Opportunity Issue 106

www.opportunityonline.co.za AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 • ISSUE 106 

AFRICAN ENERGY CHAMBER 

Making energy poverty 

history by 2030 

BATTERY STORAGE IS 

THE ANSWER 

Local and foreign firms are 

scrambling to offer options 

NEW SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH 

INDEX LAUNCHED 

SACCI and BMR are collaborating 

to track small business trends 

RESHAPING AFRICA’S 

LEGAL LANDSCAPE 

ZION ADEOYE, MD OF CENTURION LAW GROUP, HEADS A DYNAMIC 

AND DIVERSE TEAM OF MORE THAN 200 PROFESSIONALS

Cloud: enabling 

growth 

How do you enable a culture of innovation and business transformation in your 

business? Does it sit with marketing? With strategists? With R+D? Or can it be as 

simple as looking at cloud, and harnessing all it can do? 

We know the wealth that lies in data: how it is used, analysed, stored and shared. 

It is the record of customers, the knowledge of processes, suppliers and controls. 

Protecting, analysing and using data is paramount. The cloud, the most vital of tech 

tools, is an integral enabler in the evolution of this fundamental intellectual property. 

Securing the present and future-proofing your company will ensure your data, the 

heartbeat of your business, continues to be at the core of your operations and, 

ultimately, your success. 

Changing legacy systems and long-held business models are where the greatest 

resistance often comes from, with some companies seeing digital transformation 

and cloud migration as a one-off change instead of a continuous journey of 

reinvention and innovation. There is no immediate end point with the cloud. It is a 

journey that reinvigorates systems, enhances capabilities and entrenches security 

and sustainability. 

Cloud is a business enabler that reaches across the different divisions of a business. 

It breaks down silos, builds efficiencies, and often opens revenue opportunities. 

More and more African companies are realising this and embracing migration: 

recent studies suggest there is no slow-down in the take-up of cloud across the 

continent. Some 61% of organisations upped their spending on cloud services last 

year, and 69% said they would increase their investment in 2023. 

Working with a partner to align technology and the cloud to your specific brief is 

vital. Choosing the solutions and infrastructure you want and need, are often two 

different things. Using a managed cloud service, such as BCX, means professional 

counsel, as well as the strongest infrastructure available on the continent. 

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Contents 

ISSUE 106 | AUG/SEPT/OCT 2023 

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50 

SACCI NEWS 

Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with business delegations from Bulgaria 

and Colombia. 

SACCI AND BMR LAUNCH NEW SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH INDEX 

The baseline of the first SBGI shows the growth prospects of distressed small businesses. 

CENTURION LAW GROUP 

A powerhouse that is reshaping the legal landscape in Africa and beyond. Centurion is a leading 

Pan-African legal and business advisory conglomerate. 

MAKING ENERGY POVERTY HISTORY BY 2030 

The African Energy Chamber champions responsible energy development, transparency and 

investment across the continent. 

BATTERY STORAGE IS THE ANSWER 

Now that renewable energy projects are underway, how to store power has become the big 

question. Local and foreign firms are scrambling to offer a wide variety of options. 

HOW TO CLOSE THE HYDROGEN SKILLS GAP 

Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) CEO Yershen Pillay explains how 

cross-sector collaboration is the vital element that could see South Africa becoming a leader in 

the hydrogen economy. 

COPPER TRANSFORMED WAY THE WORLD WORKS BEFORE. IT’S ABOUT TO DO SO AGAIN 

Duncan Money and Robrecht Declercq, two of the editors of a new book on the history of 

copper, discuss some of the issues that the book unearthed. The book is a global study of a 

metal that has transformed the globe. This article first appeared in The Conversation. 

REVIVED INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING BRINGS HOPE 

Government’s recent pledges to begin new builds and upgrades of road infrastructure offer hope 

to the transport and construction industries. Justin Manson of Webfleet, Bridgestone’s Mobility 

company, writes about government’s recent announcements on infrastructure spending. 

RISK ASSESSMENT IS VITAL FOR VEHICLE OPERATORS 

Vuyisani Titi, CEO of Lynx Transport Underwriting Managers, unpacks the risk and insurance 

challenges facing heavy commercial vehicle operators. 

10 

22 

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10034136 

Commercial Banking 

Navigating the pain points 

of small manufacturers 

for the good of the country 

At the heart of Nedbank Commercial 

Banking’s offer to the manufacturing sector 

is a deep understanding of the pain points 

of the sector that helps us provide it with 

solutions and support so that it can better 

navigate the current difficulties experienced 

across South Africa. 

Amith Singh, Nedbank’s National Manager 

for Manufacturing, says: ‘The refined 

and bespoke solutions package for the 

manufacturing sector was a result of 

immersing ourselves in the industry 

to understand its nuances.’ 

Singh adds that, while there are global 

challenges, it is important to understand 

what is going on in the sector and what those 

pain points that keep our clients awake 

at night are. 

At a recent webinar organised by 

Creamer Media, the following factors 

hurting our businesses financially were 

highlighted: 

• Inability to reduce the crime rate 

effectively. 

• Government interference in the 

manufacturing sector. 

• Slow economic growth. 

• Infrastructure deficiencies. 

• Increasing steel prices and inflation as 

well as the rising-interest-rate cycle. 

• Intensifying impact of load-shedding. 

During the webinar it was estimated 

that load-shedding costs the country an 

estimated R900 million a day. Considering 

this together with rising unemployment, 

which currently stands at 35,6%, Singh 

believes that it is imperative for financial 

institutions to be aware of the challenges 

and, in turn, give the sector the support it 

needs to be future-fit. 

‘It is no longer relevant to offer bespoke 

products with standard interest rates, 

terms and repayment conditions; it’s not 

the way we operate anymore. We pride 

ourselves on understanding our client’s 

business and strategy, partnering with 

them to achieve their strategic objectives, 

and tailoring solutions that include funding 

models,’ Singh added. ‘The approach may 

take a tad longer, but execution and speed 

are integral. It is imperative to note that 

fluctuations can impact the businesses 

that we partner with and radically so over 

a short span of time.’ 

Singh notes that funding is always a 

pertinent question; it is definitely no 

secret that any sector, industry or 

business needs funding to grow. 

‘We understand and appreciate the 

importance of the manufacturing sector 

to the economy. What we add to this 

sector and the businesses within is not 

just a funding model. It is also our deep 

understanding of the sector and industry, 

as well as our integrity and understanding 

of the nuances that differentiate each 

industry from the next. We want to 

support their growth and, to do so, it is 

important to always stay true to knowing 

them, their business and their goals,’ 

Singh says. 

Nedbank is committed to providing the 

manufacturing industry with access to 

the right support, at the right time. ‘We 

believe that the manufacturing sector is 

key to growing South Africa’s economy 

and that strategic partnerships are vital 

to making this a reality,’ concludes Singh. 

If you want to know how we can help your 

business grow, get in touch with us at 

manufacturing@nedbank.co.za 

Nedbank Ltd Reg No 1951/000009/06. Licensed financial services and registered credit provider (NCRCP16).

Contents 

ISSUE 106 | AUG/SEPT/OCT 2023 

54 

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68 

DIGITAL EXCHANGE PLATFORM WILL MAKE FREIGHT RAIL MORE EFFICIENT 

Empty Trips Managing Executive Andrew Crafford explains how rail capacity can be better used 

through a digital open exchange platform. 

THE NEXT RUNG ON THE LADDER OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 

Rob Lith, the CCO of Telviva, explains how Microsoft Direct Routing allows businesses to 

integrate PBX functionality into their Microsoft Teams environment. 

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ARE GROWING THE ECONOMY 

The economic impact of South Africa’s creative industries is taken from UNESCO’s report, 

The African Film Industry: Challenges and Opportunities for Growth. The planned Copyright 

and Performers’ Amendment Bills has stirred controversy. The submission of the Association 

for Communication and Advertising (ACA) and the Commercial Producers Association (CPA) 

appears here. 

GLOBAL TOURISM BOUNCING BACK, AT A COST 

To mitigate the soaring costs of travel, Travelstart and Mastercard have partnered to alleviate 

financial pressure. 

FUNERAL COSTS CAN BE PLANNED AND MANAGED 

Yaaseen Albertyn, Product Management Head at Metropolitan, says that budgeting and careful 

planning can take the stress out of funerals. 

ECONOMIST OF THE YEAR 

At the first prize-giving of the Economist of the Year competition to be held under the auspices 

of the Bureau of Market Research and Unisa, Ulrich Joubert won first prize. 

ECONOMIC DATA 

The SACCI Business Confidence Index and Trade Conditions Survey are published here. In future 

issues, they will be joined by the Small Business Growth Index, a joint venture with BMR. 

54 

58 

66 

63

The energy transition 

is underway 

Energy is the primary hot-button issue exercising the minds of leaders in every sector 

of society. 

Whether it’s a spaza shop owner trying to find a generator to keep his shop going 

during loadshedding in a South African town or the president of a G7 country pondering 

her country’s commitment to wean the national economy off fossil fuels by a target date 

some time in the future, discussions about energy and power generation are becoming more 

frequent and more urgent in intensity. 

The global forum that is the annual meeting of United Nations Climate Change Conference 

serves the useful purpose of focussing the world’s attention on the carbon-reduction targets 

that assembled countries pledge, but the conference has not been notably successful in actually 

achieving a reduction in emissions. COP28 will be held this year in Dubai in the first two weeks 

of December. 

In 2015, COP21 did produce the Paris Climate Agreement and that has been a useful benchmark for 

future discussions. When former US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from that agreement 

(subsequently overturned by his successor), it was noted that the actions of US states and cities might 

in fact be more consequential for the environment than the decisions of the federal government. 

And it’s in that spirit that businesses around the world in a multitude of economic sectors are 

gearing up for what is already happening, a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies. 

Banks, insurers and law firms are developing renewable energy desks and portfolios. Consulting 

firms are honing their advisory skills in the large and expanding field of the green economy. 

Construction and engineering firms are rolling out new capabilities to build solar farms and wind 

towers. The energy transition is underway, and everyone is affected by it. 

In this issue 

In Opportunity 106, the Centurion Law Group illustrates how an African legal and advisory firm is 

adapting to energy issues with its Energy Transition Centre. 

The African Energy Chamber reports on its efforts to bring willing governments and credible 

businesses together to promote the growth of the African energy sector. 

Battery storage is a new and very important thing in South Africa, and that is the focus of an 

article on the current state of that sector. With the country’s transmission lines under pressure, 

it is vital that energy can be stored. From Bushveld Minerals mining vanadium in Limpopo and 

processing it in East London, to Swedish firm Polarium assembling lithium batteries in Cape Town, 

things are moving fast. 

Equally important to a new, green economy will be the skills to cope with new technology. The 

Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) is seized with that challenge and has 

started rolling out training centres for the skills needed in the hydrogen economy. 

Still related to renewable energy and the green economy, academics Duncan Money and 

Robrecht Declercq discuss some of the issues raised in a new book on the history of copper. 

Risks of various sorts are covered in articles on funeral costs and fleet management while reduced 

risk on roads is the hope that animates Justin Manson of Webfleet in writing of the state’s road 

building and repair programme. 

Andrew Crafford of Empty Trips puts forward an interesting solution to empty rail wagons 

returning to base after delivering their load and Rob Lith of Telviva explains how Microsoft Teams 

users can now be better integrated in telecoms systems. 

The economic impact of the country’s creative industries is assessed and two creative industry representative 

bodies argue the case against the proposed Copyright and Performers’ Amendment Bills. 

Finally, the first winner of the first Economist of the Year competition to be held under the 

auspices of the Bureau of Market Research and Unisa is announced. 

John Young, Editor 

8 | www.opportunityonline.co.za 

www.opportunityonline.co.za 

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News & snippets 

Industry insights from the past quarter 

A platform for talent to flourish 

Five production companies were presented with cheques of R250 000 each during a handover ceremony 

at the Barnyard Theatre Suncoast on 19 May 2023 by the Durban Film Office (DFO). This initiative aims to 

invigorate the growth of Durban’s film industry and provide vital support to emerging local filmmakers 

by fostering a platform for their talent to flourish. The Micro Budget Film Fund, which focuses on fiction 

feature projects, plays a pivotal role in facilitating the production of full-length films. In this cycle, the 

funding was granted to outstanding projects that exemplify Durban’s creative potential. 

BTS Films (Pty) Ltd secured funding for their film project “The Life Between Us”, while Lwazi Duma 

Entertainment, pictured, received support for “Thulebone”. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the DFO 

has played a pivotal role in positioning Durban as a globally competitive film city. It has effectively 

contributed to boosting tourism, creating job opportunities and developing the local film industry 

through the office’s three development fund programmes. 

To apply for a filming permit in Durban, please visit our new site https://film.durban.gov.za/. We offer 

a One-Stop-Shop service through this convenient site, that is fast and user friendly. 

Durban Film Office 

+27 31 311 4243 

Filmdurban2@durban.gov.za 



Durban and its surrounding area is famous for its iconic 

locations. Varied landscapes and city sites make it an ideal 

place to shoot films and advertisements. 

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SACCI NEWS 

SACCI continues to expand 

international contacts 

Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with 

business delegations from Bulgaria and Colombia. 

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) 

regularly engages in contact with foreign delegations and has 

signed a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MOU). 

This includes agreements with bodies as diverse as the EU 

Chamber in South Africa, the Morocco Chamber of Commerce, the South 

African Chinese Entrepreneurs Association, the African Chambers Alliance, 

the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and the Canada Council Africa. 

High Level Business Forum: South Africa – Bulgaria 

The President of Bulgaria, His Excellency Rumen Radev visited South Africa for 

the first time on 12-13 May 2023. A major event during the President's visit was 

the bilateral Business Forum, which took place on 12 May 2023. 

The anticipated outcome of the Business-to-Business Matchmaking 

session and Business Forum is to increase trade and investment between 

South Africa and Bulgaria, strengthening the partnership for increased 

levels of investment and trade. 

The Bulgarian business delegation was led by Mr Hristo Aleksiev, Deputy 

Prime Minister and Minister of Transport. The host was the Department of 

Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic). 

The CEOs of 30 of the most innovative, investment- and trade-oriented 

Bulgarian companies were present at the event to meet their counterparts 

and discuss possible future collaborations. These companies are in key 

sectors of the modern economy such as ICT and fintech, renewable 

energy, defence, agriculture and food processing, pharmaceuticals, futureoriented 

transport means and logistics. 

Some of the Bulgarian companies are already represented in South 

Africa and on the African continent at large, while others are open to 

new joint ventures. The Bulgarian CEOs were keen to establish mutuallybeneficial 

business partnerships in the B2B sessions, which followed after 

the official opening. 

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between SACCI and the 

Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). 

The purpose of the MOU is to 

• take the initiative to exchange market and economic information and to 

disseminate to the businessmen of both sides information on services and 

partnership possibilities that may be available from either or both entities 

• provide sectoral assistance to the representatives of the other party in 

all matters of this MOU 

10 | www.opportunityonline.co.za

ABOUT SACCI 

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its almost 

50 constituent chambers is a lifeline for business people. 

• notify each other of and assist each other in events promoting 

the products of their business communities and 

to extend joint ventures in the two business bases of the 

contracting parties 

• organise meetings and seminars and assist with trade 

missions 

• to inform about investment, joint-ventures and advantageous 

trade opportunities 

High Level Business Forum: South Africa – Colombia 

The Embassy of the Republic of Colombia in South Africa had 

the honour of hosting Her Excellency Ms Francia Elena Márquez 

Mina, Vice-President of Republic of Colombia, on 12 -14 May 

2023, in an event aimed at strengthening Colombia-Africa 

relations at the bilateral, trade, cultural and multilateral levels. 

This historic visit marked a milestone in Colombia- South 

Africa relations and the Colombia - Africa relations, as it 

constituted the beginning of the implementation of the 

"Africa Strategy 2022-2026" led by the Vice-President and the 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. 

The Embassy particularly welcomed the support and 

presence of the South African Chamber of Commerce and 

Industry in the Business Forum Colombia- South Africa held 

at the Sandton Convention Centre of Johannesburg, pictured. 

The event was co-hosted by the Embassy of Colombia in 

South Africa, the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (CCB) and 

SACCI, in partnership with the Pan-African Council, Trade 

& Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) and the Randburg 

Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI). 

The Embassy welcomed the signing of the Memorandum 

of Understanding between SACCI and CCB and noted that 

it looked forward to the start of a strong relationship for the 

growth and prosperity of both countries’ business sectors. 

SACCI and the BCC have the common goal of focusing on 

activities to foster the expansion of trade and investments 

between SACCI and the territory under the jurisdiction of the 

CCB, the Bogotá region. 

The voice of business 

SACCI's vision is to be the voice and preeminent business chamber 

organisation by offering superior value to its stakeholders. SACCI lobbies 

for and represents the collective interests, domestic and foreign, of South 

African businesses. Our mission is to effectively protect and promote the 

interests of business. 

Lobbying and advocacy 

We represent the business interests by influencing policy and legislative 

development and regulation. We engage government and legislatures or 

regulators in respect of certain of the regulations or pieces of legislation 

that we think would not be conducive for our business members or 

the economy in general or job creation. We are consulted in a lot of the 

policy that government looks at. 

Membership 

SACCI remains the most broadly-based representative national business 

body, not only in South Africa, but in Southern Africa, focusing primarily 

on national and international issues. 

As the “Voice of Business” SACCI assists its members by preparing and 

submitting policy positions on business related issues to government: 

International Trade, Taxation, Economic Affairs, Labour and Company 

Wellness, Education and Training, Information Technology, SADC, NEPAD, 

Small Business, Transport and Regulatory Affairs. SACCI also interacts with 

many other agencies on business issues. During the year, SACCI holds 

various informative seminars and presentations using top Government 

and noteworthy speakers. 

SACCI’s seven pillars 

• Inclusive Economic Growth and Employment Creation 

• Constructive Public and Private Stakeholder Engagement 

• Entrepreneurship 

• Infrastructure: “The 4 lines to Heaven” 

• Continental Development in Africa and the CFTA 

• Revenue Generation 

• Membership Rewards and Benefits 

Contact SACCI 

Adress: 33 Fricker Road, Illovo, Sandton 

Tel: 011 446 3800 | Email: info@sacci.org.za | Website: https://sacci.org.za 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacciza | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SACCIza/

SACCI MEMBER PROFILE 

Kruger Lowveld Chamber 

of Business and Tourism 

The voice of business in Ehlanzeni. 

The mandate 

So, what is so different about this chamber? Nothing at all, really. We 

all have had the same mandate for many years. We all have the same 

basic mandate: 

• To promote the region as a tourism and investment destination 

• To create networking and marketing opportunities for members 

• To represent and be the voice of the business community. 

The “how” is also the same across the board but it is all in the execution, 

as a good chef would say. 

As Grimbeek remarks, “We do this by building and maintaining 

meaningful relationships with all spheres of government as well as likeminded 

organisations, and by acting as liaison between these entities and 

the business community.” 

Linda Grimbeek, COO of KLCBT 

Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism 

(KLCBT) is well respected and highly regarded as 

one of the most successful and most progressive 

business chambers in South Africa. The Chamber is 

very often seen to implement profound new ideas. 

It also swiftly and effectively adapts to changes in the business 

environment to be a relevant and effective representative of the 

business community. 

At the helm of the organisation is COO Linda Grimbeek who 

contributes to the success of KLCBT with her a vast portfolio of 

experience in almost every business sector, which makes her the ideal 

candidate to spot opportunities, challenges and linkages alike. This is 

the very basis of adaptability which this chamber is so well known for. 

Grimbeek will often correct colleagues and partners in 

government when they speak of a “problem” or a “challenge”, by 

responding, “There are no such words in our book, around here we 

call it ‘an opportunity to do better’.” With such a perspective the 

entire angle of approaching the subject very quickly changes from 

trying to find solutions to rather finding innovative and unique ways 

to move forward. 

Nine advocacies 

Currently, KLCBT is driving nine very big advocacies or focus areas that 

need attention in our region. These range from service delivery and public 

participation through to safety and security as well as development and 

transformation – and everything in between. 

This brought us to represent members on 63 forums and counting. No 

single business can do all of this to try to represent themselves. This is the 

big WHY you should be affiliated to a chamber. 

For government it is equally important to engage chambers for the 

same reason. Instead of having to take calls from individual businesses 

at all hours, they will meet with the chambers once a month and work 

through all the proposals and complaints in one session. This is better for 

all concerned and provides real value, to municipalities in particular. This 

approach is strongly advised. 

Creator and leader 

KLCBT is known as the creator and leader of the tourism victim-supportvolunteer 

programme, now being rolled out nationwide. The latest 

innovation is the deployment of two special attachés, one for Tourism 

Development and Transformation and the second for Skills Development. 

This gives special power of attorney, limited to those portfolios of deserving 

board members to drive those specific advocacies or projects. 

It is not surprising that KLCBT has managed to grow its membership 

throughout lockdown and is still growing membership at a staggering rate. 

Contact details 

Physical address: KLCBT House, Crossing Centre, Nelspruit 

Postal address: Private Bag X 11326, Nelspruit 1200 

Tel: +27 13 755 1988 Fax: +27 13 753 2986 

Email: business@klcbt.co.za and tourism@klcbt.co.za 

Website: www.klcbt.co.za

Heidelberg Chamber 

of Business 

Fixed-term contracts of employment, by Yolandi Boshoff of Labour Connect, 

a member of the Heidelberg Chamber of Business. 

Section 198B of the Labour Relations 66 of 1995 (LRA) 

provides that fixed, term employees earning less than R205 

433.30 per annum (Threshold) may only be employed 

for longer than three months if the work they perform 

is of a limited or definite duration or if the employer can 

demonstrate any other justifiable reason for fixing the term of the 

contract. In the absence of a justifiable reason, the employee will be 

regarded as being indefinitely or “permanently” employed. 

The case of Ntsoko v St John the Baptist Catholic School (2019) 28 

CCMA 7.1.12 deals with the employee, Mr Ntsoko, who was employed 

as an educator at St John the Baptist Catholic School. The employee 

was employed in terms of four fixed-term contracts, the first of which 

was signed in February 2015. The last fixed-term contract was signed 

on 31 October 2017 and was to run from 1 January to 31 December 

2018. This contract was not renewed and this (the non-renewal of 

this contract) was what gave rise to the dispute between the parties. 

