<![CDATA[BusinessDay]]>https://www.businessday.co.zaThu, 05 Nov 2026 19:31:37 +0000en1hourly1<![CDATA[LIVE RESULTS UPDATE | Track the 2026 local government election results here]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-live-results-update-track-the-2026-local-government-election-results-here/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-live-results-update-track-the-2026-local-government-election-results-here/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:36:04 +0000The local government election results are trickling in at the results operation centre at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says the 2026 local government election results are being processed faster than during the previous municipal elections, with 18 municipalities having completed the results process by 9am on Thursday.

Click here to follow the results in real time.

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Wall Street fear gauge surges as AI trade stumbles]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/markets/2026-11-05-us-stocks-fall-sharply-as-nasdaq-heads-for-correction/https://www.businessday.co.za/markets/2026-11-05-us-stocks-fall-sharply-as-nasdaq-heads-for-correction/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:05:48 +0000By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed

New York — Wall Street’s most closely watched gauge of market anxiety logged its biggest intraday jump in more than 18 months on Thursday as steep losses in chip and data center-related stocks dragged down major stock indices.

Analysts said much of the selling may reflect an unwind of the previous session’s sharp rally and of the crowded AI trade that has driven markets for months, as well as investors cutting risk ahead of expected volatility-driven selling by funds and strategies.

“It really did look as though things were going to relax a little bit and then, you know, the steamroller showed up today,” said Jim Carroll, senior wealth adviser and portfolio manager at Ballast Rock Private Wealth in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Cboe Volatility Index, also known as VIX, an options-based indicator that reflects demand for protection against drops in the stock market, jumped 11.5 points to an eight-month high of 28.09, a day after markets rallied following Democrats’ sweeping midterm victory.

The index was last at 27.65, with the Nasdaq Composite down over 4% as investors fretted that a change of guard in Washington might slow the pace of AI infrastructure development.

By midday in New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 1,403.66 points, or 2.63%, to 51,952.46, the S&P 500 lost 262.17 points, or 3.41%, to 7,426.41 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 1,173.62 points, or 4.55%, to 24,564.36.

All S&P 500 sectors were in negative territory, with the tech sector and consumer discretionary leading losses.

The Nasdaq-100 was set to erase more than $2-trillion in market value, if the losses hold.

At its session high, the VIX, often dubbed Wall Street’s “fear gauge”, had logged its largest one-day rise since the days immediately after US President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping new import tariffs on “Liberation Day” in April 2025.

Sharp contrast

Thursday’s stock market selloff was in sharp contrast to the upbeat market reaction the day before, when investors largely brushed aside the perceived threat to the AI trade from the Democrats’ strong showing in the election.

“This is what happens when you have a big rally partly predicated on the idea that volatility would be decreasing ... it made no sense yesterday,” said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.

“Yesterday there was the perception that no one needed protection and now it’s ‘Oh my god, we need it’,” he added.

Analysts attributed some of the market decline to investors looking to get ahead of selling from strategies that react to stock market volatility.

Leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds, along with some systematic strategies, typically rebalance their exposure near the market close, which can amplify late-day moves in either direction.

“You have people saying ... look at what’s going to happen at the end of the day; we need to get out before that,” Carroll said.

Much now depends on whether investors’ attitude towards the AI trade undergoes a lasting change, analysts said.

“If the re-evaluation of the AI investment theme is secular and not just a trading type of rebalance, that’s problematic,” said Sosnick.

Reuters

]]>Shannon Stapleton<![CDATA[LIVE UPDATES | Northern Cape leads election results capture ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-live-updates-da-claims-1-million-black-south-african-votes-as-it-overtakes-the-eff/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-live-updates-da-claims-1-million-black-south-african-votes-as-it-overtakes-the-eff/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 19:18:47 +0000November 5 2026, 20:45

Northern Cape leads election results capture as IEC says more than 60% processed

The Northern Cape is leading the capturing of results in the 2026 local government elections with 87% of results captured as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues its counting, verification and auditing processes countrywide.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission was pleased with the steady progress being made with more than 60% of the results captured by 5pm.

Northern Cape leads election results capture as IEC says more than 60% processed

November 5 2026, 21:00

WATCH | ATM national chairperson Mandisa Mashiya says the party will not consider entering into coalitions with parties it considers corrupt or those whose principles do not align with its own.

November 5 2026, 20:42

DA leads Western Cape as coalitions loom in councils

The DA is maintaining its dominance across much of the Western Cape, but early results from the 2026 local government elections point to a number of closely contested municipal councils where no party has secured an outright majority.

With 50% of the province’s 1,623 voting districts counted, the DA had secured 53.4% of the provincial vote, followed by the ANC on 14%, the PA on 11.1% and the Freedom Front Plus on 5.4%.

DA leads Western Cape as coalitions loom in councils

November 5 2026, 19.01

DA takes majority control of at least four councils in Western Cape, 13 hung still and counting

The DA has secured majority control of at least four out of 24 local municipalities in the Western Cape after the counting and declaration of votes was concluded in at least 17 local councils across the province by 6pm on Thursday.

Western Cape IEC Chief Micheal Hendrickse said that at that time, there were at least 13 hung councils in the province, which means they would have to be governed by coalition arrangements.

DA takes majority control of at least four councils in Western Cape, 13 hung still and counting

View Live Election Results 🗳️

November 5 2026, 17:40

November 5 2026, 17:24

WATCH LIVE| The Political Arena team breaks down the LGE results as they trickle in

November 5 2026, 17:20

November 5 2026, 17:11

DA’s victory projection sparks backlash as rival parties urge patience

The Democratic Alliance’s projection of securing about 59% of the vote in the City of Cape Town has drawn mixed reactions from rival political parties, with some accusing the party of prematurely declaring victory before the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) had completed its counting process.

On Thursday the DA held a mini celebration outside the IEC results centre in Century City, where Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced that the party was claiming victory in the metro based on its election projections.

DA’s victory projection sparks backlash as rival parties urge patience

November 5 2026, 17:08

‘We won’t be in bed with corrupt people’: ATM draws hard line on coalition deals

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has set strict boundaries regarding potential coalition governments, stating it will not get into bed with corrupt individuals or parties.

This comes as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues counting and verifying votes after Wednesday’s local government elections. Final results are expected to be announced in the coming days.

With 43.3% of voting districts currently processed, the ATM sits outside the top 10 parties nationally, holding roughly 0.9% of the vote. The ANC and DA continue to lead the national tally.

‘We won’t be in bed with corrupt people’: ATM draws hard line on coalition deals

November 5 2026, 16:52

NOVEMBER 5 2026, 14:55

WATCH | The DA celebrates a major milestone, claiming one million black votes as it overtakes the EFF. Ashor Saraupen weighs in on the party’s growing support, election gains, and coalition prospects.

November 5 2026, 14:46

November 5 2026 14:02

ActionSA eyes coalition roles as early Tshwane results show gains

ActionSA says it is encouraged by early local government election results in Gauteng, as it appears to be on course to strengthen its position in the City of Tshwane and increase its influence ahead of the 2029 national and provincial elections.

By lunchtime on Thursday, the DA led in Tshwane with 30.6% of the vote, while ActionSA was second at 22.8%.

ActionSA national spokesperson Michael Beaumont said the party was gaining momentum in several wards and had made significant inroads in areas previously dominated by the ANC, which is currently sitting at 21.9%.

ActionSA eyes coalition roles as early Tshwane results show gains

November 5 2026, 13:20

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team breaks down the early election results

November 5 2026, 13:05

November 5 2026 12:40

November 5 2026, 12:16

November 5 2026, 12:05

November 5 2026 11:47

November 5 2026 11:40

IEC reports faster results processing as Zille happy with DA performance

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says the 2026 local government election results are being processed at a faster pace than during the previous municipal elections, with 18 municipalities having completed the results process by 9am on Thursday.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission had received 23,444 results slips, representing 35.5% of the 66,073 expected results from local municipalities, metros and district councils across the country’s 23,000 voting stations.

“Of these, 22,983 results slips, representing 34.8%, had been captured into the results system, while 16,791, or 25%, had undergone independent auditing.”

IEC reports faster results processing as Zille happy with DA performance

November 5 2026, 10:43

November 5 2026, 10:00

WATCH LIVE | IEC updates media on early vote-counting

November 5 2026, 09:44

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team looks at the numbers trickling in

November 5 2026, 09:20

KZN voter turnout tops national average at 48.7 percent

KwaZulu-Natal’s preliminary voter turnout stood at 48.7%, above the national figure of 45.8% on Thursday morning.

Provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said the figures remained provisional, with only 18% of the province’s results captured and 12% audited.

The turnout figures put KZN 2.9 percentage points ahead of the national average, but Masinga said that outstanding results could change the picture.

KZN voter turnout tops national average at 48.7 percent

November 5 2026 09:14

21% of the votes have now been counted. The ANC is currently leading, having received 1.34 million votes, followed by the DA with 1.27 million and the MKP currently has 240,000 votes.

November 5 2026 09:00

10% of votes captured in Gauteng and the DA is leading with 39.26% followed by ANC with 18.55% and ActionSA at 15.17%.

November 5 2026 08:52

A lot of pink spots on the KZN map this morning, with Jacob Zuma’s MKP taking an early lead of 32.6%, followed by ANC with 23.99%. The IFP is closely behind with 21.95%. Only 11% of votes have been captured.

November 5 2026, 08:48

Woman arrested at Mugoboya voting station for disrupting voting

A 25-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly disrupting the voting process at Mugoboya voting station in the Mopani district on Wednesday.

The woman is expected to appear before the Lenyenye magistrate’s court on Friday.

She was arrested following an incident in which she allegedly attempted to take photographs and record a video while casting her vote. The presiding officer informed her that such conduct was prohibited by law and would not be permitted.

Woman arrested at Mugoboya voting station for disrupting voting

November 5 2026 08:42

November 5 2026 08:32

November 5 2026 08:29

November 5 2026, 07:21

Local Municipal Elections 2026 : Leading parties
Local Municipal Elections 2026 : Leading parties

Party % Support Seats Votes
ANC 31.76% 120 862,877
DA 31.23% 81 848,677
MKP 5.13% 4 139,382

Local Municipal Elections 2026 - % Support Comparison
Local Municipal Elections 2026 - % Support Comparison
  • Counting is at 15% complete
  • For all your live results visit the IEC.

November 5 2026, 07:00

Youth unemployment tops concerns as Atteridgeville, Saulsville residents vote

The communities of Atteridgeville and Saulsville cast their votes in the local government elections on Wednesday, hoping their preferred candidates will address unemployment and create more job opportunities for young people.

When TimesLIVE visited several voting stations in the area, residents expressed concern about the high levels of youth unemployment, saying many young people remain without opportunities, with some turning to drugs as a coping mechanism.

Youth unemployment tops concerns as Atteridgeville, Saulsville residents vote

November 5 2026, 05:00

Youth stay away from polls as townships turn quiet while suburbs queue to vote

Thousands of young people appeared to have turned their back on the local government elections in townships such as Nyanga, Langa and Khayelitsha, with some opting to treat election day as a public holiday rather than exercise their right to vote.

While some voting stations in these communities were relatively quiet, with mostly elderly residents turning out, long queues could be seen at several polling stations in the suburbs, highlighting a stark contrast in voter participation across the city.

Youth stay away from polls as townships turn quiet while suburbs queue to vote

November 5 2026, 05:00

SOWETAN | Big day for democracy as millions cast votes

Yesterday, millions of South Africans descended on polling stations to vote for change in the local government elections, much as they did in the first democratic elections in 1994.

Although much of the public debate in the coming days will focus on voter turnout and the outcome, the significance of the voters who showed up at voting stations should not be minimised. Like those who turned up in 1994 to usher in the first democratic government, this year’s local government election is about more than platitudes and numbers.

Given the growing dissatisfaction with the state of municipalities and the delivery of basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation, yesterday’s voting was also about the maturity of our democracy. Voter registration has trended upward, even when turnout in some elections has been inconsistent.

SOWETAN | Big day for democracy as millions cast votes

November 5 2026, 05:00

Young and old come out for change

From first-time voters hoping to secure jobs and safer communities, to pensioners determined to see long-promised basic services delivered, young and old voters went to the polls on Wednesday with one common demand: change.

In Hammanskraal, Midrand, Johannesburg and the Vaal, voters said their ballots represented an opportunity to influence the future of communities struggling with unemployment, crime, poor roads, water shortages and failing municipal services.

For 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma, voting for the first time in Temba, Hammanskraal, was an emotional milestone that made her feel her voice finally mattered. “I feel relieved that finally, I get to choose which party rules. It feels like I have a say, you know. It feels like my voice is finally getting heard,” she said.

Young and old come out for change

November 5 2026, 04:45

EDITORIAL | Thank you, your vote made a difference

As South Africans flocked to churches, schools and community centres yesterday to make their mark in a quest for improved service delivery and a better life, another election played out on the other side of the world that has the potential to move the needle down at the bottom of Africa.

Despite being in another country thousands of kilometres away, the US midterm elections have had repercussions across the world. The landslide Democrat victory has shifted the balance of power and effectively made President Donald Trump a lame duck for his remaining two years in office.

EDITORIAL | Thank you, your vote made a difference

November 5 2026, 04:45

Change in the air as election fever sweeps eThekwini

ANC exile-era struggle songs replaced protest chants in Durban’s CBD on Wednesday where ironically a flash mob of singing MK Party supporters shimmied down Diakonia Avenue, in almost anticipatory celebration.

Minutes later, not to be outdone or written off, a group of ANC-clad supporters waved the party’s flag, singing and ululating to drum up support along the street where voting stations were set up at the Durban Music Centre and YMCA Park.

There snaking queues of voters waited patiently, determined to put an end to the rot, crime and water crisis in the volatile economic hub, which has courted xenophobic civil unrest in the past two month.

Change in the air as election fever sweeps eThekwini

November 5 2026, 04:30

EXPLAINER | How the IEC’s dispute resolution system works

South Africa’s electoral dispute resolution system gives political parties several avenues to challenge alleged irregularities, report administrative failures and seek action against breaches of election rules. But the processes are not interchangeable and parties must use the correct legal channel and meet the applicable deadlines if they want their complaints to be considered.

As South Africans voted in Wednesday’s local government elections, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) must ensure that complaints are dealt with in accordance with the law.

EXPLAINER | How the IEC’s dispute resolution system works

November 5 2026, 04:30

WATCH | ‘What’s the point of voting?’ ask people who boycotted elections

While millions of South Africans made their way to voting stations to cast their votes on Wednesday, residents of Ga-Chokoe outside Mokopane in Limpopo boycotted the elections over a dispute concerning municipal ward demarcation.

Mahlora Primary School, which was designated as a voting station, was empty for most of the day as residents refused to cast their ballots.

Only the police and IEC officials could be seen inside the school. There weren’t even party agents outside. The roads were empty as residents decided to stay home. This followed a community meeting where it was decided that no-one would vote.

WATCH | ‘What’s the point of voting?’ ask people who boycotted elections

November 5 2026, 04:30

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to further weaken the ANC and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12-million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5-million at 10am, according to preliminary figures released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in a briefing on Wednesday night. Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3-million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5-million and the Western Cape at 1.5-million.

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

November 4 2026, 21:58

ANC says two members attacked in KZN while on way to vote

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says two of its members were injured and taken to hospital after an alleged attack in Abaqulusi, while police say the incident was not politically motivated.

The party alleged on Wednesday that IFP supporters assaulted its voters on their way to vote in Siyaphambili voting district in ward 4 of Abaqulusi local municipality.

ANC says two members attacked in KZN while on way to vote

November 4 2026, 20:47

When voting closes: IEC explains next steps and results declaration

With voting in Wednesday’s election drawing to a close, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has outlined the processes that follows, from the counting of ballots at voting stations to the verification and eventual announcement of the results.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said all ballot papers would be counted at the voting stations.

When voting closes: IEC explains next steps and results declaration

November 4 2026, 20:20

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to further weaken the ANC and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12-million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5-million at 10am, according to preliminary figures released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in a briefing on Wednesday night. Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3-million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5-million and the Western Cape at 1.5-million.

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

November 4 2026, 19:51

WATCH | ‘No water, no vote’: East Rand residents skip polls over three-day outage

Several residents in eSindane, Tsakane, on the East Rand, stayed away from voting stations on Wednesday, saying they had gone three days without water and felt neglected by those seeking their votes.

Residents said the water outage, which began on Monday morning, had left them struggling with basic household needs, including cooking, bathing and doing laundry, while intermittent electricity supply added to their frustrations.

WATCH | ‘No water, no vote’: East Rand residents skip polls over three-day outage

November 4 2026, 19:16

MK supporters celebrate early in eThekwini

ANC exile-era struggle songs replaced protest chants in Durban’s CBD on Wednesday, where a flash mob of singing MK party supporters shimmied down Diakonia Avenue in almost anticipatory celebration.

MK supporters celebrate early in eThekwini

November 4 2026, 19:11

Water crisis takes centre stage in municipal election battle

Political leaders cast their votes countrywide on Wednesday as the battle for control of South Africa’s 257 municipalities intensified, with service delivery failures, particularly persistent water shortages, emerging as a big election battleground.

Water crisis takes centre stage in municipal election battle

November 4 2026, 18:59

WATCH | Old people standing in queues say they didn’t know about special votes

Some elderly voters who were approved for special votes turned up at polling stations in Kathorus (Katlehong, Thokoza, Vosloorus), Ekurhuleni, with election observers reporting confusion over the process and concerns about people trying to use their age to skip queues.

An observer said several senior citizens who were expected to vote on Monday or Tuesday had instead arrived on election day.

WATCH | Old people standing in queues say they didn’t know about special votes

November 4 2026, 18:52

IEC assures voters they will not be turned away if they arrive before 9pm

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has assured voters that they will be allowed to cast their ballots even if voting is extended beyond the official 9pm closing time, provided they arrive at their registered voting stations before the deadline.

This comes as voting enters its final hours in the 2026 local government elections, with preliminary figures showing that 12-million voters had cast their ballots across the country by 5pm on Wednesday.

IEC assures voters they will not be turned away if they arrive before 9pm

November 4 2026, 18:51

November 4 2026, 18:39

November 4 2026, 18:23

‘Vote for dignity,’ urges EFF Joburg mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

EFF mayoral candidate for Johannesburg Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng has urged voters to exercise their democratic right despite the despondency.

“Voting is the single most fundamental civic duty and we are only asking for people to do it every four years,” she said before entering her allocated voting station in Parkmore, north of Johannesburg.

‘Vote for dignity,’ urges EFF Joburg mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

November 4 2026, 18:21

Tumisho Masha under fire for posting marked ballot paper

Tumisho Masha has found himself in legal hot water.

As celebrities flooded the timeline to share images of their inked thumbs to show their participation in the 2026 local government election on Wednesday, Tumisho took to his social media, not only posting his thumb but also the alleged ballot paper revealing he voted for ActionSA.

Tumisho Masha under fire for posting marked ballot paper

November 4 2026, 18:12

Zuma casts vote, satisfied with voting process

MK Party president Jacob Zuma is confident his party will win the local government elections, saying he believes South Africans have recognised it as a party capable of taking over the country and governing it well.

Zuma was speaking after casting his vote on Wednesday at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, where he arrived wearing an MK Party T-shirt bearing his image and sporting his trademark smile.

Zuma casts vote, satisfied with voting process

November 4 2026, 18:10

RECORDED| IEC briefs media on progress of local government elections

November 4 2026, 18:08

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November 4 2026, 17:38

November 4 2026, 17:23

Kingsol Chabalala confident DA will unseat ANC in Emfuleni

The DA’s mayoral candidate in Emfuleni municipality, Kingsol Chabalala, said his vote signals the beginning of the end of what he describes as years of chaos, poor governance and failing service delivery in Emfuleni.

Speaking after casting his vote on Wednesday, Chabalala said residents deserved a municipality that worked for all communities.

Kingsol Chabalala confident DA will unseat ANC in Emfuleni

November 4 2026, 17:23

KwaLanga residents want action on toilets, housing and unemployment

Unemployment, stalled housing projects and poor basic services remain among the concerns residents hope will be addressed by those elected to power.

Young people in KwaLanga in the Western Cape have raised concerns about voter apathy among their peers, saying many are failing to recognise the power of their vote despite living with unemployment and poor service delivery.

KwaLanga residents want action on toilets, housing and unemployment

November 4 2026, 17:17

November 4 2026, 17:17

November 4 2026, 17:05

November 4 2026, 17:04

No water, no vote: some Bronkhorstspruit residents skip election

A 32-year-old man from Zithobeni, in Bronkhorstspruit, chose to collect water from a borehole at Dan Kutumela Secondary School rather than cast his vote on Wednesday.

Bronkhorstspruit recently made headlines after more than 800 people fell ill following water contamination linked to the lack of chlorine at a water treatment plant.

No water, no vote: some Bronkhorstspruit residents skip election

November 4 2026, 16:57

WATCH | What voters want from their local leaders

Service delivery, reliable infrastructure and accountable local government are among the issues facing South African voters.

Sunday Times journalist Yoliswa Sobuwa joins Business Day TV to discuss voter sentiment, the issues emerging from the ground and what communities want from their municipalities.

WATCH | What voters want from their local leaders

November 4 2026, 16:55

WATCH | What coalition talks could mean for South Africa’s metros

With several of South Africa’s major municipalities facing the prospect of hung councils, the local elections could usher in another round of coalition governments.

Jonathan Moakes, director at the SABI Strategy Group, joins Business Day TV to examine the political dynamics shaping these potential alliances and the challenges parties may face in reaching agreement.

WATCH | What coalition talks could mean for South Africa’s metros

November 4 2026, 16:49

Electoral Court dismisses Bongani Cibi’s bid to contest municipal elections

The Electoral Court has dismissed Bongani Wellington Cibi’s application challenging his exclusion from the local government elections, finding that he missed mandatory deadlines and failed to identify a reviewable decision by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

In a judgment handed down on Tuesday, judge Lebogang Modiba ruled that Cibi’s inability to contest the elections resulted from the operation of the law rather than unlawful conduct by the commission.

Electoral Court dismisses Bongani Cibi’s bid to contest municipal elections

November 4 2026, 16:48

November 4 2026, 16:34

WATCH | Limpopo voters boycott elections

While millions of South Africans made their way to different voting stations to cast their votes on Wednesday, residents of Ga-Chokoe outside Mokopane in Limpopo boycotted the elections over a dispute concerning municipal ward demarcation.

Mahlora Primary School, which was designated as a voting station, was empty for most of the day as residents refused to cast their ballots.

WATCH | Limpopo voters boycott elections

November 4 2026, 16:30

November 4 2026, 16:29

November 4 2026, 16:26

‘Councillors must prioritise voters,’ says Mashatile

ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile has called on councillors who are victorious in the election to put voters first.

Speaking on the sidelines of his voting station in Kelvin, Johannesburg, he said the pleas of residents must be heard and acted upon after the election.

‘Councillors must prioritise voters,’ says Mashatile

November 4 2026, 16:25

WATCH | South Africans head to the polls

South Africans are making their voices heard in a pivotal municipal election. Business Day’s Luyolo Mkentane joins Business Day TV with the latest developments, the mood on the ground and the key stories emerging from voting stations.

WATCH | South Africans head to the polls

November 4 2026, 16:24

WATCH | What South Africa’s local elections mean for the political landscape

South Africa’s local elections could have implications well beyond municipal government, with the results set to shape the balance of power between political parties and the prospects for coalition governments.

Political analyst Sipho Seepe joins Business Day TV to unpack the political dynamics and what the results could signal for the country’s future.

WATCH | What South Africa’s local elections mean for the political landscape

November 4 2026, 16:21

WATCH | The big issues shaping South Africa’s municipal elections

From service delivery and unemployment to political accountability and local economic development, South Africans are voting against a backdrop of deep public frustration and rising expectations.

Sowetan’s deputy editor Thabiso Thakali joins Business Day TV to discuss the issues shaping the elections and what voters are demanding from their local leaders.

WATCH | The big issues shaping South Africa’s municipal elections

November 4 2026, 16:17

WATCH | What’s at stake in South Africa’s municipal elections?

South Africa’s municipal elections are a critical test for the country’s political parties.

Political analyst Daniel Silke unpacks the key issues driving the vote, the changing political landscape and what the outcome could mean for local government.

WATCH | What’s at stake in South Africa’s municipal elections?

November 4 2026, 15:55

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team is at the IEC results centre

Polling stations open, opinions open wider.

The Political Arena is live as SA heads to the ballot box for the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Expect real-time conversations, sharp analysis and the latest scoops from our political journalists.

November 4 2026, 15:26

Taxi drivers divided as some skip voting to make money on the road

For some taxi drivers, election day was another working day, with earning money to support their families taking priority over standing in queues to vote.

Mandla Madonsela, 41, said he had decided not to vote because he could not afford to spend time in queues when he could be making money on the road.

Taxi drivers divided as some skip voting to make money on the road

November 4 2026, 15:24

November 4 2026, 15:14

November 4 2026, 14:50

Thumbs up! Langa Mavuso, Lady Du and other celebs cast their votes

From chart-topping singers to media personalities and comedians, Mzansi’s stars hit the polling stations on Wednesday to cast their votes in the 2026 local government elections.

Thumbs up! Langa Mavuso, Lady Du and other celebs cast their votes

November 4 2026, 14:48

Young and elderly voters queue at Wits amid water, electricity challenges

Young voters at a sports hall at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on Wednesday raised concerns about the irregular supply of water and electricity.

Siam Tanda Mashekila, 25, said she was proud to see young people coming out in numbers to vote, but remained unsure whether political parties would deliver on their promises.

Young and elderly voters queue at Wits amid water, electricity challenges

November 4 2026, 14:46

Songezo Zibi frustrated by voting station distance

Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has raised concerns about his designated voting station and that of his son being located up to 5km away, despite a voting station situated right outside his home.

Millions of South Africans are heading to the polls on Wednesday for the 2026 local government elections. Voting stations opened at 7am and are set to close at 9pm.

Songezo Zibi frustrated by voting station distance

November 4 2026, 14:40

Universal ballot templates aid braille voters in 2026 election

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reiterated measures to ensure visually impaired voters can cast their ballots independently and privately during the 2026 local government elections.

IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the commission uses universal ballot templates (UBTs) to assist braille-literate voters in marking their ballots.

Universal ballot templates aid braille voters in 2026 election

November 4 2026, 14:26

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November 4 2026, 14:14

IEC investigates theft of unused ballot papers at eThekwini voting station

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has opened a case of theft after unmarked and unused ballot papers were stolen from a voting station in KZN.

Speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday, IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the ballots were stolen from the Mnyameni Secondary School in Kwanyuswa, Botha’s Hill, outside Durban, where they were being kept for validation.

The commission said the station had sufficient materials to continue operating, apart from the voters’ roll.

IEC investigates theft of unused ballot papers at eThekwini voting station

November 4 2026, 14:13

Short queues, big demands: Kagiso voters want water, jobs and decent streets

Voters in Kagiso, ward 7, were in and out quickly today as voting started on time at the Mandisa Shiceka School of Specialisation.

For 18-year-old Keorapetse Thobani, it was his first time voting and he was nervous.

“But they helped me,” he said.

Short queues, big demands: Kagiso voters want water, jobs and decent streets

November 4 2026, 14:12

November 4 2026, 14:02

Thokoza voters doubt election will bring change

High crime levels, substance abuse and youth unemployment are among the many concerns weighing on Thokoza residents as they cast their votes.

Speaking to Sowetan, many said they hoped the next local government would deliver meaningful change rather than more promises.

Thokoza voters doubt election will bring change

November 4 2026, 13:54

3.5-million South Africans voted in first three hours, says IEC

More than 3.5-million South Africans had cast their ballots by 10am on Wednesday as voting got under way across the country for the 2026 local government elections.

Voting opened at 7am and is expected to close at 9pm with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reporting that 98% of the country’s 23,996 voting stations had opened by the regulated time.

3.5-million South Africans voted in first three hours, says IEC

November 4 2026, 13:50

November 4 2026, 13:48

Older voters in Ekurhuleni urge youth to make their mark for SA’s future

Elderly voters making their way to the polls at Etshanini Public Space in ward 112, Ekurhuleni, urged the younger generation to take an active role in shaping the country’s future.

Older voters in Ekurhuleni urge youth to make their mark for SA’s future

November 4 2026, 13:36

Don’t let service delivery issues stop you from voting: Limpopo premier Ramathuba

Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba says the government does not have to wait for elections to be over before addressing challenges affecting communities, pointing to interventions in several municipalities across the province.

Speaking to Sowetan after casting her ballot on Wednesday morning at Mokopane Primary School in the Mogalakwena local municipality, Ramathuba acknowledged that residents continued to face challenges, including unemployment, water shortages and poor roads.

Don’t let service delivery issues stop you from voting: Limpopo premier Ramathuba

November 4 2026, 13:35

No water, no voter: taps as dry as early turnout in Orlando East, Soweto

No water. Almost no voters. A double crisis defined the early part of election day in Orlando East as residents went to the polls with dry taps and empty voting stations.

At voting stations in Orlando East on Wednesday morning, the halls were almost empty. For many, the message in the dry water pipes matched the mood at the ballot box.

No water, no voter: taps as dry as early turnout in Orlando East, Soweto

November 4 2026, 13:17

Khayelitsha voters voice dismay over crime and poor service

For a month, Pamela Bheshula, 64, says she has been without water because of a leak in her yard.

She arrived at Sivuyiseni Primary School, a voting station in Mandela Park, Khayelitsha, accompanied by two friends.

Khayelitsha voters voice dismay over crime and poor service

November 4 2026, 13:16

Election day glitches: a cop with political posters, a drunken voter and a collision with a cow

A police officer was removed from a KwaZulu-Natal voting station on Wednesday morning after she arrived in a vehicle branded with posters from a political party, according to police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda.

The sergeant was removed from her Mphithini-area voting station post, in Donnybrook, with the possibility of internal disciplinary processes being instituted following her alleged unprofessional conduct.

Election day glitches: a cop with political posters, a drunken voter and a collision with a cow

November 4 2026, 13:01

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on progress of local government elections

November 4 2026, 12:52

‘Voting changes situations’: Ekurhuleni voters seek jobs and better services

Unemployment was a key concern raised by Ekurhuleni residents as they cast their votes in Wednesday’s local government elections.

At Endulwini voting station in Thembisa, residents said they hoped their votes would bring better services, more job opportunities and improvements in their communities.

‘Voting changes situations’: Ekurhuleni voters seek jobs and better services

November 4 2026, 12:51

November 4 2026, 12:45

November 4 2026, 12:38

‘My voice is finally getting heard’: First-time voters share hopes

Young voters have called for more job opportunities and safer communities, saying casting their ballots gave them a sense of hope and a chance to shape the future of their city.

A relieved 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma said voting for the first time made her feel that her voice mattered.

‘My voice is finally getting heard’: First-time voters share hopes

November 4 2026, 12:32

November 4 2026, 12:26

Ramaphosa votes in DA stronghold of Hyde Park

President Cyril Ramaphosa voted in Hyde Park on Wednesday, casting his ballot in the Johannesburg suburb where he lives rather than in Soweto, where he grew up and usually voted.

Electoral Commission (IEC) rules require people to vote at the station where they are registered.

Ramaphosa votes in DA stronghold of Hyde Park

November 4 2026, 12:25

IN PICS | Political leaders cast their votes

Leaders from across the political spectrum joined millions of South Africans at polling stations on Wednesday as the country headed to the polls for the local government elections.

IN PICS | Political leaders cast their votes

November 4 2026, 12:23

November 4 2026, 12:11

Zille vows swift action on Joburg water crisis

Helen Zille said should she be elected mayor of Johannesburg, her immediate priority would be addressing the water challenges confronting South Africa’s economic and financial heartland.

Zille vows swift action on Joburg water crisis

November 4 2026, 12:08

November 4 2026, 12:05

Buffalo City mayor joins queue after residents refuse to let her skip voting line

Buffalo City metropolitan municipality mayor Princess Faku was forced to join the queue like other voters after residents at a voting station in Gonubie refused to allow her to skip the line.

Buffalo City mayor joins queue after residents refuse to let her skip voting line

November 4 2026, 12:05

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November 4 2026, 11:53

ANC T-shirt, broken ID keep these Nyanga voters from casting ballots

“I would rather go home and drink because now I am being sent from pillar to post.”

These were the words of Zuko Jada, 42, who was turned away from Mvula Primary School, a voting station in Nyanga, after arriving to cast his ballot wearing an ANC T-shirt.

