing, enhance tourist safety and expand investment in tourism infrastructure. We must ensure that the benefits of tourism extend beyond the established destinations to our villages, townships, small towns, heritage sites and national parks,” President Ramaphosa said.

The raw numbers back up the President’s stance.

In July alone, some 991 696 international tourists came to South African shores – a 12.5% growth from July 2025.

“Cumulatively, this growth brings total international tourist arrivals between January 2026 and July 2026 to 6 576 169, representing growth of 12.4% compared to the same period last year.

“During this period, arrivals from Africa increased by 14.3% year-on-year while overseas arrivals grew by 5.7%,” the Tourism department said in a statement.

Meanwhile, statistics indicate that in 2024 the sector sustained some 954 000 direct jobs and contributed 4.9% to GDP – in an era marked by slow economic growth.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille added: “The data reveals that the growth is becoming geographically diversified, which has been one of our strategic priorities.

“Together with the private sector and stakeholders we’ll continue to build on this momentum through the recently launched digital visa, the Electronic Travel Authorisation [ETA] system”.

On the ETA system, Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, described the new system as revolutionary for South Africa’s immigration and tourism management.

The system was officially launched at the OR Tambo International Airport in a ceremony led by President Ramaphosa.

The system combines advanced biometric verification with automated risk analysis, delivering both enhanced security and faster processing for legitimate travellers.

“[The] ETA represents a quantum leap forward for our country’s immigration system, both by unlocking economic growth through tourism, investment and legitimate travel, and by landing a decisive blow against visa fraud and illegal immigration,” Schreiber declared.

The system uses automated risk analysis to identify indicators of fraud at a “speed and scale no human could achieve”

“If the application is approved, the traveller will receive their ETA within 24 hours, which they can then store directly in the digital wallet on their smart phone.

“Once an approved traveller arrives at the immigration counter, they are again required to look into a camera, where biometric verification enables us to confirm that the person standing at our border is the same person who received authorisation to travel to our country.

“In other words: the face of the traveller becomes the key that determines whether they may enter, rather than physical documents that can be manipulated,” the Minister explained.

Tourists and travellers arriving at OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka International Airport, and Lanseria International Airport have access to the system.

Land and seaports over the coming months to roll out facial recognition 

Facial recognition and EMCS 2.0 will, over the coming months, also be rolled out at all land and seaports.

Work also continues to “expand the platform also to process more complex visa categories, including study visas, spousal visas, and work visas”.

“By the time this work is complete, South Africa will have one of the most sophisticated, efficient and secure digital visa and entry/exit systems anywhere in the world.

“[The] ETA is the embodiment of our commitment to the vision of turning South Africa into a world leader in smart and secure migration management and digital government,” Schreiber said. – SAnews.gov.za

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By Nomonde Mnukwa 

“An unjust law is no law at all,” this is a famous maxim attributed to St. Augustine; one of the most influential philosophers in history. It was also repeated by a well-known civil rights movement leader and activist Martin Luther King Jr who even took it further to say people have a moral responsibility to non-violently disobey unjust laws as they go against human dignity and fairness.

These words ring true to the events of 9 August 1956 where more than 20 000 women publicly declared that they would not be treated like slaves in the country of their birth. Those brave women who gathered peacefully on that day were protesting unjust pass laws that restricted the movement of Black people and dictated where they could work and live.

This year South Africa marks 70 years since the 1956 historic march to the Union Buildings, which was the seat of the apartheid government. The march was one of the largest in the country and it brought together women from different backgrounds and races to fight against pass laws.

That famous march led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, together with the continued pressure that followed, forced the apartheid government to repeal the pass laws through the Abolition of Influx Control Act in 1986. The repeal of this law and many others that followed marked the beginning of the collapse of the apartheid government and helped pave the way for the new democratic dispensation in 1994.

The dawn of democracy further set in motion a deliberate effort to repeal discriminatory laws and replace them with laws that promote equality, dignity, and human rights. Among the important achievements of democratic South Africa has been the development of laws and policies intended to protect women, advance their rights and increase their participation in society. In 1995, for instance, South Africa ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The country has also aligned itself with important African and regional commitments, including the African Union’s Maputo Protocol and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, both which seek to promote and protect the rights of women.