On 15 November 2018 the employee was advised that his fixed-term 

contract would not be renewed for 2019. The employee contended that 

a reasonable expectation of renewal had been created and he sought 

to challenge this decision. He referred a dispute to the Commission for 

Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) relying on section 186 

of the LRA. In terms of the LRA, if an employee employed in terms of a 

fixed-term contract reasonably expected the employer to renew it on 

the same or similar terms or to be retained on an indefinite basis on the 

same or similar terms but the employer offered to renew or retain the 

employee’s employment on less favourable terms or did not renew or 

retain the employee at all, it constitutes a dismissal. 

The parties argued the matter before the CCMA on the basis of a 

non-renewal of the employment contract. The Commissioner noted 

SACCI MEMBER PROFILE 

that the Employee earned R10 000 a month and therefore section 198B 

of the LRA applied. In terms of Section 198B (3) of the LRA, an employer 

may only employ an employee who earns below the threshold on a fixedterm 

contract for longer than three months if the nature of the work for 

which the employee is employed is of a limited or definite duration or if the 

employer can demonstrate any other justifiable reason for fixing the term 

of the contract. 

Any fixed-term employment contract which contravenes the provisions 

of section 198B (3) is deemed to be of indefinite duration (in other words, 

the employee is regarded as being a permanent employee). 

The Commissioner held that the nature of the employee’s work was not 

of a limited or definite duration. The employer had failed to provide any 

justifiable reason for employing the employee on a fixed-term contract. 

The employee was therefore a permanent employee of the employer. 

The letter of 15 November 2018 informing the employee that his 

contract would not be renewed constituted a dismissal. All dismissals 

must follow a fair process and be for a valid reason. No procedure was 

followed and no valid explanation had been provided. The dismissal was 

therefore substantively and procedurally unfair. The employee did not seek 

reinstatement and the Commissioner awarded compensation equivalent 

to four months’ salary. 

As evident from this case, the LRA provides protection for employees 

earning below the threshold who are employed on fixed-term contracts. 

Employers should consider whether they have current fixed-term 

employees who earn less than the threshold, have been employed for 

longer than three months or are not performing “temporary work” or for 

whom there is no justifiable reason to fix the term of their employment. 

The use of fixed-term contracts of employment may be justifiable if the 

employee: is replacing another employee who is temporarily absent from 

work; is employed on account of a temporary increase in the volume of 

work; is a student or recent graduate employed for the purpose of being 

trained or gaining work experience; is employed to work exclusively on a 

specific project which has a limited or defined duration; is a non-citizen 

who has been granted a work permit for a defined period; is employed to 

perform seasonal work; is employed for the purposes of an official public 

works scheme or similar scheme; is employed in a position funded by an 

external source for a limited period; has reached the normal or agreedupon 

retirement age applicable in the employer’s business. 

We are able to provide a review of the status of your fixed-term 

employees in order to determine if you are exposed to any risk. 

For labour-related legal queries, contact: info@labourconnect.co.za 


Heidelberg Chamber of Business 

Postal address: PO Box 111, Heidelberg, Gauteng 1438 

Tel: 084 841 8147 

Email: info@heidelbergchamber.co.za 

Website: https://heidelbergchamber.co.za/ 

Credit: Rodnae Productions/Pexels

SACCI 

SACCI and BMR launch new 

Small Business Growth Index 

The baseline of the first SBGI shows the growth prospects 

of distressed small businesses. 

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

(SACCI) and the Bureau of Market Research (Pty) Ltd at the 

University of South Africa (UNISA) have released the first 

Small Business Growth Index (SBGI) for South Africa to serve 

as an indicator of small business growth and development. 

The SACCI | BMR SBGI is an innovation to monitor small business 

growth in South Africa and to identify prevailing small business 

conditions, challenges, future business prospects and the support 

required to facilitate the growth and development of the small 

business sector of South Africa. More specifically, the intention of 

the SBGI is to ascertain views within the small business environment 

with respect to business performance and to inform government, 

business, economists, financial institutions, communities, academia, 

media and other interested parties of the current situation in the 

small business ecosystem. The intent of the project is to enhance the 

operating environment of small businesses (including the township 

economy) through interventions that positively impact job creation 

for unemployed young people. 

The risk of contraction 

The SACCI | BMR SBGI results for Quarter 1 show a rather gloomy 

picture for small business growth prospects for 2023. The survey 

results among 181 small businesses across different sectors and 

provinces show that 48.6% of the small businesses (business 

employing 50 or fewer people) are at risk of contracting or are 

currently trading with difficulty or at the brink of closure. About 

half of small businesses recorded a decline in profit and sales/ 

trade in their local business areas during the first quarter of 2023. 

With reference to the cost of doing business, utilities (electricity/ 

water) and transport were cited as the leading contributors to high 

business operating costs. As many as 55.8% of small businesses 

indicated that they will not be able to survive for longer than 

12 months given the inflated cost pressures and should no 

intervention/support be available. 

The small businesses cited a lower cap on energy costs, a reduction 

in VAT and shorter turnaround in payments for products and services 

rendered as the key interventions required from government. 

A proportion of 51.4% of businesses reported that they require 

additional funding, while about six in every 10 (61.3%) small businesses 

indicated that they intend to access grant funding, should it become 

available. However, a third of businesses remain uncertain whether 

they will be able to access any additional funding. The desire for more 

information about business finance options is also strong among one 

in every three small businesses. 

Leading concerns and challenges highlighted in the SBGI 

included inadequate capital, infrastructure breakdown and difficulty 

in managing cashflow. Six among every 10 small businesses (62.4%) 

indicated that they currently experience a weak or critical cashflow 

position (see Figure 2). Likewise, one in every three small businesses 

(31.0%) is facing a concerning and unmanageable debt position. 

Figure 2: Small business cashflow position: Q1-2023 

Given the difficult small business trading environment, the SBGI 

survey reported that about a quarter of small business are at risk. 

Encouragingly, about one in five small businesses (18.8%) foresee strong 

growth, while about a quarter (28.7%) anticipate growing moderately. 

For the balance of the small businesses, the anticipated performance 

for the remainder of the year seems rather gloomy. Despite this, the 

SACCI | BMR survey provides some optimism among 80% of small 

businesses who anticipate sales to increase in the next quarter, while 

Figure 1: Anticipated period of small business survival due to 

inflated cost pressures and no intervention/support

53.6% of businesses expect to grow online sales to customers during 

quarter 2 of 2023. 

Small businesses are anticipating that several challenges will 

remain during the second quarter of 2023, including continued power 

interruptions and increased cost of goods and energy. 

What is needed for growth 

The SBGI survey also explored the need for future skills and 

competencies of small businesses. Predominant future skills and 

competency requirements included import and export trade skills, 

business development and marketing skills, cashflow management 

skills, financial management competencies, investment 

management competencies and debtor management. 

Leading preconditions and priorities for small business survival and 

business growth resulting from the SBGI survey include a stable business 

and political environment, access to local and international markets, 

increased clientele and consumer spending, economic growth and 

government support, improved infrastructure, port transport logistics, 

better service delivery, no power cuts, functional policies and policy 

stability, lower VAT and a stable, effective and corruption-free local, 

regional and national government. 

Considering the current small 

business growth prospects, 

the overall SACCI | BMR SBGI 

recorded a total of 49.33 

index points (on a 100-point 

scale) which showcases rather 

sluggish growth prospects and 

unfavourable small business conditions for the first quarter of 2023. Small 

business growth prospects and conditions for Q1 were least favourable 

for older businesses, sole proprietors, female-owned businesses, singleowned 

businesses, micro (1-10 employees) and home-based businesses, 

and business with an annual turnover of less than R1-million. 

Small business growth is possible according to the SACCI | 

BMR SBGI should certain short-term policy recommendations be 

prioritised. These include increased access to fiscal and development 

finance, venture and working capital support, a lower cap on energy 

costs, improved access to domestic and international markets, 

facilitating mentorship from bigger business, extending the 

solar-panel tax incentive to businesses as well as the provision of 

subsidised insurance policies to business through SASRIA, provision 

of specialised mentorship to disabled entrepreneurs, a shortening 

of the DFI-finance approval process and a review of the approach to 

the application of the minimum wage to small business; the current 

approach has priced staff in small towns out of the market. 

The SBGI envisions to become a leading national brand in South 

Africa representing the voice of the small business community. The 

SBGI intends to brand the concept of a developmental community of 

“small business ambassadors” who will share and gain access to small 

business intelligence, advice and opportunities to participate in public 

debate and stakeholder advancement. 

Released by the South African Chamber of Commerce and 

Industry (SACCI) and the Bureau of Market Research at the University 

of South Africa (Unisa). 

Professional enquiries: 

South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

(SACCI) 

Mr Alan Mukoki: CEO, South African Chamber of 

Commerce and Industry (SACCI). 

Email: alanm@sacci.org.za 

Bureau of Market Research (Pty), University of 

South Africa 

Prof DH Tustin: CEO, Bureau of Market Research (Pty) 

Ltd, University of South Africa: 

deon.tustin@bmr.co.za 

Prof PK Kibuuka: Director, Bureau of Market Research 

(Pty) Ltd, University of South Africa: 

paul.kibuuka@bmr.co.za 

Prof CJ van Aardt: Director Bureau of Market Research 

(Pty) Ltd, University of South Africa: 

carel.vanaardt@bmr.co.za 

Despite challenging conditions, about one in five small businesses anticipate strong 

growth according to the Small Business Growth Index. CREDIT: SAB Foundation 

Tholoana Enterprise Programme 

www.opportunityonline.co.za | 15

Centurion 

Law Group 

A powerhouse that is reshaping the legal landscape 

in Africa and beyond. Centurion is a leading Pan- 

African legal and business advisory conglomerate. 

Zion Adeoye, Centurion Law Group Managing Director. 

Established in 2007 by NJ Ayuk, one of Africa’s foremost 

energy lawyers and entrepreneurs, Centurion Law Group 

has expanded its influence within a span of 15 years from 

a single point of origin and niche practice to an integrated 

law conglomerate providing full-suite legal and tax advisory 

services from its network of offices strategically placed across Africa, 

the UAE and Germany. 

Headquartered in Johannesburg, Centurion Law Group 

(Centurion) has its roots deep in the African soil while simultaneously 

spreading its reach across the world, establishing offices and 

partnerships across Europe and the Middle East. With a multilingual 

team of seasoned lawyers and advisors, the unparalleled blend of 

local insight and international expertise continues to be a winning 

formula. The firm is home to over 200 legal professionals, reflecting 

the breadth of its international presence and its diverse team 

represents over 25 nationalities, embodying the firm's commitment 

to diversity and inclusion. 

Centurion is renowned for the transformation it has brought to the 

practice of law in Africa. Its team, comprising internationally-trained 

advisors and lawyers, has been integral in advising a myriad of entities 

including governments, foreign investors, local companies, other law 

firms and the private sector. 

The ability to communicate in multiple languages including English, 

Spanish, Portuguese, French, Afrikaans and German gives the firm an 

additional edge in the global legal arena. 

While we are the toast of multinationals operating across Africa, 

who continue to be endeared by our seamless integration and 

ubiquitousness, our fee approach and lean operations ensure that 

we can provide premium legal services and critical business support 

to Fortune 500 companies and local SMEs alike. 

There is a daily increment in the realisation of our vision to become 

the preeminent international legal and business advisory solutions 

provider on the African continent. Our core values are integral to every 

decision we make and they are what bring us together as a team. 

Our team 

The strength of Centurion lies in its young exceptional team primed 

to lead African legal industry for the next quarter of a century. 

The CEO of Centurion is NJ Ayuk, JD/MBA, a multiple New 

York Times best-selling list author and a foremost energy lawyer. 

Described by many as a freak of nature and a once-in-a-generation 

business leader and deal maker, NJ Ayuk’s vision of a thriving 

continent supported predominantly by African lawyers and business 

lawyers continues to have full expression in the calibre and quality 

of work undertaken by Centurion across the continent. 

Centurion’s CEO is supported by Zion Adeoye, an awardwinning 

lawyer with over 15 years of legal and real-time key sector 

experience in multiple jurisdictions across Africa, uniquely garnered 

in the public sector, Big Four, Big Law and industry. His education 

spans Nigeria, the USA and the UK, where he obtained his Bachelor 


CENTURION LAW GROUP 

of Laws, an LLM in International Business Law and an MBA in 

International Oil and Gas Management respectively. 

Strayson Vermeulen is the COO and CFO with 18 years of experience 

and specialisation in International Business, well-versed in the 

complexities of conducting business on a global scale. Her expertise 

is significantly influential in Centurion's ability to navigate the intricacies 

of international markets and to develop effective business strategies for 

global reach. Her ability to assess the value of assets, analyse financial 

data and make informed decisions regarding investments opportunities 

and project funding is a critical business support consistently called 

upon by lawyers at the firm and clients alike. This knowledge allows 

her to ensure compliance and mitigate legal risk while driving the 

growth and expansion of the firm. Her education includes Financial 

Analysts, Business Management, and Master in Business Administration 

reflects her commitment to academic excellence and continuous 

professional development. Being able to handle a multitude of complex 

operations within and outside Africa, coupled with her expertise in 

finance, accounting, law and telecommunication, positions her as an 

indispensable corporate leader in the firm. 

Onyeka Ojogbo is the firm’s in-house technical powerhouse and 

an award-winning trailblazer in several respects. A product of the 

University of Ibadan and Columbia Law School, New York, and called 

to both the Nigerian and New York bars, Onyeka leads some of the 

firm’s most complex cross-border transactions and acts as a director at 

the firm’s headquarters in both South Africa and Germany. 

The majority of Centurion’s lawyers boast advanced training 

from prestigious universities across Africa, Europe and the USA, 

complemented by multiple legal and tax qualifications. This potent 

combination of local knowledge and international competence 

underpins the firm's success. 

Our Centurion Plus offering 

To keep your costs down and ensure you are always ahead of 

the curve in the markets you serve, we continue to aggregate 

country-qualified and geographically-mobile attorneys and advisers 

who can serve you on an on-demand basis and who can be deployed 

to fill in-house roles on a short to long-term basis, always backed by 

a team of the best African talent. Centurion Plus is a hard guarantee 

of quality services, tailored to the client’s current and specific needs, 

and at the most cost-effective rates in the premium market. 

Our regional and international presence 

Africa is brimming with opportunity and, where there is growth and 

development, there is a lawyer. Centurion Law Group has led the way 

when it comes to change on the continent. The firm is proud of its African 

heritage but does not believe it is limited by it. While we are able to serve 

clients on the four corners of the African continent across 54 jurisdictions, 

we have established key bases where our core team works from. 

CEMAC 

Our bilingual teams in Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Equatorial 

Guinea are available to respond to queries for local and international 

businesses wishing to establish themselves in these jurisdictions. The 

teams have particular expertise in tax and intellectual property and are 

often drawn into regional projects. Another strength is with energy clients 

and other corporate multinationals. 

West Africa 

In West Africa, in particular Nigeria and Ghana, our team’s experience 

includes provision of legal and tax advisory services for over a decade, 

including relevant experience with the provision of tax advisory 

services to multinationals. The teams also has seasoned advocates 

with in-depth knowledge of navigating regulatory affairs throughout 

the region. 

Southern Africa 

Centurion’s headquarters is in Johannesburg with strategic offices in 

Maputo, Luanda and Windhoek. 

Strayson Vermeulen, Centurion Law Group COO and CFO. 

Oneyka Ojogbo is a Director of the Centurion Law Group.

Other leading international legal directories such as Chambers and 

Partners and Legal 500 have consistently ranked Centurion as a Band 

1 firm in multiple jurisdictions, highlighting the firm’s expertise and 

reputation and showcasing Centurion’s commitment to providing 

exceptional legal services to clients across Africa. 

NJ Ayuk, JD MBA, founder and CEO of Centurion Law Group. 

International presence 

Building on our African success and expertise, and in response to 

clients’ needs, we have entered new territories, namely Europe and 

the Middle East. 

Germany 

Calvert Centurion International AG: Opening the African market's doors 

to European investors, CIAG is the first African-focused law firm listed 

on the German, Dusseldorf, Stock Exchange. 

CIAG, based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, is the holding 

company of Centurion Law Group. The pan-African company 

provides consulting services on all aspects of market entry and 

expansion strategies. 

We have adopted an innovative NewLaw model to provide 

flexibility and cost-effectiveness to clients. Centurion Plus is 

experienced in supporting international companies who want to 

have a presence in Africa, Germany or the Middle East. We also have 

offices in Frankfurt and Berlin. 

Awards 

Centurion Law Group has received several awards, nominations and 

recognitions for its outstanding legal services and contributions to the 

African legal industry, especially in the energy sector. 

These include Best Legal Services Provider by the Africa Business 

Awards and the Energy and Natural Resources Team of the Year 

recognition by the African Legal Awards in 2021 as well as six other 

nominations for the firm. In addition to several international awards 

and nominations received by Centurion and its on-demand platform 

Centurion Plus, lawyers from the firm have and continue to win 

prestigious international awards, including the Attorney of the Year 

and Private Practice Rising Star Award at the African Legal Awards in 

2017 and 2020. The current International Bar Association Outstanding 

Young Lawyer of the year is Yorm Ama Abledu, the head of Centurion’s 

Ghana Practice. 

Centurion is particularly proud that a majority of its awardees and 

nominees have been the leading women at our firm. 

Investment in young people 

Centurion Law Group recognises the importance of young talent, 

especially women in driving innovation, growth and success in the legal 

industry. The firm is committed to investing in and developing young 

people, providing them with opportunities to learn, grow and excel in 

their careers. A vanguard in nurturing young talent, the firm’s investment 

in youth, especially women, is a testament to its belief in innovation, 

growth and success driven by the next generation. 

Centurion believes that young people bring fresh perspectives, new 

ideas and a willingness to embrace change, which are essential for staying 

ahead in a rapidly-evolving industry. By nurturing and empowering young 

talent, Centurion Law Group is not only investing in the future of the firm 

but also contributing to the development of the legal profession in Africa. 

Centurion Law Group is a signatory to the Equal by 30 Campaign, which calls 

for private and public sector commitments to further equal pay, equal leadership 

and equal opportunities for women in the clean energy sector by 2030. 

Our practice areas 

Centurion’s rich diet of clients continue to rely on the firm for critical 

business services including: 

• Litigation 

• Civil and Criminal 

• Labour Disputes 

• Local Partner Dispute 

• Tax Disputes 

• Energy and Projects 

• Contracts and Negotiations 

• Immigration, Labour and Employment 

• Corporate, Regulatory Compliance 

• Tax Advisory and Compliance 

• Mergers and Acquisitions 

• Arbitration 

• Intellectual Property and Data Privacy 

• Customs 

• Approvals, Licences and Permits 

• Financial Services Support 

• Local Content Compliance 

• Regulator and Tax Administration Liaison 

• Contracts and Negotiations 

Summary 

Centurion Law Group is more than just a law firm; it is a powerhouse that 

is reshaping the legal landscape in Africa and beyond. Its unrelenting 

commitment to excellence, diversity, innovation and social responsibility 

makes it an irresistible choice for discerning clients worldwide. Whether 

you are a government, financial institution, corporate entity or individual 

seeking exceptional legal and business advisory services, Centurion Law 

Group stands as the guardian of your interests. 


LEADING LEGAL PRACTICE AND BUSINESS 

ADVISORS FOR A CHANGING WORLD 

CENTURION INTERNATIONAL AG - LISTED ON THE 

DÜSSELDORF STOCK EXCHANGE 

SOUTH AFRICA | NIGERIA | CONGO – BRAZZAVILLE | GERMANY | MAURITIUS| 

GHANA | CAMEROON | EQUATORIAL GUINEA | MOZAMBIQUE | SOUTH SUDAN 

| info@centurionlg.com 

Suite 43 Katherine & West, 114 West Street Sandton, Johannesburg +27 11 245 5900 

centurionlg.com

ENERGY 

Making energy poverty history by 2030 

The African Energy Chamber champions responsible energy 

development, transparency and investment across the continent. 

with the skills they need to drive sustainable energy development. By 

investing in our people, we invest in the continent's future. 

Technological advancement is a crucial aspect of the chamber's vision. 

It actively encourages the adoption of innovative technologies within 

Africa's energy sector. We strive to position Africa as a hub for energy 

innovation, where groundbreaking ideas and technologies thrive. 

NJ Ayuk, AEC founder. 

Africa, with its boundless potential, faces a stark reality: nearly 

900-million Africans lack access to reliable electricity. 

This energy poverty deprives them of opportunities, 

economic growth and hampers progress. From these 

challenges, a beacon of hope emerges – the African 

Energy Chamber. 

At the heart of this transformative movement stands the visionary 

founder, NJ Ayuk. Ayuk acknowledged the difficult situation faced 

by individuals living without electricity and grasped the significant 

transformation energy access could bring . Fuelled by a burning desire 

to make a difference, he established the African Energy Chamber, 

an NPO dedicated to advocating for change, promoting investment 

and empowering African communities. 

The aim of the African Energy Chamber is crystal clear: to eradicate 

energy poverty in Africa. Its objectives are ambitious yet crucial. 

Through accessible advocacy, the chamber tirelessly champions 

policies that support responsible energy development, transparency 

and investment across the continent. 

Investment is key to unlocking Africa's energy potential and the 

chamber is a catalyst for change. It actively promotes Africa's vast 

energy resources to both local and international investors. “By fostering 

economic growth and prosperity, we can uplift communities, create 

jobs and lay the foundation for a brighter future,” says Ayuk. 

Capacity building is another pillar of the African Energy Chamber's 

work. Through training programmes, mentorship opportunities and 

knowledge-sharing platforms, the chamber equips African professionals 

AEC initiatives 

The African Energy Chamber Roadshow hosted in London, 

Oslo, Germany, Dubai and Paris is a testament to the chamber's 

commitment to change. These events connect government officials, 

industry leaders, investors and local communities across the 

continent. It is a powerful tool in attracting foreign direct investment 

and forging partnerships. 

