Author: Contributor

South Africa stands at a decisive moment for its mining industry, shaped not only by rising global demand for critical minerals, but also by leveraging the knowledge, skills and research capacity required to extract them responsibly, efficiently and competitively. As artificial intelligence, automation and digital systems reimagine mining worldwide and the industry undergoes a promising reinvigoration, South Africa is positioning itself as an engine for 21st-century economic growth. The recent Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town served as a barometer for renewed confidence in the sector. Drawing a record 10 500 delegates, the event reflected an overwhelmingly bullish sentiment.…

Vukosi Marivate, University of Pretoria; Ife Adebara, University of Alberta, and Lilian Wanzare, Maseno University Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Siri or Google Assistant are developed by the global north and trained in English, Chinese or European languages. In comparison, African languages are largely missing from the internet. A team of African computer scientists, linguists, language specialists and others have been working on precisely this problem for two years already. The African Next Voices project, primarily funded by the Gates Foundation (with other funding from Meta) and involving a network of African universities and organisations, recently released what’s…

Africa’s innovations are overlooked because global measures don’t fit: what needs to change Abiodun Egbetokun, De Montfort University; David Adeyeye, National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM); Glenda Kruss, Human Sciences Research Council; Il-haam Petersen, Human Sciences Research Council, and Maruf Sanni, National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) African governments and development agencies have embraced science, technology and innovation as levers for development over the past two decades. Science, technology and innovation boost productivity, cut transaction costs, open new business opportunities and promote social inclusion. They also help societies tackle grand challenges such as climate change and persistent poverty. By 2020 at…

South Africa’s goal since 2012 has been to build a capable and developmental state to address the twin challenges of poverty and inequality. The country’s National Development Plan defines a capable state as “well-run and effectively coordinated state institutions with skilled public servants”. A transformative and developmental role is about “consistently delivering high quality services” for the good of society. To meet these goals, the country requires people in government with the necessary technological skills. This has been shown to be true in analysis of how governments from various regions worldwide have responded to technology as part of the Fourth…

On 15 February 2025, Gautrain services between Rosebank and Park Station were halted due to an illegal borehole that caused water and soil seepage into an underground tunnel. This article explores the unintended consequences of the growing water crisis in Gauteng and the interplay between public and private infrastructure across sectors.  The Gauteng water crisis and boreholes Recently, Gauteng residents have faced interrupted water provision due to intermittent supply, excessive use, and ageing infrastructure. This is the latest instalment in a series of water supply issues for the City of Johannesburg. In fact, the situation is so dire that Rand Water has…

The ongoing United States (US) case of Derek Mobley v Workday warrants the attention of South African employers using AI platforms and AI software developers themselves. Derek Mobley, an African American male over 40 with anxiety and depression, alleges that Workday’s AI screening tools discriminate against job applicants based on race, age, and disability. Despite being qualified, Mobley was rejected for over 100 positions by companies using Workday’s AI screening tools. Mobley successfully established a prima facie case of “unfair discrimination,” as he demonstrated a causal link between an employment practice and its impact on a designated group: Mobley argued that Workday’s algorithmic tools…

By Clare-Alice Vertue, Partner, Karl Blom, Partner, Siya Ngcamu, Senior Associate and Sidrah Suliman, Associate from Webber Wentzel It is vital for employees to understand how to conduct themselves during dawn raids or interactions with regulators. Failure to do so may result in significant consequences for the employer. The European Commission recently fined a European company after a senior employee deleted private WhatsApp messages during a dawn raid pertaining to a competition law violation. The WhatsApp chat in question was with a competitor and contained business-related information. This fine illustrates the growing scrutiny on digital communication channels as employees increasingly…

The incidence of gambling in South Africa spans all age groups and with the accessibility of online gambling platforms, gambling is now an activity that can be conducted in-home and anywhere. To understand more about the dynamics of gambling, particularly amongst the youth, infoQuest, a leading South African online research company recently conducted a survey amongst 300 gamblers, 139 of which were younger gamblers (aged 18 – 34 years). The research was conducted during March 2024 and some of the main findings for the younger market are discussed below. Participation in types of gambling activities Online gaming and sports betting…