As a signatory and active participant in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, South Africa provides progress reports to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women through the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. Last year, South Africa took part in the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, reinforcing our commitment to gender equality.  

To monitor and promote the implementation of laws and policies on women’s rights and empowerment, government established the Commission for Gender Equality in 1996. This institution continues to advocate, educate and hold society accountable on gender equality. Parliament has also passed important laws to protect women from discrimination and violence, including the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000, the Domestic Violence Act of 1998 and the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996.

The Sexual Offences Act of 1957, as well as other laws such as the Marriage Act of 1961 and the Divorce Act of 1979 were also amended to provide women with greater protection against violence and exploitation. This includes the Tax Act of 1962 which treated women unfairly before 1994. Through this Act, married women were often taxed more than married men and were placed in different tax categories. They also received smaller tax rebates and had fewer benefits when it came to retirement savings and supporting dependants.

As government we also understood that gender equality is incomplete without the full participation of women in the economy of this country.  To realise this, government passed the Employment Equity Act of 1998, Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 and the Labour Relations Act of 1995.

All these changes were made possible through the cooperation of the three branches of government, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. By working together, these branches have helped protect the rights of people as set out in the Bill of Rights.

As we commemorate the 70th anniversary, we are encouraged that most of the demands of the women who marched in 1956 have come to fruition and have been incorporated or given effect through the Constitution and other legislation. Many of the basic rights we continue to enjoy were denied to the majority of the people of this country and we will continue to address the historic injustices against women which we inherited in 1994.

*Mnukwa is the Acting Director-General of the Government Communication and Information System  

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Leonard Lekgetho as head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) with effect from today. 

In a statement on Monday evening, The Presidency said President Ramaphosa made this appointment in terms of section 3(1)(a) of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act of 1996 (SIU Act),

Lekgetho succeeds Adv Andy Mothibi who exited his position as Head of the SIU on 1 February 2026, to become the National Director of Public Prosecutions.

 “Lekgetho was subsequently appointed to act as head of the SIU. He has now been appointed as permanent Head to secure the stability of the Unit and its ongoing impact in the fight against crime,” the Presidency said. 

 The Special Investigating Unit is an independent statutory body established in terms of the SIU Act.

 The primary mandate of the SIU is to investigate serious allegations of corruption, malpractice and maladministration in the administration of State institutions, State assets and public money as well as any conduct which may seriously harm the interests of the public, and to recover any financial losses suffered by State institutions through civil ligation.

 The SIU is empowered to take civil action to correct any wrongdoing it uncovers in its investigations.

Lekgetho’s experience spans 19 years from 2007 to the present in the SIU, during which he served in diverse portfolios, from investigation to his current portfolio of Chief Operations Officer. He also served as an investigator in the former Directorate of Special Operations.

 The new Head of the SIU holds degrees in law, education and science; a diploma in forensic auditing and a post-graduate diploma in cyber law.

 “President Ramaphosa wishes Mr Lekgetho and the leadership and staff of the SIU well as Mr Lekgetho assumes leadership of an agency that is a critical component of the criminal justice architecture against crime and corruption,” the Presidency said. – SAnews.gov.za 

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed Volkswagen Group Africa’s R4 billion investment linked to the introduction of the new Volkswagen Tengo, describing it as a vote of confidence in South Africa’s manufacturing capabilities, workers and investment environment.

President Ramaphosa was speaking at Volkswagen Group Africa’s 75th anniversary celebration at the company’s Kariega plant in the Eastern Cape on Monday evening.

The investment will support the introduction of the Tengo, which will become the third model manufactured at the Kariega plant, alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo.

“We are greatly encouraged by Volkswagen’s continued investment in our country. We particularly welcome the R4 billion investment associated with the introduction of the new Volkswagen Tengo.

“It is a vote of confidence in our workers. It is a vote of confidence in our manufacturing capability. And it is a vote of confidence in South Africa as an investment destination,” President Ramaphosa said. 

The President said the investment should not be taken for granted, particularly in an intensely competitive global environment.