The pinnacle event is the African Energy Week. It is an annual 

gathering of government representatives, industry leaders and 

global experts. African Energy Week sparks high-level discussions, 

exhibitions and deal-making. It is a platform where policy debates 

take centre stage, emerging trends are explored and initiatives are 

catalysed. It is through this event that we find the inspiration, the 

connections and the determination to propel us towards our goal 

of making energy poverty history. 

The African Energy Chamber has also embarked on a remarkable 

journey, extending its initiatives beyond the energy sector and 

making a significant impact on education, women empowerment 

and youth development. Recognising the crucial role of education 

in fostering sustainable development, the AEC established the AEC 

Educational Foundation. 

The AEC is unwavering in its dedication to empower women and 

ignite a powerful transformation within the energy industry. The 

Women in Energy programme provides mentorship, networking 

opportunities and capacity-building initiatives to support the 

professional growth and leadership development of women. By 

breaking barriers and promoting gender equality, the AEC aims to 

build a more inclusive and diverse energy industry in Africa. 

Moreover, the AEC recognises the importance of nurturing young 

talent and creating pathways for their entry into the energy sector. 

To address this, the AEC established an internship programme that 

provides practical, hands-on experience to students and recent 

graduates. By bridging the gap between academic knowledge and 

practical application, the internship programme helps shape the 

next generation of energy leaders and professionals. 

The African Energy Chamber's commitment to education, women 

empowerment and youth development underscores its dedication 

to building a sustainable and inclusive energy industry that benefits 

the entire continent. 


AFRICAN ENERGY WEEK (AEW) 

IS THE PREMIER EVENT FOR THE AFRICAN 

ENERGY SECTOR 

Ministry of 

Petroleum Resources 

of the Federal Republic 

of Nigeria 

Ministry of 

Petroleum and Energy 

of Uganda 

Ministry of 

Petroleum and Energy 

of Senegal 

Ministry of 

Mines and Hydrocarbons 

of Equatorial Guinea

BATTERY STORAGE 

Lithium-ion batteries being assembled in Cape Town. Credit: John Young 

Battery storage is the answer 

Now that renewable energy projects are underway, how to store power has become the 

big question. Local and foreign firms are scrambling to offer solutions. By John Young 

The world receives sunshine every day and the wind 

blows somewhere all the time. This is the great 

appeal of renewable energy and why the world is 

moving so quickly in installing wind and solar farms. 

Two big constraints are now being experienced, in 

South Africa as much as elsewhere across the globe. Transmission 

capacity and storage capacity. 

Lack of transmission capacity is the reason why the 

Northern Cape largely missed out on the most recent round 

of approved bids for new renewable energy projects under the 

Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement 

Programme (REIPPPP). The same is happening in the US and in 

other countries. Adding transmission capacity has to become 

a priority for governments because it is a large problem at the 

level of infrastructure. 

The battery storage problem, however, can be solved by 

private entities and many companies are going all out to tackle it. 

National programmes 

National government’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) stipulates 

that an additional 78GW of electricity generation should be 

added to the grid. The REIPPPP is the means by which this goal 

is to be achieved. 

In 2022, renewable energy provided 6.2GW (or 6.5% of South 

Africa’s total energy, Prescient Investment Management) and 

this figure is set to grow quickly as approved projects get financial 

sign-off and start producing power. 

South Africa has so far issued a handful of utility-scale tenders 

which include battery storage. Ambri, a US company, has been 

contracted to supply a 300MW/1 200MWh battery system for a 

combined wind and solar facility in the Eastern Cape. The local 

company, Earth & Wire, has acquired or rented land all over South 

Africa to roll out renewable energy projects. The first batteries for 

this project are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2024 with 

the installation being completed in 2026. The energy-storage facility 

itself will have the potential to generate an estimated 700MW of 

wind and 600MW of solar power. 

The first project to reach financial close under the Risk Mitigation 

Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMI4P) 

was for a 540MW/1.1GWh project in the Northern Cape. The R18- 

billion battery energy storage and photovoltaic solar project covers 

three projects near the town of Kenhardt and involves Norwegian 

company Scatec in partnership with H1 Holdings and financed by 

Standard Bank and British International Investment. 

Eskom has embarked on a 500MW Battery Energy Storage 

System (BESS) project and has begun to award tenders. 

The Independent Power Producers Projects Office within the 

Department of Mineral Resources and Energy released a Request for 

Proposals (RFP) for energy storage whereby bidders had to submit 

their proposals by early June 2023. This was for 513MW in the first 


BATTERY STORAGE 

phase, and when complemented by wind and solar projects, will 

provide baseload energy. 

Solutions 

Lithium and vanadium are two preferred solutions for new-generation 

batteries. Australia, Chile and China are the world’s top producers of 

lithium, with Argentina and Brazil making up the top five. 

South Africa is in third place in terms of vanadium production, 

but China makes more than twice as much as South Africa and the 

second and fourth-placed Russia and Brazil combined. 

Marula Mining has a new project in the Northern Cape mining 

lithium and Bushveld Minerals in Limpopo describes itself as 

being “one of only three operating primary vanadium producers” 

in the world. Glencore is the other South African company that 

mines vanadium. 

But Bushveld Minerals has gone beyond mining. Its subsidiary, 

Bushveld Energy, is to produce vanadium battery electrolyte at its 

new Belco facility in East London. The aim is ultimately to produce 

battery systems. The plant was built with the support of the Industrial 

Development Corporation (IDC), which is well placed to assist in the 

creation of a value chain for vanadium batteries in South Africa. If 

Bushveld Energy reaches its target of eight-million litres, it will be the 

largest plant of its kind outside of China. 

A perfect storm 

According to the South African manager of the new factory assembling 

lithium-ion batteries in Cape Town, Etienne Grobler, conditions right 

now represent a “perfect storm for energy storage”. 

Grobler joined Swedish company Polarium to make a meaningful 

difference by manufacturing “high-quality, sustainable energy 

projects in South Africa, for South Africa”. He has previously worked 

on fuel-cell and flow-battery solutions. 

Polarium spent $30-million setting up the plant and intends 

expanding quickly. The biggest customer for Polarium’s batteries 

in Africa is the American Tower Corp, which sets up and maintains 

telecommunications towers across the continent. In South Africa the 

12.6kWh battery sells well and customers include shopping malls 

and hotels. 

By using nickel, manganese and cobalt (NMC) technology, the 

lifecycle of the manufactured batteries is effectively doubled and 

they are recyclable, a fact which will assist Polarium as it aims for 

net-zero status for the factory by 2030. The factory is in Marconi Beam 

industrial area near Milnerton in Cape Town. 

A model of hybrid power generation. Credit: Yellow Door Energy 

Arguing that the previous decade was about solar, the 

company’s Country Director: South Africa, Mohamed Madhi, said, 

“The decade of the battery has arrived!” He added that companies 

can significantly reduce their dependency on the grid by installing 

solar and combining it with a battery energy-storage solution. 

Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) are instruments that allow 

companies to receive power without any capital outlay for building 

the plant that produces the power. By the same token, companies 

that do invest in a plant of some sort and find they are making more 

power than they need, could then sign PPAs with other parties to 

sell the excess power. 

Hybrid systems 

A good deal of discussion centred on battery systems and battery 

storage in the course of the 2023 Africa Energy Indaba which took place 

in Cape Town in March. A company that has been very active in the 

UAE and other parts of the Middle East, Yellow Door Energy, made the 

case for combinations of solar, wind and battery storage as a solution 

for the private sector. 

An East London plant is producing vanadium battery electrolyte. Credit: Bushveld Energy 


C 

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• EP&C of the Balance of Plant for Eskom’s four • Execution of turnkey engineering projects in the • 30 years of upgrade and maintenance projects 

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at Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in 

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for Siemens and 

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• Mechanical erection of 14x150MW gas turbines 

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emissions control plants for its clients. 

gases and contaminants in the mining sector. 

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• Lesedi provides systems for the capture of dust, 

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tars, acid mists, SO2 and various other acidic 

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The Lesedi Skills Academy (LSA) is the brainchild of Lesedi Nuclear Services. Lesedi is a leading African engineering, procurement, and 

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The 

opened Lesedi Skills 

its doors 

The Academy, 

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Lesedi a private Skills training Academy provider and (LSA) an EME is (75% the BO; brainchild 42,62% BFO), of opened Lesedi its doors Nuclear in 2015. Services. The Academy Lesedi provides (a 

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CONTACT DETAILS: 

Email: info@lesedisa.com CONTACT DETAILS: | Julian.vanderPoel@lesedisa.com 

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Nuclear 

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• Lesedi has successfully concluded agency 

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Power Station, the biggest dry-cooled power 

products and • services Lesedi has such successfully as CONCO concluded agency (16.5MW -• sugar Lesedi cane achieved & 5MW preferential - wood chip.) bidding status for stations • in Balance the world. of Plant for Eskom’s Medupi and Kusile 

System Inc. and agreements Arkema (DMDS). for several state of the art • Lesedi is the two local biomass partner projects for Exosun for the (singleaxis 

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BUILDING, 

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LESEDI MARKETS 

Oil & Gas 

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Nuclear 

• EP&C of the Balance of Plant for Eskom’s four 

Gas Turbine Power Stations constructed in 

Atlantis and Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, 

South Africa. 

• Mechanical erection of 14x150MW gas turbines 

for Siemens and associated turbine halls. 


projects across Africa, illustrating our expertise. 

• Execution of turnkey engineering projects in the 

minerals processing and mining industries. 

• Through its network of world-class technology 

partners, Lesedi offers gas-cleaning and emissions 

control plants for its clients. 

• Lesedi provides systems for the capture of dust, tars, 

acid mists, SO2 and various other acidic gases and 

contaminants in the mining sector. 

• 30 years of upgrade and maintenance projects 

at Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in 

Cape Town, South Africa, including over 150 

modifications on the plant. 

• International maintenance services contracts in 

England, Brazil, China, France and the USA, 

resulting in over 75 interventions since 2006. 

Technology 

Products 



Thermal 

• Lesedi has successfully concluded agency 

agreements for several state of the art products 

and services such as CONCO System Inc. and 

Arkema (DMDS). 

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Conco has cleaned over 100 million condenser and 

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• Lesedi achieved preferential bidding status for 

two biomass projects for the South African RIEPPP 

(16.5MW - sugar cane & 5MW - wood chip.) 

• Lesedi is the local partner for Exosun (singleaxis 

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• More than 20 projects under development in Africa. 

• Our global partner has built over 100 bio-energy 

power plants, totalling more than 2,650 MW. 

• Balance of Plant for Eskom’s Medupi and Kusile 

Power Station, the biggest dry-cooled power 

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Help to create a future of excellence 

in energy at the Wits Business School’s 

African Energy Leadership Centre 

“Our Centre provides students with an opportunity 

to grow competencies across among others, the energy 

value chains, an understanding of energy geopolitics, the 

intersection of energy with society, the environment and 

business. This equips our students with the skills to find 

solutions to energy challenges, particularly here in Africa” 

Professor Lwazi Ngubevana 

Director: African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC), 

Wits Business School 

In addition to changing the leadership landscape within 

the energy sector, locally and globally, the AELC aims 

to drive gender transformation. The Centre has identified 

the lack of female representation in the energy sector, 

and wishes to encourage more women to pursue a career 

in the field. 

It is no secret that South Africa is experiencing an 

unprecedented energy crisis, and the demand for 

security of energy supply in Africa continues to grow 

exponentially. The African Energy Leadership Centre 

(AELC) at Wits Business School aims to sculpt leaders in 

the energy sector, to help them think and act strategically, 

and equip them with the skills needed to navigate through 

the challenges of an evolving African energy landscape. 

Founded in 2017, the Centre, through research 

and teaching, aims to address the challenges in the energy 

sector, and develop the next generation of skilled leaders. 

Since its inception, the Centre has welcomed students and 

researchers, locally and internationally, including Ghana, 

Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa. 

The AELC offers three academic programmes, namely, 

a Master of Management in the field of Energy 

Leadership, a Postgraduate Diploma in Energy 

Leadership and a PhD in Energy Leadership. These 

programmes provide leaders with a solid foundation 

in all aspects of energy leadership and have a strong 

focus on critical thinking, analysis and decision-making. 

Programme delivery at the AELC has three main focal 

points: research and thought leadership, postgraduate 

programmes and executive education, plus networking 

and professional development. The overarching goal 

is to assist those aspiring to carve a future 

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confident, decisive and effective leaders. 

The academic programmes offered by the AELC do not 

only broaden the skills of the students; they also equip them 

with the ability to make an impact not only within the energy 

sector but into related industries, such as banking, asset 

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The Centre boasts academic staff who are passionate 

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student gains a deep and thorough understanding of 

the energy field and its challenges and opportunities. 

“We aim to address the skills shortages within the 

energy leadership sector by producing world-class 

leaders who span various industries and professions,” 

says Professor Lwazi Ngubevana, Director of the AELC. 

Applications are open for the January 2024 intake. 

Visit www.wbs.ac.za or www.africanenergycentre.ac.za 

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ENERGY INNOVATION 

Unlocking the potential of 

industrial waste heat recovery 

and thermal energy storage 

Realise your business's energy potential with accessible technologies that slash costs, 

boost productivity and drive sustainability in the race towards a greener future. 

The South African industrial sector relies heavily 

on thermal-energy systems, accounting for 

approximately 70% of its energy consumption. 

Historically, South African industries have been 

nurtured under the wing of low-cost coal and 

electricity. This environment has led to a typically inefficient 

and carbon-intensive industrial sector which is now 

suffering under the burden of failing energy availability and 

rising energy costs. These factors, together with justified 

international pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 

has had a compounding negative impact on industrial 

competitiveness both locally and internationally. 

To demonstrate the effectiveness of waste-heat recovery 

technologies in the local industrial sector, the Council for 

Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched a pilot 

project with CERadvance, an advanced industrial ceramics 

manufacturing company in Pretoria. 

Opportunity in WHR and TES 

Even though waste-heat recovery within industry has the potential 

to significantly reduce operating costs by reducing peak energy 

demands and improving energy efficiency, especially in batchwise 

manufacturing processes, it is unfortunately not widely 

deployed. This is due, in part, to the technical difficulties involved 

in predicting and optimising new system performance to quantify 

the feasibility of planned projects. The available scale, capacity, 

technology and efficiency of both thermal energy capture and 

storage systems can play an important role in presenting a 

positive investment case. This techno-economic feasibility goes 

beyond the obvious operational benefits of systems which can 

convert waste heat into a readily available energy source that 

easily aligns with batch cycle demands. 

Over and above the complexities of these unknowns, there 

is often a need to develop bespoke technical solutions to serve 

unique industrial cases, which leads to the development of 

novel thermal components and systems. 

A ceramics company as a pilot site 

The pilot project with CERadvance investigated the recovery of waste 

heat from the ceramic-sintering process and the medium-term storage 

and reuse of that energy in the manufacturing processes. The company 

operates a series of high-temperature electric sintering furnaces which 

run at temperatures above 1 000°C. Once the sintering cycle is completed, 

both natural and forced convection cooling is used to reduce the 

temperature of the kiln's contents. This results in a waste hot-air stream 

which peaks at more than 800°C and 4kW per kiln. The temperature of 

this waste-heat stream decays gradually until the furnace contents are 

cooled to a temperature sufficiently near ambient. While the total waste 

energy is a function of the furnace contents, this is typically in the order 

of 160kWh per batch. 

During the manufacturing process, a ceramic slurry needs to be cast 

into prepared Plaster-of-Paris moulds. The moulds absorb water from 

this slurry during the product-casting process and subsequently require 

drying before further processing. Before adoption of waste-heat recovery, 

CERadvance used a couple of 6kW direct-heating electric ovens to dry 

their moulds at temperatures around 60°C. The concept of this pilot was 

to demonstrate the capture and reuse of kiln heat to run the drying ovens. 

Zeolite master class 

The unique thermal energy-storage capacity of Zeolites is 

based on adsorption, which involves the attachment of gas 

molecules to the surface of a solid. This process differs from 

absorption, which involves the bonding of gas molecules to a 

liquid. The substance that is adsorbed is called the adsorbate. 

The adsorbate enters the pores of the adsorbent, and a chemical 

bond is formed which releases energy as a result. When the 

pores are saturated, no further heat is released. The system 

can then be regenerated by using the waste heat from hightemperature 

kilns. The heat breaks the bonds between the 

adsorbent and adsorbate. This is an endothermic process and 

can also be referred to as desorption. Once the system has 

been regenerated, the adsorption process can be repeated. 



1D Simulation model of System using Flownex®. 

Introducing thermo-chemical heat storage 

In this context, a thermo-chemical heat storage system was developed. 

The system includes two fixed-bed regenerators that are connected 

to the waste hot-air stream of the high-temperature ceramic kilns. This 

hot air is diverted through the packed bed reactors for thermal capture 

and storage. This is where it gets exciting, as the heat storage material 

selected for this project was Zeolite 13X. Zeolites are aluminosilicate 

materials which consist of orderly distributed micropores. Zeolites 

can store heat in sensible and thermo-chemical form, with the 

thermo-chemical heat energy being retained independently of the 

temperature of the packed bed. The thermo-chemical storage capacity 

within Zeolites is typically four times the usable sensible heat storage 

capacity, making this thermal-storage material a highly attractive 

option. As reference, using stored thermo-chemical heat alone, just 

500g of charged Zeolite 13X is required to heat 100L of water by 1°C. 

The application 

The regenerators are connected to a drying chamber to use the 

stored heat to dry the casting moulds. The team had to design a 

low-cost high-temperature ceramic valve to enable cycling between 

the charging and discharging of the two storage vessels, so that one 

reactor can charge while the other discharges the heat to a drying 

chamber. The regenerators were designed to store more than 150kWh 

which is sufficient for heating two days’ worth of drying air. 

CFD model of packed bed reactor for thermal storage showing 

thermal striations. 

Benefits and impact 

The reuse of waste heat from the kiln significantly reduces the demand 

for electrical drying. This not only lowers manufacturing costs, but 

also greenhouse gas emissions. 

If the Zeolite bed is kept dry, standing losses are theoretically 

capped to the sensible-heat portion only, which amounts to a 

20% loss no matter how long the heat is stored. This implies that 

a major portion of the waste heat can be stored even during 

prolonged shutdowns. 

Zeolites like these can store heat for much longer with 

minimal losses compared to conventional sensible-heat storage 

systems, making them ideal for intermittent or batch production 

processes. The system not only provides hot-air, but also has 

the added advantage of chemically drying the process air. The 

steady supply of hot-air with ultra-low moisture content to the 

drying chambers significantly increases the control, speed and 

repeatability of drying processes. 

The performance seen in this pilot implementation at CERadvance 

demonstrates the tremendous potential of thermo-chemical 

heat storage systems. By capturing waste heat and optimising 

its utilisation, businesses can unlock substantial economic and 

environmental benefits. 

Contact the CSIR to explore how these technologies can propel 

your business forward. 

Authors: 

Tobias van Reenen: tvreenen@csir.co.za 

Muhammad Sheik: msheik@csir.co.za 

Packed bed reactors for thermal capture and storage.


Electrochemical Energy 

Technologies: Transfiguring Local 

Energy Storage and Conversion 

We simply cannot miss the unique opportunities that augment the full potential of stored 

energy. Proper storage and conversion solutions enable the effective utilisation of green energy, 

thus ensuring constant availability. The time to act is now, says Mmalewane Teffo (née Modibedi) 

In an era driven by the urgent need for sustainable 

energy solutions, Electrochemical Energy Technologies 

emerges as a pioneering research platform dedicated 

to advancing materials-based technologies for energy 

storage and conversion. With a focused approach on 

developing new materials and demonstrating their viability 

for industrial applications, collaboration opportunities are 

sought to drive innovation and propel the manufacturing of 

cutting-edge energy-storage systems. 

Advancing electrode materials 

Electrochemical Energy Technologies hinges on the development 

of manganese and nickel-rich cathode materials, as well as 

graphite, titanium and silicon-based anode materials. These 

advancements offer enhanced performance, durability and 

cost-effectiveness in energy-storage systems, unlocking new 

possibilities for mobile, stationary and other power applications. 

Leveraging expertise in materials science, and localisation of 

electrode materials will position us to optimise South Africa's 

abundant minerals such as manganese, nickel, titanium and 

platinum group metal (PGM) resources. 

Storage and conversion technologies 

A comprehensive analysis of energy storage and conversion 

technologies provides insights into their costs, performance 

and suitability for specific applications. Relevant assessments 

encompass energy-storage solutions, fuel cells and electrolysers, 

considering factors such as storage duration, cost projections 

and end-of-life options. 

Materials synthesis and characterisation 

Synthesising and characterising electrode materials for energystorage 

systems through meticulous research and development, 

creates materials that exhibit superior performance, stability and 

energy efficiency. With advanced characterisation techniques, 

we provide deep insights into the electrochemical properties of 

batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells and electrolyser technologies. 

The importance of proper material testing 

From characterising battery cells, fuel cells and electrolyser 

cells to evaluating electrochemical properties, proper testing 

capabilities ensure accurate performance assessments and aid 

in the selection of optimal materials for your applications. Quality 

and precision empower industry to make informed decisions 

with confidence. 

Prototyping and assembly 

Fabrication, assembly and testing of coin cells and pouch cells are essential 

components of energy-storage systems. Technical proficiency to create 

membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), a crucial component of fuel cells 

and electrolysers, is necessary. With the right expertise in prototyping, 

novel concepts can be transformed into functional prototypes. 

The power of collaboration 

Journey with us towards a sustainable energy landscape. Together, 

we can unlock the power of collaboration and innovation, driving 

the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and materials. The CSIR 

Electrochemical Energy Technologies group offers unique opportunities 

that rest at the forefront of energy storage and conversion advancements. 

The focus on materials innovation, expertise in electrocatalysis and 

comprehensive analysis capabilities positions the CSIR as a trusted 

partner for restructuring the energy sector. 

Join us in transforming the energy landscape and creating a greener, more sustainable world. 