The Post Office and Postbank have failed to manage the social grants payment system. But the private sector is not an easy fix either. The failures of the Post Office and then Postbank have led to suggestions that the private sector should play a larger role in the payment of social grants. In this article we show that South Africa’s social grants history reveals the dangers of thinking private companies are the easy answer. Fintech companies – old and new – are entering the grants payments space with little oversight, many of them through the promised benefits of ‘financial inclusion’. Read part…

What does 2024 have in store for South Africans? What will the political landscape look like, will our economy strengthen, what about job security,  load shedding and crime? Leading South African online research company, infoQuest, posed these and more questions to 2809 South Africans across all demographic groups and the results are extremely interesting. Expectations for 2024 Political outlook As South Africans await a definite national election date, their outlook on the political situation in 2024 is far from favourable. The state of the country’s leadership and the health of democracy is expected to worsen in 2024. Three in four…

The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Investigation, Search, Access or Seizure of Articles in terms of section 26 of the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 (CCA) were published by the Department of Police on 6 October 2023. The CCA creates legal mechanisms to address cybercrime in South Africa. The aim of the SOPs enacted in terms of the CCA is to ensure that investigations conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) are compliant with legislation. The SOPs also ensure that the Constitutional rights to privacy and to a fair trial are duly observed and protected during the exercise…

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) has transformed from a “nice‑to‑have” buzzword to a “must-have” demonstrable compliance requirement. As such, ESG is now also widely accepted as an important tool for a business to not only achieve or drive impactful sustainable development but also to strive for long-term value creation that strengthens and does not hamper the environment and the broader society in which the business operates. ESG is also geared towards making sure that every business understands and engages with the broader societal concerns of its day-to-day operations, mainly targeted at non-financial metrics.  As ESG continues to grow in importance,…

Cyber security has taken centre stage in South African commerce, and it’s no surprise, given the prevalence of ransomware attacks on businesses in Africa. South African law sets out specific obligations to address these risks if they arise.  The obligation to secure your data The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) imposes specific obligations on businesses to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of the information that they process. This includes taking technical and organisational measures to prevent unlawful access to information in their possession or under their control. These steps include: identifying internal and external risks to their information; implementing…

by Andre van den Berg, Director, Banking and Finance; Zanrie Linstrom, Candidate Attorney; and Pooja Pundit, Candidate Attorney at CMS South Africa The greylisting of South Africa by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has not only called into question the country’s ability in combating financial crimes, but also caused reputational damage and highlighted its failure to regulate flows of money through both traditional financial institutions and alternative financial forms such as cryptocurrencies.  Cryptocurrencies have long ignited intense debate and discussion within the financial sphere, including in South Africa, where the realm of crypto regulation remains a work in progress. This intricate…

Ransomware attacks have been rising and it is companies that have a high level of preparedness who are weathering the storm. The Sophos State of Ransomware in South Africa 2023 report found that 78% of South African organisations surveyed had experienced an attack in the preceding year, up from 51% in the 2022 survey. Ransomware attacks introduce malicious software into a company’s systems. “The usual pattern our clients experience is that late on a Friday evening or a Saturday morning, company management is notified by the IT department that the Company has lost access to essential files, and has received a demand…

With the staggering rise of social media scams globally, business executives find themselves increasingly targeted by cybercriminals seeking to exploit their personal and professional lives. WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram have become prime platforms for scammers to lure victims into their web of deception.Social media scams have witnessed an alarming surge in recent years. In South Africa and around the world, cybercriminals are exploiting the widespread use of social media platforms to perpetrate their illicit activities. While the most common forms of social media scams involve phishing, fake profiles, and financial fraud, there is a more targeted and insidious threat lurking…

Electricity wheeling mechanisms play a key role in facilitating the optimal integration of renewable energy resources into the grid. Wheeling across high and medium-voltage lines has been the focus of Eskom’s wheeling strategies to date, but the proposed introduction of virtual wheeling, a new product offering by Eskom, opens opportunities for companies with multiple smaller and low-voltage loads scattered across various geographies in South Africa to participate in the market.  What is wheeling? Wheeling is the delivery of energy from a generator of renewable energy to an end-user (the off-taker or buyer) situated in another area. This is achieved using…