He said South Africa must continue demonstrating that it has the capabilities, skills and policy environment required to attract and retain major investments.

Automotive sector vital to economy 

President Ramaphosa highlighted the importance of the automotive sector to South Africa’s economy, noting that it supports more than 115 000 direct manufacturing jobs and more than half a million jobs across the automotive value chain.

The industry accounts for just over 5% of gross domestic product and reaches 155 export destinations.

“Vehicles manufactured by our plants reach markets across Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Africa and many other parts of the world. 

“The automotive industry is therefore vital to our efforts to grow the economy, expand exports, attract investment and create jobs,” he said.

Volkswagen has produced close to five million vehicles at the Kariega plant since the first Beetle rolled off the production line in what was then Uitenhage on 31 August 1951.

The President said the plant is the oldest Volkswagen manufacturing facility outside Europe and the only plant in the world manufacturing the Volkswagen Polo and exporting it to Europe and the Asia-Pacific. 

Last year, more than 156 000 vehicles were produced at Kariega, with almost 120 000 exported to international markets.

Focus on new-energy vehicles

President Ramaphosa said the automotive industry was undergoing profound change as manufacturers transition towards battery electric vehicles, hybrids and other new-energy technologies.

For South Africa, he said, this presented both a challenge and a significant opportunity.

“We have an established automotive manufacturing base. We have skilled workers. And we have significant reserves of many of the critical minerals required for the technologies of the future. We must build on these strengths,” he said.

Government is working to create a stable, predictable and supportive policy environment that enables automotive companies to invest, localise and grow.

President Ramaphosa said government is reviewing the South African Automotive Masterplan and the automotive policy framework to ensure that they respond to changing conditions in the industry.

“Detailed discussions are underway among all partners, including the industry, unions and government, to develop a common programme to grow and sustain the automotive sector in South Africa. We are committed to concluding this work as a priority,” the President said.  

He said the country needs a sustainable plan that addresses constraints, unlocks opportunities, builds skills, creates policy certainty and enhances South Africa’s competitiveness as an investment destination.

Growing local value

The President said government’s objective is to increase vehicle production in South Africa, ensure more vehicles sold locally are manufactured domestically and create more jobs and opportunities. 

He also called for greater participation by black industrialists in the automotive value chain and for South African companies to develop capabilities in batteries, electronics and other technologies that will shape future vehicles.

“We must not only assemble the vehicles of the future. We must increasingly manufacture the components, process the materials and develop the skills and technologies that go into them,” he said.

President Ramaphosa also pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area as an opportunity to build larger markets, develop regional value chains and expand automotive manufacturing across the continent. 

“And we want South Africa to remain an important manufacturing base for vehicles made for South Africa, for Africa and for the world,” he said.

Investment in communities

The President also welcomed Volkswagen’s investment of more than R800 million in social investment in communities around the Kariega plant.

He highlighted the establishment of the LEAP 9 Maths and Science School in KwaNobuhle and Volkswagen’s work with the Department of Basic Education on early childhood development and mathematics and science competencies.

The company also invests R40 million annually in the Youth Employment Service, which gives unemployed young people their first experience of work.

“These investments remind us that the future of advanced manufacturing begins long before a young person enters a factory.

“It begins in our schools, in the teaching of mathematics and science, and in giving young South Africans the skills and confidence to participate in the economy of the future,” President Ramaphosa said.

He commended Volkswagen for its contribution to skills development, supplier development and community investment.

75 years of partnership 

Reflecting on Volkswagen’s 75-year presence in South Africa, President Ramaphosa said the company had become part of the country’s social and economic fabric.

He noted that during apartheid, Volkswagen was the first company in the automotive industry to recognise black trade unions and employ black artisans.

“Tonight we celebrate this proud history. We celebrate generations of Volkswagen employees who have built this company. We celebrate the suppliers, dealers, organised labour and communities that have been part of this journey,” he said. 

President Ramaphosa called for stronger partnership between government, business and labour as the global automotive industry transitions towards new-energy vehicles.

“And as the global industry transitions towards new-energy vehicles, we want South Africa to be part of Volkswagen’s future technology and manufacturing strategy,” he said.

