A third-generation South African electrical products manufacturer is rolling out AI and semi-robotic production lines while protecting every permanent role and every position held by a differently abled employee — challenging the global narrative that AI-driven manufacturing automation must lead to job losses. Lesco, a local producer of electrical and consumer products, recently launched...
Public Works targets infrastructure reform with R7.8 billion budget
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure will receive an allocation of R7.8 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, with medium-term funding totalling R24.6 billion, as government intensifies efforts to reform infrastructure delivery, improve asset management and unlock investment through public property...
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has appointed an independent panel of AI researchers, lawyers and governance specialists to rebuild South Africa’s draft national AI policy, a document he was forced to withdraw last month after academic citations in its reference list were found to have been fabricated by a generative AI tool. “We cannot discuss the […]
SA, China to deepen cooperation in digital education
South Africa and China have agreed on a set of key measures to deepen cooperation in digital education, technical skills development and student mobility.The agreement follows bilateral talks between Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela and China’s Vice Minister of Education Xu Qingsen, held on the sidelines of...
Private sector urged to plug funding gap in infrastructure development
Deputy Minister of Finance David Masondo has called on the private sector to play a far greater role in financing South Africa’s next phase of infrastructure development, warning that public resources alone will not be enough to meet the country’s massive infrastructure needs.
The Africa Travel Indaba not only focuses on big businesses and international cooperations. Small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) also benefit by making business deals and forging partnerships with both local and international companies.
Here at home, the South African National Parks (SANParks) has taken some small tourism...
Government strengthens coordinated response to GBVF
No nation can claim freedom while its women remain unsafe, unpaid, unseen, or excluded from the economy.
These remarks, made by Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, set the tone for government’s 2026/27 priorities, placing the fight against Gender-Based Violence and...
The Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) has announced 11 Train Operating Companies (TOCs) that were allocated slots to operate routes on Transnet’s rail network, marking a major milestone in South Africa’s rail reform journey.
As part of efforts to reform the rail sector, government opened South Africa’s rail network to...
Suspended National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court in a case linked to the alleged irregular awarding of a contract valued at approximately R228 million to Medicare 24, a business linked to alleged criminal mastermind Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Government sets bold priorities for women, youth and persons with disabilities
The South African government has outlined an ambitious programme of action for the 2026/27 financial year, placing women, youth and persons with disabilities at the centre of national development efforts.
Presenting her department Budget Vote in Parliament on Wednesday, Minister in the Presidency for...
SA government, OPEC Fund sign US$150 million development policy loan agreement
South Africa has secured a US$150 million development policy loan agreement from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund), the National Treasury has announced.
The loan is aimed at “supporting critical structural reforms to improve the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of the...
‘Days are numbered’ for prison smugglers – DCS Minister Groenewald
Officials of the Department of Correctional Services conducted 1 406 raids at facilities across the country, leading to the confiscation of some 37 500 cellphones and contraband.
This was revealed by Correctional Services Minister, Dr Pieter Groenewald, during the tabling of the department’s Budget Vote in...
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping global energy demand, with implications that extend well beyond traditional power planning. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the growing energy footprint of data centers. Facilities that once required tens of megawatts are now being developed at 100–200 MW scale, with hyperscale campuses increasingly aggregating […]
Correctional Services to continue with self sufficiency model
The Department of Correctional Services will continue pursuing its self-sufficiency model in the face of R683.4 million budget reductions over the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
This according to Correctional Services Minister, Dr Pieter Groenewald, who tabled the department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on...
Amini, a company building locally anchored AI and data infrastructure across Africa, has entered a strategic partnership with Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn and French state-owned high-performance computing firm Bull to accelerate sovereign AI infrastructure deployment across Africa and the Global South. The partnership will give governments, telecom operators, financial...
The National Treasury’s latest financial management report for municipalities has revealed that non-compliance with Supply Chain Management (SCM) regulations remains a persistent challenge in local government.
According to the National Treasury, many municipalities are failing to update their SCM policies in line with the latest...