About the author: 

Dr Mmalewane Teffo is a highly accomplished Principal Researcher and the esteemed leader 

of the CSIR Electrochemical Energy Technologies (EET) Research Group. With her extensive 

expertise in heterogeneous catalysis, oxidation catalyst development and electrocatalysts for 

fuel cells, she assumes a crucial role in providing invaluable technical and strategic guidance 

to the group. Mmalewane demonstrates exceptional proficiency in various domains, including 

the fabrication of membrane electrode assemblies, fuel cell performance testing and the 

advancement of materials for fuel cells and batteries. Her unwavering dedication to research 

and academic excellence is evident through her impressive publication record of over 20 

articles in renowned peer-reviewed journals, supervision of post-graduate students and 

by actively engaging in international collaborations and consistently achieving significant 

research milestones. Recently, she has been involved in lithium-ion battery reuse, repurpose 

and recycling to support the circular economy. Mmalewane continuously strives to expand 

the global impact of her work, establishing herself as an exemplary leader and trailblazer 

in the field of fuel cells and energy storage research. 

Email Mmalewane Teffo (née Modibedi): MModibedi@csir.co.za

CSIR 

ENERGY 

CENTRE 

FACT SHEET 

Electrochemical Energy Technologies 

Introduction 

The CSIR electrochemical energy technologies research group focuses on developing 

new materials-based technologies for energy storage systems, and demonstrating these 

technologies to enable new industrial activity through manufacturing of such materials 

and systems. Specific areas of focus are on manganese- and nickel- rich cathode 

materials, as well as titanium- and silicon- based anode materials. The group also has 

skills in the beyond lithium-ion battery electrode materials; platinum group metals 

(PGM) and non-PGM-based electrocatalysts for fuel cells and electrolysers. New 

materials afford new opportunities that benefit their respective sectors for mobile, 

stationary and other power applications. 

Value proposition 

The group accelerates and unlocks the beneficiation of South Africa’s manganese and 

PGM resources by localising electrode material for energy storage and conversion 

with a better cost-to-performance ratio. 

In addition, it pursues value-creating opportunities in other minerals to leverage 

CSIR skills, existing assets and experience to enhance value delivery for clients. 

Services offered 

• Analysis of energy storage and conversion technologies and cost, as well as 

recommendations on potential best-fit options for the application. Such assessments 

include the role of energy storage, fuel cells and electrolysers, while considering storage 

duration, performance, cost projections and decommissioning and disposal options. 

• Testing of energy storage and conversion materials. 

• Testing of battery cells (at present < 6 V, with the possibility of testing larger cells 

in the future). 

• Testing of fuel cell and electrolyser cells (up to four cells). 

• Characterisation of electrochemical properties of the materials (batteries, 

supercapacitors, fuel cells, electrolysers and carbon dioxide reduction). 

Infrastructure 

Laboratories 

• General lab for synthesis, wet chemistry, thermal processing, microwave processing, material 

handling and coin cell manufacturing 

• Small lab with Argon glove box and X-ray diffractometer 

• Small lab for battery testing 

• Facility for pouch-cell manufacturing 

Equipment: 

• General synthesis (litre-scale glassware, heating, mixing, stirring, analytical scales) 

• Various ½L to 2L autoclaves 

• Laminar LCR Tera 3100 (Taylor reactor) for co-precipitation with controlled feed, agitation, 

temperature and pH 

• 50mm and 80 mm tube furnace, muffle furnace, 2 large furnaces (ca. 30-150 L) 

• Anton Paar Synthos 3 000 microwave reactor and custom-made microwave drum reactor 

• 1 x one-person and 1 x two-person glove box 

• Rigaku Ultima IV powder X-Ray Diffractometer 

• MTI mini-lab for coin cell manufacturing (ball mill, coating table, vacuum oven, roller press, 

electrode disc punch, crimping press). 

• Pouch cell equipment (litre scale ball mill, high-shear vacuum stirrer, coating table, electrode 

die cutter, stacker, sealing machine). 

• Maccor coin cell testers (1 x 96 channel, 1 x 48 channel) 

Other equipment at the National Centre of Nano-Structured Materials 

Scanning electron microscope; transmission electron microscope; thermogravimetric 

analysis; differential scanning calorimetry; Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, etc. 

• CAPABILITIES IN BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES 

• CAPABILITIES IN HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELLS TECHNOLOGIES 

CONTACT PERSON: 

Mmalewane Modibedi : mmodibedi@csir.co.za

HYDROGEN SKILLS 

How to close the 

hydrogen skills gap 

Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) CEO Yershen 

Pillay explains how cross-sector collaboration is the vital element that 

could see South Africa becoming a leader in the hydrogen economy. 

The CHIETA SMART Skills Centre was opened in Saldanha Bay in 2022. ICT training is key to moving the green hydrogen economy forward. Left to right: Yershen Pillay (CHIETA CEO), Simphiwe 

Thobela (MICT SETA Chairperson), Dr Blade Nzimande (Minister of Higher Education), Wezi Khoza CHIETA Chairperson), Andre Truter, Executive Mayor of Saldhana Bay and Kaashifah Beukes, 

Chief Executive Officer of the Saldanha Bay IDZ. 

In 2016, South Africa signed the Paris agreement on 

climate change at the United Nations in New York. 

Signing the agreement meant that the country is 

committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and 

collaborating with the global community to reduce 

global temperatures to below two degrees Celsius. The 

problem that the country faces is how best to accelerate the 

reduction of carbon emissions to meet its commitments to 

the Paris agreement. 

One way of accelerating the reduction of carbon emissions 

is the use of green hydrogen as a zero-emissions energy carrier. 

In 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) declared that 

hydrogen would be an essential source of energy for reducing 

carbon emissions. According to a recent report by the Hydrogen 

Council in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, 40 countries 

have developed national hydrogen strategies to tap into hydrogen’s 

potential to decarbonise and the industry has announced 680 

hydrogen projects proposals as at the end of May 2022. 

However, the emerging green hydrogen industry is facing 

a multitude of challenges. One significant challenge is the skills 

needs and training for a hydrogen-ready workforce. This pertains 

to both current and future skills needs and training requirements. A 

recent study on reskilling the green hydrogen economy found that 

80% of industry employees would require new hydrogen skills and 

further education about electrolysers, fuel cells, hydrogen storage 

and future refuelling stations. The lack of skills development and 

training is the biggest challenge to growing South Africa’s hydrogen 

economy. It’s not just accessibility to hydrogen training that poses 

a challenge, but actually receiving the education and skills to meet 

industry needs. 


The South Africa hydrogen economy is going to need a lot of occupationally-qualified people. Credit: Sapref 

The main barriers to closing the hydrogen skills gap in South 

Africa are a lack of expertise, funding and a lack of training facilities 

and equipment such as electrolyser simulators. For this reason, more 

needs to be done to develop South Africa’s education infrastructure 

and physical infrastructure to support both current and future 

demand. If we are unable to develop this infrastructure in the next 

five years, we may miss the opportunity to be a leader in this rapidly 

growing industry. We need to plan now for the future growth and 

expansion of hydrogen energy. 

In the future, a more comprehensive assessment of skills 

requirements will be needed. The current desktop modelling places 

a greater emphasis on engineering qualifications with extraordinarily 

little attention paid to occupational qualifications. Hydrogen safety 

training has been less of a priority, yet safety skills programmes will 

be a vital part of hydrogen education. Hydrogen can be an extremely 

dangerous gas to work with as it is highly flammable and hence 

appropriate training is essential. 

Skills have been identified 

In attempting to close the hydrogen skills and training gaps in South Africa, 

research by the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority 

(CHIETA) has identified 17 specific training and skills requirements. 

Approximately 14 000 jobs are likely to be created, including hydrogensystems 

engineers, technicians, gas fitters and other associated trades 

and services. 

The technical and regulatory uncertainties in South Africa 

provide a major challenge for effective skills planning. For this 

reason, leadership needs to be provided for enabling policy and 

regulatory changes. The education sector needs to work more closely 

with industry for joint skills planning and the co-creation of future 

training courses and learning materials. What is needed is more 

cross-sector collaboration and research development by engaging 

with industries such as transport, mining, manufacturing, energy, 

infrastructure and agriculture. 

South Africa lacks the cross-sector collaboration to support 

skills development and training on green hydrogen. Cross-sector 

collaboration and joint skills planning between government, the 

private sector and training authorities should be an apex priority for 

a hydrogen-ready workforce. Without cross-sector collaboration, a 

fragmented and piecemeal training landscape may evolve in which 

hydrogen training is expensive, exclusive, and inaccessible to all. 

Digital skills are the foundation for hydrogen skills. For this reason, 

South Africa needs to prioritize digital literacy skills programmes. A 

coherent digital literacy skills curriculum is required for hydrogen 

education. To this end, CHIETA has prioritised digital literacy skills 

by launching SMART Skills Centres across the country. CHIETA 

SMART Skills Centres provide free digital literacy skills programmes 

including experiential learning using virtual reality technology for 

certain occupations. This first-of-its-kind SMART centre in Saldanha 

Bay has been opened to the public since the 1 February 2023. Eight 

new centres are planned over the next two years. 

The biggest risk facing South Africa is the inability to seize the 

moment and implement green hydrogen at scale because of the 

lack of adequate skills and appropriate expertise. To mitigate this 

risk and close the hydrogen skills gap in South Africa requires a 

multipronged strategy that includes better coordination from 

government, cross-sector collaboration with industry, digital 

literacy programmes, specialised training on electrolysers, fuel 

cells and hydrogen systems. The relevant expertise will have to 

be sourced to develop and deliver the training required by the 

industry. The country needs an explosion of training to become a 

leader in the global hydrogen economy. 

About CHIETA 

The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) is a statutory body that was established by the Skills Development Act in 1998. CHIETA’s role in 

the sector is to facilitate skills development as well as to ensure that skills needs are identified and addressed through various training initiatives in the chemical and 

manufacturing industries. 


UCT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS 

Setting the benchmark for 

African business schools for 

14 years and counting 

For the 14th year in a row, the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business 

(UCT GSB) has been ranked by the Financial Times (FT) for the quality and relevance 

of its executive education programmes. 

In the FT’s 2023 Combined Ranking, which evaluates both customised 

executive education programmes and open programmes, the UCT 

GSB is one of three native African institutions to place in the top 50, 

coming in at number 44. The only other native African business schools 

joining the UCT GSB in the top 50 are the Gordon Institute of Business 

(GIBS) at the University of Pretoria and Lagos Business School in Nigeria. 

Three other international schools that deliver programmes in Africa 

also feature in the rankings. 

Offering Africa-based business education for over 

50 years, the UCT GSB was the first institution 

on the continent to enter the FT rankings – 

widely considered one of the most trusted 

metrics for assessing the quality of business 

school programmes globally – at the start of the millennium. 

The Cape Town-based business school, which also has a 

satellite campus in Johannesburg, is known for its pioneering 

programmes that understand the complexity and unpredictability 

of a developing context – and its ability to leverage business to 

deliver solutions to African challenges. 

Jodie Martin, head of executive education at the UCT GSB, believes 

the ascent of African business schools in the FT rankings further 

confirms the value of Africa’s business showing internationally 

and the importance of executive education done here. “The 

innovation, resilience, flexibility and adaptability required to 

succeed on the continent can’t be gained at arm's-length,” he 

says. “African programmes are context-specific, geared toward 

local problems and solutions and business schools that have a 

strong regional connection with business have an edge.” 

Entrepreneurship and complexity 

With Africa’s rapidly expanding and urbanising population and its fastaccelerating 

consumer class, the continent has become fertile ground 

for entrepreneurs and businesses willing to navigate the complexity and 

unpredictability of a developing context and deliver solutions. The UCT 

GSB has been spearheading education that can meet these ever-shifting 

needs and accentuate future opportunities. 

Rayner Canning, business development director at the UCT GSB, 

emphasises the importance of understanding the context that native 

African institutions with local, experienced faculty, that are also 

benchmarked with the best in the world, can bring to addressing 

uniquely African challenges. 

“It’s no accident that our programmes are so consistently ranked,” 

he says. “We work hard to cultivate relationships that help us keep a 

constant finger on the pulse of business and social development so 

that our courses are fresh and always bridging academic understanding 

and real-world application. 

“Our value lies in our ability to understand the complexities faced 

by organisations and to translate these into coherent learning and 

development solutions that transform and enhance human capital 

efforts for businesses and individuals. Our high client retention rates 

speak to long-term value creation and through our ever-expanding 

network of clients, delivery partners, alumni and faculty we continue 

to co-create the most relevant curricula.” 

According to Martin, the FT data shows the continued variety and 

strength of business school executive education providers, despite 

pressure on training and development budgets from employers and 

increasing competition. 

“It’s exciting that the landscape of executive education in Africa 

is going from strength to strength,” says Martin. “When we nurture 

healthy businesses and leaders, we all win.” 


Adapt. Evolve. Thrive 

#1 

#1 

#1 

Top 50 

University 

in Africa 

MBA 

in Africa 

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in Africa 

Global Executive 

Education 

ranked consecutively 

for 14 years 

African approach. 

Global perspective. 

The UCT GSB is for students who are seeking 

an immersive international experience 

and global perspective on business in 

complex African markets. 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE 

Study at a globally benchmarked business 

school with a world-class reputation.

VHEMBE TVET COLLEGE 

Providing the skills the 

community needs 

Vhembe TVET College principal Basani Hlekane outlines the goals of skills development 

programmes that are relevant to the workplace and respond to the challenges of the new economy. 

and in retail many malls are being built. Agriculture and mining are strong 

and when you look at mechanical engineering we talk about fabrication, 

welding and boilermaking. That is how we positioned our campuses. 

The Makwarela campus specialises in innovation in engineering and also 

hospitality and business studies, welding, motor mechanics and robotics. 

Some drone pilots have graduated and we are promoting entrepreneurship. 

At Mashamba campus it is purely agriculture, that’s where the 

greenhouses are. At Mavhoi campus, they specialise in electricity 

and chemical engineering. At Musina the focus is on the mines and 

engineering programmes. Tshisimani has engineering but they are 

working on their speciality. Shingwedzi looks at what their surrounding 

area needs so they have early childhood programmes, engineering and 

business studies. We also have a satellite at Makhado where we have 

hospitality facilities. We do bed and breakfast, conferencing and have 

a restaurant. Thengwe Campus wants to specialise in engineering skills. 

Biography 

Basani Hlekane 

Having completed her schooling in Mdabula in the 

Malamulele area of Limpopo, Hlakane studied for a 

BTech, Higher Education, at Tshwane University of 

Technology and was awarded an Honours degree in 

Educational Leadership and Administration from Unisa. 

She held senior posts at Tshwane South College and 

worked in the Department of Education and Training 

before joining Vhembe TVET College. She has been 

principal since 2015 and notably introduced Limpopo’s 

first Centre for Entrepreneurship to the College. 

How many campuses do you have? 

We have seven campuses in the Vhembe district. 

What do they have in common? 

What our campuses have in common is they provide skills to the 

communities around them. They focus on the economic factors 

in their local municipalities as a priority. 

But campuses also have their own focus? 

Many different sectors of the economy are doing well and the 

campuses respond to that. Construction is booming in all areas 

Are students enthusiastic about the courses you are offering? 

Our programmes are gaining momentum. We review our programmes 

often and we have started distance learning but mainly we check 

what the industry wants. The more industries are looking for certain 

qualifications, the more the students are enthusiastic about those courses 

because they know they are going to get employment. We encourage 

our students to look at employability. 

How do you foster entrepreneurship? 

At Makwarela we prepare them to sustain themselves. The restaurant at 

Makwarela gives the students workplace experience because when we 

have visitors or conferences, the students get to plan, budget and cost 

for the events. At the end of the conference, the students do a review 

and submit reports. 

Our Centre for Entrepreneurship assists students to register a business. 

We support them with training, marketing and in getting funding where 

it is possible. I was told that a group of students who started a textile 

venture had split up, which worried me. But then somebody said, “The 

students split because they are doing well, everybody is going on his 

own.” That was great. 

Are partnerships working well for the college? 

We have about 120 partnerships that provide placing for students. But 

we are getting support from many elements in terms of government 

institutions, our municipalities and the IDC, for example. We are getting 

a lot of interest from banks approaching us and other stakeholders 

saying we want to implement this programme, can we approach your 


VHEMBE TVET COLLEGE 

college? We are also being exposed in the international space, for 

example our partnership with Hewlett-Packard. 

We are doing a lot of industry stakeholders’ engagement with the 

hope to get more partners. We no longer sit in the office; we go out 

there and ensure that we market our students that need employment 

and we ensure that they do a good job when they are there in such 

a way that the industry will keep on asking us to bring them more. 

Is placing people in terms of internships or actual jobs when 

they exit? 

The challenge is the magnitude of the size of our enrolment. 

Few can be placed but with the growing hotel, tourism and retail 

activity in the area, we can compete because of our incorporation 

of technology and new programmes. 

I had interns who were hotel interns one stage. I was later told 

they had been appointed as head chefs. The prison close to us 

appointed 21 of our internship students in managerial positions. It 

ends up being a good story to tell because we place the students 

for workplace learning but it brings results. 

So I can clearly say that we are placing students as interns, and we 

also have those that get absorbed in permanent positions. 

How are you making Vhembe TVET College more relevant? 

As Vhembe TVET College, we try to spice up our programmes. 

We are a college that is pursuing innovation and technology 

and there is a bit of Fourth Industrial Revolution in most of our 

elements. An agricultural student in our college knows how to 

use water-smart technology. We are also a college that likes to 

be innovative with the programmes we offer, for example, a lot 

of colleges are offering a normal Secretarial Programme, but our 

college is looking at introducing Legal Secretary and Medical 

Secretary. We are also an inclusive college. We have a lot of 

disability students, especially blind and deaf students. We have 

incorporated smart technology into what we do in order to make 

their learning experience easier. 

So it’s not just new programmes, but a new approach? 

The new programmes are about reprioritising what we have to meet 

the need of what is required outside. Waste-water management is a 

critical element now. In road construction we are bringing innovative 

ways of mixing concrete with plastic. 

We were delayed with renewable energy, but we are actually getting 

into that space and there are other skills that we have introduced 

such as cellphone repairs. We also want to return to upholstery and 

vehicle-body spray painting. Regular programmes will continue to 

be there like tourism but what the college is doing is to bring the 

4IR into a programme to say, “How can you be innovative while you 

are dealing with the following?” Hewlett-Packard has come in with 

an innovative way with communication on campus. You not only 

learn online but you learn how to market the business online, how to 

use social media, which is not in the syllabus but we just spice it up. 

Did you face obstacles in your career? 

There are various obstacles or challenges that I have faced in my 

career: competition with other candidates in my field; moving from 

Academics to Skills and venturing from understanding commerce 

to understanding Engineering skills; moving from one province to 

another; self-development for leadership purposes was challenging; 

growing up through the ranks at a young age required more maturity 

and it was not easy; being challenged as a woman and young leader 

tested my ability. Finally, uplifting the college from a particular level 

without senior positions being filled and I had to work with junior staff 

and still comply. 

Did you have mentors? 

The passion for education was there, the passion for skills grew but 

there were mentors. As you are working you look at women leaders 

that were in front of you, inspirational people like the principal of 

Ekurhuleni West College, Hellen Ntlatleng. The department also 

played a role because they challenged you to implement something 

quickly. I never said no to the challenge. With the support that we 

get from the college and the team we always made it. This element 

of growth I am promoting now with my subordinates, especially 

women. 

I am a person who always like to visit others who are doing the 

same, not in the terms of competing but I want to learn. I say let’s 

learn from the others who do the same as we are doing, but let’s also 

open space for others to learn from us. That’s why recently we have 

been receiving a lot of visitors at the college who say they want to 

benchmark. We also go out and benchmark and it has come with 

opportunities where we went to international colleges. 

What are your main goals? 

To provide skills to the community. I want the college to produce 

professionals skilled in a lot of areas who can be competitive globally. 

In whatever we do it has to have an impact on the community. We want 

to provide solutions to poverty by providing skills so that people can 

stand up and do it for themselves. That is the main aim. 

We want to do that by making the environment around our area 

realise the skills that can be learnt at the college, the role that can be 

played by the TVET College in the community in terms of societal issues, 

behavioural issues, economic factors and reducing unemployment. 

We are taking the skills out to the community. We want everybody 

to see from the junior school learner upwards the students who are 

doing bricklaying, tiling. When they do practicals we look at dilapidated 

schools and say let’s show off what the TVET College is made of. Our 

students go out there in their work suit, promoting skills and showing 

what they do. We are also bringing the students on board to say come 

and see what technology can do, come and see what skills can do. 

I am also focussing on students’ employability, the fostering of 

partnerships and making it an innovative college. The last major goal 

is staff development. The wellness of staff is also my focus. My staff 

must work smart and they must be well. 


EFFICIENT PRODUCTION 

Transitioning to improved water 

use and resource efficiency 

The NCPC-SA has published a guideline to assist the agri-processing sector to 

efficiently monitor its processes. The goals are increased efficiency and reduced costs. 

Monitoring can improve water efficiency. 

The Metering and Monitoring Guideline produced by 

the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa 

(NCPC-SA) is intended for the agri-processing sector to 

assist agricultural-processing companies to transition 

to better water- and resource-efficiency practices and 

help mitigate water-supply risks in the sector. 

The NCPC-SA’s Industrial Water Efficiency Project promotes 

the transformation of industrial-water-use practices in South 

Africa to reduce water consumption and to improve industrialwater-effluent 

quality. 

The business case is evident: South Africa’s population has 

grown but the resource and capacity requirements to sustain the 

growth have not kept up, resulting in supply constraints which 

inevitably impact on cost, availability and the risk of interrupted 

supply. The electrical energy cost escalations and interrupted 

supply is a point in case. 

The constraints on the capacity of supply and water-treatment 

infrastructure continue to increase and so similar cost dynamics 

are being realised with water and effluent municipal services. 