He said investment decisions being made today would determine where vehicles of the next decade are manufactured.

“Much has changed since then. The vehicles have changed. The technologies have changed. The markets have changed. And the world has changed. But what has endured is the partnership between Volkswagen and South Africa.

“We thank the Volkswagen Group for its continued confidence in our country. And we look forward to the next chapter of this relationship,” he said.

President Ramaphosa concluded by thanking Volkswagen for its 75 years of investment in South Africa.

“Let us work together to build people’s cars in this country for many years to come,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has warned that Southern Africa cannot achieve meaningful industrialisation if it continues exporting raw materials, while importing the knowledge, technology and finished products that capture the greatest value.

Speaking at the SADC Vice Chancellors’ Meeting at Wits Business School in Johannesburg on Monday, Manamela said universities across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have a critical role to play in building the knowledge and human capabilities required to drive regional industrialisation, innovation and economic transformation.

“A region cannot industrialise on borrowed knowledge,” Manamela said, warning that SADC countries risked remaining consumers of technologies and knowledge developed elsewhere while exporting raw materials.

He said the industrialisation agenda adopted by SADC Heads of State and Government requires the region to strengthen its own capacity in engineering, science, technology, research and innovation.

“Human capability is part of that infrastructure.”

Manamela said infrastructure such as roads, railways, ports, energy systems and digital networks do not design or transform themselves, but require engineers, scientists, technicians, academics, entrepreneurs, health professionals, teachers, public servants and artisans.

“They require institutions capable not only of transmitting knowledge, but of producing the knowledge that allows the region to make its own choices. Universities are therefore not observers of regional integration. They are part of its infrastructure,” Manamela said.

The Minister said regional integration remains incomplete while students, academics and qualifications continue to face barriers when crossing borders.

He pointed to challenges around credit transfers, recognition of qualifications, researcher mobility and the ability of employers to compare qualifications and skills across SADC countries.

“Our systems of learning remain more fragmented than the lives they are meant to serve.,” the Minister said.

Manamela stressed that the SADC Protocol on Education and Training, including the SADC Qualifications Framework, and the proposed Higher Education Strategy are important foundations. However, he said a framework that cannot change the experience of a student, scholar or employer remains an aspiration.

He said the strategy must identify areas where SADC countries can build capabilities collectively, avoid unnecessary duplication between institutions, and align research with regional industrial value chains.

“By the time SADC Ministers responsible for Education and Training, Science, Technology and Innovation meet in South Africa in June 2027, we should report more than completed documents. We should point to programmes begun, students and academics who have moved, data being shared and research missions producing results,” Manamela said.

University of transformation

Manamela also supported the proposed SADC University of Transformation but said it does not need to become another conventional university with headquarters, a new bureaucracy and programmes that duplicate existing institutions.

“The University of Transformation should be a network of regional capability. It should connect universities, Centres of Excellence, TVET institutions, research councils, industry and development partners through shared doctoral schools, research chairs, digital programmes, laboratories, mobility and workplace learning.

“A student could be registered at one institution, access specialist teaching through another, use shared cyberinfrastructure, participate in a regional research project and undertake an industry placement elsewhere in SADC. That is a more intelligent use of regional strength,” the Minister said.

The Minister added that the university credibility will depend on a clear mandate, sound governance, academic quality, sustainable financing and visible early programmes.

A key focus should be critical-minerals beneficiation, food and water security, climate resilience, energy transition, public health, digital capability and infrastructure, he said.

Manamela also called for greater investment in regional computing capability, trusted datasets, African-language technologies, cybersecurity, scientific infrastructure and intellectual property as artificial intelligence reshapes economies.

“If our universities do not build regional computing capability, trusted datasets, African-language technologies, cybersecurity, scientific infrastructure and intellectual property, we will rent intelligence from others while surrendering value created from our own societies. This is not an argument for isolation [but] an argument for the capacity to participate in the world on more equal terms,” Manamela said.

Manamela also called for an increased participation of women in science, engineering and technology, saying the region cannot not afford to exclude half of its intellectual potential.

