Author: Gugu Lourie

Pretoria-based electric vehicle (EV) pioneer Everlectric has secured a major funding boost from the Vumela Fund, unlocking further capital for expansion and driving the adoption of electric commercial fleets in South Africa. This milestone positions Everlectric at the forefront of the country’s transition to sustainable transportation solutions. The global EV revolution is accelerating, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) reporting that global EV stock surpassed 16 million vehicles in 2022, a staggering 60% year-on-year increase. The momentum continued with a 35% rise in 2023 and a further 25% in 2024. South Africa is catching up, with the National Association of…

South Africa refuses to be bullied. That was the unwavering message from President Cyril Ramaphosa as he addressed the nation during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), responding to criticism from the US government under Donald Trump’s administration. Speaking on the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, Ramaphosa reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to democracy, equality, and global solidarity. “We stand for our shared humanity, not for the survival of the fittest,” Ramaphosa declared. “We will not be bullied. We will stand together as a united nation. We will speak with one voice in defense of our national interest, our…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to leveraging technology in law enforcement, saying the country is adopting surveillance, analytics, and smart policing solutions to modernize crime-fighting efforts. Speaking during his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA), Ramaphosa highlighted the crucial role of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital forensics in combatting financial crimes, corruption, and violent offenses. “We have seen the value of technology in fighting crime,” he stated. “By using AI in its fraud risk detection and verification work, SARS has prevented the leakage of over R95 billion in impermissible refunds, recovered R20 billion in revenue, and…

South Africa is forging ahead with its plans to establish the National Health Insurance (NHI), with preparatory work set to begin this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA). “We want a nation in which there is quality health care for all,” Ramaphosa declared. “This year, we will proceed with the preparatory work for the establishment of the NHI.” Laying the groundwork for universal healthcare The initial phase of the NHI rollout will focus on key foundational steps, including: Developing a single electronic health record system to improve patient management. Setting up Ministerial…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a bold new initiative to drive economic transformation, pledging R20 billion a year over the next five years to support black-owned and small businesses. Speaking during his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA), he emphasised the urgent need to correct historical economic exclusion and build an inclusive economy. “For many decades, our economy has been held back by the exclusion of the vast majority of the South African people,” Ramaphosa stated. “Black South Africans were deprived of land, of capital, of skills, of opportunities. Our economy was starved of the potential of its people.”…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to energy reform, stating that the country will lay the foundation for a competitive electricity market in 2024. Speaking during his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA), he highlighted the progress made through the Energy Action Plan in stabilising power supply. “The measures we have implemented through the Energy Action Plan have reduced the severity and frequency of load shedding, with more than 300 days without load shedding since March 2024,” Ramaphosa said. While acknowledging that load shedding briefly returned last week, he emphasised that South Africa is on a positive…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to push forward with a second wave of economic reforms aimed at accelerating inclusive growth and revitalising South Africa’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Speaking during his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA), he highlighted the progress made so far and the urgent need to build on these efforts. “We are steadily removing the obstacles to meaningful and faster growth,” Ramaphosa said. “The economic reforms that we are implementing through Operation Vulindlela have created a new sense of optimism and confidence in our economy.” Key reforms have already improved the functioning of critical industries, creating new…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an ambitious plan to secure R100 billion in infrastructure financing by engaging local and international financial institutions and investors. Speaking during his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA), Ramaphosa emphasised that large-scale infrastructure investment is key to accelerating economic growth and job creation. “To create this virtuous cycle of investment, growth, and jobs, we must lift economic growth to above three percent,” he said. To achieve this, the government is prioritising massive infrastructure investments while maintaining and upgrading existing assets. A project preparation bid window has been launched to fast-track investment readiness, supported by…

Bolt is launching Trusted Contacts in South Africa, a feature that will enable passengers and drivers to add names and phone numbers of friends or relatives to a list of contacts for their account, so that Bolt’s Safety Team can get in touch with them if the account holder can’t be reached. This is part of Bolt’s ongoing investment in upgrades to safety features on its platform and will ensure quicker escalation of Ride Check notifications, Emergency Assist requests or any other significant safety incident reported if the Safety Team can’t get a hold of the account holder. This is the…

JSE-listed paper and packaging giant Sappi is making bold strides in the bioeconomy, with plans to become one of the world’s leading producers of furfural: a key biochemical used in industries ranging from biofuels to pharmaceuticals. Following the successful piloting of its proprietary furfural manufacturing process at Saiccor Mill in Umkomaas, KwaZulu-Natal, Sappi is now advancing towards full-scale commercial production. The company confirmed in its latest Sustainability Report that the pilot plant has validated and optimised its furfural technology, demonstrating the ability to extract high-quality furfural from hemicellulose sugars in spent sulphite cooking liquor. “The pilot plant successfully demonstrated that…