| KPCA UPS ANTE WITH ACTION TEAMS FROM REVAMPED HQ |
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KPCA Group leaders at the Green Learn to Earn Induction (ltr) DUCT Executive Director Faye Brownell, KPCA Group Director Lara Edmonds, Cornelia van der Sandt KPCA (GL2E Group Training Facilitator) and Glenn MacArthur (KPCA Group Team Leader, Yamlani and Project Manager).
KPCA Group is stepping up its efforts to transform Pietermaritzburg with a 10-month Social Employment Fund Action Team, supported by DUCT and the Green Learn 2 Earn Programme, a pilot project in conjunction with Rhodes University and other partners.
Participants will rotate through work, skills training, and individual endeavours that are compliant with labour, UIF, and COID requirements. To date, 23 local businesses have been supporting the various activities, including the provision of tools, materials, PPE, paint, and technical support.
It has also established an Action Team HQ at 144 Zwartkop Road to co-ordinate four key activities - tree felling and clearing overgrowth and alien invasives; maintenance of reclaimed grassed areas; establishment of a nursery and planting activities, and ongoing renovation of bridges, recycling, and business networking. For more information, contact Campaign Manager Lara Edmonds at info@kpca.co.za or on 084 587 0880 (Whatsapp).
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| KZN DAIRY INDUSTRY IN CRISIS MODE OVER FMD DELAYS |
KZN dairy farmers are bearing the brunt of delays in implementing the national Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Mass Vaccination Strategy, organised agriculture warned yesterday. While welcoming plans to lift the Disease Management Area (DMA) and expand vaccination, Kwanalu said the response comes four years too late, with severe economic consequences already felt. High-producing dairy herds have been among the hardest hit by prolonged trade restrictions and uncertainty. Kwanalu stressed that dairy cattle must be prioritised in vaccine rollout, ahead of commercial and communal herds, to prevent further losses. Ongoing concerns include vaccine availability, logistics and unclear timelines, which threaten herd health, milk output and farmer livelihoods across the province. (SOURCE: KZNIBNews)
See below: Meat prices spike on FMD spread |
| WOMEN-LED CONSTRUCTION BODY TO TRANSFORM SECTOR |
The KZN government has launched the She Builds Advisory Body, an all-female structure aimed at advancing gender equity in the male-dominated construction sector. The body will advise government on women empowerment and mentor aspiring female professionals in the built environment in what has been described as a deliberate move to dismantle barriers excluding women from meaningful participation. The advisory body will engage stakeholders, identify policy gaps and ensure women’s voices influence decision-making in the interests of an inclusive industry. (SOURCE: SAGovNews)
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1879: The Battle of Isandlwana and the defence of Rorcke’s Drift were fought.
Elsewhere, in 1970, the first Boeing 747 in the livery of Pan-Am took off on a scheduled flight from New York to London.
Today is still marked as the world record for the fastest temperature change, in 1943, in South Dakota. The temperature increased from −20°C to +7°C in two minutes. |
INFLATION UPTICK TEMPERS IMMEDIATE RATE CUT HOPES
Consumer inflation edged higher in December, rising to 3.6% from 3.5% in November to dampen expectations of an interest rate cut next week when the Monetrary Police Committee meets next week. However, the annual average inflation rate for 2025 came in at 3.2%, the lowest since 2004 and below the Reserve Bank’s 3.3% forecast, reinforcing confidence in the new 3% inflation anchor.
Stats SA data showed monthly inflation of just 0.2%, with pressures from housing, utilities, food and financial services. Meat prices surged 12.6% year on year, while electricity and water tariffs remained key contributors. Core inflation stayed subdued at 3.3%, supporting expectations of interest-rate cuts later in 2026 rather than at the next MPC meeting. (SOURCE: BDLive)
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… AS RAND SHRUGS OFF MARKETS DATA TO TRADE BELOW R16.30/$
The Rand strengthened yesterday as markets looked past a mixed bag of local data. The Rand broke through the R16.30/$ level yesterday to trade near its strongest level since August 2022. Benign inflation numbers - 3.6% in December and 2025 inflation of 3.2% - prompted analysts to factor in multiple rate cuts this year. The JSE Top-40 gained 0.3% and the 2035 bond yield fell to 8.37%. The Rand is currently trading at R16.32/$, R21.81 to the Pound, and R19.00 to the Euro. (SOURCE: Reuters).