By Lerato Lamola-Oguntoye, Associate Director & Analisa Ndebele, Associate at Webber Wentzel At the 2023 Digital Assets and Sanctions Compliance Conference, Lerato-Lamola Oguntoye participated in a panel discussion on the regulation of crypto assets in South Africa and globally. The conference highlighted how distributed ledger technology/blockchain potentially diminishes anonymity in crypto-asset transactions. The popularity of cryptocurrencies stems from the fact that trading takes place in an anonymous environment where individuals may use pseudonyms and are not face-to-face. However, as the crypto industry grows and becomes more developed, it is becoming less true that “crypto is anonymous”. According to the Financial…

By Lerato Lamola-Oguntoye, Consultant & Analisa Ndebele, Associate from Webber Wentzel After amending the list of accountable institutions in Schedule 1 to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has published the final guidance for crypto asset services providers (CASPs) in Public Compliance Communication no. 57 (PCC 57). CASPs are listed in item 22 of Schedule 1 of FICA as accountable institutions because of the risk that crypto assets may be used to facilitate money laundering and terrorist financing.  The FIC said crypto assets are vulnerable to abuse by criminals due to their potential use in cross-border transactions, the pseudonymous…

By Carryn Alexander, Partner & Sakiwe Canca, Candidate Attorney from Webber Wentzel The South African Reserve Bank estimated that the rolling blackouts hitting South African businesses and households cost the economy approximately ZAR 900 million a day.  In addition, the Deloitte Centre for Sustainable Progress reported that – if left unchecked – climate change could cost the global economy USD 178 trillion over the next 50 years. Therefore, the proposed solar energy tax incentive aimed at encouraging the installation of rooftop solar panels to expand electricity generation represents an opportunity to address the current energy supply crisis and the imminent climate…

Africa’s journey to financial independence In a world where divisions and regionalism are on the rise, the African Union stands tall and resolute. While threats of fragmentation and divergent interests loom, Africa remains united and unyielding. There is no “Afri-exit” in sight, for the bonds of African unity remain unbroken. But let us delve deeper into the African Union as we celebrated Africa Day yesterday, and a more complex reality unveils itself. The continent finds itself torn between the financial and political interests of both the traditional West and the East. Though we may wear a facade of unity, unseen…

By Joshua Leroni, Candidate Attorney & Carla Collett, Partner at Webber Wentzel South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill and Performers Protection Amendment Bill could potentially harm rather than help the creative industry and needs serious reconsideration. Copyright serves two broad functions in society.  It reassures business and investors that the works they commission, licence and invest in are protected and can be commercialised.  It also ensures that the artists, authors, programmers, composers, and musicians who create the works are fairly and properly compensated. These are not competing functions. They are two sides of the same coin.  Without investment, creators cannot commercialise…

At the launch of the BambaLearn App by Afrika Tikkun Bambanani (ATB) last night, expert insights were shared around the upskilling and training of teachers required to assess and monitor learner development. Simultaneously the programme is designed to facilitate teacher progression equipping them to screen for learning difficulties and arrange intervention, provide psychosocial support and monitor child growth and progress. The BambaLearn App aims to extend children on the curriculum ensuring that no child is left behind. “The period from birth to six years old is the most vital stage of brain development for children and these informative years represent…

Huawei’s mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected intelligent world but it also believes there are ten challenges ahead of us ranging from understanding the world to energy and healthcare. An intelligent world needs new networks and new computing Through discussions with academia and industry partners, including scientists and customers it has identified two key areas as we move towards an intelligent world: new networks and new computing. Dr. Zhou Hong, President of the Institute of Strategic Research outlined the challenges as he addressed Huawei Analyst Summit 2023 explaining “Communications networks are…

At Huawei’s 20th Global Analyst Conference Meng Wanzhou, Vice Chairwoman, Rotating Chairwoman, and CFO, shared how digitalization is a common opportunity for industry, but emphasized that the strategic objectives of industry should drive digital transformation, rather than the technology itself. Blue Ocean for Industry She opened the event with a keynote speech saying that “In this new era of digital transformation, the ways in which people understand the world and create are changing” and continued “This is having a deep impact on industrial innovation and economic development” “Digitalisation is a new blue ocean for the whole ICT value chain. Enterprises…