ANC T-shirt, broken ID keep these Nyanga voters from casting ballots

November 4 2026, 11:53

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November 4 2026, 11:21

WATCH | ‘Fake’ ID disrupts voting at Rabie Ridge

Police had to be called at a Midrand voting station after a squabble broke out when a voter produced an alleged fake ID.

According to an eyewitness, the man walked in and produce the suspected ID. The security was called to ensure the voters are safe at Kanana Primary School in Midrand.

WATCH | ‘Fake’ ID disrupts voting at Rabie Ridge

November 4 2026, 11:21

November 4 2026, 11:14

Emfuleni residents jump over running sewage on way to polling station

Some residents of Emfuleni local municipality in the Vaal had to jump over sewage running down their streets as they made their way to polling stations on Wednesday.

The municipality has been plagued by service delivery challenges such as open sewage, pothole-riddled roads and uncollected rubbish.

Emfuleni residents jump over running sewage on way to polling station

November 4 2026, 11:11

November 4 2026, 11:02

November 4 206, 10:51

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November 4 2026, 10:35

Pensioners turn out in numbers at Hammanskraal voting stations

Pensioners outnumbered younger voters at several polling stations in Hammanskraal, Tshwane, on Wednesday morning.

Many elderly residents went to voting stations very early to cast their ballots in the hope the next local government administration would address the area’s longstanding service delivery challenges.

Pensioners turn out in numbers at Hammanskraal voting stations

November 4 2026, 10:32

November 4 2026, 10:29

November 4 2026, 10:17

November 4 2026, 10:05

IN PICS | South Africans head to the polls

Voters headed to the polls on Wednesday to elect municipal councillors across the country in a major test for the governing ANC after losing its national majority in 2024.

Water shortages, electricity failures, crime, unemployment and poor municipal services are central election issues.

The election could reshape local political alliances and influence the country’s political direction ahead of the 2029 national elections.

IN PICS | South Africans head to the polls

November 4 2026, 10:04

IEC outlines election day dos and don’ts

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reminded political parties and municipal councillors of the legal regulations surrounding campaigning as the country heads to the polls today.

Voting stations opened nationwide at 7am and are scheduled to close at 9pm.

According to the IEC, voting has commenced smoothly across the country, with all stations successfully opening and no major glitches reported.

IEC outlines election day dos and don’ts

November 4 2026, 10:00

November 4 2026, 09:52

November 4 2026, 09:50

ANC wants clear majority in Joburg, says mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku

The ANC in Johannesburg has set terms for its coalition negotiations, saying that as much as they want an outright majority, should the council be split, they would want to work with political parties that are obsessed with service delivery.

This is according to ANC regional chair and mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku, who said that her political party wanted Johannesburg residents to give them a clear majority.

ANC wants clear majority in Joburg, says mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku

November 4 2026, 09:06

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November 4 2026 8:42

November 4 2026 08:11

Votes in local polls expected to further weaken ANC grip

South Africans vote in municipal elections on Wednesday, with anger over corruption, crime and failing public services threatening to deal another blow to the ANC.

The party dropped below 50% support for the first time in the 2021 municipal elections, and could plunge below 40% this time, according to polls.

With no other party large enough to take its place, many cities in South Africa are heading for unsteady coalition governments that have been partly blamed for failing to deliver basic services, including water and electricity.

Votes in local polls expected to further weaken ANC grip

November 4 2026 08:04

November 4 2026 08:02

November 4 2026 07:58

Hostel voter calls for action against gun crimes

The Saulsville hostel voting station near Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, is a few metres away from the hostel block where there was a mass shooting in an illegal tavern late in 2025 in which 12 people were killed.

Long-time resident Pheyi Ngobese pleaded for action against crime in the area.

Hostel voter calls for action against gun crimes

November 4 2026 07:58

Cost of living is top concern for Saulsville voters

As local government elections kick off this morning, at the Motsweding combined school voting station in Saulsville, west of Pretoria, voters had begun lining up at 5am.

Madumetja Mothabele was eager to cast his vote.

“I woke up at 4am and arrived at 5am. I wanted to be here early and I became number one in line. We want service delivery and lights, and our rent is very expensive,” he said.

Cost of living is top concern for Saulsville voters

November 4 2026 07:51

November 4 2026 07:08

ELECTION DAY: Sowetan wants to hear from you!

Send us a voice note, videos and images on 071-556-4784.

November 4 2026 7:00

KZN parents urge voters to ‘behave’ at school stations

Vee Gani, head of the Parents Association of KwaZulu-Natal, has urged voters to “behave” peacefully at school voting stations and protect facilities children depend on.

Gani said voters should take disputes to Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) officials respectfully, warning violence could leave schools damaged and disrupt learning during matric exams.

KZN parents urge voters to ‘behave’ at school stations

November 4 2026 6:50

November 4 2026 6:46

‘Your vote, your voice’: South Africans urged to turn out for local government elections

The government has encouraged South Africans to exercise their right to vote in the local government elections on November 4.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) concluded its two-day special voting process on Tuesday, with a total of 1,425,942 special votes cast across Monday and Tuesday ahead of the main election day.

‘Your vote, your voice’: South Africans urged to turn out for local government elections

November 4 2026 6:00

Low turnout, coalition chaos looms as voters lose faith

The battle for control of SA’s municipalities is expected to end in another round of coalition horse-trading, with more hung councils projected and growing numbers of disillusioned voters potentially staying away from the polls.

There is a lot at stake as millions head to cast their ballots on Wednesday, experts say.

Political analyst Tessa Dooms warned that the elections were likely to produce more coalition governments than ever before, with smaller parties and independent candidates potentially holding the balance of power in municipalities across the country.

“In 2021, we ended up with about 70 hung municipalities where coalitions needed to be formed,” she said. “In 2026, it’s estimated that we will have many more hung municipalities that will have coalitions.”

Low turnout, coalition chaos looms as voters lose faith

November 4 2026 5:30

GHALEB CACHALIA | DA’s diversity faces test beyond the candidate bus

The DA has an appealing proposition for South Africa. It is the country’s most diverse political party with a substantial black following, united not by race but by shared values. The rainbow, it seems, has acquired a corporate colour scheme.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with political diversity. Nor is there anything inherently suspicious about a party organising transport to rallies, feeding its activists or training aspiring public representatives. Politics requires organisation and sandwiches do not, in themselves, constitute a constitutional crisis.

But there is a more interesting question than how many black faces a party can assemble for a photograph. That question is: does racial diversity in the ranks translate to diversity of thought, genuine participation in decision-making and an equitable distribution of political power?

GHALEB CACHALIA | DA’s diversity faces test beyond the candidate bus

November 4 2026 5:00

Agoa fallout exposes ANC-DA foreign policy rift

The US’s decision to withdraw South Africa’s Agoa benefits has exposed divisions between the ANC and DA over the country’s foreign policy, with the governing party alleging an attempt to influence voters as the ANC faces mounting electoral pressure.

The ANC, on the one hand, has questioned the timing of Washington’s decision to withdraw South Africa’s preferential trade benefits from January 2027, suggesting it could be an attempt to intimidate voters and pressure the government to abandon its transformation agenda.

Agoa fallout exposes ANC-DA foreign policy rift

November 3 2026 21:11

Tshwane residents hope their vote will bring clean water, electricity and roads

On Tuesday, it had been two weeks since Gritah Ntuli, 62, had seen a water tanker in the Maheights informal settlement in Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane, where she lives.

Whenever she needed water to bath or do laundry, she would take her family’s clothes to the stream and wash them there, while also collecting bath water for the whole family.

For drinking and cooking water, she has to reach into her pocket and buy it.

Tshwane residents hope their vote will bring clean water, electricity and roads

November 3 2026 20:14

Political intolerance and protests among threats facing Western Cape elections

Political intolerance, intra- and inter-party conflict, criminal activity and protests have been identified as some of the threats facing voting stations in the Western Cape ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Sizakhele Dyantyi said 33 of the province’s 1,633 voting stations had been classified as high-risk, while the remainder were categorised as medium- and low-risk.

Political intolerance and protests among threats facing Western Cape elections

November 3 2026 20:06

IEC warns political parties to stop campaigning at midnight ahead of polling day

Political parties, independent candidates and their supporters have until midnight on Tuesday to campaign ahead of the 2026 local government elections, with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) warning that all campaigning must stop before voters head to the polls on Wednesday.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya reminded political parties and candidates that the electoral timetable prohibits campaigning after midnight, including door-to-door canvassing, demonstrations and rallies.

IEC warns political parties to stop campaigning at midnight ahead of polling day

November 3 2026 20:04

IN PICS | Special voting continues for millions in local elections

More than 2.5-million voters were approved to cast special votes ahead of the local government elections, with the two-day voting process taking place on Monday and Tuesday.

The second day of special voting got off to a slow start at some voting centres in Johannesburg, where elderly voters were among those expected to cast their ballots.

IN PICS | Special voting continues for millions in local elections

November 3 2026 19:07

IEC concludes special voting as 1.4-million South Africans cast ballots ahead of election day

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has concluded its two-day special voting process with more than 1.4-million voters having cast their ballots ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

The special voting process, which took place on November 2 and 3, provided an opportunity for approved voters who would otherwise be unable to visit voting stations on election day to cast their ballots in advance.

IEC concludes special voting as 1.4-million South Africans cast ballots ahead of election day

November 3 2026 18:55

IEC assures South Africans of credible elections amid attempts to ‘impugn’ the polls

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has assured South Africans that it has done everything possible within its powers to deliver credible local government elections.

This comes as the electoral body says it has picked up attempts from some quarters to malign the integrity of the elections a day before millions of South Africans head to the polls.

November 3 2026 18:13

Five things you need to know from IEC’s election briefing

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned against the spread of unsubstantiated election-fraud claims, saying they are fuelling misinformation on social media.

It also reported incidents of intimidation, disruptions and attempted tampering with election materials.

Five things you need to know from IEC’s election briefing

November 3 2026, 18:07

IEC assures South Africans of credible elections amid attempts to ‘impugn’ the polls

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it can assure South Africans that it has done everything possible within its powers to deliver credible local government elections.

This comes as the electoral body says it has picked up attempts from some quarters to malign the integrity of the elections a day before millions of South Africans head to the polls.

More than 29-million potential voters will have an opportunity to make their preferred choice among the 136,790 candidates, representing a total of 546 political parties across the country.

November 3 2026, 16:30

“Sibagadile, we are watching them closely,” says MKP’s Bongani Baloyi on IEC

Umkhonto weSizwe’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Bongani Baloyi has issued a stern warning, saying that his party is closely guarding the local elections.

“Sibagadile (We are watching them closely). Our position is to operate from a level of distrust and that’s why we’ve deployed all sorts of mechanisms to protect interest and to protect our vote.”

Baloyi’s party was among those that questioned the integrity of the electoral commission in the previous election, where MKP claimed to have been robbed of votes and their intended two thirds majority.

‘Sibagadile, we are watching them closely,’ says MKP’s Bongani Baloyi on IEC

November 3 2026, 16:25

KZN election officer fired for using party-branded car to carry ‘sensitive’ election material

A KwaZulu-Natal presiding officer was dismissed on Tuesday for transporting sensitive election material in a party political branded vehicle.

In an update on special votes on Tuesday, Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) provincial electoral officer Ntombfuthi Masinga said the presiding officer from Hammarsdale was seen boarding an e-hailing taxi branded in party colours.

“On investigation, it was established that the e-hailing taxi did belong to the presiding officer concerned and was driven by her son,” she said.

KZN election officer fired for using party-branded car to carry ‘sensitive’ election material

November 3 2026, 16:15

IEC cannot confirm reports of dress-code restrictions at KZN voting station

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it has no information to report on allegations of a strict dress code being enforced at the Dlamini Tribal Court voting station in eDumbe, northern KwaZulu-Natal, where women were reportedly turned away for wearing trousers.

The allegations emerged during the second day of special voting for the 2026 local government elections after reports by the SABC that women, including an SABC journalist, had been prevented from entering the voting station because they were wearing pants.

IEC cannot confirm reports of dress-code restrictions at KZN voting station

November 3 2026, 16:10

Mokonyane rejects ANC blame for Gauteng water crisis

ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane has rejected attempts to blame the party for the water crisis gripping parts of Gauteng, arguing that the problem lies with an unreliable water supply system and the various entities responsible for its management.

Mokonyane said the crisis should not be placed at the ANC’s doorstep as residents head to the polls in the local government elections, insisting it was a national problem requiring interventions beyond individual municipalities.

Mokonyane rejects ANC blame for Gauteng water crisis

November 3 2026, 16:05

34 election misinformation complaints as candidates, supporters face arrests: IEC

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned political parties and their supporters against spreading unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, saying misleading social media posts are threatening the integrity of the local government elections.

Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission’s information integrity hub had identified increasing attempts to undermine confidence in the electoral process, particularly through social media platforms.

November 3 2026 16:03

EXPLAINER | What voters can expect at polling stations

As South Africans head to the polls on Wednesday for the 2026 local government elections, voters can expect a series of steps before casting their ballots.

From presenting the correct identification document to ensuring ballot papers are valid, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has outlined a process aimed at making voting easier while safeguarding the integrity and secrecy of the ballot.

IEC assistant manager Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi said voters will first encounter a queue walker who helps manage queues and direct voters at polling stations.

EXPLAINER | What voters can expect at polling stations

November 3 2026, 16:00

November 3 2026 15:25

Why Rustenburg is one of the most hotly contested municipalities

Rustenburg’s economic significance makes it one of the most important municipalities to watch in Wednesday’s local government elections, but attention is focused on major metros, says political analyst Prof André Duvenhage.

Duvenhage, from North-West University, warned that sluggish economic growth, poor service delivery and deteriorating infrastructure continue to undermine municipalities such as Rustenburg in the North West.

“We have major challenges. One of the biggest is the failure to create sustained economic growth and development. Statistics show that over the past decade growth has remained below 1%,” he said.

Why Rustenburg is one of the most hotly contested municipalities

November 3 2026 14:30

WATCH | Shortly after casting her vote in Mogale City, ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane addressed key issues, including the water crisis in Johannesburg and across the country, as well as the decision by US President Donald Trump’s administration to remove South Africa from AGOA beneficiary status.

November 3 2026, 13:25

Police arrest Limpopo voter for taking photo of marked ballot

A 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly photographing his marked ballot paper at a voting station in Limpopo, with police searching for a second suspect accused of the same offence.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba said the incidents occurred at Chuchekani Primary School voting station in the Humulani settlement in Lulekani on Monday.

Mashaba said the first incident was reported at about 10am when a 32-year-old voter allegedly photographed his ballot paper after voting. The presiding officer confronted him and informed him that photographing a marked ballot paper was against electoral rules.

Police arrest Limpopo voter for taking photo of marked ballot

November 3 2026, 12:30

‘People must vote or nothing will be done’

For some elderly voters at the Joubert Park Lapeng Child and Family Resource Centre in Johannesburg, voting is more than a right; it is a tradition and an opportunity to help secure a better future for the next generation.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Sowetan’s sister publication, John Masuku, who lives in Hillbrow, said he was voting because he wanted to see improvements in his community, particularly the condition of the roads.

He said the roads and robots where he stays don’t work, and he finds it hard to cross a busy road. “I’m voting because I need the roads to be fixed. I’m old now, and sometimes I can’t cross the road alone because they are always busy, so I ask my grandchildren to help me cross,” he said.

‘People must vote or nothing will be done’

November 3 2026 12:11

MALAIKA MAHLATSI | Years of Joburg rot is now rubbish on our pavements

On Tuesday morning, one day before millions of South Africans head to the polls to cast their votes in the 2026 local government elections, I walked through the streets of my neighbourhood in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.

Every street was lined with overflowing bins and half-open refuse bags. Flies and insects have congregated on driveways and entrances to complexes, estates and business premises.

The stench, including from the uncollected waste of numerous restaurants located in the neighbourhood, is paralysing. One day before elections, in the middle of a debilitating heatwave, the northern suburbs of Johannesburg resemble dystopian slums.

MALAIKA MAHLATSI | Years of Joburg rot is now rubbish on our pavements

November 3, 2026, 12:O8

Two arrested in Limpopo for allegedly removing election posters, burning political party T-shirt

Limpopo police have arrested two suspects in two separate cases involving election-related offences, including the alleged unlawful removal of election posters and intimidation.

Two arrested in Limpopo for allegedly removing election posters, burning political party T-shirt

November 3, 2026, 11:40

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

The Electoral Commission of South Africa is briefing the media on Tuesday about day two of special voting.

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

November 3 2026, 11:10

November 3 2026, 10:35

WATCH | The morning has been quiet at the Joubert Park, Lapeng child and family resource centre, where elderly voters are expected to cast their special votes, with no long queues.

November 3 2026 08:00

GCINA MTENGWANE | When democracy multiplies parties but not purpose

On Wednesday South Africans will face the most crowded local election ballots in the country’s democratic history.

About 546 political parties are contesting. That is about 60% higher than the 325 parties that took part in 2021. Nearly 137,000 candidates are competing for just over 10,500 council seats. These numbers express a constitutional right to form and join political parties.

They also reflect a citizenry that has grown restless with the established order.

GCINA MTENGWANE | When democracy multiplies parties but not purpose

November 2 2026 16:10

THE POLITICAL ARENA | Voter anger or apathy: Will South Africans turn out to demand change?

With South Africa’s November 4 local government elections just days away, voters face a critical choice: how to hold political parties accountable for failing services, and whether changing their vote can reshape the country’s metros.

In this episode of The Political Arena, Business Day political editor Hajra Omarjee is joined by Sowetan editor Sibongakonke Shoba, TimesLIVE and Sunday Times digital politics editor Lizeka Tandwa, and Sunday Times senior political reporter Kgothatso Madisa to examine voter apathy, shifting political loyalties and the battle for control of local government.

November 2 2026 15:40

IEC has over 700 cases of election-related disinformation

The spread of misinformation and disinformation has emerged as a growing concern ahead of South Africa’s local government elections, The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has received more than 700 complaints about election-related disinformation as voters prepare to go to the polls on Wednesday.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said some complaints involved content circulating on social media platform X, including photographs manipulated using AI. However, he said the incidents had not significantly disrupted the electoral environment.

IEC has over 700 cases of election-related disinformation

November 2 2026 15:19

Ballot boxes stolen as special voting begins in KZN

Ballot boxes and a training module were reported stolen from Amahlongwa Community Hall in Zambeni, the IEC said in its KwaZulu-Natal special voting update on Monday.

The IEC said replacement election material was delivered and the voting station was operational.

Ballot boxes stolen as special voting begins in KZN

November 2 2026 13:10

RECORDED | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

The Electoral Commission of South Africa is briefing the media on Monday about day one of special voting.

November 1 2026, 18:02

Surprise! You’re an EFF candidate

The EFF has been dealt an embarrassing court blow after the Electoral Court found that the party nominated a man as its ward councillor candidate without his consent.

The court ruled that Sivuyile Jacquin Tshikila was not an EFF candidate in Ward 03 in the Raymond Mhlaba local municipality in the Eastern Cape. It ordered the IEC to ensure voters could not cast their ballots for him during the local government elections on Wednesday.

The judgment comes a few weeks after the ANC won a court fight for the inclusion of its 181 candidates whose names were not submitted by the party to the IEC for elections.

Surprise! You’re an EFF candidate

November 1 2026 17:50

‘The ANC is still mighty’ | Ramaphosa vows party will defy critics at polls

President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed suggestions that the ANC is on a downward spiral, telling supporters in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape that the party is gaining momentum ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Addressing supporters at the party’s final push to win over voters at the Siyanqoba rally at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium on Sunday, Ramaphosa said the ANC would use the November 4 elections to prove its critics wrong.

“We are three days away from a very important election. Many people are saying the ANC is on its downward spiral. What I am seeing here is that the ANC is going higher and higher, and on November 4 we are going to show those that say ANC is going to lose,” he said.

‘The ANC is still mighty’ | Ramaphosa vows party will defy critics at polls

November 1 2026, 17:45

‘We will take them out’ | Ramaphosa threatens to remove underperforming councillors and mayors

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that ANC councillors and mayors who fail to serve communities or misuse public funds will be removed from their positions, saying the party wants ethical, capable and accountable leaders in local government.

Addressing supporters at the ANC’s final rally ahead of elections at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, Ramaphosa said the party expects its elected representatives to prioritise service delivery, responsible spending, and economic development rather than treating political office as a personal entitlement.

“We want to place emphasis on making sure that we get accountable and capable and ethical people who are going to be elected because we want municipalities that are properly run municipalities that use public money responsibly and municipalities that will also maintain infrastructure and support economic development,” he said.

‘We will take them out’ | Ramaphosa threatens to remove underperforming councillors and mayors

November 1 2026, 17:40

Zuma returns to stage, promises MK Party will ‘take back our country’

MK Party president Jacob Zuma told thousands of supporters who braved extreme heat at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Sunday that the MK Party will soon take over the land and lead many municipalities.

“In a few days we will be taking back our country,” Zuma said.

“In a few days we will be taking over our land. We will be in charge of many municipalities. No matter what other people can say and do, we are ready.”

Zuma, 84, was addressing the MK Party’s final Sithatha Omasipala rally ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Zuma returns to stage, promises MK Party will ‘take back our country’

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[GLEB TSIPURSKY | SA’s AI policy needs workers who can catch its mistakes ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-gleb-tsipursky-sas-ai-policy-needs-workers-who-can-catch-its-mistakes/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-gleb-tsipursky-sas-ai-policy-needs-workers-who-can-catch-its-mistakes/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 19:09:15 +0000The most revealing part of South Africa’s AI-policy embarrassment was not that a computer apparently invented references. It was that fictitious sources survived long enough to appear in a draft approved for public consultation.

In April, communications & digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi withdrew the policy after an internal inquiry confirmed the problem. The question now is who should have checked those sources, with what evidence and what authority, to stop publication. That question matters far beyond one department.

A revised policy is taking shape. At an industry event on October 21, a senior official said it was likely to reach the cabinet in March 2027. The extra time creates an opportunity to set a more demanding standard for government and business: demonstrate that workers can find and correct AI errors before those errors become decisions affecting citizens, customers or employees.

Business Day has already called for human oversight. Quite right. But the phrase can conceal a weak process. An official may be instructed to check an AI-generated briefing without being given access to the underlying evidence, enough time to investigate, or permission to challenge a senior colleague’s preferred conclusion. That is oversight on paper. Organisations need a way to establish whether a real person could catch a plausible mistake under ordinary working conditions.

Consider a junior analyst asked to summarise evidence for a municipal procurement decision. An AI tool produces a polished paragraph with three citations. One paper does not exist, another discusses a different country, and the third supports a narrower claim than the summary suggests. A supervisor who simply reads for fluency might approve it. The US National Institute of Standards & Technology describes precisely this risk: generative systems can confidently produce false information and misleading citations. The problem is amplified when an answer looks ready for an official signature.

Here is a more useful test. Give an employee the draft, the relevant source materials and a deadline resembling the actual job. Ask the employee to locate the original publication for every consequential claim; check that its authors, date and findings match the summary; flag uncertainty; and record what was corrected or escalated. Seed some practice documents with known mistakes. An exercise where every citation is genuine teaches less than one where the employee must decide which claims can survive scrutiny.

Supervisors should explain why a proposed correction was accepted or rejected. Junior staff then learn to separate a broken link from an invented study, a genuine source from an inaccurate paraphrase, and an acceptable estimate from an unsupported assertion. They also learn to say, “I cannot verify this”, even when a fluent answer appears convincing. Certification for completing an introductory AI course gives an employer little evidence of such judgment.

This is particularly important in a country struggling to create pathways into skilled work. Stats SA reported 47.4% unemployment among people aged 15-34 in the second quarter of 2026. The International Labour Organisation’s 2026 review of workplace evidence also warned about the erosion of opportunities for younger workers as tasks change. If entry-level research, checking and drafting disappear from job descriptions, employers may inadvertently remove the very tasks through which inexperienced workers acquire professional judgment.

A practical response is a supervised error detection apprenticeship built into real workflows. Public departments, banks, insurers, professional firms and customer-service operations could allocate protected time for newcomers to review AI-assisted work, compare it with trusted records and discuss difficult cases with experienced colleagues.

The trainee would start with low-stakes material, then progress to more consequential documents as performance improves. Unesco’s AI competency framework places critical judgment alongside technical understanding. That is a sensible starting point for workplace training as well.

Performance should be assessed through tasks rather than attendance. Can a trainee find a fabricated source? Detect that a real regulation was quoted out of context? Identify a figure whose date makes it unsuitable for a current decision? Explain the correction in language a nonspecialist manager can understand? A worker who merely clicks “reviewed” has demonstrated none of these abilities. The assessment should record mistakes found and genuine material wrongly rejected, so employees are rewarded for accuracy rather than indiscriminate suspicion.

Then publish meaningful correction metrics, at least in aggregate if confidentiality matters. A department could disclose how many consequential AI-assisted documents were sampled, the proportion with material errors, how many errors reached decision-makers, and how long corrections took. A company could track the same measures internally and publish appropriate summaries for customers or regulators. Assign a named accountable role to each workflow and a route for stopping a document when serious doubts remain. An unmeasured instruction to “keep a human in the loop” cannot tell the public whether safeguards are improving.

Useful precedents

There are useful precedents. The UK’s Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard requires specified public bodies to publish records for certain algorithmic tools affecting public decisions. South Africa need not copy that system wholesale. It could borrow the discipline of naming the tool, the responsible owner, its role in decisions and the evidence used to evaluate it. The local policy should go further by asking whether human reviewers actually detect failures when tested.

Existing South African law gives this argument practical weight. Section 71 of the Protection of Personal Information Act places limits, subject to exceptions and safeguards, on certain decisions based solely on automated profiling that substantially affect people. Human involvement should therefore be substantive where it is required, rather than a ceremonial click after the system has effectively decided. In a disputed credit, employment or service decision, an accountable employee needs a defensible record of the evidence and reasoning.

The revised policy should require pilots of these checks in selected public services, with published methods and results, before declaring the approach successful. Procurement contracts should provide access to source records and audit trails. Managers should be evaluated on correction quality as well as turnaround time. Businesses can begin testing their own workflows now, without waiting for cabinet. For AI adoption at work, the most valuable investment may be giving employees the time, tools and authority to disagree with a machine.

South Africa has already paid a reputational price for a document that nobody checked adequately. Another policy filled with worthy promises about skills would repeat the mistake in a different form. The credible test is straightforward: put a convincing but flawed AI answer in front of a trained worker, and see whether the error is stopped before the answer becomes somebody else’s problem.

• Dr Tsipursky, a behavioural scientist, is CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts and author of ‘The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results’.

Business Day

]]>Brandan Reynolds<![CDATA[JSE jumps as miners rally on weaker dollar and oil]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/markets/2026-11-05-jse-jumps-as-miners-rally-on-weaker-dollar-and-oil/https://www.businessday.co.za/markets/2026-11-05-jse-jumps-as-miners-rally-on-weaker-dollar-and-oil/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:53:33 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

The JSE rallied on Thursday as hopes of an earlier end to the war with Iran lifted precious metals prices and sent oil lower, with investors linking those prospects to the Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections.

The local market was catching up with two days of international developments after being closed on Wednesday for local government elections.

While South Africans had also taken to the polls this week, the movements in local financial markets were largely driven by global factors, particularly the US election.

At the close of trade, the all-share index was up 3.67%, after reaching an intraday gain of 5%, while the Top 40 added 3.99%. The resources index was 2.78% higher, with the precious metals and mining index gaining 4.27%.

“Our market is essentially pricing in two days of news into one session,” said Shaun Murison, senior market analyst at Rand Swiss. “The US election is what we’ve reacted to primarily, the Democrat win.”

Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, ending Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. The result means President Donald Trump will have to work with a Democrat-controlled Congress from January 2027.

Investors have interpreted the election result as increasing the likelihood of political pressure on the Trump administration to end the war with Iran sooner. The conflict has disrupted oil supplies and pushed up energy prices, making the prospect of easing tensions important for inflation and financial markets.

Murison said oil prices had fallen sharply on hopes that the war could end sooner, easing inflation concerns. A weaker dollar and lower US yields had also improved risk sentiment.

Brent crude fell to about $96.71 a barrel on Thursday, from near $118 last week.

Anabel Bishop, chief economist at Investec, said the weaker dollar and reduced demand for safe-haven assets had also supported the rand, which strengthened to R16.36/$ from R16.74/$ last month.

At 7.07pm on Thursday, the rand had weakened 0.2% to R16.45/$.

Bishop said lower oil and fuel prices could ease inflation and reduce expectations of further US interest rate increases.

“Energy prices are likely to remain lower towards the end of 2026 and into 2027, despite some volatility,” she said.

AngloGold Ashanti gained 3.56%, Gold Fields 3.25%, and Harmony was up as much as 6.4%, while Northam Platinum added 5.56%.

Business Day

]]>Evan Vucci<![CDATA[DA leads Western Cape as coalitions loom in councils]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-da-leads-western-cape-as-coalitions-loom-in-councils/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-da-leads-western-cape-as-coalitions-loom-in-councils/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:28:33 +0000The DA is maintaining its dominance across much of the Western Cape, but early results from the 2026 local government elections point to a number of closely contested municipal councils where no party has secured an outright majority.

With 50% of the province’s 1,623 voting districts counted, the DA had secured 53.4% of the provincial vote, followed by the ANC on 14%, the PA on 11.1% and the Freedom Front Plus on 5.4%.

The EFF had 2.2%, while ActionSA had 1.1%. Several smaller parties were also registering support across individual municipalities.

Of the 25 municipalities in the province, 10 had completed counting in the available results snapshot. Only one, Swartland, had an outright majority, with the remaining nine producing hung councils.

The DA was leading in most municipalities, though its performance varied considerably across the province.

In the City of Cape Town, the DA was ahead with 60.4% of the vote, with about a quarter of voting districts counted. The results suggest the party is on course to retain control of the country’s second-largest metropolitan municipality.

The DA was also performing strongly in Drakenstein, where it had 57.3% with 85% of voting districts counted, and Stellenbosch, where it was at 61.3% with 66% counted.

In Mossel Bay, the party was leading with 67.1% after 89% of voting districts had been counted. It also held a substantial lead in Bergrivier, with 63.4% and 95% counted, and Swartland, where it had 60.7% of the vote and had secured an outright majority.

However, the results from several other municipalities suggest that the DA could face coalition negotiations despite emerging as the largest party.

In Saldanha Bay, the DA was leading with 49.1% after all voting districts had been counted, leaving it short of an outright majority. The party had 45.6% in Cape Agulhas, 42% in Matzikama and 40.8% in Witzenberg, with all three municipalities showing completed counts.

Read: NEWS ANALYSIS | Fragmented vote sets stage for tense coalition talks

The results in Oudtshoorn also pointed to a competitive council, with the DA leading on 37.8% after all voting districts had been counted.

The PA was making inroads in some smaller municipalities. In Prince Albert, the party was leading with 49% of the vote after all districts had been counted, putting it in a strong position but short of an outright majority.

In Kannaland, Icosa was ahead with 27.1%, while ActionSA was leading in Laingsburg with 26.6%. Both municipalities had completed counting but neither party had secured an outright majority.

The DA was also leading in Knysna with 42.7% after 80% of voting districts had been counted, and in Langeberg with 38.3% after 80% had been counted.

In Beaufort West, the ANC was ahead with 24.8% after 87% of voting districts had been counted, while the DA remained the leading party in Cederberg, Hessequa, Bitou, Breede Valley, George, Overstrand and Theewaterskloof.

The results underline the increasingly fragmented political landscape in parts of the province, where smaller parties and independent civic organisations could hold the balance of power in councils.

Though the DA remains comfortably ahead in the provincial aggregate, the results in municipalities such as Prince Albert, Kannaland, Laingsburg, Oudtshoorn and Saldanha Bay suggest that the party will have to negotiate with other political formations to secure governing majorities.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is expected to announce the final results once counting, verification and the objections process have been completed.

Business Day

]]>Mukovhe Mulidzwi<![CDATA[Musk has little to show for his huge spending on support for Republicans ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/2026-11-05-musk-has-little-to-show-for-his-huge-spending-on-support-for-republicans/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/2026-11-05-musk-has-little-to-show-for-his-huge-spending-on-support-for-republicans/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:05:19 +0000Elon Musk spent nearly half-a-billion dollars (R8.19bn) on the US midterm elections but the record expenditure yielded little for the world’s richest man and leader of SpaceX and Tesla.

Just three of the 37 Republicans Musk backed for the House of Representatives won on Tuesday night, compared with 33 who lost. The remaining seven races had not been called by late Wednesday, though Democrats are running ahead in tallies so far.

