Author: Agency
Gauteng Economic Development MEC, Lebogang Maile, says the province is aiming to secure at least R300 billion in investment pledges at the Gauteng Investment Conference (GIC), to be held in Johannesburg. The MEC was speaking during a media briefing on the state of readiness of the province to host the conference, to be held at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, in Sandton, on 3 April 2025. “Leaders across all tiers of government, including Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, Premier of Gauteng Premier Lesufi, and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, will provide inputs at the conference. The keynote address will…
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has announced that government will pursue private investment for the construction of transmission lines through the Independent Transmission Programme (ITP). The Minister made the announcement of the new programme during a media briefing, held in Pretoria, on Tuesday. During the briefing, Ramokgopa touted the pilot programme for the ITP which will pave the way to the construction of 1 164 kilometres (km) of new transmission lines, designed to support renewable energy projects. “Our renewable energy assets are not fully exploited as a result of the constraints on the transmission side. The Eskom…
Motorists will breathe a sigh of relief from Wednesday as fuel prices are set to come down. The fuel price adjustments – which will bring much needed financial relief to consumers – were announced by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, on Tuesday. The price adjustments for fuel, paraffin and gas are as follows: • Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP): 58 cent decrease. • Petrol 95 (ULP &LRP): 72 cent decrease. • Diesel (0.05% sulphur: 83 cent decrease. • Diesel (0.005% sulphur): 85 cent decrease. • Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale): 81 cent decrease. • Single Maximum National Retail Price for illuminating paraffin: R1.14 decrease. • Maximum LPGas…
The Department of Small Business Development has unveiled a digital platform to support spaza shops and other food-handling facilities as well as combat illegal businesses. The new digital platforms went live on Friday, 28 March 2025, following the announcement by Small Business Development Minister, Stella Ndabeni. DSBD Connect is a digital platform designed to geo-map and support spaza shops and other food-handling facilities, while addressing the proliferation of illegal businesses across South Africa The department said DSBD Connect will function as a comprehensive digital platform, offering: • A verified database of spaza shops and food-handling facilities in the country. • Robust business…
While many have been looking forward to the long weekend provided by Human Rights Day, its commemoration should not only provide an opportunity to connect with loved ones but should also inspire the nation to reflect on the gains the country has made. “What is important as we’re about to celebrate Human Rights Day is that we should be a proud nation and country given where we come from,” Deputy Director-General for Court Administration at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD), Lucky Mohalaba told SAnews, in a recent interview with the South African Government news agency. March 2025…
President Cyril Ramaphosa takes a “very strong dim view” of a proposed visit to the United States of America by the Cape Independence Advocacy Group to seek the Western Cape’s secession from South Africa. This according to Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya who addressed the media on Thursday morning. “Our constitutional democracy that we forged in 1994, created a singular, non-racial state that recognises and protects our unity in diversity. From Musina to Cape Town, we are one democratic society that should never be allowed to fall under the chasm of race divide. “There is no part of our beautiful land…
At least six people are expected to appear in court this week in connection with a fraud scheme at the Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga. According to Eskom, the six were arrested last week following a “coordinated intelligence-driven operation” and investigation. “[Six] individuals were arrested for their involvement in a fraudulent procurement scheme at Kusile Power Station. Among those apprehended are a former Kusile Procurement Officer and a Procurement Manager. “Investigations revealed that in 2018, a pump was unlawfully procured for R857 977, despite an identical pump with the same serial number having been purchased in 2015 for only R18…
Government will adjust the excise duties on alcohol and tobacco products at above the expected inflation rate in the 2025/26 financial year. According to the 2025 National Treasury Budget Review document, government is proposing to increase excise duties on alcoholic beverages by 6.75%, while the tobacco excise duties are expected to increase by 4.75% for cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, and electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems (“vaping”). The proposed increase for pipe tobacco and cigars is 6.75%. “To ease the administrative burden of implementing adjustments on Budget Day, in future years, adjustments to excise duties will take effect from 1 April.…
Over the next three years, government spending on economic development will be the fastest-growing function at an annual average rate of 8.1%, driven by higher allocations to infrastructure projects. According to the 2025 National Treasury Budget Review, medium-term spending for economic development will grow from R252.4 billion in 2024/25 to R318.4 billion in 2027/28. The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development will expedite the finalisation of outstanding land claims, prioritising older claims. The department has been allocated R11.6 billion over the medium-term to settle about 844 land restitution claims, with R3 billion earmarked to allocate 138 000 hectares of…
In light of new and persistent spending pressures in health, education, transport and security, government has decided to raise value-added tax (VAT) by 0.5 percentage points in each of the next two years, which will bring VAT to 16% in the 2026/27 financial year. “These have to do with the government properly fulfilling its service delivery mandate. After careful consideration, the government has decided to fund these. Deferring the funding of these sectors further would compromise the government’s ability to meet its constitutional obligations to the people,” Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana said on Wednesday. The first 0.5 percentage point…