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MEAT PRICES SPIKE AS FOOT-AND-MOUTH SPREADS
South African meat prices rose at their fastest pace in almost eight years in December, driven by a prolonged foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Urban meat prices were 12.6% higher than a year earlier, the sharpest increase since January 2018, making meat the biggest contributor to food inflation, Stats SA said. Beef led the surge, with mutton and pork also recording faster annual increases. The outbreak, ongoing since 2021, has worsened amid vaccine shortages and uncontrolled animal movements, forcing feedlots into quarantine and halting auctions. Government plans to import vaccines from Argentina, Turkey and Botswana, and may declare a national disaster. (SOURCE: Bloomberg)
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SURGE IN PENSION DEFAULTS IMPERILS 600 000 WORKERS
Nearly 600 000 South African workers have been affected by a sharp rise in unpaid pension, medical aid and retirement fund contributions, with outstanding amounts topping R7 billion. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority says defaulting employers more than doubled from 7 700 in 2024 to 15 521 in 2025, up from 4,000 in 2023. In response, employment & labour minister Nomakhosazana Meth has withdrawn an exemption that limited enforcement, allowing labour inspectors to act alongside pension regulators. The move restores strict seven-day payment rules and exposes non-compliant employers to fines, criminal charges and personal liability, as unions push for tougher inspections and prosecutions. (SOURCE: BDLive)
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AMSA, IDC REVIVE STEEL MILLS RESCUE TALKS
ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) have reopened talks over a potential acquisition of the steelmaker’s local operations, with the IDC preparing a non-binding offer. Discussions collapsed late last year after ArcelorMittal rejected an informal R8.5 billion proposal that included repaying R7 billion in debt to its parent. Talks began in November 2023 when Amsa announced plans to shut two mills vital to the automotive and mining sectors. Those mills, along with an iron-ore mine, have since closed. The IDC, which owns about 8% of Amsa, views the assets as strategically important. (SOURCE: Bloomberg)
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MR PRICE SHAREHOLDERS UP IN ARMS OVER R9.7 BILLION NKD DEAL
Mr Price’s proposed R9.7 billion acquisition of German retailer NKD faces scrutiny from shareholders urging the JSE to treat it as a Category 1 transaction. Benguela Global Fund Managers argues the deal, combined with seven prior acquisitions since 2021 totaling over R10 billion, transforms the group from a domestic mid-value retailer into a diversified international player, requiring full shareholder approval. Concerns include earnings dilution, insufficient valuation data, and potential capital demands for store expansion. Other investors, including Northstar and 36One, back this review. The acquisition caused nearly a 10% drop in Mr Price shares, highlighting investor unease. (SOURCE: Moneyweb)
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SHOPRITE HITS 100 SOLAR-INSTALLATION MILESTONE
Shoprite Group has powered up its 100th rooftop solar photovoltaic installation, located at Shoprite Morula in Tshwane, marking more than a decade since launching its first project in 2015. With installed capacity exceeding 43 300 kWp, the retailer’s solar portfolio ranks among the largest in the South African private sector, generating enough electricity to power about 12,300 households annually. In the 2025 financial year, renewables supplied 7.2% of group electricity use, totalling 151 243 MWh and cutting emissions by 137,026 tCO₂e. Shoprite is expanding wheeling projects and seeking additional partners to scale clean-energy access across its stores and distribution centres. (SOURCE: Engineering News)
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MOTSEPE'S ARC HEADS TO COURT IN R3.6 BILLION CONFIDENTIALITY ROW
Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital (ARC) has moved to court seeking urgent relief against a US-based company in a $195 million (about R3.6 billion) lawsuit linked to an alleged breach of confidentiality involving Pula Group. ARC claims confidential commercial and strategic information, shared under binding agreements, was unlawfully disclosed and exploited. Court papers argue the alleged conduct caused substantial financial prejudice and exposed ARC’s investment structures and deal pipelines. ARC is seeking interdictory relief to halt further disclosure, alongside damages tied to lost opportunities and reputational harm. The case highlights rising legal risks in cross-border investment partnerships. (SOURCE: BDLive)
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TRUMP'S 'GENOCIDE' CLAIMS BLUNT SOUTH AFRICA DAVOS PITCH
A disputed claim by former US president Donald Trump alleging “genocide” in South Africa has intruded on the country’s investment push at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The remarks, widely rejected by the South African government and independent data, have forced ministers to spend valuable time correcting the record instead of focusing squarely on economic reform, energy security and growth prospects. Officials insist crime and inequality remain serious challenges, but reject any suggestion of racially motivated violence. The episode has proven an unwelcome distraction as South Africa courts global investors, promotes policy certainty and seeks to reposition itself as a stable, reform-minded emerging market on the global stage. (SOURCE: BDLive)
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GLOBAL WATER BANKRUPTCY SPARKS R83 TRILLION CRISIS
The world is facing global water bankruptcy, with aquifers, glaciers, wetlands and rivers overdrawn beyond renewable limits, says the UNU-INWEH report. About 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water, 3.5 billion lack sanitation, and nearly four billion face severe scarcity annually. Over half of major lakes have shrunk, and 410 million hectares of wetlands have vanished, causing $5.1 trillion (about R83 trillion) in ecosystem losses. Agriculture consumes 70% of freshwater, while 70% of major aquifers decline. Millions of farmers depend on dwindling water, threatening half of global food production. The report calls for urgent water-smart policies, institutional reform, and global cooperation to prevent further crises. (SOURCE: Engineering News)
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You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
Zig Ziglar |
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