Of the seven Senate Republican candidates Musk backed, six lost and one race hangs in the balance. In that last race, Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola is narrowly ahead with 77% of votes counted.

In Texas, where SpaceX and Tesla are headquartered and where Musk plans a chipmaking venture, Musk also came up empty after spending almost $230m on the Senate contest, $5m on the governor’s race and $500,000 on the lieutenant governor vote.

“A lot of Democrats see him as the Mr Money Bags for their Republican opponents and that’s certainly going to colour how they’re going to treat him personally,” said David Hopkins, political science professor at Boston College.

“He’s particularly at risk because he’s been part of the Trump administration and his companies have direct government involvement.”

Shares of SpaceX and Tesla fell 3.9% and 3.3% respectively on Wednesday on investor concerns that a Democratic-controlled Congress would tighten scrutiny of Musk’s Starlink satellite service and his AI data centre projects.

We’ve just sent a message to every millionaire mega donor, to every trillionaire mega donor, every corrupt defender of this broken political system. In this state, in this country, power belongs to the people

James Talarico, US Senator-elect

Musk’s outsized donations, which helped drive spending in this election cycle to a new record, have provoked the ire of Democrats who have said investigations into Musk and his businesses topped their agenda. With their newfound power, Democrats say they are adding campaign finance reform to their wish list.

Musk spent $445m on federal races alone, according to nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets. The full extent of his money’s reach may never be known. He spent tens of millions more through dark-money nonprofit groups — which disclose less about their donors than political action committees — a person familiar with his campaign spending said, and millions more on state and local elections that do not have uniform disclosure rules, local media outlets have reported.

Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, and his attorney Alex Spiro did not respond to requests for comment.

Spending in recent elections has surged with the rise of super PACs, which can take unlimited donations from wealthy individuals and corporations and spend on campaigns with few restrictions.

Political advertising tracker AdImpact said the Texas Senate contest was the most expensive US non-presidential race ever, with roughly $573.2m in total spending.

“We’ve just sent a message to every millionaire mega donor, to every trillionaire mega donor, every corrupt defender of this broken political system. In this state, in this country, power belongs to the people,” US senator-elect James Talarico said in his acceptance speech late on Tuesday in Austin, Texas.

The Democrat, whom Musk targeted with $153.5m worth of attack ads, compared himself and Musk to the biblical David and Goliath, saying: “Tonight we beat Goliath.”

Democratic candidates significantly outraised Republicans with small-dollar donations, making Republicans more dependent on wealthy donors. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg donated $80m to Democrats in the last weeks of the race.

Incoming Texas governor Gina Hinojosa, who beat Republican governor Greg Abbott, indicated this year that she would challenge Musk’s close relationship with the state if elected.

“Abbott gave control of our Boca Chica Beach to the highest bidder. That beach is our inheritance,” she said. SpaceX launches rockets from Boca Chica Beach in south Texas.

Hinojosa has sued Abbott’s office for access to unredacted emails involving Musk and his companies. Abbott is appealing, according to Houston Public Media.

“This lawsuit is a baseless stunt and nothing more than an act of desperation,” Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said on X.

Musk will face other battles in Washington.

The incoming chair of the House committee on oversight and government reform, US representative Robert Garcia, a California Democrat, plans to introduce legislation closing the “Musk loophole”, referring to a provision in campaign finance law that allows individual executives to spend unlimited personal money on political campaigns, even though their companies are banned from doing so.

Democrats are expected to open a flurry of congressional investigations scrutinising Musk’s companies, their contracts, his work running the department of government efficiency (Doge), involvement in Ukraine and contact with Russia.

Some inquiries have already begun. Democrats on House and Senate investigative committees wrote to SpaceX, the department of defence and the White House last month, looking into the company’s restriction of its Starlink satellite system in Ukraine during a critical time in its war against Russia. Others have questioned Musk on:

  • AI chatbot Grok’s dissemination of sexualised images of women and children;
  • conflicts of interest while he ran Doge; and
  • SpaceX’s federal contracts with Nasa and the defence department.

Early on Wednesday, as the election results became clear, Musk posted on X: “Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time.”

Reuters

]]>Evan Vucci<![CDATA[PPC's 'Awaken the Giant' plan drives earnings growth]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/earnings/2026-11-05-ppcs-awaken-the-giant-plan-drives-earnings-growth/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/earnings/2026-11-05-ppcs-awaken-the-giant-plan-drives-earnings-growth/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:34:13 +0000Cement producer PPC expects its first-half earnings to rise by as much as 38% as it continues to reap the benefits of its turnaround strategy.

The group said on Thursday that for the six months to end-September it expects HEPS to be between 30c and 34.5c, compared with 25c a year ago — an increase of between 20% and 38%.

HEPS, after adjusting for realised and unrealised foreign exchange losses on forex contracts taken out to hedge US dollar exposure on the construction of RK3, the new integrated cement plant in the Western Cape, are seen between 35c and 40.5c from 30c a year ago.

The group said the US dollar exposure on the construction of RK3 was fully hedged to de-risk PPC’s balance sheet.

During the period the rand strengthened against the US dollar, and foreign exchange losses were incurred.

The group attributed the increase in earnings to the continued momentum of the “Awaken the Giant” turnaround, delivering increasingly tangible benefits to the group’s earnings.

The Awaken the Giant corporate turnaround and value-creation strategy was launched by CEO Matias Cardarelli in late 2023 at the 134-year-old Southern African cement, concrete and aggregates producer. The strategy focuses on:

  • Unlocking internal value;
  • Improving efficiency;
  • Lowering costs; and
  • Driving sustainable profitability.

PPC, which operates in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, remains focused on improving efficiency as rising transport and energy costs pressure margins.

It said recently that despite a tough trading environment, private-sector projects and infrastructure work continue to support demand in South Africa. Government spending on infrastructure has started to improve in some regional markets, though projects are still being rolled out slowly.

It continued to advance the RK3 integrated plant project in the Western Cape, aimed at modernising its operations through:

  • Improved production efficiency;
  • Lower energy use; and
  • Reduced carbon emissions.

It expects to release its interim results on November 16.

Business Day

]]>PPC<![CDATA[DA declares early victory in Cape Town as Hill-Lewis predicts 58% of vote]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-da-declares-early-victory-in-cape-town-as-hill-lewis-predicts-58-of-vote/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-da-declares-early-victory-in-cape-town-as-hill-lewis-predicts-58-of-vote/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:41:18 +0000The DA has declared an early victory in the City of Cape Town, with party leader and mayoral candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis projecting the party will secure about 58% of the vote in Wednesday’s local government elections.

Hill-Lewis made the announcement to party supporters outside the Western Cape results operation centre in Century City on Thursday, despite only about a quarter of the metro’s voting stations having been counted at the time.

The DA was leading with 52.7% of the vote in the preliminary results, strengthening its prospects of retaining its outright majority in the country’s second-largest metropolitan municipality.

“Based on our own collection of all the data from all the voting stations where you all worked late into last night, we can project our results in the City of Cape Town will be around 58% of the vote,” Hill-Lewis said.

The projected result would extend the DA’s more than two-decade control of the metro and potentially secure Hill-Lewis a second term as mayor.

The party’s confidence comes despite pre-election polling suggesting it could face a tougher contest to retain its majority, with some surveys placing its support below the 50% threshold.

Our mission is to get up every morning for the next five years and do everything in our power, every effort that we can, to improve the lives of every person in our city

Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA leader and Cape Town mayoral candidate

Hill-Lewis credited the party’s performance to growing support in townships, including Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Langa, Mfuleni and Delft, where the DA has traditionally struggled to attract significant numbers of voters.

“The results we are seeing this morning from across many of Cape Town’s townships are nothing short of extraordinary,” he said.

He pointed to ward 40 in Gugulethu, where the DA came within about 200 votes of winning, and ward 98 in Khayelitsha, where its support increased from about 200 votes in the previous election to 1,200 in Wednesday’s poll.

The mayor thanked residents who had voted for the party, and its campaign volunteers and supporters, particularly those who had worked at voting stations across the city.

Addressing the party’s supporters, Hill-Lewis said his first five years as mayor had been an honour and privilege and he looked forward to continuing to serve the city.

He said the DA would focus on economic growth, job creation and service delivery if returned to office.

“Our mission is to get up every morning for the next five years and do everything in our power, every effort that we can, to improve the lives of every person in our city,” he said.

We are working and have worked together as partners with one simple mission: to grow this Cape economy, to get more people into work

Geordin Hill-Lewis

Hill-Lewis committed to working with Western Cape premier Alan Winde to attract investment and create employment opportunities.

“We are working and have worked together as partners with one simple mission: to grow this Cape economy, to get more people into work,” he said.

He pledged to intensify efforts to address sewage spills, saying the city had reduced them by a third over the past five years.

Hill-Lewis described the projected result as an endorsement of the DA’s record in government, while acknowledging that significant challenges remained for residents across the metro.

He said Cape Town could emerge as the only major metropolitan municipality in the country with an outright majority government, as early results elsewhere pointed to the possibility of coalition administrations.

The DA has governed Cape Town since 2006, when it took control of the municipality after the local government elections.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa had not confirmed the final outcome of the election at the time of the DA’s announcement.

Business Day

]]>Democratic Alliance<![CDATA[Lesaka reaffirms guidance despite weak merchant unit]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-lesaka-reaffirms-guidance-despite-weak-merchant-unit/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-lesaka-reaffirms-guidance-despite-weak-merchant-unit/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:28:25 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Fintech group Lesaka Technologies continues to see growth in its enterprise and consumer businesses, though this was overshadowed by an ongoing decline in the merchant unit, its biggest earner.

The group said on Thursday that first-quarter revenue rose 0.6% year on year to R3.005bn while net revenue was up 8% to R1.58bn. Adjusted earnings came in at R60.26m, down 25%.

The group said performance for the three months ended September 2026 was “in line with our expectations”.

“We have met our profitability guidance for 17 consecutive quarters and I am pleased to reaffirm our full-year outlook, which at the midpoint represents adjusted EPS of R8.00, up 23% year on year,” said the company’s executive chair, Ali Mazanderani.

The company has, until recently, comprised of two divisions: a merchant unit and a consumer segment. The consumer unit focuses on products such as unsecured credit, transactional banking, micro-insurance and value-added services through the EasyPay platform. After the acquisition of prepaid electricity submetering and payments business Recharger, the group now has a third division: enterprise.

The merchant unit reported a 13% decline in revenue to R1.94bn, while net revenue was down 7% to R674.565m. Segment-adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) fell 51% to R76.87m.

The picture was more positive in the other two business units. Consumer revenue rose 24% to R668.31m, with segment-adjusted ebitda up 38% to R206.111m.

The enterprise unit reported 60% growth in revenue to R419.45m, while net revenue was up 19% to R262.65m. The segment-adjusted ebitda rose 28% to R28.572m.

Lincoln Mali, CEO, Lesaka Southern Africa, said, “I am pleased we have met our guidance and reaffirmed our full-year outlook. Consumer had another excellent quarter, with strong growth in active customers, the loan book and insurance policies. Enterprise also continued its encouraging trajectory, adding new partners to the platform and growing in both ADP and utilities.”

“Merchant is undergoing a restructure, and segment-adjusted ebitda was down primarily due to exceptional items and restructuring costs. As our new team and strategy take hold, we have already seen substantial improvements in the business. In quarter two, we expect merchant to exceed R130m segment-adjusted ebitda, [about] 70% up quarter on quarter.”

The Nasdaq- and JSE-listed group expects full-year adjusted ebitda to range at R1.45bn-R1.60bn for 2027, while EPS is projected to be R7.50-R8.50.

Business Day

]]>SUPPLIED<![CDATA[WATCH | Stock Picks]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-stock-picks/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-stock-picks/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:05:54 +0000Tackling your questions tonight are Nick Van Rensburg from All Weather Capital and Ricus Reeders from PSG Hole In One Ruimsig

Business Day

]]>Blue Bay/123RF<![CDATA[IEC issue tracker resolves more than 1,000 election-related cases ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-iec-issue-tracker-resolves-more-than-1000-election-related-cases/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-iec-issue-tracker-resolves-more-than-1000-election-related-cases/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:03:45 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says its newly enhanced issue tracker has resolved more than 1,000 cases logged since the commencement of special voting as the vote-counting, verification and results-processing phase of the 2026 local government elections continues.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the enhanced issue tracker was among the innovations introduced for the elections to improve the reporting and resolution of issues that could potentially disrupt the electoral process.

Speaking during a media briefing on vote counting, verification and results, Mamabolo said the system provides contestants and electoral staff with a mechanism to report challenges affecting the elections.

He said the issue tracker had been integrated into the Virtual Results Operations Centre (ROC), a platform that provides remote access to the commission’s electoral operational systems and its 10 results operations centres.

“This is a mechanism for contestants and electoral staff to report all issues that could impair the election process. The commission has launched the newly enhanced issue tracker which is now a component of the Virtual ROC. The Virtual ROC is a platform for remote access to the electoral operational systems and the 10 results operations centres,” he said.

He said the system had efficiently resolved more than 1,000 cases reported since special voting began.

The update comes amid growing concerns about election-related misinformation and attempts to undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

As previously reported by TimesLIVE, the IEC said its Real411 platform had registered 34 complaints involving misinformation and disinformation, incitement to violence, hate speech and harassment.

The commission has also raised concerns about unsubstantiated election-fraud allegations circulating on social media urging political parties and candidates to use established reporting channels when raising concerns about possible irregularities.

TimesLIVE

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[WATCH | Technical analysis on Astral Foods, Rainbow Chicken and KAL Group ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-technical-analysis-on-astral-foods-rainbow-chicken-and-kal-group/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-technical-analysis-on-astral-foods-rainbow-chicken-and-kal-group/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:01:07 +0000Anthony Clark, a Small Talk Daily Research analyst, takes a closer look at Astral Foods, Rainbow Chicken and KAL Group.

]]>123rf.com<![CDATA[WATCH | Market Report]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-market-report-2/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-market-report-2/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:43:58 +0000Lindile Malgas from Absa Investments joins Business Day TV for a broader look at the day’s market movers.

]]>Picture: Seth Wenig/AP<![CDATA[Northern Cape leads election results capture as IEC says more than 60% processed ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-northern-cape-leads-election-results-capture-as-iec-says-more-than-60-processed/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-northern-cape-leads-election-results-capture-as-iec-says-more-than-60-processed/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:37:13 +0000

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The Northern Cape is leading the capturing of results in the 2026 local government elections with 87% of results captured as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues its counting, verification and auditing processes across the country.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission was pleased with the steady progress being made with more than 60% of the 66,073 results captured by 5pm.

Providing a provincial breakdown on vote counting, verification and results, Mamabolo said the Western Cape was in second place with 69% followed by the Eastern Cape at 60% and the Free State at 64%.

Mpumalanga had captured 52% of its results while KwaZulu-Natal stood at 37%.

North West and Gauteng were both at 35% while Limpopo was trailing at 23%.

“The electoral commission is pleased to report that the capturing and verification of election results are progressing steadily across the country,” he said.

Mamabolo said the commission salutes the thousands of men and women who are pulling out all the stops to ensure the finalisation of the capturing and auditing of results.

“At 17h00, over 60% of the 66,073 results had been captured. The commission further reports that about 40,202 results slips have been scanned while 32,238 have undergone independent auditing as part of the verification and quality assurance processes,” he said.

Mamabolo said the measures were intended to ensure the accuracy, transparency and integrity of the results before they were finalised.

At municipal level, 65 of the country’s 213 municipalities, representing 31%, had completed the capturing, scanning and auditing processes.

The Northern Cape was leading in municipal completion with 21 of its 26 municipalities completed representing 81%.

The Western Cape followed with 14 of 25 municipalities completed (56%) while the Free State had completed seven of its 19 municipalities (37%).

In the Eastern Cape, nine of the 33 municipalities had completed the process (27%), compared with five of 17 in Mpumalanga (29%).

KwaZulu-Natal had completed six of its 44 municipalities (14%), North West two of 18 (11%) and Limpopo one of 22 (5%).

Gauteng was the only province yet to complete the process in any municipality with none of its nine municipalities having reached completion at the time of the briefing.

Mamabolo cautioned that the figures remained provisional until objections material to an election had been finalised.

“The commission remains committed to finalising the results as expeditiously as possible while ensuring that all prescribed verification and quality assurance processes are rigorously followed to safeguard the accuracy, transparency and integrity of the results.

“It is anticipated that the results collation process will be concluded by the weekend. The commission therefore urges political parties, independent candidates, the media and members of the public to exercise caution when interpreting partial results and to rely on officially verified results published by the commission,” he said.

TimesLIVE

]]>Freddy<![CDATA[Octodec sells Killarney Mall for R397.5m after years on the market]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-06-octodec-sells-killarney-mall-for-r3975m-after-years-on-the-market/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-06-octodec-sells-killarney-mall-for-r3975m-after-years-on-the-market/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:13:31 +0000Octodec has sold Killarney Mall, South Africa’s oldest shopping centre, after years of seeking a buyer for the Johannesburg property, as the group looks to free up capital and pay down debt.

The group said on Thursday that the sale had cleared its final hurdles after securing Competition Commission approval, with the mall transferred to private buyer AJPG Property 1 on November 2.

The group agreed to sell the mall in February for R397.5m through the sale of all the shares and claims in its wholly owned subsidiary, Killarney Mall Properties. The proceeds will go towards reducing borrowings and funding the group’s strategic priorities, it said.

Octodec deputy CEO and financial director Riaan Erasmus said the sale was an important step in the group’s efforts to reshape its property portfolio and focus on assets with better growth prospects.

“The completion and transfer of Killarney Mall represents a significant milestone in Octodec’s strategy to focus and strengthen the business,” Erasmus said.

He said the disposal allowed the group to redirect capital from assets that were no longer central to its strategy towards properties and sectors with greater potential to deliver sustainable returns.

Business Day

]]><![CDATA[Private sector activity dips again as job cuts surge in SA]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/economy/2026-11-06-private-sector-activity-dips-again-as-job-cuts-surge-in-sa/https://www.businessday.co.za/economy/2026-11-06-private-sector-activity-dips-again-as-job-cuts-surge-in-sa/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:11:32 +0000South African businesses reported a second successive monthly fall in activity in October, as weak demand, rising fuel costs and shipping delays continued to weigh on the private sector, according to S&P Global’s October purchasing managers’ index.

The index recorded 49 for the second consecutive month, its joint-lowest so far in 2026, with four of the five subcomponents making negative contributions, including faster downturns in output and staffing levels.

Readings above 50 signal an improvement in business conditions compared with the previous month, while readings below 50 indicate a deterioration.

Firms cut jobs at the sharpest rate in six years, while business confidence sank to a level last seen in mid-2020, S&P Global said. Higher fuel prices drove a quicker rise in purchase costs, and companies also attributed a dip in business activity to weak customer demand as well as port and shipping disruptions.

Aside from the softer business activity, new orders also decreased, with companies surveyed frequently citing weak client purchasing power, compounded by fuel costs linked to the Middle East conflict and broader economic uncertainty. Purchase price inflation quickened to the highest since June, while wage costs rose slightly faster than in September.

Businesses often passed higher costs on to customers, leading to a solid increase in output charges that was the quickest in four months. Construction firms bucked the trend, however, cutting prices for the first time in a year.

Read: Manufacturing conditions slightly better in October but demand still subdued

“Perhaps the most concerning signal from the latest survey was a sharp drop in business confidence,” said S&P Global Market Intelligence principal economist David Owen.

“Expectations for activity over the next 12 months fell to their lowest since August 2020, with firms suggesting the current economic and geopolitical environment had led to a reassessment of long-term risk.

“At the same time, businesses cut staff numbers at the fastest rate in six years. With backlogs declining and confidence at a multiyear low, it appears that job-shedding may continue into the final months of the year unless demand conditions improve noticeably.”

Business expectations for the coming year deteriorated markedly in October, sinking to the lowest since August 2020. Though firms still anticipated growth on average, supported by positive new business projections, sentiment softened in all sectors, with construction firms forecasting a fall in output for the first time in a year.

The report pointed to a drop in employment for the third successive month in October, with the rate of job-shedding the sharpest in six years. Firms cited redundancies, dismissals and voluntary leavers, but weaker demand meant that backlogs of work decreased marginally.

Supply chain pressures persisted, though suppliers’ delivery times lengthened at a softer pace than in September, when delays were the most severe for 31 months. Companies again cited logjams at the Port of Durban, alongside global shipping delays, raw material shortages and reduced transport capacity. Industrial firms faced the most severe delays.

Earlier this week, a parallel survey of manufacturing purchasing managers sponsored by Absa and compiled by the Bureau for Economic Research showed that conditions for the sector improved slightly in October as production and new sales orders clawed back further ground from August lows, though underlying demand remained subdued.

Business Day

]]>Reuters/Shiraaz Mohamed<![CDATA[NEWS ANALYSIS | Fragmented vote sets stage for tense coalition talks]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-news-analysis-fragmented-vote-sets-stage-for-tense-coalition-talks/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-news-analysis-fragmented-vote-sets-stage-for-tense-coalition-talks/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:38:25 +0000The rapid decline of the once-dominant ANC creates both opportunity and uncertainty. The opportunity is for other parties to win its voters and occupy the political vacuum its descent creates. The uncertainty is caused by the fact that the ANC is not being replaced by any one new dominant party. Instead, there is fragmentation.

Hence, the 2026 local government election (LGE) will be defined not by who “wins” ― since there will be a precious few outright winners, certainly in the bigger metropolitan areas – but by what emerges from the no-doubt fraught 14-day period of negotiation that will commence on Monday after the declaration of the results on Sunday.

Accordingly, a party such as the DA may win at the ballot box but lose at the negotiating table.

Pretty much everyone in politics agrees that the legally prescribed 14-day window is far too tight. But, because of other more contentious issues ― such as thresholds for representation ― it was not possible to pass legislation in time for yesterday’s election.

The pressure on the negotiating teams of the various protagonists will be intense ― even more so than in the fetid weeks after the 2024 national and provincial election since this time there are so many more governments to form and, therefore, so many more deals to be done.

At a time of exhaustion after weeks of intense campaigning, those leaders will have to maintain their composure and their clarity of mind about what constitutes a reasonable redline issue upon which to found their negotiating tactics.

They will have to constantly remind themselves to keep their eye on the ball and to ask themselves the right overarching question, which is not “who do I like or dislike?” or “who would I prefer to get into bed with?” but rather, “who will provide me with the most stable and reliable partner in government?”

This will require both focus and a recognition that South Africa’s electorate appears to have voted for change. Not only is turnout up on the last LGE in 2021, but the apparent shift in support between parties ― and especially away from the ANC ― indicates that residents want different and better municipal governments.

This is not surprising at all given the parlous state of local governance across South Africa, meaning, in turn, that the exam question for this election is “will coalition governments be formed that are sufficiently stable to have a chance at executing a turnaround?”

The greater fragmentation means that there will be more kingmakers or wannabe kingmakers in the mix. Bigger parties will be understandably wary of them. The experience of the past decade shows that too often the tiny tail has wagged the bigger dogs and not to the benefit of residents and businesses.

Those trying to run businesses in Nelson Mandela Bay, for instance, have been pulling their hair out for much of the past decade since the ANC first lost its majority at the 2016 LGE. They yearn for stability and for a reliable government to engage with. Again, however, the electorate has opted against giving any party a majority in the City Hall and a new cycle of stalemate beckons.

Unless, that is, the grand coalition that lies at the heart of the government of national unity (GNU) ― the alliance between the ANC and the DA, adorned admittedly with a sprinkling of smaller parties ― can be transposed to the local government sphere. A government of local unity could be the answer or at the start of providing the answer that citizens and the economy need. But this will require the same kind of leadership that was shown in 2024 ― to overcome historical and personality-based differences, which tend to be even more pronounced at provincial and local level ― to put the country first. Whether the ANC’s national leadership is willing to exert such a mature approach when it will be once again having to digest another major electoral setback is another question altogether.

  • Calland is visiting adjunct professor at the WITS School of Governance and Partner of the Paternoster Group, which has established a City Risk Monitor that roots its political analysis of the LGE in the economic risk profile of municipalities in South Africa
]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[AngloGold faces rising costs as gold production falls]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-anglogold-faces-rising-costs-as-gold-production-falls/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-anglogold-faces-rising-costs-as-gold-production-falls/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:09:26 +0000

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AngloGold Ashanti’s gold production fell in the third quarter to September as higher costs offset some of the benefit of rising gold prices.

Costs per ounce rose 26% to $2,170 in the quarter, from $1,720 in the same period last year, the company said on Thursday. Gold production fell 9% to 696,000oz from 768,000oz.

Total cash costs increased 25% to $1,534/oz, from $1,225/oz a year earlier.

AngloGold attributed most of the increase in costs to external market factors, including higher royalties linked to the gold price and increased fuel costs following movements in global crude oil prices.

The higher realised gold price supported the group’s financial performance, rising 21% to $4,239/oz from $3,490/oz and helping lift earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) by 12% to $1.57bn.

Profit for the period increased to $927m from $815m while headline earnings rose to $790m from $672m.

Free cash flow fell to $722m from $920m in the corresponding period last year. AngloGold attributed the lower figure to fewer ounces sold, increased capital expenditure, higher tax payments and working capital requirements.

Capital expenditure rose 45% to $563m in the quarter as the miner increased spending on mine development, equipment upgrades and its Nevada projects.

Despite the weaker production performance, AngloGold maintained its full-year gold production guidance of 2.8-million to 3.17-million ounces. Production for the first nine months stood at 2.164-million ounces.

Production at Iduapriem in Ghana fell 43% year on year in the third quarter, while output at Obuasi in Ghana fell 26% and Sukari in Egypt 21%. Siguiri in Guinea was the company’s strongest performer, increasing production by 49%.

The miner expects production to improve in the final quarter. At Iduapriem, dewatering work has restored access to mining areas. Output at Obuasi and Sukari is also expected to benefit from access to higher-grade ore.

AngloGold ended September with net cash of $1.26bn, compared with $231m a year earlier. It declared an interim dividend of 71 US cents per share, amounting to $361m.

The company plans to spend $750m-$900m over three years expanding its Geita mine in Tanzania, Siguiri in Guinea and Cuiabá in Brazil. The projects are expected to add 300,000oz-450,000oz to annual production by the end of the decade, compared with 2025 levels.

Business Day

]]>supplied<![CDATA[WATCH | IEC updates the media on progress in late vote-counting]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-live-iec-updates-the-media-on-progress-in-late-vote-counting/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-live-iec-updates-the-media-on-progress-in-late-vote-counting/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:32:09 +0000The Electoral Commission of South Africa briefs the media on the progress of the 2026 local government elections.

]]>YASANTHA NAIDOO<![CDATA[WATCH | IEC reports faster results processing as Zille happy with DA performance]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-iec-reports-faster-results-processing-as-zille-happy-with-da-performance/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-iec-reports-faster-results-processing-as-zille-happy-with-da-performance/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:37:59 +0000

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The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says the 2026 local government election results are being processed at a faster pace than during the previous municipal elections, with 18 municipalities having completed the results process by 9am on Thursday.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission had received 23,444 results slips, representing 35.5% of the 66,073 expected results from local municipalities, metros and district councils across the country’s 23,000 voting stations.

“Of these, 22,983 results slips, representing 34.8%, had been captured into the results system, while 16,791, or 25%, had undergone independent auditing.”

Comparing the progress with the 2021 local government elections, Mamabolo said: “In a comparative election in 2021 and at the same time, only seven municipalities had been completed.”

He said the improved rate of capturing was achieved despite longer ballot papers, an increased number of contestants and expectations of greater voter participation.

Mamabolo emphasised that several safeguards had been put in place to protect the integrity and transparency of the results process.

He described these measures as “an important watermark of a free and fair election”, explaining that results slips were captured in duplicate in the presence of political party agents and observers at counting stations.

“The agents can record and make photographic images of the results. Similarly, the IEC makes an image of the results to facilitate retrieval by contestants where this may be required,” he said.

After counting, results slips are transported in tamper-evident envelopes to the commission’s local capturing sites.

Mamabolo said the capturing process included pre-quality assurance measures, double-blind capturing, scanning of results slips and independent auditing of the entire population of results.

“Meaning that the audit is not a sampled audit, but the entire results are subjected to this important assurance measure,” he said.

He said another layer of protection was the use of an automated results system to identify possible anomalies, including excessive voter turnout and discrepancies in the votes received by a political party at the same voting station across different ballot types.

Meanwhile, DA Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille expressed optimism about the party’s performance as the counting process continued, saying she believed it could emerge as Gauteng’s biggest party.

“I’m anticipating that we will be the biggest party in Gauteng, and we’ll see what we can do with the result after this,” she said.

However, Zille was careful to limit her comments to Johannesburg, saying she could not speak on behalf of the party nationally because she was no longer its leader or chairperson of its federal council.

“I can only speak for Johannesburg, where I’m the mayoral candidate,” she said.

Asked whether she believed the results would reflect the party’s hands-on campaign, Zille said she felt the efforts had largely paid off, although reaching voters remained challenging.

“I think for the most part, probably yes, but it’s a bit of a challenge sometimes, you know, to break through,” she said.

Reflecting on voter participation, Zille said she would have preferred a higher turnout but appreciated those who made their way to voting stations.

“It could have been a better turnout, but we were grateful for those who did,” she said.

With the results process continuing, the IEC maintained that its verification and auditing measures were intended to ensure that the figures eventually announced accurately reflected the choices made by voters.

Sowetan

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[WATCH | ActionSA eyes coalition roles as early Tshwane results show gains]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-actionsa-eyes-coalition-roles-as-early-tshwane-results-show-gains/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-actionsa-eyes-coalition-roles-as-early-tshwane-results-show-gains/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:00:41 +0000

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ActionSA says it is encouraged by early local government election results in Gauteng, as it appears to be on course to strengthen its position in the City of Tshwane and increase its influence ahead of the 2029 national and provincial elections.

By lunchtime on Thursday, the DA led in Tshwane with 30.6% of the vote, while ActionSA was second at 22.8%.

We’re contesting 105 municipalities, and we believe coalitions will be necessary in many of them.

ActionSA spokesperson Michael Beaumont

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the party was gaining momentum in several wards and had made significant inroads in areas previously dominated by the ANC, which is currently sitting at 21.9%.

“What we happen to know is that we’ve already taken 12 wards from the ANC in Tshwane, including every ward in Atteridgeville other than one. Our results in places like Mamelodi and Soshanguve are now exceeding 50%,” Beaumont said.

“So, actually, ActionSA today has done very well. We are well set to become the second-largest party in Tshwane, and every indication is that residents are responding positively to the track record and leadership of Dr Nasiphi Moya.”

Beaumont added that the party had narrowly missed out on winning a ward in Bronkhorstspruit.

With coalition governments expected to remain a feature of local politics, Beaumont said discussions about possible partnerships had already begun.

“We’re contesting 105 municipalities, and we believe coalitions will be necessary in many of them. We are willing to engage with all political parties, provided there is a commitment to service delivery, stable governance and a serious fight against corruption,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Emfuleni, the DA was leading with 55.6% of the vote, followed by the VF Plus on 17.5%, while the ANC trailed in third place.

DA federal chairperson Solly Msimanga attributed the party’s performance to years of preparation and growing support across communities.

“We have seen significant growth in Emfuleni. In the past, we would win only one ANC ward in a by-election. Now we have won more than 10 wards,” he said.

Msimanga said the DA had also gained ground in Midvaal and parts of Johannesburg, while its support in township communities continued to grow.

He said the party now had more than one million black township voters and intended to build on that support as it looked ahead to the 2029 elections.

Sowetan

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[Mosimane explains why he picked injured Mokoena and Williams ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/soccer/2026-11-05-mosimane-explains-why-he-picked-injured-mokoena-and-williams/https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/soccer/2026-11-05-mosimane-explains-why-he-picked-injured-mokoena-and-williams/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:33:19 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has explained his decision to include Mamelodi Sundowns duo Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena in his final squad to play Kenya in their Africa Cup of Nations [Afcon] back-to-back qualifiers, despite them having injuries.

While Williams and Mokoena have been recovering and missed recent club fixtures for Sundowns, Mosimane opted to include them in the 27-man squad as they work towards full fitness ahead of the double-header against Kenya.

With the Caf Super Cup final between Sundowns and USM Alger on Sunday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium (3pm), Mosimane said he can only make a decision on whether to drop them should they not feature in that match.

“Well, those are key players for us, who have been leading us to the first Afcon, the second Afcon and the Fifa World Cup, and they have been part of the games of Guinea and Eritrea.

“So, they are very important players and we wait for the last time where we say, the doctors must tell me to rule them out. Then we can bring other players like we brought [Tshepang] Moremi last time.