South African companies in the agri-processing sector range 

from companies whose only metering data are derived from 

monthly utility bills (often estimated by the local council) to 

those companies that have hundreds of metering points in 

the plant measuring at one-second intervals. In general, South 

African companies have limited sub-metering systems in place 

and most rely on intensity targets (kWh or litre-per-kg production) 

to determine performance. With few exceptions, companies 

that have world-class resource management systems have 

invested heavily in metering and measurement systems to drive 

efficiencies. These companies will typically target projects with 

a two-to-three-year payback period and utilise the data from 

the metering systems to motivate for additional budget and 

approval of CAPEX. 

The guideline authors explain, “We wrote this guide with a couple 

of people in mind. Firstly, the person who gets delegated the 

job of putting a metering programme in place might be the engineer. 

He is interested in costs and knows what is in the plant, but he knows 

nothing about management systems. The meters will therefore be put 

up and data will be collected but nothing will happen with the data. 

It is important to think about what you are going to use the data for, 

and how it will inform decision-making. 

“Therefore, the second person we wrote the guide for is the 

environmental manager or the person who is given that responsibility. 

Often, it's a shared role and that person knows nothing about equipment, 

knows nothing about contractors, knows nothing about maintenance. 

So we wanted to write a manual that appeals firstly to the person who 

understands management systems and it contains enough information 

for them to put a budget together and hand it down to a contractor 

and say, ‘This is where I want metering points and this is the type of 

metering I want’.” 

The guideline is structured from a management-system point of view 

and as such, has a circular way of looking at things. It also follows the 

structure of an energy-management system. It starts with identifying 

the need; developing a metering plan which also discusses setting 

objectives, determining key performance indicators, identifying 

measuring points and defining the approach; selecting the meter, data 

storage and usage; determining the budget; installation; and analysis 

and interpretation. 

The 64-page guide includes practical examples and case studies. 

It covers: 

• Metering planning, including how to set objectives and targets and 

how to align the measurement approach accordingly. 

• Metering technologies and strategies, reviewing the different types 

of meters and their applications in the areas of water, water and 

effluent discharge quality, steam and electrical. 

• Metering communications and storage, reviewing the common 

strategies for collecting data as well as ensuring that the database is 

properly compiled to allow for easy analyses. 

• Metering costs and financing options, providing enough information 

to compile a capital budget for the procurement of meters and 

an operational budget for continued data analyses. 

• Data analyses and usage, looking at common approaches to performance 

measurement and guidance on how to utilise statistical tools 

to better analyse patterns in data. 

The guideline had several contributors and partners, including the 

Department of Water and Sanitation, the Ministry of the Environment 

of Denmark, the NCPC-SA, the International Finance Corporation, the 

Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, the Water Research Council 

and GreenCape. Workshops were held where representatives from 

government and industry gave input. 


National Cleaner 

Production Centre 

South Africa 

A national industrial 

support programme that 

partners with industry to 

drive the transition towards 

a green economy and 

save money.

From waste to recycled 

WASTE MANAGEMENT 

Our 40 years of experience and industry knowledge enable us to develop 

and implement effective waste reduction measures tailored to your 

business’ needs. 

Helping South African businesses 

Helping you enter the circular economy, we are committed 

manage waste to responsible and effectively 

sustainable waste management 

TOMORROW’S RESOURCE 

EnviroServ is innovating to help companies achieve Net Zero through an integrated approach. 

FIND OUT MORE 

solutions. To learn more about how we achieve this, 

scan the QR code. 

TODAY’S WASTE IS 

C 

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South Africa’s largest waste-management company, 

EnviroServ, has operated since 1979. It is headquartered 

in Gauteng with depots around the country. 

A BBBEE Level 1 company, EnviroServ offers cost-effective 

solutions to complex hazardous and non-hazardous 

waste and chemical pollution problems, providing peace of 

mind around legal compliance, safe handling, transportation and 

treatment. Services include waste recycling and onsite management, 

minimising waste to landfill, technical waste management supply, 

contaminated land and legacy stockpile management, hazardous 

waste services, waste collection, treatment and disposal services 

and landfill management. 

EnviroServ was first to market with many waste-management 

solutions, some of which are still recognised as best practice. The 

increasing commitment of companies in all industries to achieve 

zero waste to landfill goals has created a greater need for alternative 

landfill solutions. However, implementing this can be challenging 

and costly without sacrificing environmental compliance. 

Integrated approach 

EnviroServ offers an integrated approach to onsite waste management 

with the goal of diverting waste from landfill and promoting a 

circular economy. 

The Onsite Waste Management standards developed by EnviroServ 

provide a comprehensive framework for businesses to effectively 

manage their waste at the source. This includes transforming the 

waste-area layout to promote sorting and separation of waste, setting 

up a structured and best-practice approach to waste organisation and 

layout, and installing signage and sorting equipment in compliance 

with ISO/SHEQ standards. 

EnviroServ provides fully-trained onsite waste handlers with 

personal protective equipment who are responsible for collecting, 

separating and sorting waste to extract recyclable materials. “This 

is a highly skilled process that requires expertise in identifying and 

segregating different types of recyclable materials such as paper, 

cardboard, metal and plastics. These materials are then micro-sorted 

into over 20 grades, including PET, HDPE and PVC, in various forms 

and colours, including rigid, film, bottle, flexible, clear, print and 

colour,” says Yolandi Kruger, EnviroServ National Commercial Manager, 

On-site. “The sorted recyclable grades are then sold directly to the 

end user, mill or plant, increasing the rebate and promoting circular 

economy practices.” 

After more than four decades in business, EnviroServ remains a 

pioneer because the drive to look for better ways of doing things is 

deeply embedded in the company culture. 

In addition, by being the first – and for long periods the only 

company – to tackle complex waste-management issues in South 

Africa, EnviroServ understands that sustainable waste management 

evolves with society’s needs, habits and awareness of health and 

environmental prosperity. The company has evolved to deal with new 

lifestyles and technologies which led to new and increased waste 

streams, as well as changes in legislation. 

As Kruger says, “We are dedicated to delivering innovative waste 

solutions that are environmentally responsible, effective and economically 

viable so that our customers can enhance sustainability and achieve 

environmental peace of mind.” 

Y 

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27896 

From waste to recycled 

Our 40 years of experience and industry knowledge enable us to develop 

and implement effective waste reduction measures tailored to your 

business’ needs. 

Helping you enter the circular economy, we are committed 

to responsible and sustainable waste management 

solutions. To learn more about how we achieve this, 

scan the QR code. 

TODAY’S WASTE IS 

TOMORROW’S RESOURCE 

FIND OUT MORE

MINERALS 

Copper transformed the way 

the world works before. 

It’s about to do so again 

Duncan Money and Robrecht Declercq, two of the editors of a new book on the history of 

copper, discuss some of the issues that the book unearthed. The book is a global study of 

a metal that has transformed the world. Contributors cover North America, Latin America, 

Europe, Central Africa, the Middle East, East Asia and Oceania and stretch from the early 19th 

to the early 21st centuries. The book was funded by the Norwegian Research Council 

Why are these important questions? Because of the ubiquity of copper 

and the fact that the world’s collective rehab from fossil fuels may cause 

a renewed addiction to a new mineral-based economy. Electrification, 

the pillar of the green transition, requires huge amounts of copper. 

Projections expect a doubling of copper consumption by 2035 in order 

to reach zero-emission energy goals. Faced with the enormous task of 

electrification, the share of the global energy sector will increase to 40% 

of total copper consumption in the next two decades. 

They are also important questions because countries that have an 

abundance of copper have failed to benefit from it. Zambia is a case in 

point. It produces 6% of the world’s copper but is still one of the poorest 

countries in the world. 

Born with a Copper Spoon requires us to think differently about our 

material lives and energies we use, by looking at the places where our 

minerals are actually produced and the way in which the production and 

distribution of these minerals are organised. 

Will the next world of copper finally evolve as the long-anticipated 

resource blessing, or is a new global scramble, in which states and 

companies seek to secure access to the precious metal, going to 

determine otherwise? Copper became associated with the idea of a 

resource curse for many people. Zambia’s first President Kenneth Kaunda 

once remarked that his country is “paying the price for having been born 

with a copper spoon in our mouths”. 

He knew too well that the abundance of copper had caused Zambia 

a host of problems. 

Copper is all around us. The metal is both everpresent 

and invisible in our world. Copper 

makes reading the words on this screen 

possible. And the global spread of artificial 

light, electric power and telecommunications 

all required ever-increasing quantities of copper. 

Where does all of this copper come from? How was it 

produced, distributed, controlled and sold on an everincreasing 

scale? These are some of the questions addressed 

in a recently published book, Born with a Copper Spoon: A Global 

History of Copper. 

Worlds of copper 

Our book looks at different "worlds of copper" that have arisen over the 

last century and a half. The term "world of copper" was first coined by 

British historians Chris Evans and Olivia Saunders to describe a globally 

integrated production system that connected the smelters of South Wales 

to copper mines across the globe between 1830 and 1870. 

We see this as the first world of copper. This world was then 

supplanted by a second world of copper centred on the US. This 

involved the rise and dominance of American mining companies as 

huge integrated enterprises controlling the production, processing 

and distribution of the commodity. “From mine to consumer” was the 

slogan of the notorious American copper mining company Anaconda, 

active in Montana and Chile. Underpinning the American world of 


MINERALS 

Credit: Karim Ghantous on Unsplash 

Ore containing copper, cobalt and nickel. 

Credit: Paul-Alain Hunt on Unsplash 

copper was control over the production chain through the use of 

new business organisations and technologies. 

Technological changes in mining and processing that were quite 

literally ground-breaking allowed for ever-greater quantities of 

copper to be mined and processed. Open-pit extraction was first 

developed in North America and soon spread to Latin America and 

Central Africa, with often comprehensively destructive environmental 

consequences. Many of these pits are still being mined today. 

The American world of copper denotes both the power of 

American companies, as well as the model of controlling copper 

chains that is eagerly copied by non-American copper companies. 

This pattern becomes global: it is applied in Japan, the European 

empires that control the Copperbelt as well as in Latin America. 

In the mid-20th century, the American world of copper 

disintegrated during decolonisation in the face of resource 

nationalism and a shifting geography of production. A wave of 

nationalisations by new states brought about a postcolonial world 

of copper, built around state power, economic sovereignty and 

state-level international cooperation. Developing states saw copper 

as their ticket to economic development and modernity. The dream 

of the red metal was however short-lived. 

This postcolonial world of copper collapsed in the 1990s after 

a long slump in the industry. Multinational private companies 

reasserted themselves over the industry, but the US and European 

companies never regained their once dominant position. 

Each copper world was marked by several defining features: 

underlying institutions, organisations, labour practices and 

produced by global connections and interactions. Identifying and 

understanding consecutive worlds of copper is crucial to how we 

understand the development of the global copper industry. 

Our current energy transition could herald a new copper world. 

Renewed demand for copper will likely intensify mining activity in DR 

Congo, Zambia and other parts of the African continent and could 

place states in a stronger bargaining position. 

The need to think differently 

Copper’s status as a global industry has waxed and waned. The history 

of the metal is not a story of steadily increasing and deepening global 

connections as we move towards the present. It is also a history of 

disconnections and efforts to de-couple regions from the global economy. 

The book is a contribution to global history and the story of copper 

is necessarily a global one as extracting, refining, buying, shipping 

and consuming the metal takes place around the world. Global 

history is about more than connections, however. 

The book is also about periods of deglobalisation and attempts to 

sever connections, especially in the mid-20th century when a bitter 

contest over ownership of mineral resources briefly threatened 

a major realignment of the world economy. In 1967, several of the 

world’s largest copper producers (Congo, Chile, Peru and Zambia) 

met in Lusaka to establish a copper cartel that would control the 

industry and turn an abundance of natural resources into national 

economic growth. 

That’s an ambition that still needs to be fulfilled. 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS 

Duncan Money is a historian of Central and Southern Africa at Leiden 

University. Robrecht Declercq is a senior postdoctoral researcher at 

Ghent University and receives funding from Research Foundation 

Flanders. He is also guest professor at the Université Saint Louis 

(Brussels) where he teaches global economic history. 

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION 

The Conversation is funded by the National Research Foundation, eight universities, including the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Rhodes University, Stellenbosch 

University and the universities of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pretoria and South Africa. It is hosted by the Universities of the Witwatersrand and Western Cape, 

the African Population and Health Research Centre and the Nigerian Academy of Science. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a Strategic Partner. 


MINING SERVICES 

Vezinhlanhla Mining 

Versatiltiy and innovation in mining. 

Vezinhlanhla is a 100% wholly black-owned mining 

contractor that combines industry-leading experience 

with the versatility and innovation required by mining 

to be sustainable for the long term. 

Established in 2017 as a mining contractor to service 

only the mining industry, Vezinhlanhla is an empowered turnkey 

contractor with capabilities across the underground and opencast 

contract-mining value chain. 

We provide extensive services for coal, gold, iron ore, manganese 

ore, chrome ore, nickel and platinum group metals (PGMs) producers, 

undertaking mining operations with continuous miners, roadheaders 

and drill and blast applications, enabling our clients to outsource 

according to their unique needs. 

Safety 

Vezinhlanhla’s commitment to safety, health, quality and 

environmental management standards means we work towards 

continuous improvements in risk management to better deliver 

project excellence. 

Black empowerment policy 

Vezinhlanhla is committed to broad-based black economic 

empowerment (BBBBE). It supports the government’s initiative of 

transformation and affirmative action policies and will continue to 

implement such projects where possible. Vezinhlanhla has initiated 

projects whereby material and equipment are sourced from black 

SMME companies, thus speeding up the process of empowering one 

of our own. 

Vezinhlanhla’s black-empowerment credentials ensure that our 

clients benefit fully in terms of the Mining Charter requirement and 

the contractual conditions of key minerals purchasers. 

Our commitment 

The empowerment of women, youth and disabled persons should 

be achieved in all aspects of works. Vezinhlanhla has more women on 

board to strengthen the capacity of the business. 

Youth will also be employed by the company in order to pass on 

skills to the next generation. As Vezinhlanhla grows, bursary schemes 

will be introduced for students to further their studies. 

Vezinhlanhla has developed a culture where there will be no 

discrimination against disabled persons, hence it will seek to find, 

train and employ disabled persons with potential and enthusiasm. 

Community development plan 

Vezinhlanhla's objective is to train its staff and community 

undergraduates from university and colleges, especially students in 

engineering, safety or mining. They will be given the opportunity to 

further their studies in their chosen field at Vezinhlanhla. 


VEZINHLANHLA 

MINING 

Reclaiming the resources 

Vezinhlanhla Mining strives to be a leading black-owned, diversified mining 

company in Africa while ensuring participation in the discovery, exploration 

and beneficiation of Africa’s mineral resources. It is also the mission of 

Vezinhlanhla Mining to develop and consolidate a diverse portfolio of highquality 

assets and services for the benefits of its stakeholders. 

• A 100% wholly black-owned mining contractor 

• Capabilities across the underground and opencast contract-mining 

value chain 

• Solely focussed on the mining industry 

• Promoting sustainable partnership and relations with our clients 

Misson 

To be a leading black-owned South African company that delivers value to 

all its stakeholders by: 

• understanding the needs of our stakeholders 

• delivering on and exceeding those needs 

• attracting and retaining the best talent 

• focussing on core assets – Pareto Principle 

• focusing on owning and operating our own assets 

• embracing diversity 

• ensuring sustainability, growth and good governance 

Services 

• Underground mining | Opencast mining 

• Project management | Facilities management 

• Plant maintenance | Conveyor maintenance 

• Crushing | Screening 

• Engineering | Drilling 

• Bulk material transportation | Hauling 

The future 

• Reinforce our position in the market as a reliable and competitive 

independent producer and supplier 

• Grow sales and customer base 

• Vezinhlanhla Mining intends to acquire coal, gold, iron ore, manganese 

ore, chrome ore, nickel and PGM assets to develop new projects 

• Power generation is a key area of opportunity – a synergistic venture that 

is now indelibly written into our corporate objectives 


+27(0) 17 110 0205 

+27(0) 68 061 0184 

info@vezinhlanhla.co.za 

vezinhlanhla.co.za 

Vezinhlanhla mining 

Vezinhlanhla mining

Getting to grips with 

Steinmüller Africa’s 

diverse offering 

Steinmüller Executive Director, Moso Bolofo. 

Steinmüller Africa, South Africa’s high-temperature and high-pressure steam generation and piping 

expert, has a history dating back to 1962 when its only South African location was a post box. 

Executive Director Moso Bolofo, who joined the company as Director of Engineering and Business 

Development, outlines some key factors in its rich 60-year history and business highlights. 

We are extremely proud of our cutting-edge 

technologies which position us well ahead of 

any current or potential competitors. These 

technologies include explosive welding and 

plugging, induction bending and automatic 

welding. The development of these technologies reinforces our 

vision, which is to consolidate Steinmüller Africa as the supplier 

of choice in the lifecycle management of steam generation 

and reticulation plants in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also speaks to 

our mission statement, which incorporates delivering value, 

innovative, safe execution and ethical customer-focused 

services by applying state-of-the-art methods in our business 

for the benefit of all stakeholders. 

Induction bending 

Induction bending is ideal when standard-size bends are not 

available and custom or large radius bends are required. It is the 

process of precision bending a straight pipe, which we achieve via 

our Cojafex PB 850 induction-bending machine, which is one of 

only two induction-bending machines on the African continent. 

To achieve the required bending the induction coil is heated to 

a specified temperature and then the arm of the machine moves 

at a predetermined radius, pushing the pipe through the coil. Our 

machine is capable of bending pipes between 48.3mm OD and 850mm 

OD with a wall thickness of up to 100mm and can create bends up to 

180 degrees. 

Induction bending can create continuous multiple complex bends 

which eliminates the need to weld bends together in order to achieve 

complex geometries. It also guarantees pipe-system integrity and 

reduced maintenance, making it well-suited to high-pressure/hightemperature 

steam piping and other industrial piping systems. In 

addition, if multiple bends are carried out at once, there is a reduction 

of costs during the erection and ongoing maintenance phases of a 

plant’s operation. Consequently, our induction-bending solutions 

deliver significant operational and cost benefits to the clients. 

Numerical analysis 

Our in-house numerical modelling and analysis capability and capacity 

by far surpasses any of our competitors in the South African industry 

to date. It is used to accurately analyse the fluid dynamic behaviour in 

almost any boiler system, heat exchanger or boiler auxiliary equipment. 

This service can be carried out in the utility, petrochemicals, paper and 

pulp, sugar and nuclear industries. 

Accurate geometry of every plant component, the plant’s operating 

philosophy, and some of the actual operating data are what is 

required to accurately build numerical models of any plant. We are 


proud of the fact that this does not apply only to those designed by 

Steinmüller but we have also been able to assist clients to solve plant 

problems in equipment designed by others. Once the numerical models 

are built, we investigate various scenarios to predict the operating 

7912 Steinmuller - Engineering News Boilers Feature - Advert 210x275mm - STEAM - REP.indd 1 

characteristics under varying conditions, which often fall outside of 

the original design envelope. 

Explosive welding 

Steinmüller Africa also offers explosive welding, which is a novel method 

of fusing materials together, including dissimilar materials. The energy 

discharge at the interface of the components being welded results in 

high quality and integrity of welds on high-pressure parts and pipelines. 

This technique has been used to fuse tubes to tube plates or 

headers in high-pressure heat exchangers and is performed when 

a tube is impelled against the tube plate material using the energy 

from an explosive discharge. Penetration of a typical front face weld 

is in the order of 1mm to 1.5mm, but with explosive welding weld 

lengths of 7mm to 10 mm can be achieved. This method of welding 

eliminates the need for ultrasonic inspection, as the bond is achieved 

with every weld. 

Comprehensive solutions 

For more than 60 years we’ve provided comprehensive solutions for 

steam-generating, processing and reticulation plants in numerous market 

segments. These markets are diverse and include power generation, 

chemical and petrochemical, mining and steel beneficiation, pulp and 

paper and nuclear industries. 

Over the years, we have had the privilege of carrying out our 

specialised offering for Eskom, Sasol, PetroSA, ArcelorMittal, Engen, 

SGR, Alstom, Foster Wheeler, Lesedi, Samancor, Tongaat Hulett, Sappi, 

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Valmet and Linde. All of these 

companies have benefited from our comprehensive expertise in 

welding and environmental technology, manufacturing, maintenance, 

lifetime extension plans and project management. 

Career highlights 

During my career at Steinmüller, there have been a number of highlights, 

especially in our work with power stations. Once completed, we had the 

official opening of the Majuba power station by former president Thabo 

Mbeki, with the final unit put into operation in April 2001. This power 

plant can generate a nominal 4 110 megawatts, the equivalent to the 

total installed capacity of Morocco. 

We de-mothballed the Simunye stations, which incorporate the 

Camden, Komati and Grootvlei power stations, after more than 15 

years out of service. We also opened our 30 000m² Pretoria-based 

workshop and re-established complete boiler manufacturing capability 

as well as the high-temperature/pressure-piping capability in South 

Africa. One of my main highlights, I’m pleased to say, was our company 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Mpho Muvhango, Corporate Communications Specialist, Steinmüller Africa 

Tel: +27 11 806 3321 | Fax: +27 86 613 1965 

Email: mpho.muvhango@bilfinger.com | Website: www.steinmuller.bilfinger.com 

being awarded the four-year boiler and HP piping contract at 

eight Eskom power stations effective 1 January 2022. We are also 

very pleased that this contract will retain 600 jobs and create 

about 2 400 new jobs. As an OEM, we have also supplied boilers 

to power stations, exceeding 19 000 megawatts in combined 

size, for Eskom. 

The core values of our company are the care for our clients 

and employees, innovation in our operations for the benefit 

and growth of our employees and added value to our clients’ 

operations, and accountability, which is at the heart of the values 

of our employees, which we feel is priceless. 

The future 

Looking ahead to the medium term, we are in the process 

of diversifying our client base and our service offerings. This 

entails exposing new clients to our existing products while 

growing our new product selection, such as heat exchangers 

for example, for new and existing clients. We also plan to target 

new industries, taking our offering to a broader market, which 

includes our focus on steam generation and reticulation, with 

an emphasis on complex, efficient high-temperature and highpressure 

steam systems. 

