It is difficult to remember a time when economists and commentators were so off the mark when making forecasts about what a Finance Minister would announce in his Budget as they were for Finance... 

In light of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that measures will be taken in the coming months to fundamentally change the trajectory of energy generation and procurement, it is surely... 

There were indications already at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that South Africa was out of step with the main themes occupying the minds of most global government and business... 

The South African government would not be able to build an emergency hospital in ten days, let alone an emergency power station. For evidence, look no further than the horribly overpriced and... 

Any rational observer of the South African condition, will probably have grudgingly come to accept that it’s going to take a significant amount of time to turn around the performance not only of... 

For those who have resolved to make 2020 the year they start prioritising a good night’s sleep, it would not be advisable to make bedtime reading of the Council for Scientific and Industrial... 

South Africans may be divided on many issues, but on the fact that inadequate electricity supply represents the main risk to the country’s economy, there is undeniable unity. Ongoing disagreement... 

The return of load-shedding, together with what is a truly dire prognosis for system stability, should surely have been the wake-up call government required to finally begin implementing its very... 

As we approach the onramp to the 2020’s, the car-wreck of South Africa’s ‘lost decade’ looms large in the rear-view mirror. The confidence boost provided by the successful hosting of the FIFA World... 

The risk posed by Eskom to the fiscus is surpassed only by the risk posed by ongoing electricity shortages to the economy and South Africa’s growth prospects. The South African Reserve Bank has... 

Opinion may be divided on the appointment of Andre de Ruyter as Eskom’s new CEO, but on one point it’s overwhelmingly united: there will be no honeymoon period. The attitude of citizens towards... 

One of the key messages in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Africa Energy Outlook 2019 report is that neither State budgets nor development finance will be sufficient to fund the... 

South Africans are painfully aware of the negative consequences of power shortages. The menace of load-shedding has hung over the country’s economy like a pall for more than ten years.... 

The problems with the way the World Bank’s yearly ‘Ease of Doing Business Ranking’ is compiled are well documented. Nevertheless, the ranking has become something of a touchstone for those seeking... 

The very last column in the Integrated Resource Plan 2019 (IRP 2019) table is certain to attract much attention, for the immediate future anyway. The column bears the unglamorous heading of... 

State-owned electricity utility Eskom confirmed earlier this month that it would be taking the Energy Regulator’s most recent tariff determination on legal review and would also be applying for... 

“The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will be a game-changer, both for South Africa and the rest of the continent,” President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in his October 7 letter to the... 

“The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will be a game-changer, both for South Africa and the rest of the continent,” President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in his October 7 letter to the... 

When asked by CNN host Fareed Zakaria about America’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal, former British Prime Minister David Cameron replied: “It’s certainly right to say that the deal had... 

During a recent energy event, Andy Calitz, who has bravely put up his hand for the vacant post of Eskom CEO, indicated that one of his major impressions since returning to South Africa, following... 

The reactions of Julius Malema and Gwede Mantashe respectively to recent negative media reports show up stark differences in both style and substance. True, the allegations published about Malema’s... 

For those still in search of evidence of just how beneficial a relationship South Africa enjoys with the rest of the continent – and Southern Africa in particular – a visit to any regional border... 

Next week is the deadline for the submission of comments on the economic policy paper released by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in late August. The paper’s distribution came as something of a... 

If you watch international football, you will be acutely aware that one of the hottest topics of conversations these days is ‘VAR’ or the video assistant referee. Never does a weekend go by without... 

Mineral Resources and Energy minister Gwede Mantashe left many scratching their heads again last week after a briefing of mostly foreign correspondents in Johannesburg. It came as little surprise... 

Given South Africa’s current economic predicament, it is not only natural but also important for government, along with its business and labour partners, to begin looking outside of the country’s... 

There is a growing tendency among hitherto committed and well-intentioned South Africans to simply throw up their hands in despair when considering the state of the economy and the slow pace of... 

South Africans are most certainly weary of commissions of inquiry and it’s, thus, entirely inopportune to be talking about the possibility of convening yet another one. It’s far from clear,... 

A key take away from the dreadful ‘State capture era’ it is that institutions matter and so do the people that lead them. If it had not been for the resilience of key individuals in the judiciary,... 

There was little sign of the promised ‘reform agenda’ in the recent Budget Vote speeches delivered by South Africa’s newly appointed Cabinet Ministers. In far too many instances, the speeches... 

In light of the intensifying global efforts to tackle climate change, as well as South Africa’s ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement, it would be irresponsible for government to do nothing... 

Britain’s got Brexit, America has Trump and South Africa’s got corruption. When such powerful single-issue themes permeate just about every political and economic development, a country can easily...