“We have to give them the benefit of the doubt because you and I don’t know. What if they play on Sunday?

We have to be careful with the national team, we wait until the end. It’s a very tricky thing. I’d rather play safe than to regret it, until I know that the player is not available

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane

“And if I ruled them out today. You will ask me, you have left Teboho and Ronwen [out] and I come to you and say, ‘they are injured’.

“We have to be careful with the national team, we wait until the end. It’s a very tricky thing. I’d rather play safe than to regret it, until I know that the player is not available.”

Bafana will face Kenya in the first match at Orlando Stadium on November 13 and travel to Nairobi for their return match on November 17.

Chicago Fire centre back Mbekezeli Mbokazi makes his return from injury, while in-form Siyanda Ndlovu was also included in the squad. Themba Zwane and Nkosinathi Sibisi were dropped, while Thapelo Maseko was not selected due to his injury.

Mosimane said Ndlovu is a perfect replacement for Maseko.

“If you look at his last four games, I think he came out with two man-of-the-matches. Scoring and assists are also a little bit of a duplicate of Maseko,” he said.

“I like those wingers; some people like wingers who turn around. I like that. Go inside, one vs one, go behind, those are kind of my wingers.

“He is that kind of player who has intensity, but we still need to check him in the national team because here, it is not the same as club level. We need to create a big pool of players.”

Bafana squad

  • Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Sipho Chaine, Ricardo Goss
  • Defenders: Aubrey Modiba, Samukelo Kabini, Fawaaz Basadien, Thapelo Morena, Thabang Matuludi, Olwethu Makhanya, Ime Okon, Lebone Seema, Mbekezeli Mbokazi
  • Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Thalente Mbatha, Sphephelo Sithole, Bathusi Aubaas, Brooklyn Poggenpoel
  • Strikers: Iqraam Rayners, Lyle Foster, Cassius Mailula, Oswin Appollis, Puso Dithejane, Tashreeq Matthews, Relebohile Mofokeng, Luther Singh, Tshepang Moremi, Siyanda Ndlovu
]]>ANTONIO MUCHAVE<![CDATA[Ronaldo retires after record 234 Portugal appearances]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/soccer/2026-11-05-ronaldo-retires-after-record-234-portugal-appearances/https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/soccer/2026-11-05-ronaldo-retires-after-record-234-portugal-appearances/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:32:36 +0000By Ruairidh Barlow

Cristiano Ronaldo said on Thursday he was retiring from the Portugal team, bringing the curtain down on one of the most illustrious international careers in the history of football.

The 41-year-old announced that he would “hand back the No 7 shirt” after the November international break.

Ronaldo captained Portugal to their first major trophy at Euro 2016 and helped them win the 2019 and 2025 Nations Leagues.

“It was not an easy decision, because there are decisions that are not made only with the head. They are also made with the heart,” said Ronaldo.

“If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you hug someone, forget a worry or feel proud of our country, then it was all worth it.”

Ronaldo thanked his family, the Portuguese people and the teammates, coaches and staff he worked with over his 23-year career with the national team.

Ronaldo has made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 goals. He holds the all-time record for international appearances and for international goals.

His final international tournament appearance was at the 2026 World Cup, where he tried to win the one major trophy that has eluded him. Portugal exited in the last 16 with a 1-0 loss to eventual champions Spain.

Ronaldo did, however, join Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the only players to feature at six global tournaments, one of a host of international records set by the Al-Nassr forward.

Ronaldo left the Portugal camp at the end of September ahead of their Nations League match against Denmark without permission and did not return. He later cited broken promises from manager Jorge Jesus as the reason for his departure.

Jesus denied making any agreement with Ronaldo but left the door open for his return after Portugal’s 2-1 win.

After Ronaldo apologised and said he remained available for international selection, the Portuguese Football Federation suspended the forward for 30 days and fined him €255.

Portugal, who top Nations League Group A4, host second-placed Denmark on November 14 in Braga before visiting Wales in their final two group games, which will be Ronaldo’s final chances to add to his international statistics.

The Portuguese Football Federation released a statement after Ronaldo’s retirement announcement, expressing its profound and eternal gratitude for his services.

“More than an exceptional athlete, our captain was an inspiring leader, an example of dedication and the ultimate symbol of the soul of our national team,” said the statement.

Ronaldo will leave the international stage as Portugal’s most successful player in terms of individual and team honours and has become a cultural reference point for the country around the world.

“I spent my life working to become the best player in the world. Today I realise that my greatest victory was having deserved the honour of representing the best country in the world,” said Ronaldo in his statement.

Reuters

]]>Pedro Nunes<![CDATA[WATCH | The latest election developments]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-the-latest-election-developments/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-the-latest-election-developments/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:20:13 +0000As vote counting continues after South Africa’s local government elections, Business Day TV reporter Khaka Ngcofe visits Braamfontein, Johannesburg, to get a sense of the mood on the ground.

Business Day

]]>Freddy<![CDATA[Fresh bomb hoaxes hit flights across Europe]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/europe/2026-11-05-fresh-bomb-hoaxes-hit-flights-across-europe/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/europe/2026-11-05-fresh-bomb-hoaxes-hit-flights-across-europe/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:14:31 +0000A series of hoax bomb threats hit European airlines from Ireland to Bulgaria on Thursday morning for the second time this week, with some of at least 25 affected flights making unplanned landings or escorted by fighter jets.

While no country has attributed blame for the threats, ⁠they come at a time when many European officials have accused Russia of masterminding sabotage and “hybrid attacks” — often cheap, easily deniable and not expected to trigger an armed response.

Denmark, Poland and Romania, all affected by Thursday’s disruptions, have previously accused Moscow directly, while Germany blamed Russia for an attack on Leipzig airport in August. Britain has blamed Russia in the past but linked Iran to a suspected plot to attack a US air base. Both Russia and Iran deny any involvement.

Eric Schouten, head of the aviation security group Dyami, said most of the countries affected supported Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion.

“From a geopolitical view, I’m thinking, you always have to think about the scenario of hybrid warfare, where a country in this way — today we are looking at Russia, right? — is attacking us on multiple fronts, from railways to supermarkets to blood banks, most recently. The energy sector, the internet sector, and the aviation sector are among those,” he said.

Bulgaria’s air force said its fighter jets had escorted three airliners to the ground. Officials said that Ryanair planes from Copenhagen and Madrid to Sofia landed as planned while a flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second city.

Spanish authorities received three emailed bomb threats in under 20 minutes, involving two Air Europa departures from Madrid to Paris and four inbound Iberia flights from Rome and Milan, Spain’s Guardia Civil said.

Several aircraft were halted or returned to their stands and passengers were disembarked while planes were inspected.

Two Easyjet flights from Britain, one flight from Ireland and one from Greece landed as scheduled in Prague after receiving bomb threats. Czech police said they had assessed the credibility of the threats as low.

Italy’s air force escorted a Finnair plane coming from Helsinki to its scheduled landing in Rome, a person close to the matter said. Rome’s airport operator said there had been no disruption to services.

Another Finnair flight from Helsinki, operated by Jettime, landed as normal in Vienna after receiving a bomb threat, Finnair said.

The Italian news agency ANSA said two planes had landed safely in Milan after receiving threats.

A LOT flight from Warsaw landed as scheduled in Brussels after a security warning, the Polish airline said. In Warsaw, a LOT flight to Paris was stopped as it was taxiing towards take-off and passengers were transferred to another aircraft as a precaution, it added.

A Wizz Air flight from Milan landed safely in Bucharest, Romania’s intelligence agency said. Italian media reported that a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw had been diverted to Vienna.

Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome landed safely on Thursday at Evreux airport, 100km west of Paris, the Irish airline said.

In Denmark a military bomb disposal unit searched two planes at Copenhagen airport, but did not find any devices, police said.

Eliran Almog, CEO of aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, said the repeated bomb threats could serve both to disrupt operations and to observe how airlines, airports and national authorities respond.

“These aviation threats are also occurring in the same period as cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe,” Almog said.

“Different essential services are experiencing disruption that carries economic costs and can undermine public confidence.”

On Tuesday, at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats, causing disruption at airports across Europe, although no devices were discovered.

This week, unidentified hackers for the second time shut down fridges in supermarkets in several European countries, also affecting French blood banks.

Reuters

]]>123RF<![CDATA[WATCH | Johannesburg voters share their local election experiences]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-johannesburg-voters-share-their-local-election-experiences/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-johannesburg-voters-share-their-local-election-experiences/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:56:10 +0000What was it like for South Africans heading to the polls in this year’s local government elections? Business Day TV finds out and speaks to citizens about their experiences, what motivated them to cast their ballots and how they feel about the state of local government.

Business Day

]]>MASI LOSI<![CDATA[WATCH | The Political Arena team breaks down the LGE results as they trickle in ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-breaks-down-the-lge-results-as-they-trickle-in/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-breaks-down-the-lge-results-as-they-trickle-in/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:23:54 +0000

Arena Holdings’ senior politics reporters are coming to you live from the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) results centre at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Gauteng, to unpack the early election results and what they mean for municipalities.

TimesLIVE

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[WATCH | What SA’s election results tell us about the country’s political direction]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-what-sas-election-results-tell-us-about-the-countrys-political-direction/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-what-sas-election-results-tell-us-about-the-countrys-political-direction/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:46:26 +0000South Africa’s local government elections could mark an important turning point for the country’s political landscape. As the results continue to come in, questions are emerging about the performance of the major parties, the future of coalition politics and what voters are demanding from their leaders. For more insight, Business Day TV spoke to Sunday Times’ deputy editor Mike Siluma.

Business Day

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[WATCH | The latest developments as SA’s election results roll in]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-the-latest-developments-as-sas-election-results-roll-in/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-the-latest-developments-as-sas-election-results-roll-in/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:43:40 +0000The counting of votes continues across the country, with the emerging results pointing to a changing political landscape and potentially significant shifts in local government. Business Day TV brings you the latest from the Results Operations Centre (ROC).

Business Day

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[Democrats face crowded 2028 race and battle over party’s direction]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-05-democrats-face-crowded-2028-race-and-battle-over-partys-direction/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-05-democrats-face-crowded-2028-race-and-battle-over-partys-direction/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:19:06 +0000By Agency Staff

With the US midterms over, Democrats are turning to what could become one of their most crowded and unpredictable presidential primaries in decades, a 2028 contest likely to expose the party’s divide over how to win back the White House.

No Democrat has emerged as a clear favourite in a field that could attract dozens of contenders, while Republicans have a smaller group of widely discussed candidates, led by vice-president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio, to succeed President Donald Trump, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term.

Potential Democratic candidates, including sitting governors and senators, have spent months cultivating donors, visiting states with early nominating contests and raising their national profiles, positioning themselves for a race that strategists expect to begin in earnest now that the midterms are over.

The sweeping victories by Democrats on Tuesday, when voters delivered a sharp rebuke to Trump and his agenda, will intensify discussions within both parties about how to win over an electorate unhappy with the country’s direction.

Despite their resounding victories on Tuesday, Democrats enter the 2028 campaign still divided over whether to tack to the centre or move further left on issues ranging from healthcare and taxes to policing and foreign policy.

Republican candidates will face a different challenge — how to distance themselves from Trump after Tuesday’s repudiation of his policies. They need to broaden their appeal beyond the president’s base while avoiding a break with the populist Make America Great Again movement that has come to define the party.

Trump, who has dominated the political landscape for a decade, may be reluctant to yield centre stage, and his continued influence with Maga followers could complicate the path of the party’s next standard-bearer.

Internal battle

Doug Sosnik, a Democratic strategist, said both progressives and moderates will claim vindication in their ideological approaches, ensuring an intense internal battle over the party’s future as the 2028 race begins in earnest.

One of the most high-profile progressive wins came in the Michigan Senate contest, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed easily defeated Republican Mike Rogers in a likely 2028 presidential swing state, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.

“All kinds of wings of the Democratic Party can find affirmation in the results last night,” Sosnik said on Wednesday. “I don’t think that anyone can, nor should they, try to contain the differences we have as a party.”

The party has not had a proper debate about its philosophy and direction since 2016, when Hillary Clinton won the nomination against a spirited challenge by US Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who describes himself as a democratic socialist, Sosnik said.

Several potential candidates have either acknowledged considering a White House run or declined to rule one out. Most spent the final weeks of the midterm campaign stumping for fellow Democrats in early nominating states such as Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

They include former vice-president Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in 2024; governors Gavin Newsom of California and Andy Beshear of Kentucky; former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg; and US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a leading progressive voice.

Reuters contacted representatives for nine of the party’s most prominent potential contenders. None confirmed a 2028 run.

Nine days after the November 3 elections, several prospective Democratic candidates, including Buttigieg and another progressive, US representative Ro Khanna of California, are scheduled to attend a gathering in Denver hosted by Majority Democrats.

The group, backed largely by moderate Democrats and billionaire donor Steve Mandel, advocates for younger party leaders and a party platform that is more centrist.

US representative Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts, the group’s chair, said the event is meant to spark a debate about the party’s future before the 2028 race takes shape and lay out a positive agenda for what the party is for, rather than just being anti-Trump.

Scott Ferson, a Democratic strategist, said the party’s presidential primary could attract a huge number of candidates. “There are at least 30 Democrats who are saying to people close to them, ‘Do you think I should run?’” Ferson said.

Wiggle room

By contrast, Republican 2028 hopefuls have been more guarded, mostly staying in Trump’s shadow and deferential to him.

That could now change after Tuesday night’s rout, in which voters expressed deep dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy and foreign policy and demanded more action against government corruption.

Vance is in a particularly difficult position, said Matt Dole, a Republican strategist. Vance has less freedom than other potential 2028 Republican contenders to put daylight between himself and Trump because he is vice-president, a role that traditionally involves defending the president and his policies.

“Vance just doesn’t have the wiggle room that somebody else in the cabinet has, who can resign,” Dole said.

Still, Vance acknowledged on Wednesday that the war in Iran, which Trump launched in February and is deeply unpopular among Americans, had cost Republicans the election. That, however, did not represent a clear break with Trump, who made a similar acknowledgement on Tuesday night.

Whoever emerges within the Republican Party as its new standard-bearer will face the task of keeping Trump’s Maga base onside while rebuilding the broader coalition that powered his 2024 victory. Exit polls on Tuesday showed that key constituencies of that coalition, including younger voters, Hispanics and some black men, had deserted Republicans.

Vance has said there is “a chance” he will not run, citing family considerations, while Rubio has said he has “no plans at this time” to seek the presidency.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination against Trump in 2024, has declined to rule out another White House bid.

Other Republicans viewed as potential candidates include Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and US senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

Reuters

]]>Brian Snyder<![CDATA[WATCH | What SA’s election results mean for the country’s political future]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-what-sas-election-results-mean-for-the-countrys-political-future/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-what-sas-election-results-mean-for-the-countrys-political-future/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:16:16 +0000South Africa’s local government elections have set the stage for a potentially significant political realignment. With the ANC and DA closely contesting nationally and several major metros likely to require coalition agreements, attention is turning to who will govern and with whom. Sunday Times editor Makhudu Sefara spoke to Business Day TV about the emerging results, the coalition landscape and what the outcome could mean for South Africa’s political future.

Business Day

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[Tripadvisor shares plunge on news of CEO Matt Goldberg’s exit]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/international-companies/2026-11-05-tripadvisor-shares-plunge-on-news-of-ceo-matt-goldbergs-exit/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/international-companies/2026-11-05-tripadvisor-shares-plunge-on-news-of-ceo-matt-goldbergs-exit/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:59:44 +0000By Agency Staff

Tripadvisor said on Thursday CEO Matt Goldberg will step down in February as the online travel firm presses ahead with a broader overhaul, sending its shares down about 17% to $8.49 in premarket trading.

The management shake-up comes as travel demand remains strong, but higher costs and economic uncertainty have made some consumers more price-conscious.

Goldberg became Tripadvisor’s top boss in 2022, succeeding founder and longtime CEO Steve Kaufer. He previously worked at advertising firm The Trade Desk and led travel guide publisher Lonely Planet for about five years.

Under Goldberg, Tripadvisor sought to reposition itself around its experiences business, which includes tours and activities platform Viator, while simplifying legacy operations.

The company’s shares have lost about 45% of their value since Goldberg took over in 2022, according to LSEG data.

The Needham, Massachusetts-based company has also faced pressure from activist investor Starboard Value, which criticised its leadership and pushed for a review of strategic alternatives, including a potential sale.

Starboard is Tripadvisor’s sixth-largest shareholder and holds a 4.35% stake, according to LSEG data.

Tripadvisor also said CFO Michael Noonan will resign by year-end, while chief strategy officer Kristen Dalton will become interim CFO.

The company said its board was working with an external firm to find potential candidates and help lead Tripadvisor through its next phase.

Separately, Tripadvisor reported lower third-quarter adjusted profit on Thursday, as elevated expenses pressured margins.

On an adjusted basis, the company earned 37c per share, below analysts’ estimates of 44c, according to data compiled by LSEG.

]]><![CDATA[WATCH | Market Report]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-market-report/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-market-report/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:55:39 +0000Jason Horn from Steyn Capital Management joins Business Day TV for a broader look at the day’s market movers.

Business Day

]]>Jeenah Moon<![CDATA[WATCH | Democrats deal Trump a major blow in US midterm elections]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-democrats-deal-trump-a-major-blow-in-us-midterm-elections/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-democrats-deal-trump-a-major-blow-in-us-midterm-elections/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:54:31 +0000The Democrats have scored a major victory in the US midterm elections, regaining control of both houses of Congress in a significant blow to President Donald Trump. The result could reshape the balance of power in Washington and make it harder for Trump to push through his legislative agenda. Business Day TV spoke to international relations expert Dr Kingsley Makhubela for more insight.

Business Day

]]>Mike Segar<![CDATA[WATCH | South Africa’s election results continue to take shape]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-south-africas-election-results-continue-to-take-shape/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-south-africas-election-results-continue-to-take-shape/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:47:51 +0000Vote counting continues after Wednesday’s local government elections, with the emerging results offering a clearer picture of the country’s changing political landscape.

Business Day TV speaks to Business Day’s political editor, Hajra Omarjee, at the results operations centre for the latest developments, key trends and what the numbers are telling us so far.

Business Day

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[WATCH | Can stronger community involvement help rebuild local democracy?]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-can-stronger-community-involvement-help-rebuild-local-democracy/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-can-stronger-community-involvement-help-rebuild-local-democracy/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:50:25 +0000With the local government elections behind us, the focus turns to how communities can hold elected leaders accountable and shape the future of their neighbourhoods. Kagiso Trust’s People Build Democracy initiative aims to bring community organisations together to document local challenges, develop proposals and strengthen efforts to improve service delivery. Business Day TV caught up with Kagiso Trust Board chair Zwoitwaho Nevhutalu for more detail.

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[WATCH | Can municipalities deliver the growth communities need?]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-can-municipalities-deliver-the-growth-communities-need/https://www.businessday.co.za/bdtv/2026-11-05-watch-can-municipalities-deliver-the-growth-communities-need/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:45:33 +0000South Africa’s local government elections have put the spotlight on the state of municipalities and their ability to drive economic growth. From attracting investment and creating jobs to maintaining infrastructure and improving service delivery, the challenges facing incoming administrations are significant. Economist and Wits senior lecturer Lumkile Mondi joins Business Day TV to assess the economic implications of the election results and what needs to change for municipalities to become engines of growth.

]]><![CDATA[EXPLAINER | Unrest grows as France debates minimum wage hike]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/2026-11-05-explainer-unrest-grows-as-france-debates-minimum-wage-hike/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/2026-11-05-explainer-unrest-grows-as-france-debates-minimum-wage-hike/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:03:54 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Paris ― France faced its latest nationwide protests on Thursday after weeks of unrest over the cost of living and public services, with trade unions and student groups mobilising demonstrators across the country.

The movement began in late September with protests by students over underfunded schools but has broadened into a wider challenge to the government, triggering some of the worst street violence and looting that France has experienced in years.

Here is the latest on the situation in France.

The government’s response

The government has mobilised 70,000 police and other security officers to ensure that the 220 demonstrations planned on Thursday pass peacefully.

It hopes to avoid a repeat of nationwide demonstrations on October 17 that caught security forces off guard and spiralled into a wave of clashes and looting.

The government has indicated it is considering an increase in the minimum wage, which has stood at €1,478 net per month since June, when it was increased by €35 to reflect higher inflation.

France’s biggest union, the CFDT, is calling for an increase of at least €100 net per month.

The government has so far resisted broad measures to address protesters’ anger over the cost of living as it struggles to keep the budget deficit under control.

For students, it has pledged to send about 3,000 teachers, who are fully qualified but have not yet started work, to fill staffing gaps. It has also promised smaller class numbers, further increases in staff numbers next year and €4bn in loans for school renovations.

Grassroots protest movement

A grassroots protest movement backed by some unions is set to hold a new round of demonstrations on Saturday as it has done weekly since the October 17 protest.

Some unions and housing rights associations have called for pan-European protests on November 20-22.

The unrest has dealt a blow to household confidence, which fell in October to its lowest level since June 2013, according to the statistics office’s monthly consumer survey.

The turmoil, which has also dented business confidence, complicates an ongoing fiscal crisis and adds to pressure from higher energy prices resulting from the Iran war.

The minority government is struggling to pass spending cuts in France’s deeply divided parliament as part of its 2027 budget and is at risk of being toppled by opposition parties if a compromise cannot be found with at least some of them.

The unrest has added to investors’ concerns over France’s fiscal outlook, weighing on stocks, increasing pressure on government debt and pushing the yield on the 10-year benchmark bond to 5.14% last month, its highest since 2002.

Will the unrest spread?

France’s protests are not unique in Europe, though they have been among the biggest in a wave of Gen Z-led demonstrations seen across the continent this year.

Hooded rioters looted stores in Frankfurt late last Saturday after tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Germany’s biggest cities to demand better education and lower living costs.

Clashes erupted in Italy last month between police and protesters during demonstrations over poor public services and the rising cost of living, while Spain and Portugal have faced protests over housing.

Presidential election

President Emmanuel Macron will step down at next year’s election after a decade in power. Polls indicate the unrest is benefiting far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who is already the frontrunner in polls to replace him and has long talked tough on law and order.

Hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has also seen a poll bump even though he has faced criticism from the government for backing the protesters’ demands, criticising the authorities’ handling of the crisis and not clearly condemning the violence. He said Macron should yield to the protesters or leave office.

Macron’s former prime minister Edouard Philippe, now a centre-right presidential candidate, is trailing both Le Pen and Melenchon, which means he may not make it into the May 2 runoff if he does not regain momentum.

Reuters

]]>Denis Balibouse<![CDATA[Toyota unveils $89 billion plan as profits soar]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/international-companies/2026-11-05-toyota-unveils-89-billion-plan-as-profits-soar/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/international-companies/2026-11-05-toyota-unveils-89-billion-plan-as-profits-soar/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:04:49 +0000By Daniel Leussink

Tokyo — Toyota lifted its annual outlook as robust sales of hybrid vehicles helped it defy an industry downtrend, while also announcing an $89bn plan to boost shareholder returns that sent its shares soaring.

Shares in the world’s largest automaker finished up 17% on the day, their biggest one-day gain in almost 40 years, extending an advance made as investors bought blue chips after selling AI-related shares in the wake of the US midterm elections.

The crisis now facing traditional automakers is so profound that Toyota’s ability to stay the course is regarded as something of a triumph.

“It was a decent quarter. There are some automakers so far that have been reporting they had terrible quarters,” said Christopher Richter, autos analyst at Citic Securities Japan.

“The fact that they guided upwards and then they had all the shareholder payout stuff, it’s like, ‘wow’.”

The plan to return as much as ¥14-trillion ($89bn) by March 2031 compares with ¥7-trillion in the preceding five years and follows years of corporate governance reforms by Japanese authorities.

Toyota’s massive cash pile, which currently sits at around ¥9.5-trillion, has long been a source of frustration for shareholders, Richter said, adding the automaker will need to continue to return more capital to investors to bolster its return on equity.

Forecast-beating

Also benefiting from a weaker yen and lower US tariffs that helped offset a slide in sales in China, Toyota said it now expects operating profit of ¥3.9-trillion for the year ending March, up 15% from an earlier forecast.

It also posted a forecast-beating 34% climb in operating income for the July-September quarter.

Toyota has benefited from its focus on petrol-electric hybrids as fuel costs have surged in the wake of the Iran war, even as it faces considerable headwinds in the form of competition from Chinese electric vehicle makers.

Unlike other traditional car companies that went all-in on electric vehicles and then had to write down billions of dollars in investment when demand for EVs weakened, Toyota has primarily focused on advancing the hybrid technology it popularised with the Prius decades ago.

Consumer sentiment

The strategy has been key to its ability to defend market share in its main market, the US, despite the threat from fast-moving Chinese EV makers elsewhere.

While higher fuel prices were hitting consumer sentiment in the highly competitive Chinese market, Toyota was now fighting back, CFO Yoichi Miyazaki told a briefing.

“We’ve been able to halt the decline in our market share and are now starting to regain some ground,” he said.

China, increasingly, is setting the pace for the rest of the auto industry in everything from production and design to software and robotics. Toyota said it would establish a robotics business of its own that would provide robots for manufacturers and other industries and position the business as a pillar of future growth.

Toyota also said it plans to spend at least ¥22-trillion on R&D and capital investment through fiscal 2030 and more than halve net liquid assets to ¥7-trillion by March 2031 from end-March levels.

Takanori Azuma, Toyota’s chief accounting officer, said the company was offsetting the impact of the situation in the Middle East and a surge in material prices through sales efforts and cost reductions.

Reuters

]]>Issei Kato<![CDATA[Emirates profit plunges by two-thirds amid Middle East turmoil]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/international-companies/2026-11-05-06112026icop12-anchor/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/international-companies/2026-11-05-06112026icop12-anchor/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:50:38 +0000By Federico Maccioni and Jana Choukeir

Dubai — Emirates Airlines reported a 66% drop in first-half net profit on Thursday as airspace closures and disruptions caused by the US-Israeli war with Iran hit travel across the Middle East and sent jet fuel prices soaring.

The Dubai-based carrier posted a net profit of 3.3-billion dirhams ($903m) for the six months to September 30, while revenue fell 13% to 56.9-billion dirhams despite what it described as a solid contribution from its cargo business and “enduring travel demand across its markets”.

Read: Safety fears shape travel plans for nearly 60% of travellers

The war has severely disrupted travel across the region this year, triggering widespread flight delays, cancellations and diversions as several countries intermittently closed their airspace.

Gulf carriers, among the world’s largest international airlines, have gradually restored operations, but recent attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have clouded prospects for a full recovery.

Lower passenger traffic and capacity

“The first six months of 2026-27 brought significant challenges to Emirates’ operations as intermittent airspace restrictions and closures across the region tested the airline’s operational agility, while government travel advisories reshaped consumer choices and travel flows,” Emirates Group, the airline’s Dubai-based parent, said in a statement.

Emirates said it had restored operations across 91% of its network by end-September, though passenger traffic and capacity remained significantly below levels recorded a year earlier.

It carried 21.8-million passengers during the first half, down 22% from the same period last year.

Available seat kilometres (ASK), the ​industry’s standard measure of passenger-carrying capacity, fell 17%. Its average passenger seat factor, which measures the proportion of available seats filled by paying passengers, declined to 72% from 79.5%.

Jet fuel prices soar

Iran has not carried out any strikes on UAE soil since May. The Gulf state did intercept an Iranian drone over its territorial waters in August, however.

The war has also driven jet fuel prices to about twice their prewar levels, making airlines reluctant to enter into new fuel hedging contracts that allow them to lock in future fuel prices and protect themselves against sudden increases.

Emirates said its fuel costs before hedging gains jumped 60% year on year in the first half, despite overall operating costs, including fuel, declining 2% in line with reduced operations.

Gains of 7.1-billion dirhams from the airline’s fuel price risk management strategy helped cushion the effects of higher prices, limiting the net increase in fuel costs to 13% over the period.

The Emirates Group’s cash position stood at 54.1-billion dirhams at end-September, down from 59.6-billion dirhams six months earlier, as it tapped its reserves to support business needs, including predelivery payments for aircraft and servicing existing debt obligations.

“We’ve weathered challenges before,” said Emirates Group chair and CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

“With our strong cash position and solid foundation built up over the years, the group is well-placed to navigate the headwinds of volatility and high fuel prices,” he said, adding that the group was entering the second half of the financial year with “measured optimism”.

Reuters

]]>Amr Abdallah Dalsh<![CDATA[Midterms over, Democrats plunge into wide-open 2028 presidential race]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-05-midterms-over-democrats-plunge-into-wide-open-2028-presidential-race/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-05-midterms-over-democrats-plunge-into-wide-open-2028-presidential-race/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:06:30 +0000With the US midterms over, Democrats are turning to what could become one of their most crowded and unpredictable presidential primaries in decades, a 2028 contest likely to expose the party’s divide over how to win back the White House.

No Democrat has emerged as a clear favourite in a field that could attract dozens of contenders, while Republicans have a smaller group of widely discussed candidates, led by Vice-President JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio, to succeed President Donald Trump, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term.

Potential Democratic candidates, including sitting governors and senators, have spent months cultivating donors, visiting states with early nominating contests and raising their national profiles, positioning themselves for a race that strategists expect to begin in earnest now that the midterms are over.

The sweeping victories by Democrats on Tuesday, when voters delivered a sharp rebuke to Trump and his agenda, will intensify discussions within both parties about how to win over an electorate unhappy with the country’s direction.

Despite their resounding victories on Tuesday, Democrats enter the 2028 campaign still divided over whether to tack to the centre or move further left on issues ranging from health care and taxes to policing and foreign policy.

Republican candidates will face a different challenge — how to distance themselves from Trump after Tuesday’s repudiation of his policies. They need to broaden their appeal beyond the president’s base while avoiding a break with the populist Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement that has come to define the party.

Trump, who has dominated the political landscape for a decade, may be reluctant to yield centre stage, and his continued influence with MAGA followers could complicate the path of the party’s next standard-bearer.

Looming Democratic battle

Doug Sosnik, a Democratic strategist, said both progressives and moderates will claim vindication in their ideological approaches, ensuring an intense internal battle over the party’s future as the 2028 race begins in earnest.

One of the most high-profile progressive wins came in the Michigan Senate contest, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed easily defeated Republican Mike Rogers in a likely 2028 presidential swing state, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.

“All kinds of wings of the Democratic Party can find affirmation in the results last night,” Sosnik said on Wednesday. “I don’t think that anyone can, nor should they, try to contain the differences we have as a party.”

The party has not had a proper debate about its philosophy and direction since 2016, when Hillary Clinton won the nomination against a spirited challenge by US senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who describes himself as a democratic socialist, Sosnik said.

There are at least 30 Democrats who are saying to people close to them, ‘Do you think I should run?’

Scott Ferson, Democratic strategist

Several potential candidates have either acknowledged considering a White House run or declined to rule one out. Most spent the final weeks of the midterm campaign stumping for fellow Democrats in early nominating states such as Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

They include former vice-president Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in 2024, governors Gavin Newsom of California and Andy Beshear of Kentucky, former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a leading progressive voice.

Reuters contacted representatives for nine of the party’s most prominent potential contenders. None confirmed a 2028 run.

Nine days after the November 3 elections, several prospective Democratic candidates, including Buttigieg and another progressive, US representative Ro Khanna of California, are scheduled to attend a gathering in Denver hosted by Majority Democrats.

The group, backed largely by moderate Democrats and billionaire donor Steve Mandel, advocates for younger party leaders and a party platform that is more centrist.

US representative Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts, the group’s chair, said the event is meant to spark a debate about the party’s future before the 2028 race takes shape, and lay out a positive agenda for what the party is for, rather than just being anti-Trump.

Scott Ferson, a Democratic strategist, said the party’s presidential primary could attract a huge number of candidates. “There are at least 30 Democrats who are saying to people close to them, ‘Do you think I should run?’” Ferson said.

Republicans in Trump’s shadow

By contrast, Republican 2028 hopefuls have been more guarded, mostly staying in Trump’s shadow and deferential to him.

That could now change after Tuesday night’s rout in which voters expressed deep dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy and foreign policy and demanded more action against government corruption.

Vance is in a particularly difficult position, said Matt Dole, a Republican strategist. Vance has less freedom than other potential 2028 Republican contenders to put daylight between himself and Trump because he is vice president, a role that traditionally involves defending the president and his policies.

“Vance just doesn’t have the wiggle room that somebody else in the cabinet has, who can resign,” Dole said.

Still, Vance acknowledged on Wednesday that the war in Iran, which Trump launched in February and is deeply unpopular among Americans, had cost Republicans the election. That, however, did not represent a clear break with Trump, who made a similar acknowledgement on Tuesday night.