As new energy plant projects are limited, we have focused on 

maintenance projects and the life extension of existing plants in 

the sectors in which we operate. We do, however, expect new 

projects to come to the fore with the development of independent 

power producers, which will need to set up new plants. On 

this note, I am pleased to report that we have been involved in 

enquiries for the supply of concentrated solar power plants in 

the Northern Cape, and we consider any steam-using operation 

as a possible new customer. We are also keeping our eye on the 

mining sector, as new self-generation projects come about. 

Our short-term objectives are to exceed customer expectations 

in executing our four-year boiler contract in the power generation 

sector and aim to secure the next instalment of this massive 

contract. We also aim to have our Pretoria-based workshop reestablished 

as a centre of excellence for manufacturing pressure 

parts to serve a diverse client base, and we will continue to 

support clients in the chemical and petrochemical industries. 

We remain committed to continuing our mission of solving 

complex tasks for our clients, enabling them to focus entirely on 

their core competencies.

INFRASTRUCTURE 

Revived infrastructure spending 

will make for safer roads 

Government’s recent pledges to begin the procurement of services in extensive new build and 

upgrading of road infrastructure offers a glimmer of hope to businesses in the transport and 

construction industries. Justin Manson of Webfleet, Bridgestone’s Mobility company, hopes 

that by expanding and improving public facilities, the easing of congestion will slow their 

general degradation and make them safer for road users while feeding the economy. 

Investment in transport infrastructure along the east coast is intended to boost economic growth. The Msikaba Bridge is a part of the N2 Wild Coast Project. 

Credit: Dissing + Weitling 

Part of the reality of South Africa’s struggling 

electricity and water systems is that the facilities 

in place were not originally designed to serve 

as large a population as today relies on them. 

The roads bear an even greater burden due to 

the disrupted rail network provider currently working to 

rescue routes and refurbish equipment. This should make 

these revamped rail routes more relevant to modern mining, 

industrial and commercial operations that could benefit 

from its potential cost-effectiveness. 

Over the coming three years, according to the Finance 

Ministry’s annual budget published in February 2023, the 

government will be spending an estimated R903-billion on hard 

infrastructure. Most of this will be focused on strategic transport 

and logistics, and water and sanitation. 

Earlier in the same month, the South African National Roads 

Agency (Sanral) announced that it had awarded four longoverdue, 

major construction tenders for projects on the new 

N2 Wild Coast highway in the Eastern Cape and the N11 in 

KwaZulu-Natal. Politics aside, these should be welcomed, 

as these provinces have each suffered their own challenges 

related to their roads and traffic. 

Now, stepping into a new economic era driven by knowledge, 

creativity and design. Industrially manufactured and locallydesigned 

goods, from art works to high-tech equipment for a 

variety of sectors, will grow in scale as the South African resources 

sector undergoes its own transformation, with reserves remaining 

an unknown projection. 

A boost for the construction industry 

Sanral’s investment will create much-needed capacity in the country’s 

major coastal economies, boosting the construction industry while 

opening a key artery of trade. It forms part of a broader government 

programme mandated to uplift economic growth of KwaZulu-Natal 

and the Eastern Cape. 

The roads agency states: “The much shorter and quicker N2 route 

will dramatically reduce traffic carbon emissions, travel time and 

costs. The 1.5-hour to three-hour reduction in travel time for lightto-heavy 

vehicles using the current N2 and R61 routes between 

KZN and the Eastern Cape will result in a projected time cost-saving 

to the economy of R1.5-billion per annum. The new route will 

also open access to the unique but under-developed Pondoland 

region, boosting regional and local socio-economic development, 

particularly in tourism and agriculture.” 


INFRASTRUCTURE 

Keeping roads in good condition is vital for the welfare of truck fleets. Credit: Sanral 

The 410km N2 Wild Coast Highway, running between the N2 

Gonubie Interchange and the Mtamvuna River bridge, is a key step 

in government’s Strategic Infrastructure Projects SIP-3, South-Eastern 

Node and Corridor Development. 

While new roads are very much desired, refurbishment of existing 

infrastructure is also certainly needed, and will drastically improve 

the safety of passing motorists, something needs to be clarified 

along with the announcement of new projects. 

Webfleet Road Safety Report 

In the recently published maiden Webfleet Road Safety Report, 

which surveyed a large sample of fleet operators, it emerged that 

7% of accidents are caused by poor road conditions. If this could 

be reduced by 2-3%, it would save thousands of lives each year. 

Government, supported by the private sector and local 

communities, must also urgently repair the existing rail infrastructure. 

Abandoned stations, overgrown gantries and rusted tracks could all 

be brought back to life to further ease congestion and begin the 

drastic improvement in road surface quality across the nation. 

Fleet owners should be preparing for a massive evolution in 

South African logistics. They will have to contend with more 

customers upholding stricter contractual conditions, like large 

multinationals. Lack of insurance or vehicle telematics, for 

instance, will be a non-starter. Managers and those utilising their 

service will want to keep an eye on the live on-board diagnostics 

data, which will be relayed back to central command for directors 

and customer to see the entire operation in detail, making for 

quicker and better decisions on live route planning, vehicle health 

and driver well-being. 

The job now, during the construction of this new infrastructure 

is to collect as much data a possible throughout the development, 

ensuring that live traffic information is captured and fed back to road 

users as close to real-time as possible. 

Eventually, through technological refinement, devices fitted to 

monitor vehicle statistics will become so sensitive, they will pick up 

that a vehicle has gone through a pothole. If this can be mapped 

out, it could expedite local government’s maintenance schedule to 

further improve urban roads, the very heartbeat of the economy. 

About Webfleet 

Webfleet is Bridgestone’s globally trusted fleet management solution. Over 60 000 businesses across the world use it to improve fleet efficiency, support drivers, boost safety, 

stay complaint and work more stainably. For more than 20 years it has been empowering businesses with data-driven insights that help them optimise their operations. 

The Bridgestone E8 Commitment clearly defines the value Bridgestone is promising to deliver to society, customers and future generations in eight focus areas: Energy, 

Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease and Empowerment. These provide a compass to guide strategic priorities, decision making and actions throughout 

every area of the business. More information at: webfleet.com and www.bridgestone-emia.com 


VEHICLE INSURANCE 

Risk assessment has never 

been more important 

for vehicle operators 

Vuyisani Titi, CEO of Lynx Transport Underwriting Managers, underwritten by GENRIC Insurance 

Company Limited, unpacks the risk and insurance challenges facing heavy commercial vehicle 

operators in the current transport-operating environment. 

Premiums for heavy commercial vehicle have increased, but insurance remains 

a vital component for fleet managers. Credit: Sanral 

In volatile times, risk assessment becomes an even more 

important part of business decision-making than in 

normal times, both in terms of the vehicle assets and 

goods in transit. 

South African Special Risk Insurance Association (SASRIA) 

is a public enterprise listed under the Public Finance Management 

Act. It is a non-life insurance company that provides coverage 

for damage caused by special risks such as politically motivated 

malicious acts, riots, strikes, terrorism and public disorders. The 

impact of SASRIA increases has been big in recent times. 

The cost of insuring a heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) fleet 

faced a massive premium increase in SASRIA cover for loss or 

damage due to civil commotion, riots, strikes and terrorism. 

A terrible spate of looting and rioting in KwaZulu-Natal and 

Gauteng in 2021 and 2022 brought increases of over 1 700% 

as the special-risk insurer looks to rebuild capacity after losses 

totalling R32-billion, spread over 14 000 claims. The massive 

losses mean that policyholders will face very large increases on 

certain classes of business to ensure the sustainability of the insurer and 

its ability to pay claims on this crucial cover again in future. 

HCV operators have been hardest hit, with trucks exceeding 3 500kg 

attracting an increase of 1 736%. In material terms, that means that 

SASRIA cover for an HCV worth R2-million would increase from R375 per 

annum to R6 900 per annum in 2022. An HCV insured for R500 000 saw 

a premium hike from R94 to just over R1 720. Light commercial vehicles 

(less than 3 500kg) saw premiums increasing by 1 455%. Extrapolate this 

across a fleet of vehicles and the financial implications for HCV operators 

are onerous. Where SASRIA cover was previously a relatively insignificant 

driver of insurance costs for a fleet operator, it is now a major cost, and 

likely to be passed on to the consumer. However, when one considers 

the risks of the operating environment and the continued risks for violent 

protests, riots, looting and xenophobic tensions, the risks posed to the 

insurer and the insured are very real and present. 

While HCV operators may be tempted to forgo this crucial cover, it 

is strongly advised that fleet operators engage with their brokers to 

find ways to reduce their overall insurance costs with certain voluntary 


deductibles, co-insurance options and even self-insurance where 

it makes sense to do so, to keep their SASRIA cover in place. While 

insuring assets and goods in transit against riots, strikes, civil 

commotion and terrorism is going to cost a lot more going forward, 

its critical importance in a balanced risk management programme in 

the current transport operating environment is not debatable. 

Truck and cargo hijackings 

With high unemployment levels and a decline in visible and capable 

policing, trucks and cargoes on the roads are increasingly in the sights 

of criminal syndicates operating sophisticated hijacking operations. 

Crime statistics released by Police Minister Bheki Cele for the first 

quarter of 2021 showed that four courier vehicles were hijacked 

every day in South Africa, and that truck hijackings increased by 

24.6% compared with the same period in 2020. A total of 354 trucks 

and courier vans were targeted during this period for their high-value 

cargo which was typically food, appliances, mobile phones and other 

prized goods that are easily and quickly offloaded, transported away 

and sold for cash into the illicit market. 

In addition to cover for the vehicle asset, HCV operators need to 

ensure that they have adequate Goods In Transit (GIT) cover in place 

from the start of when goods are loaded at the depot until the time 

it is offloaded at the destination and responsibility is transferred to 

the receiving party. GIT would provide cover for: 

• accidental damage of goods if a truck should be involved in an 

accident 

• loadshifting where the load moves during transit causing 

damage to the goods 

• theft of goods where goods are stolen at approved and 

sanctioned truck stops 

• loss of cargo due to fire. 

Unqualified and unverified drivers 

A growing trend is the lack of rigorous verification of driver qualifications, 

licences and work permits where applicable on the part of the employer. 

This is often only picked up at the claims stage where the insurer would 

find that the driver does not in fact have a valid licence to operate the 

vehicle – leaving the truck owner in a serious financial predicament 

as any claim is likely to be declined if the vehicle was driven illegally. 

It is crucial that HCV operators invest time and resources to conduct 

thorough verification and background checks on every employee, 

especially considering that they are putting the driver behind the 

wheel of a multimillion-rand asset, not to mention the potential for 

hefty third-party liability in the event of an accident where there are 

injuries or worse. The costs saved by not doing proper verification 

pales in insignificance when consideration is given to the liability of 

putting an unlicensed and unqualified driver, or one with falsified 

work permits, behind the wheel of a HCV and valuable cargo. 

ABOUT LYNX 

Lynx Transport Underwriting Managers is an authorised financial services provider. 

It provides niche liability and insurance products tailormade for the goods‐intransit 

sector and operates from headquarters in Lynnwood. Lynx is underwritten 

by GENRIC Insurance Company Limited, an authorised financial services provider 

and licensed non-life insurer. 

Driver fatigue and loading 

negligence 

Around 40% of the accident 

claims received by Lynx are 

attributed to driver fatigue and 

negligence. With transport 

operators trying to make up 

for lost time and revenue 

as a result of the pandemic 

lockdowns and supply-chain 

bottlenecks, many HCV longhaul 

drivers are subjected to 

challenging conditions and 

pressure to meet deadlines 

despite weather, road and 

safety conditions. 

Therefore from a loading 

perspective, overloading, 

and even incorrect loading, is 

a dangerous risk. It inevitably 

means that the HCV will not 

operate as it should. It won’t 

stop or brake as expected 

and steering and controlling 

the vehicle on the road will Loading and unloading are times of high 

be precarious at best. It is risk. Credit: Ivan Bandura on Unsplash 

crucial that drivers and transport operators know how to load and 

offload cargo correctly, as well as the correct storage and handling 

conditions of such goods. It is also vital to understand when and how 

your Goods in Transit coverage applies once cargo is offloaded and 

ownership or possession is transferred to another party. 

Driver fatigue is another crucial issue. Legally a driver is only 

allowed to drive for a set number of hours before having to stop and 

rest. Best practice demands that there should be two drivers to every 

vehicle for long hauls, so that drivers are able to relieve each other at 

appropriate intervals. 

Skimping on risk management, mitigation and insurance 

The importance of having a comprehensive risk mitigation programme 

in place cannot be emphasised enough. All industries are dealing 

with the impact of economic slowdown and slow recovery from the 

pandemic, coupled with trade tensions and political upheaval which 

are exacerbating the traditional risks. In such an environment, the HCV 

and transport sectors are under tremendous pressure in terms of costs 

and achieving operational efficiencies, while also having to balance the 

risks faced in safeguarding people, high-value vehicles and high-risk 

cargoes through insurance solutions. 

It’s crucial to fully interrogate the value and nature of risk faced by 

an HCV operation, and in turn ensure that the company is adequately 

covered for assets, people, risk and cargo. The temptation to cut costs 

and skimp on insurance must be avoided at all costs and operators 

need to apply proper risk management and assessment protocols to 

reduce exposure in uncertain and challenging economic conditions. 

It is here where the skills and sector knowledge of an experienced 

HCV insurance underwriter and professional broker proves invaluable, 

ensuring that even in a worst-case scenario, your business can operate 

as normal, safeguarding the bottom line and reputation of the firm.

How to buy an existing business 

A guidebook has been published to help the prospective buyer. 

Credit: Antoni Shkraba/Pexels 

Buying a business can be challenging. Many aspects must 

be analysed and understood to gain a holistic picture of the 

business and its inner workings. While the process will likely be 

more accessible and quicker than starting your own business, 

you need to be aware of any pitfalls that might be occurring in 

the company. 

This comprehensive guidebook outlines what you need to 

look for, consider, analyse and question before purchasing a 

business. Then we highlight the best way to go about buying 

the business. 

Included in this guidebook are: 

• An introduction and description 

• Why buy an existing business? Detailing the pros and cons 

• Buying a business versus buying a franchise 

• Selecting the right business for you 

• What to evaluate when buying a business 

• How to be in a strong negotiating position when buying a business 

• Pitfalls to avoid when buying a business 

• Drafting the sales agreement 

• Avoiding the common mistakes when buying the business 

• How to get it right 

With this information, you will be able to avoid the pitfalls and 

mistakes that are made when purchasing a business and will be 

able to put yourself in the best possible negotiating position to 

ensure you get the best deal possible. It may be tricky, but you 

will be sure to start on the right foot with this guidebook. 

Contact details: 

Address: Hillcrest Office Park, 2 Old Main Road, Hillcrest 3610, Dagmar Breiling 

Email: dagmar@fundingconnection.co.za> 

Phone: +27 (0)31 761 8677 | Cell: 061 542 4037 | Fax: +27 (0)86 498 1614

PROFILE 

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) 

BUSA CEO Cas Coovadia. 

Established: 2003 

Headquarters: Sandton Johannesburg 

INTRODUCTION 

• Apex body, formed in 2003, leveraging on the role that organised 

business played in a peaceful transition to democracy. 

• Represents business with Government and Labour and in 

NEDLAC. 

• Work closely with the CEO Initiative, the ERP Process, the NBI and 

the BBC. 

• BUSA represents South Africa on the SADC Private Sector Forum, 

Business Africa, ILO and globally on the G20, and International 

Organisation of Employers and with Business Organisation 

counterparts across the globe and a member of Business at OECD 

(BIAC). Enabling business cooperation within the rest of Africa, 

South-South, BRICS and internationally. 

VISION 

The unified voice of business which serves to keep business 

interests at the heart of economic and socio-economic policy. 

MISSION AND PURPOSE 

BUSA aims to ensure that organised business plays a constructive 

role in ensuring an economic and socio-economic environment 

conducive to inclusive economic growth, development and 

economic transformation. Such an environment is critical for 

businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to thrive, expand and be 

competitive both domestically and internationally. 

KEY OBJECTIVES 

1. Policy Advocacy: BUSA actively engages with policymakers and 

government institutions to influence legislation and policies that 

affect businesses’ ability to thrive. By advocating for favourable 

economic conditions and regulatory frameworks, BUSA aims to 

create an environment conducive to investment and growth. 

2. Collaboration and Coordination: The organisation fosters collaboration 

among various business associations and chambers to present a 

cohesive and unified position on critical economic and social issues. This 

approach ensures that the business community speaks with one strong 

voice, enhancing its impact on national and international platforms. 

3. Economic Transformation: BUSA is committed to promoting inclusive 

economic growth and transformation. The organisation actively 

supports initiatives that drive job creation, skills development and 

empowerment, particularly in previously disadvantaged communities. 

4. Global Engagement: Recognising the importance of international trade 

and investment, BUSA facilitates partnerships and alliances with global 

business entities, advocating for fair trade practices and opening doors 

for South African businesses to access international markets. 

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES 

• Unisectoral: Representing Sectors of the Economy 

• Chambers: Representing Chambers of Commerce and Industry 

• Professionals: Representing Professional Bodies 

• Corporates: Representatives of Corporates Board of Trustees 

BUSA POLICY COMMITTEES 

• Economic Policy 

• Energy and environment Polity 

• Social Policy 

• Health Policy 

LEADERSHIP 

BUSA is governed by a board of experienced business leaders who 

bring a wealth of expertise and insights from different industries. The 

organisation’s leadership team, along with its CEO, plays a pivotal role 

in defining and executing its strategic vision. 

ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS 

BUSA maintains an open and transparent relationship with government 

bodies, labour unions, civil society organisations and other stakeholders. 

Through dialogue and collaboration, the organisation seeks to find 

common ground and drive shared solutions for the betterment of the 

country’s economic and social landscape. 

CONCLUSION 

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) stands as a beacon of unity and 

progress in the South African business landscape. By championing the 

interests of its diverse membership and advocating for sustainable and 

inclusive growth, BUSA continues to play a significant role in shaping 

the future of South Africa's business community. 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Tel: +27 11 784 8000 

Email: busa@busa.org.za |mediadesk@busa.org.za 

Website: www.busa.org.za

DIGITAL FREIGHT 

Digital exchange platform will 

make freight rail more efficient 

Empty Trips Managing Executive Andrew Crafford explains how 

rail capacity can be better used through a digital open exchange 

platform. It’s working for road transport already, he says. 

A 

substantial percentage of all rail wagons in South 

Africa are empty when moving between destinations. 

In the SADC region, only a small percentage of 

rail capacity is being fully utilised. That is a huge 

amount of wasted and expensive space. 

Empty Trips, a South African logistics innovator, plans to 

change this. It has a digital open exchange platform that is 

already addressing some of the biggest inefficiencies in road 

haulage – trucks returning empty from deliveries or standing 

idle waiting for backhauls. Empty Trips has now gone multimodal 

with the inclusion of marketing empty rail wagons on 

the platform. 

“Our aim is to do for rail what we are doing for road – making 

haulage simpler, more efficient, more visible and sustainable 

by filling empty spaces, in this case rail wagons,” says Andrew 

Crafford, Empty Trips Managing Executive. “We are a fully digital 

end-to-end logistics marketplace using algorithms to match 

shippers’ freight with the carrier’s capacity and allowing shippers 

to manage their contracts seamlessly and transparently. 

“Our enhanced Empty Trips digital-freight exchange now 

includes the service where rail carriers can publish empty rail 

wagons on the platform which then provides the visibility for 

rail shippers to book space on the rail wagons,” adds Crafford. 

Rail in the SADC region is increasingly embracing deregulation, 

creating open access where private rail operating companies can buy 

slots on chosen routes of rail infrastructure owned by third parties. 

Even if only 10% of empty wagon space is filled, it means 10% more 

profit, as the fixed cost of moving a full train compared to one with 

empty wagons is the same. 

Rail offers multiple benefits. With advances in wagon technology, 

wagon designs are light-weight skeletals, enabling the transport of 

heavier containers. They can also transport three containers instead of 

two, offering significant payload benefits. Train freight is also cleared 

pre-departure and the dangers and inefficiencies of border-post 

congestion are minimised. 

A train uses nine times less energy per ton kilometre than a truck 

and is four times more fuel efficient. This results in 60-75% less 

emissions in greenhouse gasses. The potential efficiency of rail makes 

it environmentally friendly and capable of a significant contribution to 

the mitigation of carbon emissions. In addition, with rail, the number 

of trucks on roads is reduced contributing to decongestion and fewer 

road accidents. This is in keeping with Empty Trips’ philosophy and 

aim for a more sustainable future. 

Empty Trips will initially target the Harare to Maputo and Ndola/ 

Lusaka to Durban routes, primarily for 

export cargo. More SADC countries, 

more rail corridors and more kinds 

of cargo are expected to move from 

road to rail. 

It is expected that changes in 

South African legislation will make 

it possible for Empty Trips to offer 

the marketing of wagon space for 

inland routes next year, in the same 

way it is now ready to do for crossborder 

rail freight. 

“Rail will play a significant role 

in the logistics industry with the 

integration of digital solutions. As 

the logistics industry evolves, our 

platform offering will make this 

a beneficial and faster reality. We 

are pleased to be playing a role,” Andrew Crafford, Managing Executive, 

concludes Crafford. 

Empty Trips 

54 | www.opportunityonline.co.za 

PHOTO: CINDY SHEBLEY ON PEXELS

INTEGRATED TELECOMS 

The next rung on the ladder 

of digital transformation 

Rob Lith, the CCO of Telviva, explains how Microsoft Direct Routing allows businesses 

to integrate PBX functionality into their Microsoft Teams environment. 

Digital transformation is not an event or milestone, 

rather it is the ongoing streamlining and 

simplification of business processes to support 

better efficiency, more productive teams, 

better customer experience and service and 

much more. And so, it would come as no surprise that even 

environments that were considered by many to be the beacon 

of digital transformation are now themselves in need of 

further enhancements and improvements. 

Before we look ahead, let’s take a moment to look in the 

rearview mirror for a moment. While collaborative suites 

such as Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams were already 

leading the charge pre-pandemic, it was the pandemic itself 

that tilted the balance of widespread adoption of cloud-based 

collaboration suites. 