He identified five immediate priorities for the meeting, including agreeing on implementation priorities for the SADC Higher Education Strategy; establishing a network model for the University of Transformation; improving qualifications recognition, credit transfers and academic mobility; agreeing on a regional higher education data system; and launching flagship research and skills programmes linked to SADC’s industrialisation priorities. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) Deputy Minister John Steenhuisen is taking South Africa’s trade and investment agenda to Europe, with a working visit to Czechia, Poland and Germany from 31 August to 10 September 2026, aimed at strengthening bilateral economic relations and opening new opportunities for South African businesses.

The visit will focus on expanding trade, attracting investment and deepening industrial cooperation with three important European partners.

In Czechia, Steenhuisen will chair the sixth session of the South Africa-Czechia Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation (JCEC), while also meeting with businesses to advance the dtic’s investment attraction and export diversification mandate.

Czechia was South Africa’s ninth-largest trading partner within the European Union in 2025, with bilateral trade reaching US$1.1 billion.

Czech investment in South Africa is also growing, particularly in renewable energy, electronic components, boat building, textiles, communication, hospitality and services.

At the same time, several South African companies have established a presence in Czechia across sectors including food and beverages, paper, printing and packaging, financial services, plastics, transportation and warehousing, as well as software and information technology (IT) services.

Steenhuisen’s engagements will seek to further diversify and grow South African exports to the Central European market, while identifying opportunities for industrial cooperation and attracting Czech investment into productive sectors such as renewable energy, defence, critical mineral beneficiation, chemicals, advanced manufacturing, rail and electric vehicles (EVs).

The visit will also provide an opportunity to advance discussions under the Southern African Development Community-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (SADC-EU EPA) and promote Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP) projects to facilitate inward investment.

Deepening ties with Poland

In Poland, Steenhuisen will co-chair the inaugural session of the South Africa-Poland Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation with his Polish counterpart, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technology Michał Baranowski.

His programme will include government-to-government engagements, a South Africa-Poland Business Roundtable and industry site visits.

Poland is an important economic partner for South Africa within the EU, with bilateral trade increasing by 7% from US$1.5 billion in 2024 to US$1.6 billion in 2025. Poland is South Africa’s seventh-largest trading partner within the EU.

While Poland’s foreign direct investment footprint in South Africa remains modest, its investments span sectors such as electronic components, software and IT services, and consumer products.

South African companies are also investing in Poland in areas including real estate, software and IT services, consumer electronics, transportation and warehousing, paper, printing and packaging, textiles and business services.

The engagements in Poland are expected to support efforts to increase and diversify South African exports, attract Polish investment into productive sectors such as renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and automotive, and advance discussions under the SADC-EU EPA.

The visit will also explore potential industrial cooperation in green manufacturing, mineral processing, robotics and industrial automation, tooling and precision engineering, as well as research and development.

Strengthening the Germany partnership

From Poland, Steenhuisen will travel to Munich and Frankfurt in Germany for the final leg of his working visit.

In Munich, he will meet Bavarian Secretary of State for the Ministry of Economic Affairs Tobias Gotthardt, engage with key investors in South Africa, including BMW and Siemens, and undertake an industrial site visit to UnternehmerTUM.

In Frankfurt, the Deputy Minister will participate in a roundtable with the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce, undertake industrial site visits and visit the South African National Pavilion at the Automechanika exhibition, where the dtic has supported several South African companies to showcase their products.

Germany remains a critical economic partner for South Africa. Based on 2025 trade data, Germany is South Africa’s third-largest trading partner globally, after China and the United States, and its largest trading partner within the EU.

Bilateral trade between South Africa and Germany expanded by approximately 14%, from US$14.3 billion in 2024 to US$16.5 billion in 2025.

Germany also continues to play an important role in supporting South Africa’s industrial development through partnerships between the dtic and the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

These include the Global Eco Industrial Parks Partnership (GEIPP), which seeks to harness resource efficiency for energy and water projects in industrial parks and special economic zones, and the Partnering in Business with Germany programme, which provides capacity building, mentorship and international exposure to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Through engagements across Czechia, Poland and Germany, the working visit is expected to strengthen South Africa’s economic partnerships in Europe while creating opportunities to expand exports, attract investment and support industrial development. – SAnews.gov.za

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