Whoever emerges within the Republican Party as its new standard-bearer will face the task of keeping Trump’s MAGA base onside while rebuilding the broader coalition that powered his 2024 victory. Exit polls on Tuesday showed that key constituencies of that coalition, including younger voters, Hispanics and some black men, had deserted Republicans.

Vance has said there is “a chance” he will not run, citing family considerations, while Rubio has said he has “no plans at this time” to seek the presidency.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination against Trump in 2024, has declined to rule out another White House bid.

Other Republicans viewed as potential candidates include Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

Reuters

]]>Dieu-Nalio Chery<![CDATA[Ethiopia’s economy revised up by 60% after GDP rebasing]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/africa/2026-11-05-ethiopias-economy-revised-up-by-60-after-gdp-rebasing/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/africa/2026-11-05-ethiopias-economy-revised-up-by-60-after-gdp-rebasing/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:42:42 +0000

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Ethiopia has revised the size of its economy up by nearly 60% to $201bn (R3.30-trillion) after rebasing its national accounts, according to a government presentation.

The statistical overhaul could shift key debt metrics as the country tries to conclude a long-running debt restructuring.

Ethiopia’s 2024/2025 economy was revised up by 59.2% to $201.42bn after the base year for calculating GDP was shifted to 2024/2025 from 2015/2016.

The government put the size of the economy at $210.7bn in 2025/26, according to the presentation seen by Reuters.

Rebasing the economy is an internationally accepted practice, recently undertaken by Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, aimed at capturing emerging industries and other economic shifts.

The presentation did not specify which exchange rate is used, but the figures appeared to reflect the prevailing rate in 2024/2025.

The birr currency weakened steeply in 2024 after the government allowed it to trade freely against the dollar as part of reforms needed to secure an International Monetary Fund programme.

The presentation cited the need to accurately capture the economic input from:

  • digital financial services;
  • ride-sharing platforms; and
  • “massive solar installations”.

“Clearer economic data directly feeds into better credit ratings, lowers the risk premium on future international sovereign borrowing, and strengthens foreign direct investment inflows,” the presentation said.

Ethiopia is approaching the end of a years-long external debt overhaul; holders of its $1bn Eurobond approved a preliminary restructuring agreement in August.

The rebasing will increase Ethiopia’s nominal GDP and lower its debt-to-GDP and tax-to-GDP ratios, according to the presentation, while boosting its ranking among Africa’s biggest economies.

Reuters

]]>REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri<![CDATA[Netanyahu’s position weakens as ultra-Orthodox party withholds support]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/2026-11-05-netanyahus-position-weakens-as-ultra-orthodox-party-withholds-support/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/2026-11-05-netanyahus-position-weakens-as-ultra-orthodox-party-withholds-support/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:19:02 +0000Benjamin Netanyahu’s position in the post-election battle to stay on as Israel’s prime minister weakened on Thursday after an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party withheld support for any nominee and an Arab-led party endorsed his main opponent.

Israel’s president was due to meet Netanyahu and his chief political rival Gadi Eisenkot to decide which of the two men to pick to form a government, after holding consultations with smaller parties.

Israel’s October 27 election ended in deadlock with neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot, a former military chief, securing a clear path to a majority in parliament.

That has set up a tough task for President Isaac Herzog, whose mostly ceremonial role comes with the post-election responsibility of picking a candidate he believes has the best chance to break the deadlock in a deeply divided country.

Herzog has until November 11 to decide. Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker government until a new coalition is formed, or through another election which must be held if no candidate succeeds.

Though Netanyahu outperformed expectations in the vote and his own Likud Party won the most seats, his nationalist-religious coalition lost its governing majority.

In a setback for the prime minister on Thursday, United Torah Judaism, one of two major parties representing ultra-Orthodox Jewish voters and a longstanding Netanyahu coalition ally, declined to recommend any candidate to form a government.

And while Eisenkot, like Netanyahu, has so far ruled out forming a government with Israel’s two Arab-led parties, one of them endorsed Eisenkot on Thursday and the other was expected to do so later in the day.

‘Remember the issues tearing us apart from within’

Herzog will meet separately with Eisenkot and Netanyahu at his residence in Jerusalem on Thursday night, wrapping up party meetings he started on Wednesday after the announcement of official election results.

Herzog has called on parties to do their utmost to avert another round of elections.

“Any reasonable person need only look at the security and diplomatic challenges before us, at the changing region around us, and remember the issues tearing us apart from within, to understand that an immense responsibility rests on us,” Herzog said.

This is a real danger. One of the foundations of democracy is the peaceful transfer of power

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, head of Israel’s Central Election Committee

He met with smaller factions on Wednesday and plans more meetings with parties in ascending order by size, culminating with Eisenkot’s Yashar and Netanyahu’s Likud.

Likud won the most seats of any single party with 27 in the 120-seat Knesset, but Netanyahu’s wider religious-nationalist coalition garnered only 53 in total.

That was still better than Eisenkot’s anti-Netanyahu coalition spanning four centre-left to right-wing Jewish-led parties, which won just 48 seats despite pre-election polls pointing to a close race. Two parties representing Israel’s Arab minority won an unprecedented 19 seats.

Netanyahu ‘trying to undermine election results’

Netanyahu, at risk of losing power, has seized onto an investigation by election officials into possible vote tampering to cast doubt on the results, accusing Arab-led parties of stealing the vote. Critics accuse Netanyahu and his partners of trying to undermine the results, which he denies.

Israel’s Central Election Committee said on Wednesday that the election’s integrity had not been compromised. The head of the committee, Supreme Court justice Noam Sohlberg, has called on Israel’s elected officials to protect public trust, rather than shake it.

“This is a real danger. One of the foundations of democracy is the peaceful transfer of power,” Sohlberg told Herzog at his residence on Wednesday. High voter turnout, including among the Arab minority, was a blessing, he said.

Netanyahu’s allies on the far-right, including national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have called for the immediate arrest and interrogation of Arab party leaders.

Reuters

]]>Ammar Awad<![CDATA[Mercedes can add F1 constructors’ title to Antonelli’s crown]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/f-one/2026-11-05-mercedes-can-add-f1-constructors-title-to-antonellis-crown/https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/f-one/2026-11-05-mercedes-can-add-f1-constructors-title-to-antonellis-crown/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:01:12 +0000Kimi Antonelli is basking in the afterglow of becoming Formula One’s youngest world champion but his Mercedes team still have a constructors’ title to win and they can do it in Sao Paulo this weekend.

The 20-year-old Italian and teammate George Russell have put Mercedes 126 points clear of Ferrari with four races to go, meaning Mercedes will be champions for the first time since 2021 if they can stretch their advantage by four points at Interlagos on Sunday.

“I’m just trying to gather my energies and focus, trying to give everything for these last races because we have still got to win the constructors’ championship, and I want to try to finish very well,” Antonelli, who clinched the title in Mexico last Sunday, told Reuters Television.

Four points more than Ferrari may sound easily achievable for the winners of 12 of 19 races but Ferrari have outscored Mercedes in the last four outings, despite shooting themselves in the foot in Mexico last weekend.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s first pole since 2023 could have been converted into a one-two win had he and teammate Charles Leclerc not clashed on the opening lap and opened the door to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who won.

Leclerc will avoid immediate follow-up questions after he and wife, Alexandra, announced the birth on Tuesday of daughter Bianca. The Monegasque will miss Thursday’s media day, with Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic also replacing him in Friday’s first practice.

Hamilton will be celebrating his 400th start at a circuit where, like Verstappen, he has won three times.

Both are on form, with four-time champion Verstappen winning three of the last four races — two from pole position — to catapult himself to second overall.

Brazil is the final leg of a triple-header of grands prix on successive weekends and unlike last year, when it was held as a sprint, will have a traditional weekend format. Conditions will still be unpredictable, with rain and sudden thunderstorms always a hazard.

“It’s going to be a very special weekend. I’m very much looking forward to it because the support from Brazil in general has been incredible, not only this year but already from last year,” said Antonelli.

The Italian will wear a special helmet in tribute to Brazil’s late triple champion Ayrton Senna, an idol who also raced with the No 12 on his car, and to mark the 35th anniversary of his emotional home victory at Interlagos.

The home crowd, always supportive of honorary Brazilian Hamilton, are sure to be even more appreciative of Antonelli after he spent time with Senna’s family this week.

There will be two Brazilians in the race, with Formula Two championship leader Rafael Camara making his F1 debut at Haas after they dropped Esteban Ocon ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix and Gabriel Bortoleto at Audi.

Both Brazilians will be part of a mid-table battle, with seventh-placed Haas only four points clear of Audi.

Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad will also be wearing a special helmet, his one celebrating the Indian Diwali festival of lights in a nod to his Punjabi heritage.

American Colton Herta will again feature for Cadillac in a Friday practice that should finally secure the super licence he needs and could open the door to a race seat next season if the General Motors-backed team decide not to continue with Valtteri Bottas.

Reuters

]]>Amanda Perobelli<![CDATA[Putin will not be invited to G20 summit, says UK PM Burnham]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/2026-11-05-putin-will-not-be-invited-to-g20-summit-uk-pm-says/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/2026-11-05-putin-will-not-be-invited-to-g20-summit-uk-pm-says/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:16:46 +0000

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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be invited to next year’s G20 summit in Britain, The Economist newspaper reported on Thursday.

When asked by The Economist if Putin would be invited, Burnham said: “No.”

Burnham’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in September Washington had invited Putin to a G20 meeting in Miami in December, saying it would provide an opportunity for him to engage with President Donald Trump and other world leaders.

Russia remains a member of the G20 despite Western efforts to isolate it after its invasion of Ukraine. Leaders of host nations traditionally invite all members of the bloc to attend its annual summit.

Next year’s annual G20 summit will be held in November in Manchester, the centre of the region in northwestern England where Burnham was mayor.

Reuters

]]>IGOR IVANKO<![CDATA[Mbokazi back, Sundowns’ Ndlovu gets call as Mosimane names Bafana squad]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/soccer/2026-11-05-mbokazi-back-sundowns-ndlovu-gets-call-as-mosimane-names-bafana-squad/https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/soccer/2026-11-05-mbokazi-back-sundowns-ndlovu-gets-call-as-mosimane-names-bafana-squad/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:51:52 +0000Chicago Fire centreback Mbekezeli Mbokazi makes his return from injury to the Bafana Bafana squad named by coach Pitso Mosimane on Thursday.

Mbokazi will play for Bafana for the first time since a superb display at the 2026 World Cup in June, in this month’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) home and away qualifiers against coach Benni McCarthy’s Kenya.

Another notable inclusion was Mamelodi Sundowns’ attacker Siyanda Ndlovu, who has forced his way into Mosimane’s 27-player squad on his form for the Brazilians, having not been named in the preliminary squad announced on October 23.

A notable exclusion is Sundowns’ veteran midfielder Themba Zwane, who has been battling for game time at his club.

Mbokazi missed Mosimane’s first camp back in charge in September and early October, where Bafana began their Group D Afcon qualifying campaign beating Guinea 2-1 at Orlando Stadium and Eritrea 5-0 away in neutral Cairo, then stayed in the Egyptian capital city to beat Egypt 1-0 in a friendly.

There are some injury concerns over two more Sundowns players in the squad. Captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and star midfielder Teboho Mokoena have both been out of action for their club in recent matches.

Bafana meet Kenya in the first match at Orlando Stadium on November 13 and play the second clash at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on November 17.

Kenya are co-hosts with Uganda and Tanzania of the 2027 Afcon and qualify automatically, meaning only one more side will reach the tournament via Group D.

As Group D stands, South Africa leads the pack with six points, Guinea are second with three, Kenya are in third position with one, separated on goal difference from last-placed Eritrea, who also have one point.

Bafana squad:

The Bafana Bafana squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya. Picture: Safa media
The Bafana Bafana squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya. Picture: Safa media

TimesLIVE

]]>Gavin Barker/BackpagePix<![CDATA[Bank of England raises rates for first time since 2023]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/europe/2026-11-05-bank-of-england-raises-rates-for-first-time-since-2023/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/europe/2026-11-05-bank-of-england-raises-rates-for-first-time-since-2023/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:43:18 +0000By David Milliken, Andy Bruce and Suban Abdulla

London - The Bank of England (BoE) raised interest rates for the first time in more than three years on Thursday and warned that at least one more increase was likely if the US-Iran conflict continues, as it started on a path that its main peers have already embarked on.

UK inflation is likely to reach around 5% in the middle of next year, the central bank said, more than double its target and a blow for new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has sought to ease cost of living pressures.

While there was little evidence so far of quicker inflation outside sectors directly affected by higher energy costs, the bank said the amount of inflation pressure coming down the road from months of high energy prices required a rate rise now.

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey. Picture: Carlos Jaoos/Reuters
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey. Picture: Carlos Jaoos/Reuters

“Today’s increase shouldn’t be seen as the first in an inevitable long sequence of hikes. But unless the conflict in the Middle East is resolved, neither does it seem likely to be the last increase,” governor Andrew Bailey said.

The central bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted 8-1 to raise rates to 4% from 3.75%, but in contrast to expectations in a Reuters poll, the dissent came not from a policymaker seeking to keep rates on hold but one seeking a bigger hike.

Catherine Mann, who said last month that the bank had been slow to reassure markets that it had a grip on inflation, voted for a half-point interest rate increase to 4.25%.

‘Non-linear inflation risks’

In the minutes of November’s decision, Mann said she was concerned about “non-linear inflation risks” as consumer price inflation had risen to 3.5% in September, which she viewed as a potential trigger for a loss of confidence in the central bank.

In previous months, Bailey had argued the bank could take its time before deciding to raise rates, as it had higher interest rates at the start of the conflict than other central banks, and investors had previously expected it to cut rates this year.

Coming into Thursday’s decision, investors and financial markets had been near-certain there would be a rate rise this month. But financial markets also priced in three quarter-point rate rises for 2027, more than most economists think is likely.

Bailey said such differences reflected financial markets pricing in tail risks of a sharp further rise in energy prices, while economists’ expectations were based on the single most likely path of a smaller amount of further tightening.

“Without news which softens the risks to inflationary pressures, I can see the argument for a further increase in rates,” he said in the policy minutes.

Deputy governor Clare Lombardelli said a further rate hike was likely to be needed in the near term.

External MPC member Megan Greene and chief economist Huw Pill — who, like Mann, had voted for a rate hike in September — talked of a need for “further tightening” and “additional hikes”, respectively.

MPC members Swati Dhingra and Alan Taylor — who had previously been reluctant to raise rates — said they would need stronger evidence of second-round effects before backing more tightening.

Forecasts revised

In its central forecast for growth and inflation, the central bank revised up its expectations for growth this year and next to 1.6% and 1.3% – notably stronger than the government’s office for budget responsibility predicted last week.

The upgrade follows strong official data this year, and the bank attributed some of the strength to spending on AI and to a small, temporary boost from finance minister John Healey’s annual budget last week.

But the bank now sees inflation peaking at an average 4.8% in the second quarter of next year. In a more adverse scenario where oil prices peak at around $130 a barrel compared to around $100 currently, inflation hits 6.2% in the third quarter of 2027.

Under the central scenario, inflation is not seen returning to 2% until the third quarter of 2028, six months later than the bank predicted in July, when forecasts were prepared during a lull in the US-Iran conflict which had lowered energy costs.

After inflation and taxes, UK households’ income from work was set to fall both this year and next, the bank said.

Healey’s annual budget would lower inflation by 0.25 percentage points at its peak but raise it later on when temporary cost-of-living assistance expired, the bank added.

]]>Toby Melville<![CDATA[Wallabies look to put All Blacks mauling behind them]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/rugby/2026-11-05-wallabies-look-to-put-all-blacks-mauling-behind-them/https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/rugby/2026-11-05-wallabies-look-to-put-all-blacks-mauling-behind-them/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:39:11 +0000By Mark Gleeson

Australia have thoroughly reviewed last month’s mauling by the All Blacks in the two Bledisloe Cup encounters and feel they have fixed many of the failings as they head into a month of Nations Championship Tests in Britain.

Loosehead prop Angus Bell said they had looked to address the weaknesses exposed by New Zealand in their 50-19 win in Auckland and then a runaway 43-21 triumph in Sydney a week later.

“Look, rugby is not really a linear line. There’s a lot of ups and downs, both in people’s careers and with teams,” Bell told a press conference on Wednesday as they began preparations for Sunday’s clash against England at Twickenham.

“As we know, it’s always like a bit of a roller coaster — but as long as you’re trending upwards, I think that’s the main point of getting better collectively as a team and also individually.”

Bell said the All Blacks had put Australia under pressure with the pace of their game.

“They were excellent at that, and that’s where we struggled. That’s something we’ve implemented in our training to get better.

“We didn’t learn the lessons from the first Test match and then they exposed us in the second. I feel the training week we had before coming over here, as well as the work we’ve done here, has been really good. We’ve actually addressed those issues and fixed them.”

The 26-year-old Bell said there had been many positives for the Wallabies in recent months under new coach Les Kiss as they put together an unbeaten run of six matches before the blowout against New Zealand.

“I guess my point is we’ve got to be able to change and manoeuvre between teams. Like England aren’t going to be the same as the All Blacks. Do they suit us more or not?

“It’s all about how we prepare, how we train and how we play. We did cop a lot of criticism [after defeat by the All Blacks] but again, that’s part of rugby — and we know that it is.”

Australia will also play against Scotland and Wales before the Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham on November 27-29.

Reuters

]]>Dylan Martinez<![CDATA[PIETER SNYMAN | In Washington, your company is its own ambassador]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-pieter-snyman-in-washington-your-company-is-its-own-ambassador/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-pieter-snyman-in-washington-your-company-is-its-own-ambassador/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:35:38 +0000A few weeks ago I argued in these pages that Pretoria is knocking on the wrong door in Washington — fixated on the White House, when in the US the president proposes but Congress disposes. The bill for that mistake has now arrived.

On November 2, the Trump administration gave formal notice that South Africa would lose its African Growth & Opportunity Act benefits on January 1, stripping duty-free access from the programme’s single largest beneficiary.

There is now a harder point to put to South African business leaders: even with the worst having happened, your company still cannot afford to wait because the road back runs through the same Congress. In Washington, the firm is its own ambassador, whether it accepts the role or not.

The stakes are no longer hypothetical and never the state’s alone. South Africa shipped about $1.7bn of goods under Agoa last year; from January the citrus grower in the Cape, the winemaker, the vehicle and component exporters of the Eastern Cape, and the metals producers lose the duty-free access that made them competitive — on top of a tariff of about 30% that already bites.

And the legislative screw is still turning: senator John Kennedy’s Bilateral Relations Review Act would make any future eligibility, and sanctions on individuals, turn on a certification of South Africa’s conduct. None of this lands on “South Africa” in the abstract; it lands on specific income statements.

The cost of a hostile Congress, and of a White House that has now acted on it, is paid by companies. Yet companies have largely left the defence of their own interests to a government that could not get a meeting, let alone a reprieve.

Here is what should trouble every board: business already holds the access the state lacks. More than 600 American companies operate in South Africa, employing about 130,000 people; each has a head office in a congressional district, a government-affairs team and a lobbyist already walking Capitol Hill. Every South African exporter has US customers, distributors and joint-venture partners — and each of them is a constituent with a member of congress. This is a standing diplomatic network, and most South African boards have not thought to use it.

I have watched the reverse of this. When Congress passed the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act over Ronald Reagan’s veto in 1986, General Motors, IBM, Ford, Kodak and dozens of others sold up and left within a year. Their departure was a political signal as much as a commercial one, and it hardened Washington’s sense that South Africa was a country to leave rather than engage. Corporate presence, or its absence, shapes how a capital sees you — and the question now is whether our companies will send that signal by design or by default.

Using it is a discipline, and it has a name. Corporate diplomacy is the management of the political relationships on which a business depends — governments, regulators, legislators or communities. Business diplomacy is the conduct of commercial relationships themselves as a form of statecraft. In a fracturing world these are a core executive capability, not a nice-to-have. And when the government-to-government channel is blocked, as it now is between Pretoria and Washington, the company that waits for diplomats is the company that has just been written out of Agoa while it waited.

What does practising it look like? None of it requires Pretoria’s permission. Map your own exposure: which bills, committees or members represent your American customers, your partners’ head offices, the ports and farms that move your goods? Mobilise your American partners: your US customers and suppliers are constituents with a direct line to their own representatives — ask them to use it.

Act together: one exporter is background noise but organised into a joint South African–American coalition visible on the Hill, business carries weight no ministerial visit can. Build the relationships before you need them — diplomacy is relationships banked before the vote, not pleas made after it. And talk to everyone, as I had to in 1987: do not write off Republicans because of the president, nor Democrats because of an ambassador’s cool reception.

Make it concrete. Picture a Cape citrus grower whose fruit entered the US under Agoa. Its buyer is a distributor in a congressional district in Texas or Georgia, and that distributor’s margins — and American jobs on American docks — depend on the trade continuing. A letter from that distributor to his own representative, multiplied across a dozen exporters and their American customers and aimed at the members who actually sit on the congressional committees that matter, will move the matter in a way a month of démarches from Pretoria never will. That is business diplomacy in its plainest form: a commercial relationship converted into political voice.

We have already seen what a determined nonstate actor can do. AfriForum and Solidarity understood the Hill long before Sandton did. They built their own channel and told their own story, and it is increasingly their version of South Africa that members of Congress repeat. Corporate South Africa, with incomparably more at stake and far deeper access, has largely chosen not to follow the same route.

None of this lets Pretoria off the hook. The state still owes its embassy a mandate, a budget and a team to work Congress — and a cabinet that undercuts its own ambassador with gestures towards Tehran and Moscow makes every company’s task harder. Corporate lobbying is no substitute for coherent foreign policy. But the firm that treats its political risk as someone else’s responsibility has already surrendered control of it — and you cannot outsource the political licence your business runs on.

None of this is the end of the road. In the same breath as the removal, Washington left the door ajar: South Africa could “once again become eligible”, the administration said, if it addresses US concerns. That is not a concession Pretoria will win back with another Oval Office photograph. Eligibility was lost one committee and one grievance at a time, and it will be regained the same way — through the members who answer to the American companies, ports and farmers that trade with us.

The midterms will seat new committee chairs in January, the very month the removal takes effect. The companies that come through the year ahead will be the ones that stopped waiting to be mobilised and picked up the phone themselves. In Washington, your company is its own ambassador. The only question is whether it will be a good one.

• Snyman, a former South African diplomat who served at the embassy in Washington DC in 1987-90, is CEO of The Corporate Diplomat.

Business Day

]]>Dorothy Kgosi<![CDATA[WATCH | The Political Arena team breaks down the early election results ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-breaks-down-the-early-election-results/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-breaks-down-the-early-election-results/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:05:34 +0000

Arena Holdings’ senior politics reporters are coming to you live from the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) results centre at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Gauteng, to unpack the early election results and what they mean for municipalities.

TimesLIVE

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[World champion Vogt targets Dusi top 10 as young star continues his rise]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-world-champion-vogt-targets-dusi-top-10-as-young-star-continues-his-rise/https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-world-champion-vogt-targets-dusi-top-10-as-young-star-continues-his-rise/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:40:49 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Fresh from becoming a junior world champion, Maritzburg College paddler Keegan Vogt will have his sights firmly set on the 2027 Dusi Canoe Marathon as he looks to turn his growing international success into another step forward on the rivers of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Dusi has been an important part of Vogt’s paddling journey, with the youngster steadily improving across his three appearances in the iconic race. Having finished in the overall top 20 on debut, claimed the U18 K1 title in his second year and finished 10th overall in 2026, Vogt is now targeting a top 10 finish in the singles next February.

His latest Dusi performance included the fifth-fastest time on the third day with partner Ryley Smith, an indication of the progress he has made as he prepares to move beyond the junior ranks and take on some of South Africa’s established senior paddlers.

“I’m really excited about next year’s Dusi. After my three previous years, I’m looking forward to hopefully getting a top 10 finish in the singles,” Vogt said.

Among those he will be looking to measure himself against is the Dusi King, Andy Birkett. Vogt acknowledges the challenge of competing against one of the sport’s greats but is relishing the opportunity.

“I’ve never really raced Andy because he’s always been so far ahead of me, but this year I hope I can try to stay with him for a little bit. If I can spend a few minutes with him, that will definitely be a huge excitement during my race.”

The build-up to the 2027 race will be an exciting one with Vogt taking time out next year to race competitively.

“I’ll also do as many of the Dusi pre-races as possible to build my knowledge of the river and learn the quickest lines. I’m not studying next year, which gives me plenty of time to spend on the river,” he added.

Vogt heads into the 2027 Dusi with considerable international experience after a breakthrough 2026 season. He claimed gold in the Junior Men’s K1 short-course race and silver in the long-course event at the Canoe Marathon World Championships in Argentina, finally achieving a world title after finishing fourth in 2024 and collecting silver and bronze medals in 2025.

He also enjoyed an outstanding Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in Spain, winning junior mixed doubles gold alongside Hannah Solomon and silver in the junior men’s single ski.

“One of my biggest goals ever since I first raced overseas was to get a gold medal. I didn’t mind which race it was, as long as I got a gold,” he said.

“Knowing that I’d finally won after finishing fourth, second and third was a huge goal completed.”

The international success has given Vogt plenty of confidence as he prepares for the transition into under-23 and senior racing. He will spend the opening months of 2027 at a training camp in Mtunzini alongside Hamish Lovemore and international paddlers, focusing on developing his fitness and strength.

The Drak Challenge will be another important target, with Vogt aiming for a top-eight finish at one of his favourite river races before turning his attention fully to Dusi preparations.

With a junior world title behind him and three Dusi appearances already providing a solid foundation, Vogt will arrive at the start of the 2027 race with plenty of confidence and an ambitious target.

His international programme is also taking shape, with plans to compete in the prestigious Sella Descent in Spain before turning his attention to the World Championships in Denmark.

Making the South African team will be a significant challenge, particularly as he moves into a new age category, but it is one he is eager to embrace.

“Making the South African team this year is going to be hard because I’m very young in the age group and can only qualify through one race, but it’s something I’m definitely going to work towards.”

For a young paddler who has already made his mark on the international stage, the next challenge is to show just how far he has come on home waters.

The 76th Dusi Canoe Marathon takes place from February 18-20 2027.

Business Day

]]> Anthony Grote<![CDATA[Asylum seekers could lose Tshwane refugee office]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-04-asylum-seekers-could-lose-tshwane-refugee-office/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-04-asylum-seekers-could-lose-tshwane-refugee-office/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:44:05 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

By Joseph Chirume

Tens of thousands of asylum seekers and refugees who use the Tshwane Refugee Reception Office (RRO) could have to travel more than 450km to Musina or Beitbridge every few months to renew their permits if the office is closed.

A notice published in the Government Gazette by the director-general of Home Affairs on Friday proposes closing the Tshwane office, which serves asylum seekers living in Gauteng, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

Under a separate notice, a new refugee reception office is planned at Beitbridge, on the border with Zimbabwe. Asylum seekers who enter South Africa through any of 12 ports of entry on the borders with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique would have to apply for asylum in person at Beitbridge, rather than at any of the five existing reception offices across the country.

The requirement would also apply to any new asylum seeker who cannot prove they entered through another port and whose entry cannot be verified on the department’s systems. This includes new applicants already booked through the department’s online system.

The gazetted notices invite public comment by 30 November.

In a statement, the inter-ministerial committee on migration said the proposals aim to improve the administration of asylum applications, strengthen identity verification and security screening, and reduce abuse of the asylum system.

“The proposals do not alter the legal rights and protections available to asylum seekers under South African law,” it said.

But Claude Marie Bernard Kayitare, a coordinating committee member of Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), said the move must be weighed against a Constitutional Court judgment in July.

The court confirmed a 2025 Western Cape High Court ruling that struck down amendments to the Refugees Act that took effect in 2020. Under those amendments, applicants who had not entered through an official port of entry, or had not reported to a refugee reception office within five days, were excluded unless they had “compelling reasons”. The court found the amendments could see people returned to danger without anyone assessing whether they were refugees, GroundUp reported.

Under the new proposal, the office at which a person applies for asylum would depend on which port of entry they used, or on whether they can prove they used a different one.

“Every claim must be assessed fairly and individually, with due regard to the principle of non-refoulement,” said Kayitare. Non-refoulement is the principle that people may not be sent back to face persecution.

Kayitare said many asylum seekers are economically vulnerable, have families and children, and cannot afford long-distance travel to Beitbridge.

“The disestablishment of the Tshwane RRO is unreasonable and not justifiable,” said Liesl Fourie, a senior attorney at the Nelson Mandela University Refugee Rights Centre.

“As the largest refugee reception office in the country, the Tshwane RRO is currently serving tens of thousands of existing asylum seekers and refugees with a variety of services. Closing down the Tshwane RRO and demanding that existing refugees and asylum seekers travel all the way to Limpopo for assistance will severely prejudice those existing asylum seekers and refugees,” she said.

Fourie said the country’s five refugee reception offices are all under-resourced and unable to assist new applicants within a reasonable time. Some people have been prohibited from applying for asylum since 2019, she said. The telephone translation service has only 27 lines available on any given day, she said.

She said the department should first make sure existing offices have enough staff, a reliable network, and adequate translation services. Otherwise, a new office would face the same problems.

Nasir Mohamed Moalin, a leader of the Eastern Cape Somali community, said any changes must comply with the Constitution, Constitutional Court judgments and South Africa’s international obligations.

He said decisions affecting refugee reception offices “must be communicated transparently and subjected to meaningful public consultation”.

Kayitare said KAAX plans to submit a formal written response before the deadline, working with refugee-led and migrant-led organisations and with legal and human rights groups. It wants meaningful consultation with affected asylum seekers and refugees, accessible refugee reception services, including at the Tshwane office, and an inclusive online and assisted asylum registration system.

GroundUp

]]>Karen Moolman<![CDATA[How to reduce range anxiety and maximise your electric car’s efficiency]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-how-to-reduce-range-anxiety-and-maximise-your-electric-cars-efficiency/https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-how-to-reduce-range-anxiety-and-maximise-your-electric-cars-efficiency/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:24:55 +0000South Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) market is experiencing a significant growth spurt, driven by the launch of more affordable battery-powered models and rising fuel prices.

Motorists are beginning to realise there are ways to manage range, long charging times and the fear of being stranded with a dead battery.

Swedish brand Volvo offers some advice on living with an EV and says the gap between an electric car’s quoted range and the range it delivers in real conditions is influenced by speed, temperature and driver habits.

Speed is the largest single factor, says the company. Air resistance climbs steeply with velocity and an EV feels it more acutely than a petrol car because there is no engine efficiency curve working in the opposite direction. A petrol engine runs better the harder it works, which hides some of the cost of speed.

Regenerative braking is the second major factor. Volvo says lifting off early and letting the car slow itself recovers energy that friction braking throws away as heat. In stop-start traffic, where a combustion car is at its worst, an electrified vehicle is at its most efficient, provided the driver anticipates rather than reacts.

Pre-conditioning matters more than most owners realise. Heating or cooling the cabin while the car is still plugged in draws from the wall rather than the battery. On a cold Highveld morning that is several kilometres of range you keep.

“Most of this is just smoother driving,” says Vusi Machie, product and pricing manager at Volvo Car South Africa. “The car rewards someone who looks further ahead.”

In terms of charging, for daily use most manufacturers suggest keeping the battery at 20%-80% full rather than routinely charging to full. Charging overnight at home on the lowest tariff available is also recommended. Rapid public charging is best kept only for journeys that need it.

Planning helps too. Setting a charging stop as a destination lets the car pre-condition the battery on approach, so it arrives at a temperature that can accept power quickly. Arriving with a cold pack is one of the more common reasons a charge takes longer than expected.

The technology does most of the work. The remainder is habit, and habit is the part that compounds.

According to Winstone Jordaan, director of charging network GridCars, 80% of all charging is done at home and the overall average cost of running an EV is around two-thirds of the price of fuel. The prices to charge EVs vary considerably depending on the energy source and the public location.

Improved public charging infrastructure is helping to overcome range anxiety, particularly for motorists wanting to use EVs beyond urban commuting. Charging facilities are increasingly reaching smaller towns as well as major cities, giving drivers greater flexibility on national routes.