Microsoft Teams, which is popular in the business world, 

combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage 

and application integration. However, we must realise that we 

still live in a world where voice is crucial. 

In other words, what is the point of having a self-sustaining 

collaborative ecosystem, but then forcing team members to 

drop off and use another means of communication altogether 

to handle their voice functions, either internally or externally? 

If the phone rings, the user needs to answer it. 

Companies such as Telviva integrate voice and other 

collaboration tools, but what about businesses using Teams? 

This led to the development of Microsoft Phone System, which 

allows businesses to replace their existing on-premise PBX system 

with a set of features delivered from MS 365, all the while tightly 

integrated into the business’s cloud experience. However, the 

Microsoft Calling Plan is not supported in all countries, and 

South Africa is one such country where it is not available. 

To navigate this, Direct Routing is used to achieve the same 

goal – it allows a business to connect a supported customer 

or service provider’s session border controller (SBC) to the 

Microsoft Phone System. This means an organisation can connect to a 

local voice carrier to leverage existing voice contracted rates or it can 

contract a new service with competitive rates. Each phone system 

user gets a number for inbound calls and a calling-line identity for 

outbound calls. 

Cloud-based unified communication and collaboration (UC&C) 

companies such as Telviva understand the importance of voice, and 

how a true omni experience brings different platforms and tools 

together to streamline businesses, which led to being able to provide 

a Microsoft-certified AudioCodes multi-tenant SBC for a customer’s 

Microsoft Phone System and Direct Routing to connect to a public 

switched telephone network, hosted in the cloud with redundancy. 

Now, if the digital transformation jargon is becoming too much, 

it means this: Direct Routing enables you to integrate phone-PBX 

functionality into Microsoft Teams. Within the same interface and 

environment, calls can be answered, made, put on hold and transferred, 

between Teams users and between Teams users and non-Teams users. 

It is key, when an organisation investigates Direct Routing, 

to seek out a provider that not 

only has the capability, but also 

a solid track record in UC&C 

broadly, and Microsoft Direct 

Routing specifically. Then, working 

with a good Microsoft partner 

to integrate the service is vital 

to unlocking the full benefit of 

the exercise. A company such as 

Telviva works extensively with 

Microsoft partners and so can 

either refer a partner or work 

closely with a new partner on 

integrations. Ultimately, Direct 

Routing provides businesses with 

a leg-up in the next phase of their 

digital transformation journeys. Ron Lith, CCO, Telviva 

About Telviva 

Telviva, formerly Connection Telecom, is a market leader in cloud-based communications for business. Seamlessly integrating voice, video and chat in one intelligent platform, 

Telviva enables you to have better quality conversations with customers, suppliers and staff. Our portfolio of brands, namely Connection Telecom, Telviva and Fat Budgie have 

now been consolidated under the Telviva banner to better align our product understanding and messaging, enabling our customers to maximise the benefits of consolidating 

all their general business communications into a single cloud application. 

For more information: www.telviva.co.za 


TECHNOLOGY 

Photographer: 

Please advise on technology solutions for 

seamless remote working and discuss the latest 

trends remote technology. 

Foursight is preparing for a radical 

The world as we know it has changed, and so have 

businesses worldwide. Users a round the globe are 

working remotely and using their mobile phones 

change in expectations and laptops to access corporate applications. when How do you it define success? 

Securing the new 'work from anywhere' hybrid 

environment is a leading priority and for a good 

comes 

_________ reason – organisations’ attack surfaces have never 

to digital technologies 

JOHANNAH MASILO PHENYA 

Position: Managing Director 

possible. Foursight uses solutions that protect 

devices and Internet connections from the most 

sophisticated attacks while ensuring zero-trust 

access to corporate applications. 

been wider. According to our recent survey, 71% of 

security professionals reported an increase in 

security threats and attacks since the start of the 

coronavirus outbreaks. This new way of working 

The founder of Foursight IT Business Solutions, Johannah 

and to be able 

Masilo 

to deliver best 

Phenya, 

solutions to 

led us to a new way of innovating and collaborating government departments. 

explains how data has become 

with leading technology 

a source 

security 

of 

manufactures 

wealth 

such 

and public value. 

as Checkpoint, IP Granite, Sophos and Fortinet. 

A main concern for companies, in terms of remote 

working, is security. What advice do you have for 

business owners? 

Watching how cyber-attacks have evolved in recent 

years, companies need solutions that will assist 

them to administer such threats. Our solution is 

PROFILE: JOHANNAH PHENYA 

Professional best achievement? 

To be the only woman-owned company in the 

consortium for rolling out fibre in Limpopo. 

What was the most powerful lesson on your 

path to success? 

Be your best, setting boundaries and focusing 

on one pitch at a time. 

To be able to do my best, I attain success 

once I achieve my goals. Success means 

achieving a challenging goal. 

What has been your most defining 

opportunity? 

Being a female in the IT security industry 

Biggest influence in career? 

My family. 

Do you agree with the statement that a government’s intervention 

in the digital space must be proportional to their technological 

capability? 

Yes. Data has become a source of wealth and public value, the lifeline 

of the digital society. Today, fast-moving and evolving trends in digital 

technologies are leading to a radical change in the citizen expectation. 

Please share with us why collaboration across the value chain is 

the critical catalyst for improved service delivery. 

Technology is wide and vast. The IT space is not static and is forever 

evolving. It is important to be abreast of the latest trends as it affects 

how we live, work and play. New systems, platforms and applications 

are developed almost daily. These changes influence business in terms 

of how it should conduct its work and interface with its clientele. To be 

abreast of technology and to deliver cutting-edge solutions, requires 

good and strong sector partnerships. 

What can Foursight IT Business Solutions do for government? 

Government is tasked with implementing policies and programmes 

that are geared towards creating a better life for all. This statement 

is a major driving force towards the creation and existence of 

Foursight IT Business Solutions. Foursight has the best breed of 

technological infrastructure and cutting-edge business systems, 

which supports government's delivery endeavours, and it has 

grown over time. 

Foursight IT Business Solutions, a woman-owned 

empowered company, is built on a set of beliefs and 

strong vision, derived from the creation of value net. 

It is based on interdependencies between Foursight, 

as a business entity, as well as manufacturers and 

government as a consumer of goods and services, and ultimately, 

the broader communities as overall beneficiaries. 

Please discuss the effect of the POPI Act regarding remote working. 

Many companies endeavour to comply with the POPI Act; however, 

in the remote working environment, employees are responsible for 

ensuring that they do not violate any of the provisions stipulated 

in the current company policies that set expected behaviour for 

information protection and security. Employees are responsible for 

the safe and secure handling of all hard-copy records and information 

taken off-site, including but not limited to electronic files. 


TECHNOLOGY 

How should laptops, computers and wireless technology be 

protected in a remote working scenario? 

Foursight has a vast range of IT security solutions for mobile and 

desktop solutions, enforcing encryption and the use of secure 

enclaves, if possible. Foursight uses solutions that protect devices 

and Internet connections from the most sophisticated attacks while 

ensuring zero-trust access to corporate applications. 

Please advise on technology solutions for seamless remote 

working and discuss the latest trends in remote technology. 

The world as we know it has changed, and so have businesses 

worldwide. Users around the globe are working remotely and using 

their mobile phones and laptops to access corporate applications. 

Securing the new "work from anywhere" hybrid environment is a 

leading priority and for good reason – organisations’ attack surfaces 

have never been wider. According to our recent survey, 71% of 

security professionals reported an increase in security threats and 

attacks since the start of the coronavirus outbreaks. This new way of 

working led us to a new way of innovating and collaborating with 

leading technology security manufactures such as Checkpoint, IP 

Granite, Sophos and Fortinet. 

model that provides enterprises the complete threat prevention 

they need against Gen V attacks. Infinity Total Protection is the 

only offering available today that includes both network security 

hardware and software, with fully integrated endpoint, cloud and 

mobile protections and zero-day threat prevention, together with 

unified management and 24/7 support. 

What are the next opportunities and challenges for 

Foursight IT? 

The biggest challenge is that IT is still one of the most maledominated 

industries; however, women are pushing the barriers and 

occupying the space now, in terms of economic development and 

emancipation. Opportunities should not be based mainly on gender, 

but the playing field should be levelled so that everyone with 

potential can be given an opportunity to engage and contribute to 

the economy and development of the country. 

www.foursightit.co.za 

A main concern for companies, in terms of remote working, is 

security. What advice do you have for business owners? 

Watching how cyber-attacks have evolved in recent years, 

companies need solutions that will assist them to administer 

such threats. Our solution is a revolutionary security consumption 

PROFILE: JOHANNAH PHENYA 

Johannah Masilo Phenya started her career as an office administrator at HR 

Collaborate after graduating. She moved to Pinnacle Africa as IT sales executive 

in 2003. She started Foursight IT Business Solutions in 2006. 

Professional best achievement? 

To be the only woman-owned company in the consortium for rolling out fibre 

in Limpopo. 

What was the most powerful lesson on your path to success? 

Be your best, setting boundaries and focusing on one pitch at a time. 

How do you define success? 

To be able to do my best, I attain success once I achieve my goals. Success means 

achieving a challenging goal. 

What has been your most defining opportunity? 

Being a female in the IT security industry and to be able to deliver best solutions 

to government departments. 

Biggest influence in career? 

My family. 

Johannah Masilo Phenya, Managing Director of Foursight IT Business Solutions

FILM 

Creative industries are 

growing the economy 

In 2021, UNESCO published The African Film Industry: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for 

Growth. This document contains a detailed report on the South African film sector. Extracted 

here are sections on the institutional framework and the economic impact of the sector. 

MAIN REPRESENTATIVE AND REGULATORY INSTITUTIONS 

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the 

Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, is mandated by the NFVF Act 

to develop, promote and transform the sector, through the provision 

of grants and bursaries, training programmes and promoting the 

industry at home and abroad. 

Their work is supplemented by provincial Film Commissions 

(which report to regional Economic Development Departments); 

the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, the Gauteng Film Commission, 

the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and Wesgro in the 

Western Cape, who also offer grants and training for regional 

producers and productions (Wesgro, however, does not provide 

grants). They, in turn, are supported by City Film Offices, for 

example, the Durban and Cape Town Film Offices which provide 

logistical support to productions filmed in their jurisdictions. 

In an attempt to improve coordination and collaboration between 

all the departments noted above, the South African AV Forum, an 

inter-governmental body, has been established. 

The industry has various industry bodies, the largest of which is 

the Independent Producers Organization (IPO) which represents 

over 70% of the country’s producers. It identifies and shares 

new developments and international industry best practices. 

The Independent Black Filmmakers Collective (IBFC) represents 

a broad spectrum of people active in the industry, with the 

aim of enhancing the industry’s transformation and economic 

development. Sisters Working in Film & TV (SWIFT) addresses the 

specific needs of women working the sector, Animation South 

Africa (ASA) is a guild representing and promoting the interests of 

the country’s growing animation sector, while the Documentary 

Filmmakers Association (DFA) represents people throughout the 

documentary value chain. The country also has a guild for actors 

(SAGA), for editors (SAGE), for writers (WGSA) and for agents and 

talent managers, the PMA. All the above organisations are members 

of the South African Screen Federation (SASFED) which advances 

the cause of the entire sector. 

Other smaller organisations represent regional or demographicspecific 

interests in the sector. The National Association of 

Broadcasters represents the interests of the country’s public and 

private broadcasters. 

Regulation of the sector is undertaken by two organisations. 

The Independent Broadcast Authority of South Africa (ICASA) 

regulates both the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors. 

It functions under the Department of Communications and Digital 

Technologies (DCDT). 

The Film and Publications Board (FPB), also reporting to the DCDT, 

is responsible for classification of content. The oversight function 

of these bodies and the broadcasters falls to the Parliamentary 

Portfolio Committee on Communications. 

Production 

South Africa’s cultural creative industries have seen a rise in activity and 

economic contribution in recent years. The direct impact (also called 

Value Added) of the CCIs in 2018 was $5.51-billion, accounting for 1.7% 

of GDP (compared to 1.5% in 2016). Taking the Direct Effect, Indirect 


FILM 

Effect, and Induced Effect into account, the CCIs’ total effect on the 

economy was $18.01-billion, or 5.6% of the country’s GDP. 

This GDP contribution has grown at an average of 2.4% per 

annum, which is significant compared to the economy as a whole, 

which was only 1.10% pa over the same period. Notably, the local 

Audiovisual and Interactive Media sector, which has seen significant 

increase in local appeal and international recognition in recent 

years and which is the main driver of advertising revenues for 

broadcasters, enjoyed one of the highest growth rates within the 

CCIs, at 5.2%. South Africa generates some $600-750-million in 

production value annually, of which some $220-million is Foreign 

Direct Investment, mostly coming from foreign film production 

which delivers a multiplier of five for the dtic’s investment. 

The industry’s overall economic multiplier is 2.8, higher than 

tourism at 2.3, and the employment multiplier is 4.1. The sector 

creates around 60 000 full-time equivalent and freelance jobs, 

with indirect jobs created throughout the value chain including 

suppliers and service providers estimated to be well over 100 000. 

Copyright and Performers’ Amendment Bills 

The ACA and CPA have submitted joint feedback to 

parliament on the Copyright and Performers’ Amendment 

Bills, legislation that has stirred intense controversy. On the 

website Act Now, Netflix’s critical line-by-line interrogation of 

the bills runs to 20 Powerpoint slides. MultiChoice, M-Net and 

DALRO were among many organisations to weighed in with 

hefty submissions. The press release that accompanied the 

ACA and CPA submissions is reproduced here. 

Credit: CPA 

intellectual property and the need to foster creativity and innovation 

in these industries. 

The ACA and CPA have raised key concerns on behalf of industry 

stakeholders in South Africa’s advertising and television commercial 

production industries. The submission was made during oral 

representation to the committee on Tuesday, 21 February 2023 

by Leo Manne, ACA Board Member and MD of Network BBDO, 

and Bobby Amm, CEO of the Commercial Producers Association. 

Karabo Songo, ACA chair, says the Amendment Bills have farreaching 

consequences for the advertising industry: “The proposed 

changes could impact greatly on our ability to create and innovate. 

We welcome the opportunity to engage with Government on 

these issues and we hope that our submission will contribute to a 

constructive dialogue on the way forward.” 

According to the ACA and CPA, the advertising industry is in 

favour of self-regulation, and the two organisations have agreed 

on best practices and guidelines on performer remuneration and 

standardised commercial production contracts. These practices 

ensure that performers are engaged on fair and equitable terms. 

Key advertising industry concerns on the bills 

While the industry supports updating South Africa’s Copyright and 

Performers’ Protection Acts, the joint submission raised several key 

concerns with the Amendment Bills, including the following: 

• The absence of a meaningful economic impact assessment for 

proposed legislative changes in the Copyright Amendment Bill. 

• The bill seeks to introduce new statutory royalty entitlements, 

creating uncertainty around who would pay and how these royalty 

rates would be determined. 

• The introduction of royalties will also create an additional 

administrative burden for agencies. 

• The bill also seeks to criminalise the non-reporting of all commercial 

uses of audiovisual works, including TV commercials, which would 

be practically unfeasible and add additional administrative burdens. 

• Advertising agencies’ bespoke requirements and production 

environment may not have been considered during prior public 

consultation rounds. 

The Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) and 

the Commercial Producers Association (CPA) have made a joint 

submission to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and 

Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, 

Tourism, Employment and Labour on the key concerns for 

stakeholders in South Africa’s advertising and television commercial 

production industries. The representation was made in relation 

to the proposed Copyright Amendment Bill and the Performers’ 

Protection Amendment Bill. 

The submission was made on behalf of over 200 member 

companies and businesses from across the advertising and 

television commercial production sectors. The ACA and CPA have 

called for a balance to be struck between the need to protect 

Credit: Rodger Bosch/Brand SA

FILM 

South Africa offers tremendous cultural diversity for photo shoots, advertisements and films. Pantsula dancers, Gauteng. Credit: SA Tourism/Flickr 

In their joint submission, the ACA and CPA expressed their concern 

about the competitive landscape of the global audiovisual content 

production industries, which has become increasingly intense 

due to the value it holds for driving foreign direct investment, 

job creation and broader economic growth in countries with 

thriving creative content production sectors. The production of 

television commercials is not limited to a single territory, and clients 

have the freedom to decide where to produce their commercials 

based on various factors, including a legislative environment that 

is conducive to the production process. 

The submission cautioned that should the underlying legislative 

environment change and become disadvantageous for productions 

to take place in South Africa, local and international advertisers 

could well look to other territories in which to produce their 

commercials and advertising campaigns, which could cause 

runaway productions. 

The CPA’s Bobby Amm adds: “We are proud of our industry’s 

accomplishments in South Africa, and we believe that our joint 

submission reflects our commitment to creating sustainable 

jobs and supporting transformation initiatives and protecting 

copyright. We hope that our submission will convince the NCOP 

that making the necessary changes to the bills will ensure the 

continued success of the audiovisual content production industry 

in South Africa.” 

The submission also calls for parliament to engage more closely 

with stakeholders in the advertising and television commercial 

production industries to ensure that any amendments to the 

Copyright Act and the Performers’ Protection Act take into account 

the unique challenges and opportunities of these industries. 

“Prescribing compulsory and standard contractual terms for all 

copyright agreements, and to prescribe royalty rates and usage 

tariffs will impact the freedom to trade and contract which could 

result in a negative impact on our economy,” concludes Songo. 

The submission concluded by arguing that the bills suffer from 

numerous material defects, and that the passing thereof could harm 

the viability and growth of the industry, and other creative content 

production industries in South Africa, and that the bills should 

be rejected in their current form in favour of redrafting thereof in 

cooperation with recognised industry experts and lawyers who 

are experienced in practicing copyright law. 

About CPA 

The Commercial Producers Association of South Africa is a professional trade association of production companies that specialise in the production of television commercials 

for the domestic and international markets. 


GLOBAL TOURISM 

Global tourism is 

bouncing back, at a cost 

To add to its flight from Newark Liberty International west 

of New York, United Airlines has introduced a new direct 

flight between Washington Dulles Airport and Cape Town 

International Airport. Credit: United Airlines 

To mitigate the soaring costs of travel, Travelstart and Mastercard have partnered to alleviate financial 

pressure brought on by the increasing demand of travel and travel-related categories globally. 

With the onset of the travel season, and the 

dissipation of the pandemic fog which brought 

with it global travel bans, travel and tourism 

continue to show strong signs of recovery. 

The first half of 2022 recorded an estimated 

474-million international tourists, compared to 175-million in the 

same months of 2021. Locally, the first quarter of the year welcomed 

1.7-million travellers through South African ports of entry, a 136% 

increase compared to the same period in 2021. 

The rise in local and global travellers is helping to restore the African 

tourism industry to its pre-pandemic state. Albeit still experiencing 

the damages that ensued from lockdowns, tourism markets in Africa 

have bounced back. Thanks to this renewed influx of visitors, the local 

industry is expected to generate 14-million new jobs over the next 

decade, while the tourism sector as a whole is expected to lead the 

region’s economic recovery, with a predicted annual GDP growth that 

will outpace the overall economy for the next 10 years. 

While the recovery of the tourism and travel industry will support 

the economic recovery of the overall continent, experts agree that 

travellers can expect record-high price increases across travelrelated 

categories. “As demand for travel goes up, unfortunately 

prices follow,” says Travelstart’s founder, Stephan Ekbergh. 

In South Africa, the increase in travel fares from flights to hotels can 

be attributed to lack of capacity, the weak currency and fuel hikes. 

Globally, fare increases are due to the travel rebound and higher 

demands, which results in fewer affordable flights, and more people 

looking for hotel rooms than there are rooms available. 

“To mitigate the soaring costs of travel, Travelstart and Mastercard 

have partnered to offer discounted travel to Mastercard holders in 

Africa. The partnership comes at a time when demand for business 

and leisure travel is bouncing back vigorously,” says Ekbergh. 

The partnership between the two businesses will see Mastercard 

holders saving up to 30% on base international and domestic airfares 

and hotel costs, with the discounts available to all Gold, Platinum, 

World and World Elite Mastercard cardholders as well as debit, credit, 

prepaid and commercial Mastercard cardholders. 

Ekbergh concludes: “As the African travel season fast approaches, 

we advise travellers to book as early as possible and to ensure they 

have the adequate travel insurance and cover in place to avoid 

incurring additional costs.” 

The Travelstart discounts are currently available to Mastercard 

holders in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. 

For more information, visit 

https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/mastercard 

About Travelstart 

Travelstart is a one-stop online travel shop, presenting the best international and domestic flights from airlines, hotel stays at properties on every continent, travel insurance, as 

well as car hire and bus tickets to anywhere in Southern Africa. 

About Masterca 

Mastercard is a global pioneer in payment innovation and technology, connecting billions of consumers, issuers, merchants, governments and businesses. By connecting individuals, 

businesses and organisations in more than 210 countries and territories today, Mastercard is unlocking opportunity for more people in more places.

FUNERAL COVER 

Funeral costs can be 

planned and managed 

Yaaseen Albertyn, Product Management Head at Metropolitan, says that 

budgeting and careful planning can take the stress out of funerals. 

South Africa is the world’s fourth-most-expensive 

country for dying, with 13% of the annual average 

wage used to pay for funeral costs. For many people 

who do not have funeral cover, burying a loved one is 

unaffordable. They are forced to use savings that were 

intended for education or retirement, while others go into debt 

to pay for funerals. 

But even with funeral cover in place, funerals can end up 

costing more than expected or what is covered by a funeral 

plan. Funerals are by nature an opportunity for friends and 

family to gather to honour the deceased. But in some settings, 

this could include large communities who attend and need 

to be catered for, which can add significant costs. “While our 

funeral plans are designed to enable South Africans to be 

celebrated with a funeral as unique as them, without a budget 

and careful planning, costs can escalate and cause extreme 

financial hardship for those left behind,” says Yaaseen Albertyn, 

Product Management Head at Metropolitan. 

