| CALLING BUSINESS SKILLS TRAINERS FOR 2027 PROGRAMME |
The Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business is inviting members to tender to deliver its annual business skills training programme, offering trainers an opportunity to share expertise while helping local businesses grow. The programme spans HR and management, finance, computer skills and other practical business disciplines. Since 2003, almost 600 courses have been presented, with typically half-day sessions designed to equip employees with relevant, workplace-ready skills.
If there is a specific course that your company is looking for please let us know so that we can evaluate tenders based on what you require. Prospective trainers that are members are invited to submit their suggestions of courses that will offer value and respond to changing business needs. Applications are assessed on criteria including the potential benefit and value to participants. For course suggestions, to apply and for enquiries, contact Candice at news@pmcb.org.za. |
| 40 YEARS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, ONE SIMPLE ABCD LESSON |
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Janine Ward unpacking the elements of Asset-Based Citizen-led Development at the NGO Forum. Picture by Lethiwe Zondi
Calling on 40 years of community development, Janine Ward shared a lifetime of learning alongside communities in her presentation to the NGO Forum at the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business on Friday.
Weaving personal experience into the evolution of her practice, Ward traced the roots of her commitment to Asset-Based Citizen-led Development (ABCD) to 12 years working with a displaced community in rural eSwatini. There, she learnt first-hand that meaningful development need not begin with what people lack, but with the strengths, skills and resources they already possess.
For Ward, ABCD is more than a development programme or methodology. It is a philosophy of life and a way of seeing people and communities recognising their gifts, relationships and assets, and supporting them to mobilise these towards their own goals.
Her reflection offered a powerful reminder to the NGO sector: sustainable change starts by recognising people’s capacity to shape their own futures. The principle is simple: “Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can, she said.
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| STAKE YOUR CLAIM ON THE PMCB 2027 WALL CALENDAR |
The Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business is inviting members to advertise on its 2027 A1 wall calendar, featuring key events and business forums. With 1 000 calendars printed and exposure to 700 businesses throughout the year, it’s a valuable promotional opportunity. Only 22 advertising spaces are available, with one advertiser per business category. Adverts measure 100 × 60mm and cost R4 150 plus VAT. Bookings are first come, first served. Contact Thabisile on 033 345 2747 or at info@pmcb.org.za to secure your space.
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1977: On Black Wednesday, 19 Black Consciousness Movement Organisations were banned.
Also, in 1986, Mozambique president Samora Machel and 33 passengers died in an air crash in South Africa under suspicious circumstances.
Students at institutions will be happy to know they’re the centre of attraction today, on World Student Day. |
BEHAVIOURAL COACHING KEY TO SLOWING ROAD CARNAGE
Driver training must go beyond vehicle control and road rules to address risky behaviours, with research suggesting personalised coaching can help reduce habits that contribute to crashes.
A joint study by Discovery Insure, Johns Hopkins University and behavioural consultancy Affective Mobility analysed 5 000 drivers across 1.7 million trips covering 15 million kilometres. AI-powered in-car coaching improved five behaviours compared with a matched control group: cellphone use fell by 9%, harsh acceleration and braking by 5% each, harsh cornering by 4% and speeding by 3%.