Business Day

]]>Supplied <![CDATA[National Treasury adjusts primary surplus estimate slightly lower after GDP rebasing]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/economy/2026-11-05-national-treasury-adjusts-primary-surplus-estimate-slightly-lower-after-gdp-rebasing/https://www.businessday.co.za/economy/2026-11-05-national-treasury-adjusts-primary-surplus-estimate-slightly-lower-after-gdp-rebasing/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:15:07 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

The National Treasury has adjusted some fiscal targets announced in its medium term budget last month after the recent rebasing and benchmarking of GDP, with the primary surplus for 2026/27 now expected to be 10 basis points lower while debt to GDP is now estimated to have peaked at a lesser ratio in 2025/2026.

The Treasury’s adjustments, announced on Thursday, come after Statistics South Africa’s rebasing showed the size of the economy was 5.3% bigger at R8.044-trillion in 2025 compared with the previously stated R7.642-trillion for the year, with the contribution of four industries rising while manufacturing extended its decades-long decline.

Based on Stats SA’s updated numbers, the Treasury now sees the primary surplus — the positive net difference between revenue and non-interest expenditure — at 1.6% in 2026/27, slightly down from the 1.7% forecast in the medium term budget policy statement (MTBPS) tabled by finance minister Enoch Godongwana on October 21. It is expected to rise to 2.8% by 2029/30 (previously 2.9%).

The 2026/27 main budget deficit — the negative difference between total revenue and total expenditure — has been tweaked to 3.5% of GDP from 3.7%, while the debt to GDP ratio is now estimated to have peaked at 74.6% in 2025/26, down 3.8 percentage points from the 78.4% stated in the MTBPS. In the Treasury’s recalculations, the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio falls below 70% by 2032/33, a year earlier than previously forecast.

The updated ratios are simply a mechanical revision based on Stats SA’s new data, all else being equal, the Treasury said, stressing it had not revised the assumptions used in its MTBPS estimates, or changed revenue, spending or debt estimates.

“Our updated calculations confirm the government continues to achieve its fiscal targets, with the fiscal metrics looking even better than we had projected based on Statistics South Africa’s revised GDP data,” Treasury director-general Duncan Pieterse said.

“We are restoring fiscal credibility and South Africa is seeing the benefits in lower borrowing costs and a stronger foundation for investment and growth.”

Stats SA’s rebasing of GDP to 2022 from 2015 — in line with international best practice of periodically updating national accounts to reflect current conditions — revised the size of the economy for the new base year up 4.9% to R6.99-trillion from the previously stated R6.667-trillion.

The largest change occurred in the mining industry — whose size was raised by 12.5% due to the inclusion and better coverage of illegal mining — while the second biggest adjustment of 9.1% was in finance, real estate and business services, primarily because of improved methodology for compiling owner-occupied housing estimates in real estate activities.

Finance, real estate and business services remains the largest contributor to South Africa’s economy among the 10 industries measured, with its contribution to GDP edging up to 21.8%. The troubled manufacturing sector has retreated further, with its contribution easing to 11.9% from 12.4%, making it the fourth largest GDP industry, down from third before the rebasing.

Business Day

]]>FREDDY MAVUNDA<![CDATA[Vance points finger at Iran war after US electoral humbling]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-05-vance-points-finger-at-iran-war-after-us-electoral-humbling/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-05-vance-points-finger-at-iran-war-after-us-electoral-humbling/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:41:41 +0000US vice-president JD Vance distanced himself from President Donald Trump’s war on Iran on Wednesday, questioning whether it was worth the cost and blaming it for Republicans’ election losses that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.

Vance’s extraordinary remarks in a post on X could further complicate Trump’s deliberations as he weighs whether to restart major combat operations against Iran, a step the US officials have told Reuters is still under consideration.

They also raise questions about the political fortunes of senior Pentagon officials, most notably defence secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump has described Hegseth as an early advocate for the war.

Hegseth has also faced fierce criticism from members of Congress.

“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance said on X. “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next [six] years was worth it, then do so.”

Vance, who is seen as a leading 2028 presidential contender, also said an earlier recommendation to end the war was “sound advice”.

Asked about Vance’s remarks, Trump told reporters he thought they were good, saying: “I know how he feels about it.” But Trump then defended the war effort, saying: “We stopped them from having a nuclear weapon.”

Some officials and staff inside the White House viewed Vance’s post as a foreign policy break from the president and a public recognition that the war had domestic economic consequences, a White House adviser told Reuters.

Democrats secured control of both the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, scoring sweeping victories in Republican strongholds for the first time in generations.

Voters in conservative ​bastions who had propelled the president to his second term in office just two years ago swung dramatically toward Democrats, fuelled by deep frustration over the war with Iran, anxiety about the high cost of living, and anger at ‌Trump’s stewardship of the country.

Vance sought to play down any difference of opinion with Trump, saying the president had also acknowledged that the Iran war cost Republicans the midterm elections on Tuesday. But Trump was far more measured, saying the Iran war was only one of multiple reasons for the electoral rout.

“I ​did the right thing,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal. “I would have done it again.”

Marco Rubio, a possible 2028 rival to Vance, has remained silent since the midterm elections.

The White House did not provide comment for this story but referred Reuters to Trump’s comments from earlier Wednesday agreeing with Vance’s assessment that the Iran war was a major factor in Republican losses on Tuesday.

Vance’s extraordinary post drew a mocking riposte from Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Vance’s opposite number at face-to-face peace talks in April. Qalibaf suggested that if Vance believed the war was a bad idea, he should convince Trump to end it, rather than double down.

“Losing gambler energy, can’t walk away from the table. Boss is prepping the next war phase while America teeters on an Israel-First cliff. Skip the TED talk. Why not say this to your boss?” Qalibaf wrote in English in a reply to Vance’s post on X.

Options for renewed attacks

Trump launched the Iran war ‌jointly with ⁠Israel in February, predicting a brief conflict that could bring the end of the Iranian government, which he called the “bully of the Middle East”.

While the attacks dealt severe blows to Iran’s military and its underground weapons storage facilities, the conflict turned into an effective stalemate after an April ceasefire failed to deliver a peace deal.

Since then, Iran has recovered some of its buried arsenal and threatened ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to concerns about global oil supplies.

With no clear path out of the conflict, Trump was briefed last week by Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the US Central Command, on options for restarting combat operations, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

But the US intelligence assessments in recent months have indicated that renewed strikes on Iran would not fundamentally change Tehran’s negotiating position or lead to regime change, according to a US intelligence official and two other US officials briefed on the intelligence.

Still, sources familiar with the deliberations warn Trump could still decide to act, noting he was aware of the political risks before Tuesday’s elections and “just didn’t care”.

One source said Trump did not have anything to lose politically now that the midterms were over and that he was more likely to double down on Iran and go ahead with an attack.

A second source agreed the most likely course was renewed hostilities, saying: “He is planning to bomb Iran. Don’t listen to what he’s saying. He held off because of the midterms. We asked him to hold off until the midterms.”

All of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

2028 campaign

Vance’s comments could be seen as the start of his 2028 campaign, a person familiar with the matter said.

Some officials in the White House were made aware before Vance’s post.

But a White House official, in a response to questions from Reuters, said most, if not all, senior White House staff were caught off guard by it.

Mediators have intensified efforts to end the war amid fears it could reignite after the election.

Vance has in recent weeks leaned more heavily into negotiations with Tehran. But there has been little indication from Iran that it is willing to accept American demands, including that it reduce its nuclear enrichment levels to zero.

Reuters

]]>Kevin Lamarque<![CDATA[Santam Executive raises limits and adds lifestyle benefits for high-net-worth clients]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/lifestyle/2026-11-05-santam-executive-raises-limits-and-adds-lifestyle-benefits-for-high-net-worth-clients/https://www.businessday.co.za/lifestyle/2026-11-05-santam-executive-raises-limits-and-adds-lifestyle-benefits-for-high-net-worth-clients/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:06:00 +0000As the needs of affluent clients continue to evolve, brokers are increasingly looking for insurance solutions that offer more than standard cover.

Burgette Couvaras, head of Santam Executive, says the company’s enhanced executive offering has been designed to provide brokers with a market-leading solution that combines specialist protection, greater flexibility and an elevated client experience.

“High-net-worth clients expect insurance that reflects the value and complexity of their lifestyles. Our elevated Executive proposition delivers broader protection, increased cover limits and valuable lifestyle benefits that help brokers have more meaningful conversations with their clients,” says Couvaras.

Built on more than a century of insurance expertise, Santam Executive offers bespoke protection for luxury homes, vehicles, fine art, jewellery, private collections, bicycles, watercraft and home-based businesses.

The elevated product is further supported by expert service and claims teams, ensuring a personalised and seamless experience for clients.

Enhanced benefits and increased limits

A key differentiator of the enhanced offering is the inclusion of a range of improved benefits and increased limits, many at no additional cost.

Among the standout enhancements are complimentary building and contents valuations for qualifying clients, helping reduce the risk of underinsurance and ensuring assets are protected at appropriate values.

Clients benefit from worldwide contents cover with flexible limits to match their unique needs. The executive offerings also provide specialist protection for fine art, antiques and private collections, including selected artwork in transit.

For sectional title property owners, Santam now offers enhanced difference-in-cover protection with optional increased limit, while improved property keys cover provides greater financial protection for lost, stolen or damaged keys.

Cover for changing lifestyles

Recognising the growing trend towards entrepreneurship and flexible working arrangements, the insurer has introduced home-based business contents cover, office contents, protecting stock, samples, data restoration costs and temporary business disruption expenses.

In addition, clients can access enhanced maintenance cover for standard, gas and solar geysers.

For cycling enthusiasts, Santam Executive now includes Cycle Assist, a specialised solution offering more than comprehensive bicycle protection; personal accident cover, race cancellation benefits, emergency repairs and temporary bicycle hire following an insured event.

For added financial protection, clients may include Credit Shortfall Cover on bicycles acquired through a finance agreement.

Optional solutions for tailored protection

Beyond these enhancements, brokers can tailor cover further through a range of optional solutions, including guaranteed vehicle value protection, classic car cover, 4x4 and off-road benefits, legal expenses, watercraft insurance and extended liability cover.

According to Couvaras, the enhanced executive proposition provides brokers with a valuable opportunity to deepen client relationships.

Executive is about protecting lifestyles, preserving legacies and giving clients confidence that every detail is understood and expertly managed

Burgette Couvaras, head of Santam Executive

“Executive is about much more than insuring assets. It’s about protecting lifestyles, preserving legacies and giving clients confidence that every detail is understood and expertly managed.

“These enhancements reinforce our commitment to delivering market-leading protection and service that brokers can confidently recommend,” she says.

With broader protection, enhanced benefits and Santam’s trusted reputation, executive continues to set the benchmark for high-net-worth insurance in South Africa.

Santam Executive Insurance is tailored to complement an exceptional lifestyle.

For more information, speak to your broker or visit the Santam website.

This article was sponsored by Santam.

]]>Santam<![CDATA[PETER ATTARD MONTALTO | Madness all around ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-peter-attard-montalto-madness-all-around/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-peter-attard-montalto-madness-all-around/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:58:26 +0000The discussion around the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) in recent months has been strange — equal parts doom-mongering, finger-pointing and wishful thinking. In some sense, given the larger madness around the US-SA relationship, this is perhaps no surprise.

There has been too much “end of the world” talk among the chattering classes, and even sensible people in some parts of business. Yet by the government’s own figures only about 10% of exports to the US entered under Agoa in 2025, down from 28% in 2024 — roughly 1% of total exports.

The “reciprocal” tariffs and Section 232 duties on vehicles and metals had already done most of the damage. The earlier focus on Agoa and its elevation by the government, especially the department of trade, industry and competition, didn’t help to contextualise its impact properly until close to the end.

Then we had an overlay of Afrikaner groups charging around using it as a battering ram (again overplayed by the South African media — these groups do not have the purchase in Washington they claim to have, nor that the media implies they have).

The department has been a problematic player throughout. Its postmortem press release on Monday seemed to suggest this was a negotiating disagreement, and that it was the US trade representative’s fault for not negotiating clearly on set terms. Yet the trade representative was never negotiating over this exit — it was a wider administration choice based on punitive accounts of South Africa’s broad policy platform, including its foreign policy stance. Framing it as a deal that slipped away lets the department off the hook and leaves business unprepared for what comes next.

In recent months the department has continually made out, in its press releases and in statements from the minister, that it is actively engaging all the necessary parts of the US administration to manage Agoa (and, last year, to avoid tariffs). But these efforts were limited, often at junior to mid-ranking level and not where decisions are actually made. In any case, there was never any real prospect of South Africa avoiding either the wider tariff wall, given that it is a global policy, or the loss of Agoa preferential access.

In Monday’s reaction the department again promised support, but people have been quick to forget that the support promised last year in response to the wider tariff wall proved ineffectual-to-nonexistent for businesses. No real programmatic monetary support was ever on the table — the idea was quickly shut down in discussions between the National Treasury and the department last year.

The ongoing diversification, especially in agriculture, where citrus growers have spent years prising open Asian markets, has been down to the hard work of individual businesses and their industry associations pursuing long-standing leads and opportunities in new or existing markets. Trade is not centrally commanded, despite the rhetoric, and the endless trade show jamborees attended by political hangers-on are not where the real action is.

Much of the reaction from political parties of all colours has been facile to the point of being embarrassing. The idea that there was some secret offer the government could have made to avoid this, or that international relations minister Ronald Lamola should have negotiated BEE away, is laughable. BEE sits in legislation no minister can trade away in a side room in Washington, and any party claiming otherwise should say which law it would repeal, and whether it has the votes to do so.

South Africa has arguably made bad policy choices over successive administrations. But to expect the country to back down on its whole policy edifice for negotiations with just one country that represents only a slice of total trade is simply for the birds. The country has made sovereign, democratic and constitutional choices, and politicians and the electorate have to live with the consequences of those.

The GNU partners’ tears over spilt milk on trade and foreign policy ring hollow. It was obvious during the GNU negotiations, in the period between election night and the president being sworn in, that the ANC had no desire to cede anything on foreign policy and that deputy ministers would have no purchase at all over areas such as trade. It should be no surprise now that things are travelling down a set road — this is what was signed up for and is the nature of the GNU.

All of this also misses the detail and nuance of the wider US position — South Africa has been singled out for a variety of domestic US and foreign policy reasons, and the bar to cross to avoid punitive action was always high. The five asks were only a preliminary start, with another eight to follow on more complex and harder-to-clear foreign policy, military and related issues.

Even with some progress on the initial five — let’s not forget that the environment now in South Africa on BEE reform is vastly different from what it has been over the past 30 years — there was never going to be fast enough progress to satisfy the US administration. The department of trade, industry and competition’s promised review of BEE, welcomed by the US ambassador but deemed insufficient, shows exactly where the bar sits. Put those domestic choices together with a US administration that laid out its view of South Africa early in its term and this moment was close to inevitable.

The other problem is that this has been viewed narrowly as being about Agoa and has not been linked, at least publicly, by many stakeholders, to the fact that further punitive actions are to come. The blue landslide in the US midterms does little to check the administration’s powers in real time over things such as Agoa, visa sanctions and other forms of sanctions and measures that can be taken by various departments. South Africa’s best hope is that distractions — fighting the Hill on PR, fighting them on investigations and summonses, being bogged down in the courts, escalating the war in the Gulf or doing deals with Russia — serve to put South Africa on the back burner.

This is hardly a first-best outcome, but it will do for now. The key point on Agoa is that it removes one chunk of preferential access but access to the US market remains — and that market is fast-growing and wants not just South Africa’s goods (agricultural produce and critical minerals in particular) but also its services (data centres, coding centres). Companies can keep looking for opportunities without a leg up in the US market — one worth only about $55m in tariff savings last year, by some estimates, against roughly $450m a year in existing national-security duties — and keep diversifying globally.

This whole episode has exposed a deep pettiness among many stakeholders and commentators at the intersection of geopolitics, bilateral foreign relations and economics. The media has not covered itself in glory either, too often amplifying whoever shouted loudest rather than asking what the numbers said.

The world is getting more complex, and the next two years of the US administration may well be more, not less, rocky, while the domestic political situation gets more contested. Perhaps everyone needs a breather and, before the next round of punitive measures lands, a hard look at what sensible discourse actually looks like.

Businesses will, meanwhile, stick to their knitting of finding new opportunities and grabbing hold of them in this changing world.

• Attard Montalto leads on political economy, markets and the just energy transition at Krutham, a South African research-led consulting company.

Business Day

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Unauthorised Wi-Fi resellers weigh on MTN Uganda’s data revenue growth]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/earnings/2026-11-05-unauthorised-wi-fi-resellers-weigh-on-mtn-ugandas-data-revenue-growth/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/earnings/2026-11-05-unauthorised-wi-fi-resellers-weigh-on-mtn-ugandas-data-revenue-growth/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:50:08 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

MTN Uganda, the third of the MTN Group’s African units to report, says earnings growth moderated in the September quarter amid challenging economic conditions and as unauthorised public Wi-Fi resellers weighed on data revenue growth.

The group said on Thursday that earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) for the three months ended September was flat at 504.6-million Ugandan shillings (about R2m). For the nine month ended September ebitda was up 3% to Ush1.5-trillion.

The group’s ebitda margin of 51.1% for the nine months recorded a 2.8 percentage points decline reflecting costs associated with the accelerated network expansion and the broader impact of higher fuel prices on transport, logistics and supplier costs, it said.

While profit after tax was flat in the third quarter at Ush203.7m, profit for the year to date is up 21.2% at Ush571.25m.

The currency depreciated by 7% quarter on quarter on higher import costs and strong corporate demand for US dollars.

Revenue was up 6.7% to Ush990.5m in the quarter, with data revenue rising 7.8% and fintech revenue up 13.3%.

Although near-term pressures remain, we are working with industry peers and the regulator to address these challenges and restore growth momentum

Sylvia Mulinge, MTN Uganda CEO

The group said unauthorised public Wi-Fi resellers weighed on data revenue growth, while its voice revenues continued to be impacted by the Mobile Termination Rate (MTR) revision.

The group added 2.9-million subscribers, expanding its base to 26.4-million, a 12.5% increase for the nine-month period. The group retained its market leadership with a 63.4% subscriber market share.

Active data subscribers grew by 14.3% and fintech subscribers rose 8.6% for the nine-month period.

CEO Sylvia Mulinge said despite the headwinds, its remains focused on executing its strategic priorities, delivering resilient performance through continued investment in network infrastructure, digital services and operational efficiencies.

“Although near-term pressures remain, we are working with industry peers and the regulator to address these challenges and restore growth momentum, including enforcement against unauthorised Wi-Fi resellers while continuing to invest in sustainable long-term value creation,” she said.

Given slower growth in the third quarter and the evolving operating environment, the company now expects its 2026 financial year service revenue growth to be below its medium term guidance and broadly in line with the growth delivered in the first nine months.

“Prudent cost management and operational efficiencies are expected to support an Ebitda margin of around 50% for the year. We continue to closely monitor foreign exchange, interest rate and fuel-related pressures, while maintaining our focus on disciplined execution and operational efficiencies,” Mulinge said.

MTN Ghana and MTN Nigeria reported results last week.

Business Day

]]>REUTERS/THOMAS MUKOYA<![CDATA[For China, two more years of Trump may be the best-case scenario]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-05-analysis-trumps-political-humbling-signals-short-term-gain-long-term-pain-for-china/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-05-analysis-trumps-political-humbling-signals-short-term-gain-long-term-pain-for-china/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:05:58 +0000The midterm drubbing of President Donald Trump’s Republicans may strengthen China’s hand in trade talks with Washington, but Beijing is unlikely to revel in the misfortunes of a US president whose successor could prove less accommodating.

US voters angered by rising living costs, exacerbated by Trump’s trade wars with China and other countries, turned on his party in Tuesday’s vote, handing Democrats control of Congress.

The political humbling should make Trump more wary of unsettling a fragile trade truce with Beijing, some political analysts said, giving China a potential advantage in negotiations set to resume later this month.

Washington’s divided political landscape also gives Beijing space to fortify itself and diversify its trade ties before a potentially less China-friendly US administration takes power, some Chinese and Western analysts said.

“The Chinese are very realistic that a new president might be very different,” said Shen Weizhong, a former Chinese foreign ministry ​official.

“However, if we can have two more years of stability, that’s a good thing for China. The more time we have the better prepared we might be towards a final showdown on Taiwan or maybe another trade war,” said Shen, who now works for Beijing-based think tank Global Governance Institution.

The next two years, however, may not be smooth sailing for Beijing, other analysts said.

The broad direction of US-China policy isn’t necessarily going to change, but I think the concern is around less conventional foreign policy issues that would have unexpected ramifications for China

Chim Lee, senior China analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit

The risk is that Trump, constrained at home, becomes more aggressive in seeking foreign policy wins, while a Democratic-controlled Congress may push him harder to unfreeze arms sales to Taiwan, a red line for Beijing.

“There are more foreign policy actions Trump can take that are unconventional and untold,” said senior China analyst Chim Lee at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

“The broad direction of US-China policy isn’t necessarily going to change, but I think the concern is around less conventional foreign policy issues that would have unexpected ramifications for China,” he said.

Top among the concerns is an escalation of the Iran war into a wider regional conflict. That could trigger a sustained spike in global oil prices, threaten China’s energy security and disrupt Beijing’s ties in the Middle East.

Sensing weakness

In the short term, attention turns to imminent trade talks, with Trump set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Shenzhen later this month and in Miami in the US in December for the G20.

At stake is a truce in a trade war, expiring in January, that averted a major shock to the global economy last year.

Beijing could conclude Trump’s political problems mean he needs a deal more than China, encouraging Chinese negotiators to press harder for tariff reductions and other US concessions, said Craig Singleton, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a US think tank.

However, that also risks a “miscalculation that unsettles the stability Xi is trying to preserve,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly railed against what he sees as China’s unfair trade with Washington, slapping triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods shortly after he returned to office last year to address a trade imbalance he said was “killing” the US.

However, he has since significantly softened his tone, feting Xi at two grand summits in Beijing and Washington that delivered few tangible economic wins.

Trump’s bonhomie with Xi stands in contrast to his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, who repeatedly angered China with comments over human rights issues and a pledge that the US would defend Taiwan if Beijing attacked. Some of Trump’s potential Republican successors, such as secretary of state Marco Rubio, are also seen by analysts as more hawkish on China.

After the midterms, Trump could be even less willing to upset the stable relationship he has developed with China, said Wu Xinbo, a professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University who advises China’s foreign ministry.

Beyond trade, Trump may also seek to enlist Beijing’s help to secure other foreign policy wins as the clock ticks on his presidency, such as ending the war between Russia and Ukraine or arranging another summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.

Beijing, which maintains deep trade ties with Russia and North Korea, could use that leverage in exchange for concessions from Trump, analysts said.

However, after years of dealing primarily with Trump, Beijing faces a US Congress far more intent on pressing human rights issues, scrutinising Chinese investments and delivering a $14bn (R230bn) package of arms to Taiwan that Trump has said he is withholding as a “negotiating chip” with Xi.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan and has asked for the arms sales to stop.

“The Chinese will definitely react strongly against that,” said Shen, calling it “risk number one” after the midterms.

Reuters

]]>Evelyn Hockstein<![CDATA[Optasia shares shoot up as revenue grows 45%]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-optasia-shares-shoot-up-as-revenue-grows-45/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-optasia-shares-shoot-up-as-revenue-grows-45/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:11:05 +0000Fintech group Optasia delivered a big jump in revenue by the end of the third quarter, driven by growth in its microfinance unit.

On Thursday, the group reported that it generated revenue of about $270m (R4.42bn) in the nine months to end-September 2026, a 45% boost compared to the previous comparable period. The group said this was based on preliminary management accounts.

Shares shot up close to 3% in early trade on the voluntary trading update.

Optasia said it distributed about $5.1bn of value through its platform, an increase of 34% year-on-year. The company said reported results in the first half of 2026 included a foreign exchange benefit, “which has since largely eased”.

Optasia describes itself as “an AI-enabled fintech platform that provides microfinancing solutions and airtime credit solutions”. In essence, it offers microloans across various platforms. For instance, it is the company behind the airtime lending businesses of mobile operators Vodacom and MTN.

Even then, the group is shifting its revenue mix as part of a push to diversify its revenue streams.

Of the company’s total revenue for the period, micro-financing solutions contributed about $194m, an increase of 67% on the first nine months of 2025, while airtime credit solutions contributed about $75m, an increase of 8%.

As such, micro-financing accounted for about 72% of group revenue in the year to date “and remains the group’s primary growth driver”.

In July, CEO Salvador Anglada told Business Day the fintech group aims to make more than 80% of its money from a growing slate of microfinance offerings, including cash and loans for utilities bills.

The group launched its first merchant lending proposition during the first half and continues to develop additional embedded credit propositions. It also continued to broaden its distribution model during the period, adding banking and utility ecosystems as additional routes to customers alongside its established telecom and mobile-money channels.

This week, the group said the average ticket size for micro-financing solutions continued to increase, and the combined take rate rose to 5.3% compared with 4.9% in the previous comparable period.

Earlier this year Optasia acquired Dubai-based electricity credit specialist company Finergi for nearly R500m. Finergi is a technology company providing “real-time credit access through prepaid electricity systems”.

Finergi extends the group into utility credit, creating a new growth vertical and broadening the ecosystems in which Optasia can deploy its decisioning, technology and operating capabilities.

Its strategic partnership with FirstRand continued to deepen. FirstRand increased its shareholding in Optasia to 26.1%, while the group’s collaboration with FNB also progressed into product development and implementation, including the integration of Optasia’s decisioning capabilities behind FNB Connect’s airtime-advance proposition and the development of a cash-advance proposition within the FNB wallet ecosystem.

The company said its full-year targets to December 2026 were unchanged.

Opatsia shares were 2.81% firmer in early trade on Thursday at R15.83. The stock has shaved off a quarter of its value since the start of 2026, valuing the fintech operator at R19.62bn.

Business Day

]]>SUPPLIED<![CDATA[Aspen completes sale of Ovestin’s European rights to Ennogen]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-aspen-completes-sale-of-ovestins-european-rights-to-ennogen/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-aspen-completes-sale-of-ovestins-european-rights-to-ennogen/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:05:40 +0000Aspen Pharmacare has completed the sale of the European rights to its women’s health product Ovestin to privately owned Ennogen Healthcare International, while retaining a manufacturing and supply role.

Aspen received €197m (about R3.7bn) for the rights on November 3, after Ennogen secured unconditional funding for the deal, the drugmaker said on Thursday. Ennogen will also pay €4m for existing stocks of Ovestin.

The company expects to make a profit of about R2bn from the sale. The assets contributed R756m in revenue, R521m in gross profit and R238m in profit after tax to the group in the 2026 financial year. Their net asset value was R1.6bn at the end of June.

Ovestin is an established women’s health product containing oestriol, a form of oestrogen, used to treat vaginal symptoms associated with menopause. The sale covers its European rights, related intellectual property, registrations and regulatory approvals needed to market the product.

The disposal is part of Aspen’s broader portfolio reshaping, with the company focusing more on its emerging-markets business. In May the group completed the sale of its Asia-Pacific business, excluding China, for gross proceeds of R28bn, recording a profit of R2.4bn.

Aspen said the proceeds from the Ovestin sale would be allocated in line with its capital allocation model, with share buybacks remaining its preferred means of returning capital to shareholders.

Under a separate 10-year manufacturing and supply agreement, Aspen will continue supplying the active pharmaceutical ingredient and cream formulation of Ovestin to Ennogen in Europe. The agreement may be extended by mutual consent.

The transaction also includes a five-year services agreement under which Aspen Global will receive €1m a month to help Ennogen integrate and support the acquired business. A transitional distribution agreement lasting up to three years will carry fees of 4% of net sales.

Founded in 2011, Ennogen is a pharmaceutical and medical device company with a primary focus on European markets. Its portfolio spans therapeutic areas including pain management, respiratory medicine and dermatology. It has its head office in Dubai and offices in the UK and Ireland.

Business Day

]]>Eugene Coetzee<![CDATA[Nedbank completes acquisition of 66% of Kenya’s NCBA]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/company-strategy/2026-11-05-nedbank-completes-acquisition-of-66-of-kenyas-ncba/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/company-strategy/2026-11-05-nedbank-completes-acquisition-of-66-of-kenyas-ncba/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:41:27 +0000Nedbank has confirmed it has issued 43.6-million new shares and made a cash payment of R2.9bn to shareholders of Kenya’s NCBA.

The group said on Thursday that the issue of the new shares to shareholders that accepted its offer brought the total number of group shares in issue to 520.9-million.

The group last month announced that its acquisition of about 66% of NCBA had become unconditional, clearing the way for the South African bank’s push into East Africa.

The deal is a big bet on the region’s growth prospects as Nedbank seeks to reduce its reliance on its home market.

The deal gives Nedbank exposure to NCBA’s operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, as well as its digital operations in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Kenya, the region’s largest economy, is expected to serve as the centre of Nedbank’s broader East African expansion.

South Africa’s big banks are increasingly looking beyond the domestic market for growth. Nedbank remains more heavily exposed to South Africa than some of its peers, making the expansion an important part of its efforts to diversify its earnings base.

NCBA will remain listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

With Mudiwa Gavaza

Business Day

]]><![CDATA[AdvTech sets sights on further African expansion]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-04-advtech-sets-sights-on-further-african-expansion/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-04-advtech-sets-sights-on-further-african-expansion/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000Private education group AdvTech plans to expand its international schools business, develop its tertiary offering and extend distance learning further into Africa.

The group, which operates schools in South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Ghana and Ethiopia, has identified further expansion of Rosebank International into African markets as one of its strategic priorities.

CEO Geoff Whyte said in a capital markets day presentation that the group would prioritise countries where AdvTech already operates as it seeks to grow its international schools business.

The strategy includes expanding its existing schools, increasing student capacity and developing its tertiary operations in markets outside South Africa.

AdvTech entered Ethiopia in 2024 through the acquisition of Flipper International School, which operates five schools in Addis Ababa. The schools have about 3,450 students.

The group said the acquisition was a “good fit with [our] existing mid-fee African model”, which focuses on providing education at prices below those charged by premium private schools.

Expansion projects

AdvTech has since increased capacity at Flipper’s Lancia campus through relocation, adding space for 450 more students. It is also introducing its technology and teaching systems across the schools.

In Kenya, the group is expanding its Makini school network, which it bought in September 2025. Student numbers at Makini Runda have increased from 1,160 at the time of acquisition to 1,470.

AdvTech is undertaking a redevelopment project at the school that will increase its capacity to 3,150 students. The work includes additional classrooms, computer and science laboratories, robotics facilities, libraries and sports facilities.

The group is also expanding Makini Statehouse, where renovations are under way to increase capacity from 280 to 575 students. The project is expected to be completed in January next year.

Its existing Crawford International School in Nairobi has also been expanded, from 900 to 1,300 students in 2025.

AdvTech’s tertiary expansion is another part of its African growth plans.

Rosebank International University College in Ghana opened in January this year, marking the group’s entry into the country’s tertiary education market. The institution has capacity for 350 students, with plans to accommodate up to 900.

Enrolments ‘running ahead’

AdvTech said enrolments at the institution were “running ahead of business case” during its first year of operation.

Additional facilities and classroom space are being added to meet demand. The group has also set a target of achieving full university status for the Ghanaian institution in 2027.

Beyond expanding physical campuses, AdvTech plans to take its distance learning offering into other African markets from Ghana.

The group has been growing its online tertiary qualifications in South Africa and says its next strategy includes using its Ghana operation as a base for expansion into other African countries.

Its longer-term priorities also include expanding Rosebank International into new African markets, while continuing to add schools in countries where it already operates.

The expansion comes as AdvTech continues to increase the proportion of its business generated by education. In its 2026 half-year breakdown, education accounted for 87% of group revenue and 96% of operating profit, compared with 81% and 94%, respectively, in 2024.

The group’s international schools operations contributed 6% of revenue and 8% of operating profit in the first half of 2026.

Business Day

]]>,SUPPLIED<![CDATA[WATCH | IEC updates media on early vote-counting]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-iec-updates-media-on-early-vote-counting/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-iec-updates-media-on-early-vote-counting/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:01:34 +0000The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is updating the media on Thursday about how early vote-counting is progressing.

Preliminary figures show 12-million voters cast their ballots across the country by Wednesday afternoon.

TimesLIVE

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[New F1 champion Antonelli says Senna was a big influence]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/f-one/2026-11-05-new-f1-champion-antonelli-says-senna-was-a-big-influence/https://www.businessday.co.za/sport/f-one/2026-11-05-new-f1-champion-antonelli-says-senna-was-a-big-influence/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:08:30 +0000Newly crowned Formula One world champion Kimi Antonelli paid tribute to his childhood hero, Ayrton Senna, on Wednesday, saying the late Brazilian’s talent and dedication would continue to influence his approach to the sport after becoming the youngest driver to win the title.