The company’s funeral offering is flexible and affordable and 

enables the plan owner to customise their plan according to their 

funeral wishes and what they can afford. Given the evolution of 

traditional family structures, cover is provided for up to three 

life partners, children, parents and up to nine extended family 

members. All funeral plans include a payment protection benefit, 

the ability to skip premiums in tough financial times, Metropolitan’s 

CashBack benefit and a repatriation benefit. “Depending on the 

wishes of the plan holder, and more importantly affordability, 

add-on benefits can be selected, such as a memorial benefit to 

pay for a tombstone or a monthly income to cover expenses for 

a limited period,” says Albertyn. 

Credit: Mike Bird/Pexels. 

Understand all possible funeral costs 

The starting point is to understand all the possible costs associated 

with holding a funeral. This includes pre-funeral costs such as 

repatriation, livestock, clothes, undertaker costs, coffin and cemetery 

costs. Funeral costs on the day include the service venue, flowers, 

catering, refreshment venue, funeral service, programmes and music 

and chairs, while post-funeral costs can include a cleansing and 

unveiling ceremony and a tombstone. 

Once you know what kind of funeral you want and the associated 

costs, you can then select the appropriate cover amount. “Don’t be 

tempted to choose a cover level you can’t afford. Rather manage your 

expectations on the kind of funeral you can afford that won’t get your 

loved ones into debt,” advises Albertyn. 

Using funeral cover wisely 

When a loved one passes away, it’s up to the family to arrange the 

funeral in line with the available funds. “Drawing up a budget is critical 

and getting consensus from family members is important to ensure 

that costs don’t get out of control,” says Albertyn. 

Lack of pre-planning is one of the biggest reasons for overspending 

when it comes to funeral costs. When a loved one dies, you are not 

necessarily in the right frame of mind to make smart budget decisions. 

There is no time to compare prices and the various services available 

and it’s hard to know what is and 

isn’t necessary. He advises getting 

a trusted friend or family member 

to help you with getting quotes 

so you can compare prices before 

making costly decisions. 

While no one likes talking about 

funerals, they are an important and 

often expensive part of life. “You 

can avoid financial hardship for your 

loved ones and still have the dignified 

send-off you want by taking out the 

appropriate level of funeral cover. It’s 

then up to family members to manage 

the funeral payout responsibly to 

avoid overspending,” says Albertyn. 

For more information visit 

www.metropolitan.co.za/ 

collectiveshapers. 

Yaaseen Albertyn, Product 

Management Head at Metropolitan 


FUNERAL SERVICES 

Memorial Hill Private 

Cemetery: A first in Africa 

The Icebolethu Group is committed to offering much more than funeral policies 

through interactions with clients that give value every day. Founder and CEO, 

Nomfundo Mcoyi, reflects on how the company has transformed into a lifestyle brand. 

Nomfundo Mcoyi, founder and Chief Executive Officer of 

the Icebolethu Group. 

Biography 

Having earned a National Diploma in Education, Nomfundo worked 

as a teacher until 2009 when she decided to follow her dream of 

becoming an entrepreneur. Inspired by the need for a reputable 

funeral-service provider, Nomfundo’s passion has earned her 

numerous awards, including the Lioness Award in 2018 by Women of 

African and the Global Impact for Business Services and Community 

Development by Global African Awards in 2021. 

A collaborative leader, Nomfundo pays credit to a dedicated 

group of colleagues at Icebolethu. She says, “God has blessed me 

with a very good team that understands my vision, understands 

what Icebolethu needs and they are right behind me, supporting 

me to deliver.” Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) has 

bestowed an Honorary Doctorate in the Faculty of Management 

Sciences in recognition of her contribution to the fields of 

entrepreneurship and business management. In July 2023 the 

Commonwealth Business Awards recognised Icebolethu as the 

Fastest-growing Organisation led by a Woman, the Best Customercare 

Organisation and the Best Organisation Led by a Woman. 

Africa’s first black female-owned private cemetery has 

opened in Johannesburg. Memorial Hill Private Cemetery 

is a project of the Icebolethu Group, a dynamic group of 

companies offering a lifestyle brand that includes a range 

of services, policies and benefits for clients that goes well 

beyond what is traditionally understood as a funeral policy. 

Memorial Hill is a critical part of the company’s strategy to keep 

offering greater value to clients. A loyalty progamme, cash-back 

benefits and discounts at retail stores and service providers offers 

Icebolethu clients benefits they can enjoy while alive. Clients’ funeral 

policies ensure that everything is taken care of when the funeral itself 

takes place and beyond that, for example in erecting tombstones or 

paying out policies to family members. 

Located in the north of Johannesburg, the memorial site is close 

to all major amenities like the N14 highway and Malibongwe, which 

makes it central and accessible to areas such as Honeydew, Lanseria, 

Centurion and Roodepoort. 

Group Founder and CEO Nomfundo Mcoyi outlines the extent of 

the development: “Memorial Hill, as the first of our memorials to go to 

market, is approximately 13 hectares with space for about 15 000 graves.” 


FUNERAL SERVICES 

A key factor that differentiates Memorial Hill from other cemeteries 

is the scope of services that will be on offer once all the phases are 

complete. The cemetery is already open and operating but some of 

the intended facilities are in the advanced planning stages. 

These include a chapel where families can have their services, a 

crematorium and a mortuary facility, a fully functional restaurant 

and a catering kitchen. Speaking of the range of facilities that will 

be available in one setting, Nomfundo comments, “There are no 

comparable facilities offering this in one location.” 

The architects responsible for Memorial Hill have imbued the 

complex with a sense of tranquility. These elements are important 

to Nomfundo, who notes that “it will be a peaceful cemetery with 

24-hour security in place and it will be safe for families to visit 

departed loved ones at any time”. 

A wall of remembrance will give added dignity to those visits, 

allowing family members to reflect in a calm and reflective 

setting. This approach to the funeral of loved ones and the period 

of mourning that follows chimes with one of the company’s main 

goals, explained by Nomfundo as follows, “We want to demystify 

cemeteries and the element of death as it is a normal part of life.” 

Sales and maintenance facilities are already on site at Memorial 

Hill and, because the company is financing the project from its 

own resources, it is not dependent on outside funders to proceed. 

Planning for all of the elements of Memorial Hill have been 

completed, supported by comprehensive artists’ impressions and 

3D renderings. In construction project terms, the developer in 

this instance is selling using a method equivalent to the “off plan” 

model. The goal is to complete all of the intended facilities in the 

shortest possible time. 

The monthly premiums paid by Icebolethu policy holders 

assist them in securing a final resting place through their policy. 

Icebolethu had always been in a position to organise burials, cook 

for families and mourners on the day of the funeral and erect an 

appropriate tombstone. Now, with the establishment of Memorial 

Hill, the company can offer literally everything. As Nomfundo 

says, “The only thing that was missing was the cemetery so now 

everything is under one roof.” 

Provision has been made for families requiring more than 

a single plot. Individuals are able to purchase family plots in 

multiples of two graves at a time, all the way up to hundred graves 

if they would prefer that option. 

Memorial Hill will also accommodate cash clients who can buy 

sites. A certificate of ownership will ensure a site is reserved for 

when it is needed. 

First of many 

Memorial Hill is intended as the first of many such projects that 

Icebolethu anticipates initiating. Several sites across South Africa 

are being considered, with a project in KwaZulu-Natal in the early 

stages of planning. 

The company’s call centre caters to a client base that is situated 

all over South Africa and Icebolethu can offer services almost 

anywhere through partner companies, but at the moment the 

group’s geographic footprint covers Mpumalanga, Gauteng and 

KwaZulu-Natal. A start has been made in the Eastern Cape and the 

group aims to be a national company. 

Transforming the brand 

Icebolethu has been on a five-year journey to transform the brand 

from being a burial and funeral parlour to becoming a lifestyle brand. 

The aim, exemplified in the tagline, “We do life with you”, is to give 

clients value every day. 

The memorial park is part of that strategy, providing as it does all 

the services related to funerals, from catering to tombstones but the 

group strategy goes well beyond that, positioning the group as a 

fully fledged finance institution and a lifestyle brand. 

A member of the public will be introduced to Icebolethu 

through a policy, but thereafter a relationship is established and 

developed. There are many ways in which a client can engage 

with Icebolethu. 

As Nomfundo explains, “Through Isave, which is our loyalty 

programme, our clients can enjoy monthly discounts at retail 

outlets and service providers. 

“Our clients can enjoy the benefits of their funeral policy. In 

addition, all our members can enjoy discounts for their daily 

shopping at entities like Shoprite/Checkers and other retail 

partners such as Edgars, car-hire companies and other elements 

that they use in their day-to-day lives.” 

The lifestyle benefits that accrue to members are an added 

benefit of being an Icebolethu valued client. The many lifestyle 

benefits that are available are a welcome addition to the value 

they obtain through the funeral policy that they hold. 

Contact details: 

Tel: 086 000 7580 | Website: icebolethugroup.co.za | Email: memorials@ icebolethu.co.za 

Memorial Hill will offer a full suite of services for burials, memorials and ceremonies. 



Top economists recognised 

The first prize-giving of the Economist of the Year competition to be held under 

the auspices of the Bureau of Market Research and Unisa was held in 2022. 

Economist of the Year, 2002: Ulrich Joubert Runner-up: Elize Kruger Runner-up: Emile du Plessis 

Given the strategic position of the BMR in the Unisa 

Corporate Group structure, the Unisa Executive 

Management Committee in 2022 adopted the 

co-branding of the Economist of the Year (EoY) 

competition. 

The winner and two runners-up of the 2022 BMR/Unisa 

Economist of the Year competition were announced during an 

award ceremony held in Pretoria in June 2022. The competition 

winner and runners-up were identified by an adjudication panel 

determining which of the 33 participating economists were the 

most accurate at forecasting the outcomes of eight economic 

variables for 2022. 

The winner of the 2022 competition was Mr Ulrich Joubert 

(an independent economist) who has won this prestigious title 

of Economist of the Year four times in the past. The runnersup 

(in no particular order) were Ms Elize Kruger (independent 

economist) and Mr Emile du Plessis (Finometrica). 

When asked for comments during the award ceremony, these 

top three economists indicated that 2022 was a particularly 

tough year in which to produce economic forecasts due to 

the large number of downside risks and unexpected black 

swan events impacting on the economy. Pertinent factors in 

this regard included the Russian invasion of Ukraine, escalating 

Eskom power outages (loadshedding), increasing price 

inflation as well as local and international political uncertainty. 

It was also pointed out by Mr Joubert that these downside risks 

and black swan events don’t just act in isolation of each other but 

exacerbated the negative economic impacts in a contemporaneous 

fashion. An example of this is the Ukraine war giving rise to higher 

price inflation, which in turn gave rise to the South African Reserve 

Bank increasing interest rates to address such high inflation, which in 

turn depressed aggregate demand for goods and services, which in 

turn gave rise to lower economic growth rates, which in turn gave 

rise to lower job creation and compensation growth, which in turn 

impacted negatively on future GDP growth, due to the fact that 

household consumption expenditure contributes to more than 60% 

of national output. 

Looking at 2023, the top three economists expected a very difficult 

year marked by low economic growth with a high possibility for a 

recession during the year, sticky high inflation, high interest rates and 

depressed household consumption expenditure growth. They were 

also of the opinion that the number of downside risks to economic 

growth will most likely continue to increase, while further hikes in 

interest rates are expected to address the depreciating value of the 

rand versus the US dollar, as well as sticky high inflation rates. The 

overall expectation with respect to 2023 was that South Africa has 

to prepare itself for a very tough year ahead on both economic and 

political fronts. 

Such uncertainty emphasises the need and value of the forecasts. 

The 38 economists who are participating in the 2023 Economist of the 

Year competition are attempting to bring some enlightenment in a 

very uncertain 2023 South African economy. 


A total of 38 South African top economists are participating in the 2023 Economist of the Year 


(EoY) competition, co-hosted by the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) and the University of 

South Africa (Unisa). To take part in the competition, participating economists are required to 

provide projected estimates with respect to eight variables on a monthly basis. These eight 

variables include: 

• Average real annual GDP growth rate for 2023 (%). 

• Average consumer inflation rate (CPI) for 2023 (%). 

2023 ECONOMIST OF THE YEAR COMPETITION 

A total of 38 South African top economists are taking part in 

the 2023 Economist of the Year. To take part in the competition, 

participating economists are required to provide projected 

estimates with respect to eight variables on a monthly basis. 

The eight variables are: 

• Average real annual GDP growth rate for 2023 (%). 

• Average consumer inflation rate (CPI) for 2023 (%). 

• Average prime interest rate in Q4 2023 (%). 

• Average ZAR/USD exchange rate in Q4 2023 (ZAR). 

• Average Brent Crude oil price in Q4 2023 (USD). 

• Average real annual household expenditure growth rate for 2023 (%). 

• Average yield on long-term government bonds in Q4 2023 (%). 

• Current account balance as % of GDP for 2023 (%). 

• Average prime interest rate in Q4 2023 (%). 

• Average ZAR/USD exchange rate in Q4 2023 (ZAR). 

• Average Brent Crude oil price in Q4 2023 (USD). 

The consensus forecasts based on the median estimates are 

determined each month for each of the eight variables. 

The consensus provided during March 2023 is contained in the 

following table: 

The consensus provided during March 2023 showed that 

participating economists were in general pessimistic about the 

South African economy with low economic and household 

expenditure growth rates being forecasted for the year ahead. 

Some cautious optimism was however evident from forecasts for 

lower consumer price inflation, a stronger rand-dollar exchange 

rate and a lower Brent Crude oil price. The expectations regarding 

the prime interest rate remaining high throughout 2023 seem to be 

favourable for those with savings, while less favourable for those 

with existing debt. 

• Average real annual household expenditure growth rate for 2023 (%). 

• Average yield on long-term government bonds in Q4 2023 (%). 

• Current Account Balance as % of GDP for 2023 (%). 

The consensus forecasts based on the median estimates are determined each month for each 

For more information and/or media interviews please contact Ms 

Pamela de Jongh. 

pdejongh@bmr.co.za 

of the eight variables. The latest consensus provided during March 2023 is contained in the 

following table: 

March 2023 estimates 

Consensus Forecast 

(Median) 

Average real annual GDP growth rate for 2023 (%) 0.65 

Average consumer inflation rate (CPI) for 2023 (%) 5.70 

Average prime interest rate in Q4 2023 (%) 10.82 

Average ZAR/USD exchange rate in Q4 2023 (ZAR) 17.53 

Average Brent Crude oil price in Q4 2023 (USD) 85.00 

Average real annual household expenditure growth rate for 2023 (%) 1.40 

Average yield on long-term government bonds in Q4 2023 (%) 10.50 

Current Account Balance as % of GDP for 2023 (%) -1.72 

ABOUT BMR 

Press Release 2023/1 

The Bureau of Market Research (Pty) Ltd operates as an independent market-research entity within the University of South Africa corporate group structure. Based on industry 

demand, the BMR was established in 1960 and transformed into a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2019 to optimise its business functionality. 

The sustainable business of the BMR is deeply rooted in ethical, scientific, intelligent, innovative, high-quality, accurate, reliable, unbiased and inclusive market research practices 

that are collectively applied in a practical and strategic style to generate custom-made, one-stop modern market research intelligence optimally impacting on business and societal 

transformation. The research scope of the BMR focuses on demographic, economic, business, household wealth, behavioural, communication, youth and consumer neuroscience. 

Access to BMR products and services is available via membership subscription or commissioned research. 


SACCI 

The SACCI Business Confidence Index (BCI) 

2020=100 

Month 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 

Economic data 

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) August regularly 107.4 publishes 103.6 economic 104.6 103.0 data 99.2 relating 106.2 to business 

105.6 

confidence and trade. As of 2023, SACCI will publish the Small Business October Growth 107.5 Index 107.4 (SBGI), 110.8 the 106.0 launch 106.4 of which 109.7 is 109.4 carried 

elsewhere in this magazine. The SACCI Business Confidence Index December and Trade 108.4 Conditions 111.4 110.1 Survey 107.6 are 109.0 reproduced 106.4 117.3 here. 

The SACCI offices are in Illovo, Johannesburg. For more statistics, see www.sacci.org.za 

January 107.0 112.9 115.3 109.9 106.6 109.2 108.8 112.9 

February 107.1 110.4 114.3 108.0 107.2 109.0 112.0 111.9 

March 108.6 108.4 112.8 106.1 103.9 108.7 110.5 111.3 

April 110.4 109.7 111.0 108.3 89.9 109.5 108.3 107.1 

May 106.1 107.7 108.7 107.5 81.0 112.1 103.2 106.9 

June 109.9 109.7 108.3 107.9 94.1 111.2 108.5 

July 111.0 110.2 109.5 106.4 95.7 107.7 110.3 

September 104.4 107.5 107.9 106.8 99.1 105.2 110.9 

November 

108.6 109.9 111.1 107.2 108.0 107.3 110.9 

Average 108.0 109.1 110.4 107.1 100.0 108.5 109.6 

SACCI Business Confidence Index 

Business confidence marked by mixed causality 

From a level of 111.3 in March 2023, the BCI declined by 4.2 index points in April 

2023 and settled at 106.9 in May 2023. The business climate might be stabilising 

after the uncertain effects of electricity supply have been factored in. 

Between April and May 2023 there were three notable positive effects 

on the BCI, namely, significantly more new vehicles sold in May, improved 

energy supply caused by a lower US dollar crude oil price and increased 

manufacturing output. 

Lower merchandise export volumes, the rand under pressure and higher real 

financing costs were in particular causing a dent in business confidence. In the 

short and medium SACCI Trade term, Conditions the financial Survey April environment 2023 had a more negative effect 

on the business climate than reflected by real economic activity. 

South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

The GDP data for the 1st quarter 2023 indicates that South Africa averted a 

Trade Conditions Survey 

technical recession though the economy expanded by only 0.2% year-on-year 

April 2023 

(y/y) in the 1st quarter 2023. 

The substantial swing from a surplus on the trade account in the first four 

months of 2022 to a notable deficit in the first four months of 2023 does not 

only reflect the effect of global trade on South Africa, but also indicates the 

economic sensitivity of South Africa to international trade relations. 

SACCI Business Confidence Index – May 2023 

The SACCI Business Confidence Index (BCI) 

2020=100 

Month 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 

January 107.0 112.9 115.3 109.9 106.6 109.2 108.8 112.9 

February 107.1 110.4 114.3 108.0 107.2 109.0 112.0 111.9 

March 108.6 108.4 112.8 106.1 103.9 108.7 110.5 111.3 

April 110.4 109.7 111.0 108.3 89.9 109.5 108.3 107.1 

May 106.1 107.7 108.7 107.5 81.0 112.1 103.2 106.9 

June 109.9 109.7 108.3 107.9 94.1 111.2 108.5 

July 111.0 110.2 109.5 106.4 95.7 107.7 110.3 

August 107.4 103.6 104.6 103.0 99.2 106.2 105.6 

September 104.4 107.5 107.9 106.8 99.1 105.2 110.9 

October 107.5 107.4 110.8 106.0 106.4 109.7 109.4 

November 108.6 109.9 111.1 107.2 108.0 107.3 110.9 

December 108.4 111.4 110.1 107.6 109.0 106.4 117.3 

Average 108.0 109.1 110.4 107.1 100.0 108.5 109.6 

Trade Activity Index (TAI)* 

Activity Nov-22 Dec-22 Jan-23 Feb-23 Mar-23 Apr-23 

Sales volumes 43 44 36 48 50 50 

New orders 40 43 38 55 56 42 

Backlog on orders received 40 31 36 33 35 33 

Supplier deliveries 47 43 38 38 32 44 

Inventory level 47 39 38 38 35 42 

Selling prices 62 54 52 60 74 72 

Input prices 69 72 76 85 79 83 

Employment 38 41 36 35 29 33 

TAI 42 42 37 45 44 43 

TAI seasonally adjusted 47 53 36 46 42 41 

Note: The indices are diffusion indices and vary between 0 and 100. At 50 an index reflects 

a 'no change' situation and above or below 50 implies a positive or a negative reading 

depending on the trade component. 

* The TAI is the composite index of sales volumes, new orders, supplier deliveries, 

inventory levels and employment. 

Six Month Trade Expectations Index (TEI)* 

Activity Nov-22 Dec-22 Jan-23 Feb-23 Mar-23 Apr-23 

Sales volumes 59 72 64 68 65 58 

New orders 60 72 62 65 62 61 

Backlog on orders received 47 41 40 43 44 47 

Supplier deliveries 55 57 62 65 50 44 

Inventory level 60 61 60 63 50 42 

Selling prices 79 78 81 85 76 72 

Input prices 88 87 83 88 85 92 

Employment 50 44 45 48 38 36 

TEI 57 63 59 62 55 51 

TEI seasonally adjusted 56 73 55 63 55 49 

* The TEI is the composite index of expectations on sales volumes, new orders, supplier 

deliveries, inventory levels and employment. 

2 

Trade Conditions Survey, SACCI 

Trade expectations weaken notably 

Cautionary note on survey: External adverse events had a damaging effect on 

certain businesses and a number of regular respondents went out of business. 

The results should therefore be interpreted with the necessary circumspection. 

Trade conditions have been under pressure since January 2022 although 

marginally better than in April 2022 when the index stood at 38 compared 

to 43 in April 2023. Whereas trade expectations were well into positive 

territory over the last 12 months, there was notable volatility towards the 

end of last year into 2023. In April 2023 respondents only expected 51% of 

trade activities to improve in the next six months compared to 59% of trade 

activities in April 2022. 

Sales volumes were bordering the negative side while new orders declined 

noticeably in April 2023. Supplies and stock levels consequently increased. 

Sales prices remained under pressure and declined slightly while input prices 

increased as 83% of respondents reported rising input costs. This caused lower 

profitability and affected viability. 

Sales volumes are expected to decline significantly over the next six months 

(scope of survey) while new orders come under pressure. 2 Supplier deliveries 

and inventories follow the expected lower trade activity. It is anticipated that 

the rate of increase of sales prices could slow (inflation stabilising), but that 

input costs will rise at a faster pace.

60 

CELEBRATING 

YEARS 

of Outstanding Customer Service 

and Making Steam Generation Work 

We have come a long way, 

6 decades and counting!

Opportunity Issue 106

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