The findings are relevant in South Africa, where 11 485 people died on the roads in 2025, down 5.6% from 12 172 in 2024. Preliminary figures show 6 457 deaths between January 1 and August 23, 2026, a 9% decline on the comparable 2025 period. Pedestrians accounted for 48% of fatalities during that period. (SOURCE: Moneyweb) |
... AS SUPREME COURT ORDERS RAF TO STOP DEDUCTIONS
The Supreme Court of Appeal has ordered the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to stop refusing to reimburse road accident victims for past medical expenses simply because their medical aid schemes have already paid the bills. Ruling in Discovery Health’s favour, the court found the RAF and former CEO Collins Letsoalo had breached a 2022 court order and their constitutional duty to comply. They must implement the judgment within 14 days and report back to the court. Costs were awarded against both. Discovery says the RAF’s failure to reimburse schemes costs them about R500 million annually, potentially pushing up members’ premiums. (SOURCE: Moneyweb)
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COURT RULINGS COULD RESTORE BUSINESS CONFIDENCE, SAYS PSG
South Africa’s court rulings on contested legislation could help restore business confidence by reducing years of policy uncertainty, says PSG Financial Services CEO Francois Gouws. More than 50 legal challenges are testing legislation, including preferential procurement, National Health Insurance and expropriation. Gouws says clearer legal outcomes will help businesses understand the regulatory landscape and make investment decisions. Economic growth has averaged below 1% annually for more than a decade, while fixed investment remains far below government targets. With municipal elections scheduled for 4 November, Gouws sees an opportunity for voters to reassess governance and demand improved services. (SOURCE: Bloomberg)
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... AS APPEALS AGAINST WEST COAST OIL EXPLORATION DISMISSED
Environment Minister David Maynier has dismissed appeals by 47 individuals and environmental organisations against authorisation for oil and gas exploration in TotalEnergies-operated Block 3B/4B off the West Coast. The 2024 approval permits up to five exploration wells. Maynier imposed conditions relating to assessments of food security and coastal community livelihoods. TotalEnergies welcomed the decision, pledging compliance with environmental monitoring and marine protection requirements. Greenpeace Africa condemned the ruling as a failure of environmental governance, warning of threats to the West Coast and the prospective Orange Basin. Opponents can still seek judicial review. (SOURCE: Engineering News)
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EV TAX REFORM COULD UNLOCK INDUSTRIAL GROWTH
Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) is urging National Treasury to reform electric-vehicle taxes and fund renewable-powered charging infrastructure, arguing that high import duties undermine affordability and future local production. Ahead of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s October 21 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, the company wants clearer policy direction, targeted incentives for cheaper EVs, long-term infrastructure financing and support for renewable-energy microgrids. Import duties and excise taxes can add more than R266,000 to a R500,000 imported electric car before VAT. CHARGE says aligning taxation with industrial development could accelerate decarbonisation, strengthen energy security and create local manufacturing opportunities. (SOURCE: Engineering News)
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OLD MUTUAL CLIENT DATA EXPOSED IN SERVICE PROVIDER ERROR
Old Mutual clients’ mobile numbers and email addresses may have been exposed after a configuration error in a service provider’s systems left certain files accessible without intended security controls. The insurer said there was no evidence of hacking, unauthorised access or misuse, and the incident has been resolved. Some records also contained free-text responses. Old Mutual proactively notified potentially affected customers as a precaution, saying policies, benefits and accounts remain secure. It urged clients never to disclose PINs, passwords or one-time passwords, and said additional safeguards had been introduced to prevent a recurrence. (SOURCE: Moneyweb)
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20 MILLION BARRELS RELEASE TO SOFTEN DIESEL CRISIS
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has agreed to accelerate emergency oil stock releases, including more than 20 million barrels of diesel, as supply disruptions drive prices higher. The move follows a March pledge to release over 400 million barrels of crude and oil products amid the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz crisis. About 330 million barrels have been released so far. However, analysts say the latest diesel allocation largely accelerates existing commitments rather than adding new supply. US President Donald Trump has pressured European countries to draw down reserves as fuel costs threaten inflation and consumer affordability. (SOURCE: Reuters)
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AI BOOM RISKS R58 TRILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE WRITE-DOWNS
More than $3.5 trillion (about R58 trillion) in artificial intelligence infrastructure investment could face impairment by 2030 as spending outpaces the revenue needed to justify it, economic consultancy Gartner warns. AI data centre owners need $8.5 trillion in cumulative revenue to cover capital costs, financing and achieve a 12% return, but forecast AI revenue reaches only $3.6 trillion. Specialist providers face particular risks as computing assets depreciate rapidly and competition intensifies. Gartner predicts more than 80% of specialist “neocloud” providers will cease operating independently by 2030, as few succeed in developing higher-margin software and services. (SOURCE: Bloomberg)
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RECORD COFFEE CROP NOT ENOUGH TO STABILISE PRICES
A looming global coffee surplus may not bring relief to consumers, as depleted exchange stocks and weak incentives to deliver beans threaten continued price volatility. A record Brazilian crop is expected to help produce the biggest global surplus in years during the 2026-27 season. However, arabica exchange-certified stocks have fallen to their lowest level since 1999, helping push prices towards $3.50 a pound this year. Growers have little incentive to rush deliveries, with private buyers sometimes offering better returns. September saw a surge in Brazilian deliveries, but arrivals subsequently slowed. (SOURCE: Bloomberg)
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Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past, what to enjoy in the present, and what to plan for in the future.
Arnold Glasow |
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