The 20-year-old Italian, who clinched the title with a third-place finish in Mexico on Sunday, spent time with members of Senna’s family ahead of this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix. He also sat in the cockpit of the Brazilian great’s 1986 Lotus and visited his grave for the second year in a row.

“Definitely the driver he was, he was incredible,” Antonelli said on the sidelines of a Petronas event in São Paulo. “But as well, his work ethic, his attitude, how dedicated and how much passion he had for the sport. Then the person he was: very empathetic, someone who was trying to give back what he was receiving.

“All these things are the ones that caught my attention when I was a kid and that’s why I got inspired by him from such a young age,” he added about the Brazilian, who died at Imola in 1994.

Antonelli was frequently compared with Senna this season, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff earlier this year cautioning against placing such expectations on the young Italian.

Antonelli said he was still processing an emotional day with Senna’s family as well as what happened on and off the track last weekend.

Vettel’s message: ‘More to come’

The significance of Antonelli’s achievement was underlined by a video message from four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel, whose record as youngest champion was broken by the Italian.

The 39-year-old German, who retired in 2022, urged Antonelli to enjoy the moment while reminding him that even if others now looked at him differently, success need not change the way he looked at them.

“The message from Seb was very deep,” Antonelli said. “He says some things that are very true, that definitely my life will change a lot after this, but he also tells me to stay grounded because there’s still, at the end of the day, a race to win. So that’s a very important and very nice message from him.”

As Antonelli reflected on his breakthrough season, he also credited last year’s São Paulo Grand Prix with providing the momentum that eventually carried him to the 2026 title.

His second-place finish at Interlagos in 2025, his then-best Formula One result, laid the foundations for his championship-winning year.

“It was my most complete weekend of that year,” he said. “I was coming from a very difficult period and the result definitely gave me the confidence that I needed to overcome that moment and try and move forward.”

With the championship secured, Antonelli said his ambitions remained unchanged.

“We’ve done the first big step but there are many more to come,” he said. “The goal is to try and win as much as possible, to be very successful for as long as possible … We’re going to try to improve and come back even stronger.”

Reuters

]]>Jennifer Lorenzini<![CDATA[FREE TO READ | Import & Export ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/surveys/2026-11-05-free-to-read-import-export/https://www.businessday.co.za/surveys/2026-11-05-free-to-read-import-export/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:15:05 +0000Global trade is undergoing a transformation as shifting trade corridors, geopolitical fragmentation and rapid digitisation change where goods are made, who takes part in supply chains and how trade is conducted. Importers and exporters are having to adapt to this new reality.

Browse the page below (zoom in or go full screen for ease of reading):

]]>123RF/maxxyustas<![CDATA[WATCH | The Political Arena team looks at the numbers trickling in]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-looks-at-the-numbers-trickling-in/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-looks-at-the-numbers-trickling-in/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:43:02 +0000The ink is dry and the counting has begun.

Join The Political Arena team live as the first results trickle in and our journalists unpack early trends, surprise swings and the numbers shifting by the hour.

Sowetan

]]>MASI LOSI<![CDATA[EIB says development finance must bridge gap between capital and projects]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/economy/2026-10-31-eib-says-development-finance-must-bridge-gap-between-capital-and-projects/https://www.businessday.co.za/economy/2026-10-31-eib-says-development-finance-must-bridge-gap-between-capital-and-projects/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 13:40:01 +0000The European Investment Bank’s head for Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Jim Hodges, has called for closer co-operation between development finance institutions, governments and the private sector to turn investment commitments into projects that support economic growth and job creation.

Speaking at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation’s Drakensberg Inclusive Growth Forum on Saturday, Hodges said South Africa did not lack ambition or capital but needed stronger links between financing and viable projects.

“The question really should be, are we fit to make it relevant for today?” he said, referring to the development finance model.

Hodges said development finance institutions could help address barriers that prevent private investors from financing projects, including limited information about investment risks and small businesses that struggle to access conventional lending.

He cited the EIB’s work to improve access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as its support for electricity grids, transport corridors, water infrastructure and undersea cables across Africa.

Hodges said the bank had worked in South Africa since 1994, completing its first transaction with the Industrial Development Corporation in 1995, followed by a transaction with the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

He also highlighted the Global Emerging Markets Risk Database, which pools lending-performance data from development finance institutions to provide a clearer picture of investment risks in emerging markets.

According to Hodges, the data showed an average default rate of about 3.5% for private-sector lending in Africa over 30 years, with recoveries of about 73%. He said better information could help investors assess risks more accurately and encourage banks, pension funds and insurers to commit capital.

Hodges also used an agricultural financing initiative in Malawi, called Kulima, to illustrate the need for an integrated approach to development finance.

He said small farmers often struggled to secure funding because their businesses were too small for commercial banks, while grants alone could not address their broader challenges. The initiative brought commercial banks and smaller farmers together, using grant funding to strengthen the network of small businesses and improve their access to markets.

Hodges said the experience showed that financing had to be accompanied by technical support and links to buyers if small businesses were to become viable.

He urged the private sector to help build similar partnerships and called on governments to provide effective regulation, procurement systems and long-term partnerships that made investment possible.

Hodges said the relationship between South Africa and Europe offered opportunities for both sides. Europe needed reliable economic partners, diversified supply chains and new markets, while South Africa needed investment, technology, infrastructure, skills and access to markets to move up the value chain.

Ultimately, he said, development finance needed to help convert these shared interests into economic growth and jobs.

]]><![CDATA[Water crisis takes centre stage in municipal election battle ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-water-crisis-takes-centre-stage-in-municipal-election-battle/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-water-crisis-takes-centre-stage-in-municipal-election-battle/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 17:09:06 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Political leaders cast their votes countrywide on Wednesday as the battle for control of South Africa’s 257 municipalities intensified, with service delivery failures, particularly persistent water shortages, emerging as a big election battleground.

Across the country, communities continue to grapple with water supply disruptions, ageing infrastructure and poor municipal management, placing the spotlight on local governments’ ability to deliver one of the most basic services to residents.

DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille was mobbed by party supporters, journalists and well-wishers, including former DA Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse, when she turned up to vote at Emmarentia Primary School in Randburg.

Zille said should she be elected mayor of Johannesburg, her immediate priority would be to address the water challenges confronting South Africa’s economic and financial heartland.

She stressed that Joburg was a great city worth fighting for, adding that should she be voted in as the next mayor during the municipal elections on Wednesday, she would “mobilise resources” on an emergency basis to address the water crisis in the short term.

Other political leaders who cast their votes countrywide on Wednesday included Freedom Front Plus leader Dr Corné Mulder, who said: “I am standing here in the queue with the rest of our constituents in ward 23 in the metro of Cape Town. And as you can see, there’s a huge turnout.

“People have been voting in droves, not only here but right throughout South Africa, and that’s a very positive sign. We have said it is our time, and you can clearly see that the electorate are going to use their ballots, and they’re going to use their ballots to bring change.”

Freedom Front Plus has had an excellent campaign, he said, adding, “I’m very optimistic that the results will be the same. It is indeed our time. Let’s do this and start to make change. That’s what we’re busy with.”

ActionSA president and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba said, “I’m more than confident. We worked hard these past six months. I’m the only mayor in this country who worked with 10 MMCs already earmarked so that when people of Johannesburg give us the mandate to be the government, we will hit the ground running immediately.”

Mashaba, a former Johannesburg mayor under the DA, appealed to people to vote, saying if they did not, then “all these parties that have failed you over the last 32 years are going to end up governing you for another five years, and there’s just no way that they’re gonna change their tactic and the manner in which they’re going to govern you”.

Business Day reported in May that Gauteng infrastructure development and co-operative governance & traditional affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo had called on the province’s 11 municipalities to invest in procuring and maintaining their own water tanker fleets, after R264m was spent on water tanker services over the past three years.

Mamabolo referred to that figure as a “significant expenditure”. Business Day reported in August 2024 that Tshwane was grappling with a water tanker mafia operating in the city and had spent an estimated R98m on water tankers per year.

The water supply crisis is challenging Gauteng’s three metros due to increased demand and crumbling infrastructure and has seen a surge in the use of water tankers to supply residents.

Water provision has been a key electioneering issue for politicians. Parts of Johannesburg have experienced water outages as demand has increased amid hot weather.

In May, persistent water challenges in the Joburg metro and other municipalities spurred President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish the national water crisis committee to co-ordinate government efforts in addressing water scarcity.

Ramaphosa said at the time that the government had prioritised measures to address the water crisis affecting many municipalities countrywide.

In January the ANC declared 2026 a year of decisive action to fix local government and transform the economy, with the government of national unity (GNU) having set aside R54bn for service delivery, especially for fixing water and electricity infrastructure across the eight metros.

The beleaguered local government sector is dogged by malfeasance and fiscal challenges in which billions have been wasted on fruitless, wasteful and unauthorised expenditure annually, affecting the delivery of basic services such as potable water, electricity, clinics and refuse collection.

Local government’s worsening state has spurred the government to focus the second phase of Operation Vulindlela on fixing councils. Vulindlela is a joint initiative of the National Treasury and the presidency created in 2020.

Deputy president Paul Mashatile said, “Don’t give up hope. Voting is what we fought for. It’s their right. When you sit at home and don’t vote, some other people will vote for you.”

Former president Kgalema Motlanthe, who voted at Killarney, said public infrastructure needed to be maintained all the time.

“Local government needs to have the correct skills, and for that they need the finances to employ engineers,” Motlanthe said.

The local government sector has a reputation for fostering a culture of cadre deployment, in which the least qualified are appointed in senior management positions, based solely on their political affiliation and not on whether they possess the requisite skills to run their portfolios.

Business Day

]]>Mukhove<![CDATA[Dire medicine short supply: state patients must buy privately]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/health/2026-11-05-patients-forced-to-buy-medicines-amid-record-public-sector-shortages/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/health/2026-11-05-patients-forced-to-buy-medicines-amid-record-public-sector-shortages/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

South Africa’s public hospitals and clinics are facing what experts say are the worst shortages of essential medicines yet, forcing facilities to seek alternatives and, in some cases, to issue prescriptions so patients can buy drugs from private sector pharmacies.

More than one in seven medicines on the national health department’s master products list (MPL) are in danger of running out, according to documents published on the department’s website. The November MPL lists 1,135 medicines that provincial health departments may procure, while the October “hotlist” identifies critical shortages of 165 products, including treatments for cancer and severe mental illness.

“It is worse than ever before,” said Andy Gray, a senior lecturer in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. “It’s in psychiatry, oncology, HIV, noncommunicable diseases — it’s affecting absolutely everyone,” he said.

Gray attributed the shortages to a “perfect storm” of domestic and international pressures, ranging from congestion at the Port of Durban to production delays linked to conflict in the Middle East and the limited passage of goods through the Strait of Hormuz.

Some pharmaceutical companies had stopped supplying provincial health departments because of unpaid bills, he said. The department’s hotlist shows that suppliers have blocked some accounts in the Eastern Cape, the North West and the Northern Cape because of nonpayment.

The health department was pressing its contracted suppliers to maintain two months’ buffer stock, but many manufacturers had indicated they could not meet the requirement, Gray said.

Though the department could theoretically import medicines directly if there were no domestic suppliers, limited global supplies made alternative sourcing difficult.

Some multinational drug companies had stopped producing older medicines because the products were no longer profitable, leaving health systems worldwide with fewer alternatives, he said.

The shortages appear to be largely confined to the public sector, as the Independent Community Pharmacy Association (ICPA) said its members reported difficulties obtaining only a handful of items, including injectable cortisone and certain eye drops. The ICPA represents about 1,200 retail pharmacies.

The Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG), an umbrella body for four South African pharmaceutical manufacturing associations, said medicine shortages in the public sector were a reflection of deep-seated problems with the health department’s tender system, which it is lobbying to change.

PTG chair Stavros Nicolaou said the list of drugs in short supply was the longest “in living memory”.

The tender system did not support sustainable supply because pharmaceutical companies risked large swings in order volumes from one three-year contract cycle to the next, Nicolaou said. Manufacturers were often unable to scale up immediately, while the department’s projected volumes did not always match demand from provinces.

These factors deterred some companies from bidding, leaving the department less able to spread the risk across several suppliers. In some cases, it had to abandon a tender and instead seek price quotations for individual or short-term orders, he said.

Health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said the current disruption to the supply of multiple medicines was unprecedented.

“One of the contributing factors is that some local manufacturers holding government contracts have not complied with regulatory standards. Consequently, Sahpra [the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority] has closed certain manufacturing lines, disrupting the supply of medicines and contributing to shortages,” he said.

Affected companies include Barrs, Adcock Ingram, Wrapsa, Sonke and Aspen Pharmacare, Mohale said.

“The department is making every effort to secure alternative supplies through public procurement processes or, where no locally registered supplier is available, through special imports under Section 21 of the Medicines Act,” he said.

The national health department was working with pharmaceutical companies to improve continuity of supply, in regular consultation with the national essential medicines list committee to identify appropriate alternative treatments if medicines were unavailable and supporting provinces to address payment delays, Mohale said.

The South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop) said it had received reports from members since June of critical shortages of medicines used to treat severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

“It’s multiple drugs, from multiple pharmaceutical companies, for multiple disorders,” said Sasop past president Mvuyiso Talatala, adding that there were limited alternatives to many of the medicines.

The shortages included olanzapine and quetiapine, which are used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression.

It’s multiple drugs, from multiple pharmaceutical companies, for multiple disorders.

Mvuyiso Talatala, Sasop past president

Changing a patient’s medication could cause severe side effects or trigger a relapse requiring hospital admission, with devastating consequences, Talatala said.

He said doctors were ethically obliged to act in their patients’ best interests, including issuing prescriptions that allowed patients who could afford to pay to obtain medicines from private pharmacies.

Mental health advocate Taswill Welcome, who runs a support group for people living in Cape Town, said members had reported difficulties obtaining their chronic medication since June. Some patients were told to return to facilities a few days later, only to receive less medication than usual. Others were prescribed alternative drugs that, in some cases, caused severe side effects, he said.

Three of the group’s about 40 members had recently relapsed and been admitted to hospital.

“Not a day goes by without a message of distress. We cannot normalise this,” Welcome said.

Business Day

]]>123RF<![CDATA[Gold Fields sees full-year production at upper end of guidance ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/company-strategy/2026-11-05-gold-fields-sees-full-year-production-at-upper-end-of-guidance/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/company-strategy/2026-11-05-gold-fields-sees-full-year-production-at-upper-end-of-guidance/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:30:07 +0000Gold Fields has reported slightly lower production for the third quarter, but still expects full-year output to be at the upper end of its guidance even as costs rose by a quarter from a year ago.

The group said on Thursday that gold production declined 3% to 605,000oz in the quarter ended September, while all-in sustaining costs (AISC) were 26% higher than a year ago at $1,965/oz.

CEO Mike Fraser said Salares Norte (Chile) performed strongly in the quarter, producing 136,000oz at an all-in sustaining cost of $437/oz, while Gruyere, St Ives (both in Australia), Tarkwa (Ghana), South Deep (South Africa) and Cerro Corona (Peru) all delivered quarter-on-quarter production increases.

This was partially offset by planned lower production at Salares Norte and lower grades at Agnew in Western Australia.

“The group remains on track to deliver on the upper end of full-year production guidance, supported by a stronger fourth quarter expected, as a result of higher grades planned at St Ives and further improved performance at Gruyere, Tarkwa and Salares Norte,” Fraser said.

The group’s full-year production guidance is for 2.4-million ounces to 2.6-million ounces of gold.

Group AISC of $1,965/oz was in line with the June quarter, but 26% higher than the corresponding quarter in 2025. Gold Fields said this was due to external factors, including higher gold-price-linked royalties, stronger producer country currencies and higher input costs, together with lower year-on-year gold sales in the quarter.

Despite cost pressures mainly due to external factors, AISC and AIC are expected to be between $1,800/oz and $2,000/oz, and $2,075/oz and $2,300/oz, respectively, within its original guidance.

During the quarter, the group’s Windfall project received its certificate of authorisation, confirming completion of the environmental and social impact assessment process and providing authorisation to proceed to construction and full project development.

Windfall is one of the highest-grade gold projects in Canada and is expected to produce about 300,000oz of gold a year once ramped up. The project has the potential to become a cornerstone asset in the company’s portfolio.

Gold Fields will now progress the final investment decision for the project, subject to board approval, which is expected to be published by February 2027, with its 2026 provisional results.

It will also issue an updated construction schedule, the capital estimate for development of the project and the Windfall mineral resources and mineral reserves.

Gold Fields acquired the Windfall Project with its takeover of Toronto-listed Osisko Mining for C$2.16bn (R25.8bn) in 2024.

In September, the group’s A$38.7bn bid to acquire Northern Star Resources was rebutted by the Australian miner’s board, which said it was not appropriate to engage in further discussions at this time.

Gold Fields said at the time of making the approach to the Perth-based miner that it was in line with its strategy to improve the quality and value of its portfolio through investment in high-quality, long-life assets.

Fraser said while the group remains open to engagement, there can be no certainty that further engagement with Northern Star will occur, that the proposal will progress, or that a transaction will ultimately be concluded.

In October, Gold Fields entered into formal agreements with BHP to acquire the Kambalda Nickel Concentrator, surrounding tenements and mineralisation rights in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.

“Given our long-term commitment to the region, this strategic processing asset, its associated infrastructure and the prospective ground adjacent to St Ives are a natural fit for Gold Fields. The acquisition reflects our disciplined and innovative approach to improving the quality of our portfolio and is expected to be completed during 2027,” he said.

The group said it was still awaiting feedback from the Ghanaian government about the renewal of the Tarkwa mining leases.

In November last year, it submitted an early application for the renewal of the five Tarkwa mining leases, which expire in April 2027. In July the group submitted a comprehensive commercial proposal to the government of Ghana to support the lease renewals and the long-term sustainability of the mine.

“While we continue to seek engagement with the government, we are still awaiting feedback on our proposal and have no confirmed timeframe for this response or any further negotiations,” Fraser said.

“Additionally, we continue to experience increased levels of regulatory activity at Tarkwa. With less than six months remaining on the term of the leases, significant uncertainty remains as to the timing, outcome and terms of any renewal. We continue to consider all options available to us with respect to the renewals, including the exercise of our legal rights under the leases, our Development Agreement and at law,” he said.

Business Day

]]>Supplied<![CDATA[After Republicans routed, Trump devotes first post-midterm event to White House ballroom]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-after-republicans-routed-trump-devotes-first-post-midterm-event-to-white-house-ballroom/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-after-republicans-routed-trump-devotes-first-post-midterm-event-to-white-house-ballroom/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:27:40 +0000Hours after his Republican Party suffered historic losses in the US midterm election, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday focused his first public event on lengthy remarks about the White House ballroom.

In the early afternoon, after a morning of silence from the administration, Trump abruptly called reporters to a ceremony where crews hoisted what he said was the new structure’s final steel beam.

The president met with construction workers and provided his second update of the week on beautification projects he is undertaking in the nation’s capital.

“They’re being carved out of beautiful limestone,” Trump said of the ballroom’s pillars. “And they’ll be Corinthian, Corinthian design, which is considered the creme de la creme.”

Democrats took control of the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, winning seats in deeply conservative states that typically favour Republicans by double digits. The strength of the political reversal prompted the White House to acknowledge the unpopularity of the US and Israeli war with Iran.

Some Republican strategists have called for the administration to wrap up the war and shift its focus to bringing prices down for American consumers instead of building opulent structures throughout Washington.

On Monday Trump dedicated most of his final television speech before Tuesday’s election to his administration’s renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Other projects include a granite White House helicopter landing pad, a public golf course renovation and a 76m arch he plans to build beside the Potomac River.

Trump’s first appearance after the election gave little indication he wanted to change course.

During Wednesday’s nearly 20-minute event, Trump acknowledged he had taken flak for spending so much time and energy on prestige projects, but he said the ballroom was needed for the glory of the country.

“I like it,” he said on Wednesday. “For me, it’s relaxing.”

Trump, a billionaire former New York real estate developer, regularly discusses his renovation projects in Washington with reporters. At one point during Wednesday’s event, Trump paused to watch the beam’s installation during a back-and-forth with reporters about the possibility of his impeachment by a Congress led by Democrats.

“Now, envision chandeliers all over,” Trump said. “Envision marble floors. Oh, it’s going to be good.”

Reuters

]]>Evan Vucci<![CDATA[Remanufacturing could lift local automotive production, says RMI]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-remanufacturing-could-lift-local-automotive-production-says-rmi/https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-remanufacturing-could-lift-local-automotive-production-says-rmi/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:27:39 +0000Remanufacturing high-value commercial vehicle components is one of the most immediate opportunities to expand local manufacturing, according to the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI).

Acting CEO of the RMI Henk Ferreira said South Africa needs to look beyond new-vehicle production when considering how to strengthen localisation and build resilience in the automotive sector. Remanufacturing offers one of the most commercially viable opportunities as uncertainty over international trade and growing global competition put pressure on the country’s automotive industry.

Ferreira says components such as engines, cylinder heads, turbochargers, diesel fuel injection systems, compressors and braking and cooling systems can be rebuilt to extend their working lives.

“Remanufacturing retains the engineering and material value already embodied in components while adding local machining, testing, specialist labour and technical expertise,” he says.

“South Africa already has an established base of expertise in this field. The Automotive Remanufacturers’ Association (ARA), an RMI affiliate, represents automotive engineers, component remanufacturers and diesel fuel injection specialists serving trucks, buses, earthmoving equipment and stationary engines.”

Ferreira says the opportunity is to expand this capability by strengthening technical standards, improving access to suitable used components and developing specialist skills. He believes recognising remanufacturing as a form of manufacturing in relevant policy and incentive frameworks would encourage further investment.

The push for greater localisation comes as South Africa will lose preferential access to the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) from January 1.

While the effect of the Agoa decision will vary across the automotive value chain, it highlights the importance of strengthening local manufacturing capacity, developing alternative export opportunities and growing the domestic market for locally produced products, said Ferreira.

The RMI says that localisation should extend beyond new vehicle assembly to include component manufacturing, remanufacturing, commercial vehicle bodies and trailers, maintenance and repair.

South Africa’s local content performance remains below industry ambitions. The South African Automotive Masterplan 2035 set a target of 48.2% local content by 2025, equivalent to R101bn. However, actual local content stood at 39% last year, barely higher than the 38.7% recorded in 2015, according to the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam).

Commercial vehicles offer another opportunity to expand local manufacturing, said the RMI. South Africa sold 25,139 medium, heavy and extra-heavy trucks and buses in the first nine months of 2026, an 8.5% increase year on year.

However, the fragmented market, with sales spread across numerous manufacturers and vehicle platforms, makes local production of major components such as engines, drivelines and cabs difficult to justify economically. The RMI believes greater opportunities lie in shared components, vehicle bodies, trailers and specialised applications. Members of the South African Vehicle and Bodybuilders’ Association already manufacture truck and bus bodies, tankers, tippers, refrigerated bodies and other specialised vehicles.

There is also potential to expand local production of components used across multiple vehicle brands. A study by the Localisation Support Fund and EY estimates South Africa’s automotive aftermarket was worth about R106bn in 2025, identifying batteries, automotive glass and brake friction products as potential localisation opportunities.

Skills shortages remain a constraint. RMI data shows qualified artisans in key trades, including machinists, declined by as much as 8.3% between 2019 and 2023.

Industry initiatives include a new Automotive Machinist Occupational Trade Qualification, with a pilot under way at Golden Arrow’s Western Cape facilities, and efforts to revive diesel fuel injection technician apprenticeships.

The RMI is calling for remanufacturing to be formally recognised in manufacturing incentives.

“Relevant production incentives and standards should support the growth of legitimate remanufacturing businesses, while clearly distinguishing remanufactured components from repaired parts,” said Ferreira.

The RMI also called for greater support for artisan training and the use of public-sector truck and bus procurement to support competitive local suppliers.

Business Day

]]>SCANIA<![CDATA[SIPHO SILINDA | Churches need a banking partner, not just a bank account]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-sipho-silinda-churches-need-a-banking-partner-not-just-a-bank-account/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-sipho-silinda-churches-need-a-banking-partner-not-just-a-bank-account/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:26:04 +0000Across South Africa, churches have been built one offering at a time. Their walls often represent years of giving by people united by faith and belief in the institution they were building together.

About the author: Sipho Silinda is CEO of Public Sector Banking at FNB.
About the author: Sipho Silinda is CEO of Public Sector Banking at FNB.

At a recent engagement hosted by FNB Public Sector Banking for church leaders in KwaZulu-Natal, one participant described church buildings as representing “years of congregational sacrifice”.

That should challenge the way banks and churches think about finance.

A church does not need to become more commercial to become bankable. It needs the financial foundations to protect its purpose, meet its responsibilities and grow without placing the congregation’s sacrifice at unnecessary risk.

Churches are not conventional businesses, but neither are they simply places where contributions are collected and bills are paid. Some employ staff, engage suppliers, maintain substantial facilities, counsel families, develop young people and support vulnerable households.

As church leaders emphasised during the engagement, religious institutions carry a spiritual purpose, a social responsibility and an economic footprint.

The banking industry has not always responded adequately to that complexity.

Needs beyond a bank account

Too often, the relationship begins and ends with an account. A church can deposit contributions and make payments, but the limits become clear when it needs to acquire land, complete a building, upgrade facilities or manage a temporary cash flow gap.

Church leaders told FNB that they often lacked a consistent point of contact. Payment solutions are not always explained in the context of congregational giving. When finance is declined, leaders may receive a decision without understanding whether the concern lies with their records, governance, affordability or proposal.

The problem is not that banks sometimes say no. Responsible lenders must decline applications that are not viable or affordable. The problem is a no that ends the conversation and leaves an institution no better prepared for its next application.

A genuine banking partnership should create a route towards finance readiness, even when the immediate answer is no.

This requires a more informed understanding of bankability. Voluntary giving does not automatically make a church unbankable. Equally, a compelling vision or growing congregation does not make a proposal suitable for credit.

The assessment must be disciplined:

  • Is income reliable and properly recorded?
  • Is financial oversight shared?
  • Does the institution have continuity beyond one leader?
  • Is the purpose of the funding clear and affordable if contributions decline?
  • Is the development appropriately phased?
  • Does the leadership understand the risks of offering church property as security?

These questions protect the lender and, more importantly, the people whose contributions built the institution.

They also place responsibility on church leadership. Pastoral training does not necessarily prepare a leader for budgeting, cash flow forecasting, procurement, payment controls and financial reporting. Yet these disciplines are essential when leaders are entrusted with the contributions of others.

Church leaders acknowledged that they must bring accurate records, sound governance, realistic plans and a commitment to honour their obligations.

That is not the language of commercialising faith. It is the language of stewardship.

Responsible finance for religious institutions

Banks must bring their part too. They need relationship teams that understand religious institutions, credit processes that distinguish unfamiliarity from genuine risk and a willingness to explain what an applicant must strengthen before it can qualify for finance.

As a partner to churches, FNB Public Sector Banking has changed its credit policy to enable lending to non-profit organisations, particularly religious entities, subject to appropriate lending requirements.

This does not mean every church should borrow. Some should not. A loan cannot correct a budget that consistently spends more than it receives, and an ambitious project can weaken an institution.

The change matters because a viable, well-governed religious institution should not be excluded from a serious financing conversation simply because it is a church.

Responsible finance may help an institution acquire land, complete a building or upgrade its facilities. In other cases, the right advice may be to build reserves, improve records, strengthen controls or phase development before applying. Partnership means giving the institution an honest assessment, not manufacturing an approval.

That partnership must extend beyond credit. Churches need payment systems that improve safety and reconciliation while respecting members who continue to give in cash. Leaders, treasurers and boards need practical support in fraud prevention, budgeting, cash flow management and financial accountability.

Churches can also extend financial education into communities. They are familiar settings where young adults can learn to manage a first salary, families can strengthen household budgeting, older people can receive help with digital safety and entrepreneurs can improve the records needed to access finance.

This is where the church’s place within the community economy matters. A financially resilient church can sustain its staff, suppliers, facilities and community programmes. Better-informed members can make stronger household and enterprise decisions. The effect reaches beyond the place of worship.

The next phase of banking for religious institutions should not be measured only by accounts opened or loans approved. It should be judged by whether institutions become financially stronger, congregational resources are better protected and viable applicants have a credible route to responsible finance.

Congregations have built their churches on faith, one offering at a time. Banks must now understand what it takes to help them build their future responsibly.

For more information, contact FNB at info@fnb.co.za

This article was sponsored by FNB.

]]>123RF/pressmaster<![CDATA[Democrats seize Congress as Trump concedes electoral defeat]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-democrats-seize-congress-as-trump-concedes-electoral-defeat/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-democrats-seize-congress-as-trump-concedes-electoral-defeat/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:18:39 +0000Democrats vowed on Wednesday to use their resounding midterm victory to rein in President Donald Trump, setting up two years of possible deadlock in Washington, as Trump spent his first post-election appearance showing off his under-construction White House ballroom.

A wave of anger over Trump’s policies, particularly the US-Iran war’s role in pushing the cost of living higher, helped Democrats take the Senate, where they flipped seats in deeply Republican states for a majority of at least 54-44. Democrats also gained at least 30 seats in the House of Representatives.

It will be the first time that Trump, a Republican who also held the White House from 2017 to 2021, has had to contend with a Democratic-controlled Congress in both chambers.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the incoming majority will be focused on affordability and accountability.

“We don’t work for Donald Trump,” Jeffries, a New York lawmaker who is on track to become the first Black speaker of the House, told reporters on Wednesday. “We work for the American people. And the days of the House of Representatives functioning like a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump administration are over.”

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has emerged as a national Democratic figure since his election a year ago, released a video on social media urging his party to address the concerns of voters burdened by rising prices who want schools and roads.

“It is not enough to simply win power. We must use it,” Mamdani said. “Now, it’s time for us in the Democratic Party to deliver.”

‘For me, it’s relaxing’

Trump, who had devoted his last pre-election public appearance on Monday to talking about his renovations of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, called in reporters on the morning after his party’s sweeping midterm defeat to show off the ballroom he is building at the White House.

“When I get criticised, like, ‘Why are you working on the White House?’ I’m doing it because the White House is the ultimate symbol of America, and it’s got to be pristine; it’s got to be perfect,” Trump said. “For me it’s relaxing.”

He turned only briefly to the elections during his nearly hour-long appearance, telling reporters, “I’ll get along probably with the Democrats, unless they want to be destructive, but I have the power of the veto.”

Trump had cast the midterm elections as a referendum on the first half of his second four-year stint in the White House, repeatedly urging his Republican base to “pretend I’m on the ballot,” a message that Democratic Party leaders were happy to amplify.

The result: voters in conservative strongholds who had propelled the president to his second term in office just two years ago swung dramatically toward Democrats, fuelled by deep frustration over the unpopular war with Iran, anxiety over the high cost of living and anger at Trump’s stewardship of the country.

In Texas, the biggest Republican-led state before Tuesday, Democrats ended a decades-long losing streak in seismic fashion, winning their first Senate seat there since 1988 and ousting three-term Governor Greg Abbott.

Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since the Great Depression nearly a century ago, and in South Carolina, a state that Trump carried by nearly 18 points in 2024, Democrats turned aside his hand-picked Senate candidate.

Waiting on Alaska, Mississippi

Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi remained uncalled as of Wednesday morning, leaving open the possibility that the Democrats’ majority could grow by another two seats to 56-44.

Once seated in January, Democrats are expected to use their power to investigate Trump’s administration, family and allies and demand concessions on major legislation. The Democratic Senate can block Trump’s nominees, including any US Supreme Court justices, should a vacancy arise.

The Democratic victory is fuelling questions about the longevity of the Supreme Court’s two eldest justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, and the durability of its ​conservative majority.

In the meantime, Republicans hold the reins and will have at least one must-pass piece of legislation ahead — a measure to fund the federal government past December — that they could use to enact conservative priorities during the so-called lame-duck period.

The loss also upended Republicans’ House leadership, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying he would not continue to lead his caucus next year.

Trump, who is barred by the US Constitution from seeking a third term, acknowledged the war with Iran had played a role in his party’s losses but stood by his decision.

Vice-president JD Vance, who may run as a Trump successor in the 2028 election, piled blame on his boss’s decision to attack Iran in February.

“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance wrote in a long social media post. “The president himself said so last night. If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay.”

Democratic wave

Democrats focused their campaign on corruption and affordability, blaming Trump’s expensive tariffs on imports, some of which were ruled to be an illegal tax by the courts, and the war with Iran for driving up costs while highlighting the billions of dollars the Trump family has made since he returned to the White House.

Republicans, led by Trump, attacked Democrats for defending transgender people’s rights and similar social issues, portraying them as radical and extreme. Voters made it clear they were more concerned with pocketbook issues.

“This is close to an extinction-level event for Republicans,” Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis said in public remarks analysing the results.

The Democratic wave flooded huge swaths of the country. Republicans lost ground in 99% of the approximately 2,100 counties where most votes had been counted as of Wednesday morning, according to tallies compiled by Reuters and USA Today.

Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat from the party’s rising left wing, won Michigan’s open Senate seat, becoming the first Muslim elected to the chamber and defeating Mike Rogers, who entered the race with Trump’s backing.

The night included other historic firsts for both parties, including the first Black woman elected governor in US history with Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms’ win in Georgia and New Mexico’s Deb Haaland becoming the country’s first Native American woman to be elected governor.

Reuters

]]>Jonathan Ernst<![CDATA[Democratic victories bring historic breakthroughs for US women and minorities]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-democratic-victories-bring-historic-breakthroughs-for-us-women-and-minorities/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-05-democratic-victories-bring-historic-breakthroughs-for-us-women-and-minorities/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:14:30 +0000Voters across the US elected a historic slate of women, candidates of colour and other underrepresented politicians on Tuesday, reshaping the face of political leadership as the Democrats rode a wave of dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s administration to major gains nationwide.

Democrats flipped control of both the House of Representatives and Senate while winning key statewide races, delivering milestone victories.

Gina Hinojosa became the first Latino elected governor of Texas, Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan the first Muslim elected to the Senate and Deb Haaland of New Mexico the first Native American woman elected governor. In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first black woman elected governor of a state, while Xavier Becerra was the first Latino elected as governor of California. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire made history as the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate.

The breakthroughs marked a striking expansion of who holds political power at the highest levels of American government, in a country where people of marginalised backgrounds have long been underrepresented.

“From coast to coast, voters spoke with clarity. Democrats must now govern courageously,” former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said.

Pollsters and political analysts said the Democratic gains appeared to stem from a combination of economic frustration and dissatisfaction with the Iran war, tariffs, aggressive immigration enforcement, perceived government corruption and the country’s broader direction, among other issues.

Democrats made unexpected gains in deeply conservative states, suggesting the party attracted Republicans while rebuilding support within its traditional coalition, analysts, civil rights leaders and grassroots voter organizations said. Black and Latino voters had become increasingly contested constituencies in recent election cycles.

“You can’t take for granted the Hispanic voters in this country, the black voters, the young voters, and if we don’t deliver, they can swing right back,” said Democratic strategist Bakari Sellers.

Democratic victories in Republican-leaning states helped flip the House and Senate and signaled a broader voter backlash against Republican leadership, said Vanderbilt University political scientist John Geer, who studies public opinion. “It’s an old-fashioned thumping that we haven’t seen in quite a while,” Geer said. Republicans made a series of promises in 2024, “and almost none of them were kept. This is the public’s reaction to it.”

Economic concerns, including the rising costs of housing, health care, food and fuel, cut across racial and political lines, said Greg Lewis, executive director of Souls to the Polls, a Milwaukee-based civic engagement organisation.

Lewis, who voted for Wisconsin Democrat David Crowley, the state’s first black governor-elect, said voters were frustrated with the economic pressures facing their families. “When you start getting into people’s pockets, you have a problem,” Lewis said.

In Texas, Hinojosa’s defeat of governor Greg Abbott ended a 31-year Republican hold on the governor’s office. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Senate race, delivering one of the night’s biggest surprises in a state Trump carried comfortably in 2024.

Democrat Jon Rosenthal won a seat on the Railroad Commission of Texas, becoming the first Jewish candidate elected to statewide executive office, according to the Jewish Herald-Voice.

“We all had hope, but to see it come to fruition is breathtaking,” said Joshua Arce, a Texas resident and president of Partnership With Native Americans. He said the results reflected a Republican Party that had failed to offer voters a compelling policy agenda.

The election’s gains in representation were not limited to Democrats. In Florida, US representative Byron Donalds, a Republican, became the first black governor elected in the state’s history.

Melik Abdul, a Republican strategist and Trump supporter, said the result underscored tensions between the party’s criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and the growing prominence of black Republicans.

“Republicans spent the last year linking diversity, equity and inclusion to black people and the idea that they were unqualified. How ironic that a black guy ends up being the biggest win the Republicans had,” Abdul said.

From representation to influence

However, experts cautioned that electoral breakthroughs do not automatically translate into greater political influence, lasting policy changes or institutional reform.

The ability of newly elected officials to shape legislation, control congressional committee agendas, direct government spending and influence party leadership will depend on the institutions they enter, the coalitions they build and the balance of power within their parties, political experts said.

Within the Congressional Black Caucus and the Democratic Party more broadly, an influx of new lawmakers could expose generational tensions between established members who hold influential leadership and committee positions and younger lawmakers seeking a greater role in shaping the party’s agenda, said Nadia Brown, director of women’s and gender studies at Georgetown University.

“What I think is going to happen, what we’ve seen is, unfortunately, is that the older members and those in leadership will cannibalise their young, and that’s what I’m really concerned about,” Brown said.

She said longstanding barriers facing many communities, especially unemployment for black women, are unlikely to disappear simply because more women and people of colour won office.

“What was broken by a stroke of a pen cannot be fixed with another, and it’s going to take time to rebuild.”

Reuters

]]>James Talarico via X<![CDATA[PETER BRUCE | Private train trial run shifts SA rail onto new track]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-peter-bruce-private-train-trial-run-shifts-sa-rail-onto-new-track/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-peter-bruce-private-train-trial-run-shifts-sa-rail-onto-new-track/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000Without any fanfare something remarkable has just happened. On Sunday logistics and shipping group Grindrod put a privately owned cargo trainset on a Transnet line in Komatipoort and returned on Wednesday with a load of 2,991 tonnes of coal. It was a trial run, but tangible evidence that a new era really is opening up on our rail system.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will have been relieved. His reforms have been slow and, in the case of power generation, painless. But bringing private operators onto the state’s rail system is a big deal.

We can argue about whether the reforms are evidence of genuinely new thinking or merely the ANC trying to cloak repairs to the many things it has broken as a genuine new direction. But it would have required Grindrod ― and other companies about to begin operating private concessions on Transnet track ― to make a giant leap of faith and spend a hideous amount of money on the risk. It will not go unnoticed.

If there’s an investment case for South Africa it’s moments like this that best make it. A pity then that in so many other parts of the economy state chaos reigns. Just last week SAA was given R1bn to help tide it over the rocketing cost of jet fuel. Because why?

We were promised the end of bailouts, or hand-outs, to SAA years ago. Do FlySafair or Lift or Airlink have a secret source of cheap fuel that SAA doesn’t? We won’t see that R1bn again and if the past is any guide the begging bowl will soon be out again.

Industrial policy remains a mess. Under its flagship “black industrialists” programme the government has spent close to R20bn trying to create a generation of nimble, black-owned steelmakers, forgers and foundries ― an idea born out of frustration around 2010, when it was complaining about the steel prices ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa, formerly Iscor) was charging. It wanted lower, “developmental”, prices and for a period no state-owned company was allowed to buy any steel from Amsa.

But the subsidies it has poured into new black-owned steel companies, to little effect on prices, have in turn so crippled Amsa that the government ― wait for it ― is in talks to spend upwards of R7bn taking it over! It’s mad. Chinese production of steel is so huge that it’s impossible to escape the tens of millions of tonnes of it on the high seas looking for markets, because a property collapse in China has broken its domestic market. It’s pretty decent steel too, and going cheap, cheap.

You can’t suddenly wake up and decide steel (and in Amsa’s case steelmaking) is somehow “strategic” though, worthy of rescue at whatever cost without taking responsibility upfront for how much it’ll cost to buy the company and then run it in the face of pitiless Chinese competition.

None of this is easy. You inherit problems when you run economies. But Ramaphosa, while reforming on one hand, has, on the other, sat back and allowed his ANC cabinet colleagues to create entirely new ones all on their own. Just last week electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa was obliged to announce that a bid window for 2,000MW of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired electricity had failed because none of the bidders could guarantee they could actually provide the required LNG.

The question is why we are trying to generate power with LNG in the first place. We never have, but in the pursuit of “flexibility” and “stability” in the power grid we now must? I don’t buy this. It’s as if there’s another agenda at play. LNG is widely used in power supply in big industrialised countries, but it is easily the most volatile fuel in terms of price and we don’t have any of our own.

We would become dependent on another commodity we have no control over. In June, announcing a partnership to develop an LNG-fired power station at Richards Bay, Eskom CEO Dan Marokane said gas would be “used as a bridge fuel to support the transition to a low-carbon energy system”.

In other words, we would end up building and paying for a stranded asset. There are big industrial users here facing imminent cessation of their gas supplies, piped from Mozambique, but the electricity plans — should they ever come to fruition — would be way too late now to save them.

There’s a real urgency, yes, to build an LNG terminal, probably at Richards Bay, to land the gas for existing gas users who need the extreme heat LNG can generate. But there’s no way we need it for electricity.

• Bruce is a former editor of Business Day.

]]>CNSPHOTO VIA REUTERS/CHINA OUT<![CDATA[SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-sa-voter-turnout-threatens-to-redraw-political-map/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-sa-voter-turnout-threatens-to-redraw-political-map/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 18:16:21 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to further weaken the ANC and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12-million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5-million at 10am, according to preliminary figures released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in a briefing on Wednesday night. Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3-million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5-million and the Western Cape at 1.5-million.

Voting was largely orderly in major centres with long queues forming outside some polling stations and no immediate reports of widespread disruptions. The commission said the process was progressing well, apart from a few isolated incidents. It has up to seven days to declare the final results.

The elections will determine the composition of 257 municipal councils responsible for providing essential services, including water, electricity and roads. The outcome will be consequential for residents of towns and cities that have endured deteriorating infrastructure and persistent failures in basic service delivery.

The outcome will determine whether fragile coalition arrangements in major municipalities, including Johannesburg, survive or give way to new governing partnerships. With no party expected to secure outright control of several major councils, negotiations could prove as consequential as the vote itself.

“Voting has progressed well across the country, notwithstanding a few isolated incidents. As voting enters the evening period, adequate arrangements have been made to ensure the availability of generators and alternative lighting facilities at voting stations in areas that have experienced electricity outages, thereby ensuring that the counting process proceeds without unnecessary disruption,” IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo said.

The results could influence coalition arrangements at national level, as parties assess their relative strength ahead of future negotiations.

Opinion polls indicate that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC will lose ground to the DA, its main rival, and former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party. The ANC faces particular pressure in KwaZulu-Natal, where the MK has emerged as a formidable challenger.

The commission arranged generators and alternative lighting at stations in areas affected by power outages to ensure counting can proceed. Electricity interruptions have been a recurring problem in South African towns and cities.

A handful of stations in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as one in Mpumalanga, opened late because of local protests and adverse weather conditions. All were operating by 9am, according to the commission.

The IEC also recorded an instance of theft of unused, unmarked ballot papers and ballot validation stamps in ward two in eThekwini in the early hours of the morning.

“In an instance where we know which ballots have been stolen, where we know which area they relate to, they will simply not be able to find a way... I can assure you, there is absolutely no way that those ballots stolen in that location in KwaZulu-Natal will find their way into any of our processes,” IEC chair Mosotho Moepya said.

Conditions on the ground varied. Wade Manning of Defend Our Democracy, an independent election-monitoring group, said many polling stations reported orderly voting and adequate staffing, while others experienced long queues and problems with scanners.

The organisation deployed just under 2,500 observers to more than 1,500 voting stations. By midday, it had received reports from more than 500 stations across 64 municipalities, most of them in Gauteng.

Waiting times reached two hours or longer in some communities, Manning said. One community in Johannesburg reported a queue of more than three hours while voters at other stations completed the process in less than 15 minutes.

Some voters were turned away after arriving at stations where they were not registered. They were instructed to vote at their designated polling stations as municipal elections do not allow voters to cast ballots outside the stations where they are registered.

Observers also reported disputes in parts of Johannesburg over party regalia, with supporters gathering in party clothing and singing near polling stations. Manning said it was unclear whether some of the activity constituted campaigning within the boundaries of polling stations, which is prohibited.

Ballots will be counted at the polling stations where they were cast, in the presence of party agents and accredited observers. Party agents may photograph signed result slips, which are then scanned, captured and audited at local commission offices before the final declaration.

“Another key note is that we’ve also seen a couple of reports coming through regarding party regalia and what constitutes campaigning within a demarcated voting station or boundary, Manning said. ”And so a couple of those reports coming through, particularly in regions in Johannesburg, of certain parties who are campaigning or grouping together, wearing regalia, singing party songs, so to speak, and whether that constitutes actual political campaigning within the boundaries.”

Business Day

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[Trump election rebuke hands US trading partners room to resist]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-04-trump-election-rebuke-hands-us-trading-partners-room-to-resist/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-04-trump-election-rebuke-hands-us-trading-partners-room-to-resist/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:37:03 +0000By Jihoon Lee, Tamiyuki Kihara, Saurabh Sharma and Kevin Yao

A backlash against President Donald Trump’s Republican Party over rising living costs in the midterm elections could embolden countries around the world to resist his combative trade policies, which have raised prices for American consumers.

Democrats captured majorities in both the Senate and House on Tuesday, as US voters delivered a stinging rebuke for Trump’s policies, specifically tariffs and the Iran war, which they blame for persistent inflation.

That could give countries more reason to slow-walk investment pledges they made to stave off tariffs and hand economic rival China a perceived upper hand in ongoing trade talks, political analysts and economists said.

Trump’s next major international outing will be a trip to Asia later this month, where he is due to meet with Southeast Asian leaders in the Philippines and then join the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum in Shenzhen, China.

Japan and South Korea, America’s closest allies in Asia, promised $550bn and $350bn, respectively, in US investments last year under deals with Trump.

“Democrats seem to perceive that the investment commitments were forced on allies,” said Heo Yoon, economics professor at Sogang University in Seoul, adding that countries might now feel less pressure to fulfil such commitments.

But others cautioned that Trump, criticised at home, could squeeze allies harder abroad, pushing them to deliver pledged investments to show his policies are working.

“The tariff issue is not over. If Japan’s response is slow, calls for additional tariffs could resurface,” said Kazuhiro Maeshima, a professor of US politics at Sophia University in Tokyo.

South Korea has become a lightning rod for Trump’s anger at countries he believes have not lived up to investment pledges made to stave off tariffs he says are needed to rebalance US trade with allies and rivals alike. Most recently, Seoul pushed back on Trump’s assertions that it had agreed to fund Alaska LNG, a liquefied natural gas pipeline project.

While Trump can still wield executive power over tariff policy, Ban Kil-joo, international relations professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said scrutiny from Congress over such projects could give Seoul “more valuable time” to review and assess them.

India tariff

For countries like India, still negotiating trade deals with the US, the midterm results could provide an incentive to adopt a wait-and-see approach, analysts said.

India’s trade minister earlier this month said the first phase of an India-US trade deal was in the final stages of drafting but reiterated that ​New Delhi would proceed only if it secures an advantage over competing exporters.

New Delhi and Washington agreed in February to a framework that reduced to 18% from 50% a punitive tariff on most Indian goods, imposed in August last year after an earlier round of talks collapsed.

After the midterms, the White House may face greater pressure to avoid a return to trade wars that could further raise costs for American consumers, said Tommy Xie, head of Asia macro research at OCBC Bank.

Others, however, warned against the possibility of Trump becoming more flexible.

“Countries such as India should remain cautious. A Democratic victory will not necessarily make Trump more accommodating towards any country,” said Rajiv Bhatia, a former Indian diplomat and distinguished fellow at Gateway House, a think tank.

Bhatia added that India should undertake greater diplomatic preparation and engage more actively with the US Congress to press its concerns on trade, tariffs and visa-related issues.

China trade truce

China, which has struck a fragile trade truce with the US that expires in January, will be thinking of ways to use Trump’s political fragility to strengthen its hand in trade talks, analysts said.

“President Xi Jinping will recognize that Trump’s authority has been greatly weakened by these results and will no doubt be thinking about ways of exploiting that,” said Saul Eslake, an economist at Corinna Economic Advisory in Australia.

But others said Trump’s travails are not necessarily good news for Beijing.

The US president has gone to great lengths to improve relations with Xi — including hosting him for a lavish state visit in September — and a Democratic-controlled Congress may constrain his ability to offer sweeteners for future deals.

“Democrats are unlikely to give Trump free rein on deals with Beijing,” said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis, adding that they had already criticised Trump’s summits with Xi for limited substance on key issues such as AI.

A Democratic Congress is more likely to support tighter tech export controls and scrutiny of supply chains for AI and semiconductors, which will give Trump less flexibility on concessions impacting those high-growth segments, she said.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, told reporters that the midterms were an internal matter for the US and that Beijing would continue to manage differences and expand cooperation with Washington.

Reuters

]]>Mike Segar<![CDATA[EXPLAINER | How the US midterms affect the rest of the world]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-04-explainer-how-the-us-midterms-affect-the-rest-of-the-world/https://www.businessday.co.za/world/americas/2026-11-04-explainer-how-the-us-midterms-affect-the-rest-of-the-world/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:18:24 +0000The US Democrats’ “blue wave” of midterm election victories is already causing ripples across the rest of the world, where trade partners, strategic allies and enemies all see implications in the result.

Iran and Israel

It is not immediately clear how US President Donald Trump’s loss of control over Congress will shape the course of his country’s eight-month-old conflict with Iran. Voters have shown they are weary of the conflict, which many blame for painfully higher fuel prices. Some Gulf governments now believe Trump has more reason than ever to seek a peace deal and that another full-scale assault on Iran is less likely after the midterms, two sources familiar with Gulf government thinking said.

But Trump’s electoral drubbing may also embolden Iran.

“If Tehran recognises that Trump needs a deal, but not just any deal, a genuine opportunity could emerge to end the war,” said Ebtesam al-Ketbi of the Emirates Policy Center. However, reading the vote as weakness could instead invite “a new military escalation”, she added.

For Israel, a Democrat-controlled House and Senate may intensify congressional scrutiny of Israel’s military operations in Iran as well as in Gaza and Lebanon, while threatening long-standing US support for Israel through military aid and weapons sales.

Rivals seeking to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seized on the Democrats’ wins to lambaste him for a loss of bipartisan US support under his watch, as they seek to forge a coalition following an inconclusive Israeli election last week.

Fuel pump prices

The Iran war has choked supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf, driving up the cost of crude oil and prices at fuel pumps around the world.

The energy market wagered on Wednesday that the elections could breathe more life into US-Iran peace talks. Oil dropped for a third day, but tight stock levels prevented a larger selloff, analysts said.

“The market increasingly appears to be betting that President Trump wants to put the Middle East war behind him,” said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen.

Ukraine

Trump has largely halted direct US financial and military aid to Ukraine as it fights a Russian invasion, despite broad support from Democratic and Republican legislators. He has angered members of Congress, including many Republicans, by lifting sanctions on Russian diesel and waiving sanctions on Russian energy only weeks after signing them into law.

Control of both chambers of Congress will allow Democrats to propose new aid to Ukraine. If they get enough backing from Republicans and secure a two-thirds majority, a new aid package would survive a Trump veto. However, any boost to US aid is unlikely to come quickly, and it will not address Ukraine’s most pressing need — a deficit of US-made Patriot air defence interceptors to protect its energy infrastructure and cities this winter.

Democrats could also target other Trump policies.

Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, a candidate to head the House foreign affairs committee, has introduced bipartisan legislation to block Trump’s plan to bring Russian diesel back into the global market. But the midterms are unlikely to change the Trump administration’s position in trilateral peace talks with Russia, where it has pressured Ukraine to make concessions to reach a deal while it simultaneously discusses business deals with Moscow that would favour US investors.

The Kremlin said it hoped the midterm results would not impact what it called Trump’s “peacemaking efforts”.

Trade

The elections could give some countries in Asia more reason to slow-walk investment pledges they made to stave off tariffs, and hand economic rival China a perceived upper hand in ongoing trade talks, analysts said.

However, broad US-China economic relations will probably maintain a state of “fragile stability”, said Chim Lee, industrial policy analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing.

Trump’s midterm losses could spell relief for India’s negotiations for a trade deal with the US, which has faced delays as New Delhi strives to protect its farmers.

“After the US midterm losses, President Donald Trump’s capacity to impose arbitrary tariffs will certainly face a challenge. At some point he needs the Congress’s approval for trade actions and, to that extent, he’s weakened,” said Anup Wadhawan, a former trade secretary to India’s federal government.

Congress has the right to regulate commerce and set import duties, but Trump has taken advantage of laws to impose tariffs on grounds of national security or unfair trade practices. Democratic Party efforts to limit that power would be likely to face a presidential veto.

Another question is whether Trump will follow through on more immediate threats, such as a 100% tariff on European countries that impose a digital services tax on American tech giants, or whether a €3bn loan to Airbus from the European Investment Bank will undermine what has been largely a transatlantic trade truce since 2025.

AI and tech

Exit polling revealed that many US voters were concerned about the aggressive buildout of AI data centres. That sent shivers through the shares of major Asian chip manufacturers.

“A Democratic sweep of Congress would put pressure on tech and potentially bring regulatory pressure on everything AI and possibly slow down the wild, wild west growth figures that we see daily and often take for granted,” said Jake Dollarhide, CEO of Longbow Asset Management in Oklahoma.

Asian chip and AI stocks such as TSMC, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Kioxia all fell on Wednesday.

Asian investors’ concerns were also reflected in pre-market trade in US markets where shares in US data centre operators fell, including Applied, TeraWulf, Core Scientific and Iren.

Reuters

]]>Majid Asgaripour<![CDATA[‘A quick no is better than a delayed yes’: Johann Rupert on SA]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/company-strategy/2026-11-05-remgro-chair-rupert-warns-uncertain-global-landscape-no-longer-episodic/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/company-strategy/2026-11-05-remgro-chair-rupert-warns-uncertain-global-landscape-no-longer-episodic/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:23:49 +0000Remgro chair Johann Rupert has warned investors that uncertainty will no longer be episodic but will remain a defining feature of the global landscape.

Writing in the group’s latest annual report, Rupert highlighted that slower global growth, geopolitical tension, inflation risk, elevated sovereign debt levels and capital market volatility all have the potential to affect investing outcomes.

He added that increasing political polarisation and protectionist policy tendencies are additional concerns.

“Political developments in major economies and in South Africa will continue to influence confidence and provide indicators for policy direction in an increasingly complex world economy,” he said.

Rupert said the global environment in the past year had been volatile and uncertain characterised by geopolitical tension, armed conflict, persistent fiscal pressure in many major economies, shifting trade patterns, rapid technological change and the advance of artificial intelligence. It continued to reshape the way capital, labour and ideas move across borders.

“These forces are not only creating new efficiencies and opportunities, but they also require careful judgment, particularly where technological progress raises questions of trust, social cohesion and the responsible use of innovation.”

In South Africa, the operating environment remained difficult, though not without signs of progress, he said. He cited lower inflation, a more stable energy environment, and greater collaboration between the public and private sectors as encouraging signs.

This was countered by low economic growth, high unemployment, infrastructure constraints, fiscal pressure and policy implementation delays, which continue to weigh on confidence and investment.

He highlighted the need for policy certainty and infrastructure reliability to unlock South Africa’s potential.

“Without sustained economic growth, achieving a meaningful reduction in unemployment and improving living standards at scale remains constrained. The resultant negative impacts on social cohesion have already been felt and [are] likely [to] continue, alongside the potential for suboptimal long-term policy decisions.”

Yet, the group’s outlook for South Africa remains one of realistic optimism.

“Our country possesses exceptional human capital, diverse cultures, sophisticated financial markets and significant natural endowments, all of which combine to offer the prospect of compelling investment opportunity,” Rupert wrote.

“To unlock this potential, South Africa must ensure policy certainty, infrastructure reliability and expansion, regulatory efficiency, rule of law and quick decision-making. A quick no is better than a delayed yes,” he said.

“As investors, we remain optimistic about South Africa’s long-term prospects because of its resilience, entrepreneurial spirit and underlying economic strengths. We believe that countries, companies and communities that retain discipline, adapt quickly and remain anchored in sound principles can distinguish themselves in difficult times.”

For the year to end-June, Remgro reported a 42.3% rise in headline earnings to R11.14bn, with HEPS rising to R20.03 from R14.09.

The group declared a final dividend of 422c per share, taking the total dividend for the year to 595c, up 73%, as well as a special dividend of 550c per share. Performance across the group’s portfolio was driven more by company-specific progress than by broad macroeconomic tailwinds.

The group, which has a market valuation of R110bn, has investments in Mediclinic, Heineken, RCL Foods, Rainbow Chicken, Outsurance, TotalEnergies and eMedia, among others.

So far this year, its shares are up 15.6%.

Business Day

]]>REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque<![CDATA[Side hustles and more debt: nearly 75% of consumers seek new income]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-south-africans-turn-to-side-hustles-and-debt-as-cost-of-living-pressures-mount/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-south-africans-turn-to-side-hustles-and-debt-as-cost-of-living-pressures-mount/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000More South Africans are looking for additional sources of income and considering taking on more debt to maintain their lifestyles as rising food, fuel and electricity costs put pressure on household finances.

Nearly three-quarters of financially pressured consumers say they are likely to seek additional income streams, including side hustles, while a quarter are likely to increase their debt to afford their current lifestyles, according to new research by market research group NielsenIQ (NIQ).

The findings point to continued financial pressure on households, with 41% of South Africans saying they are financially worse off than they were a year ago, compared with 37% in the previous year. Only 38% say they are better off.

The research comes from NIQ’s Consumer Outlook 2027 survey, which covered more than 21,000 respondents across 31 countries and was combined with the group’s measurements of actual purchasing behaviour.

Rising living costs are the biggest reason financially challenged South Africans give for their worsening circumstances. NIQ said about 79% of respondents in this group identify the cost of living as a major factor affecting their finances.

Food prices are the biggest immediate concern, with 34% of consumers worried about further increases. A further 23% are concerned about higher utility bills, while 22% point to fuel and transport costs.

Focus on essentials

The findings show how households are responding to pressure on their budgets with consumers becoming far more selective about how they spend their money. According to NIQ, more than four in 10 say they have stopped buying certain products so they can focus on essentials, reflecting the pressure many households are feeling.

To stretch their budgets further, about half of consumers are shopping more often at discount and value retailers, while nearly six in 10 are making greater use of loyalty programmes and reward points. Many are also keeping a close eye on the total cost of their shopping baskets rather than focusing only on individual item prices, the NIQ found.

Promotions are playing a bigger role in purchasing decisions. Nearly half of consumers say they are likely to buy in bulk or stock up on their favourite brands when they are on special.

At the same time, consumers’ understanding of value for money is evolving. Rather than simply looking for the lowest price, many are carefully weighing quality, affordability and long-term value when deciding what to buy.

NIQ says the consumer market is becoming increasingly divided between shoppers looking for lower prices and those prepared to pay more for premium products, while mainstream-priced goods face pressure.

“South Africa is an extreme example of a global trend: the mainstream market hollowing out while both value and premium products gain share,” says NIQ South Africa MD Zak Haeri.

The research found that 14.9% of sales value comes from value products, while mainstream products account for 52.6% and premium products 32.6%.

More than seven in 10 consumers say they would rather save money when a product is not clearly better than a cheaper alternative, according to the NIQ. However, 64% say they prefer a clearly premium product when they decide to spend more.

South Africa is an extreme example of a global trend: the mainstream market hollowing out while both value and premium products gain share

Zak Haeri, NIQ South Africa MD

Affordability remains the biggest driver of purchasing decisions, with 39% of shoppers saying it is the most important factor when deciding whether a product is worth the price. However, consumers are not focused on cost alone. More than a quarter (26%) place the greatest value on quality and performance, suggesting they are looking for products that deliver lasting value rather than simply the cheapest option.

Financial pressures are also influencing longer-term decisions.

While three-quarters of consumers are exploring ways to generate additional income, a quarter say they may take on more debt to manage rising living costs. This highlights the growing challenge many households face as they try to maintain their lifestyles while grappling with the gap between income and expenses.

According to Haeri, these realities are making consumers more deliberate and discerning in their spending, increasingly scrutinising their purchases and expecting brands and retailers to clearly demonstrate why their products deserve a place in their budgets.

“Spending by exception is becoming the new norm, as South African consumers demand stronger justification for every purchase decision,” he says.

“The FMCG brands that thrive in 2027 will be those that have a nuanced understanding of where demand is emerging and which consumers are driving it.”

Business Day

]]>supplied<![CDATA[Europe seeks restrictions on BYD over spying concerns]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-europe-seeks-restrictions-on-byd-over-spying-concerns/https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-europe-seeks-restrictions-on-byd-over-spying-concerns/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000More than a dozen members of the European Parliament (MEPs) urged the European Commission on Wednesday to assess whether BYD cars pose a security threat and should be subject to restrictions, such as excluding them from public procurement purchases.

The US military, without detailing specific concerns, last month banned vehicles of the Chinese carmaker from Kadena air base on Japan’s Okinawa island, saying they posed an “unacceptable” and “unmitigable risk”.

In written questions to the EU’s executive, 14 MEPs asked for the bloc’s cybersecurity agency to assess the level of threat and potentially include BYD on a list of high-risk suppliers.

Francois Kalfon, the French MEP leading the push, wrote in a preamble to the questions that China’s 2017 national intelligence law required companies to co-operate with the state.

“Allowing connected vehicles from third countries to access sensitive European infrastructure therefore poses an unacceptable security risk,” he wrote.

BYD said no data processed or stored, whether in the cloud or within a vehicle, can be remotely accessed from China, and customers remained in control of their data.

“BYD Europe does not make such data available to BYD entities or third parties in China,” it said.

Kalfon referred to unspecified measures taken by Poland, Britain and Israel and said, without naming any car brand, that Norwegian soldiers had found Chinese vehicles rented during a military exercise had filmed them and their access codes to military bases.

The MEPs want to know if the commission intends to restrict Chinese vehicles’ access to strategic dual-use infrastructure and to exclude BYD from public procurement. While the commission proposed new rules in September for public tenders that could boost the European content of winning bids, BYD could still take part as it has a production facility in Hungary and is planning more plants on the continent.

The European commission typically has six weeks to respond to lawmakers’ questions.

Kalfon also sent a letter to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Wednesday, urging the government to take measures to contain the risk of spying by Chinese-connected vehicles, and BYD cars in particular.

Reuters

]]>Nqobile Dludla<![CDATA[Australian F1 world champion Alan Jones dies aged 80]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-australian-f1-world-champion-alan-jones-dies-aged-80/https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-australian-f1-world-champion-alan-jones-dies-aged-80/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 04:48:34 +0000Alan Jones, who was the second Australian and first Williams driver to win the Formula One world title, died on Thursday, a few days after his 80th birthday.

Jones followed in the footsteps of compatriot Jack Brabham when he secured the drivers’ title in 1980 to become the first of the British team’s seven world champions.

“We are extremely saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Alan, who passed away on November 5 after a short illness,” his wife Amanda Butler-Davis said in a statement released on her behalf by Motorsport Australia.

“He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by those closest to him, and the many fans whose support he was always grateful for.”

A tough, uncompromising racer, Jones was the archetype of the sort of driver Frank Williams looked for as he built a team that won nine constructors’ world titles in the 1980s and 1990s.

“He never needed propping up mentally because he was a very determined and bullish character,” Williams, who died in 2021, said of the Australian, according to the sport’s official website.

“He didn’t need any babysitting or handholding and that’s the way it should be. It shouldn’t be necessary for me to ask a driver if he is happy, or if he needs his underwear changed.”

Born in Melbourne, the son of a racing driver, Jones headed to Europe to further his ambitions and made his Formula One debut in a Hesketh at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix.

He took the first of his 12 race wins in Austria for the Shadow team in 1977, but his career was largely undistinguished until he joined Williams in 1978.

Jones won five world championship races in the 1980 season and finished on the podium in all but one of the grands prix he completed to clinch the title ahead of Brazilian Nelson Piquet.

He remains Australia’s last Formula One champion and the last local to win the Australian Grand Prix, taking the chequered flag at Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway in 1980 when the race was not part of the world championship.

Jones started in 116 Formula One races and earned his last victory in Las Vegas in 1981 before announcing his retirement at the end of the season.

After spurning an approach from Ferrari and dropping in for a few races, Jones made a proper return to Formula One with the new Haas team in 1985 and raced largely unsuccessfully through the 1986 season before retiring for good.

He continued to compete in touring car and endurance races, mostly in Australia, until the early years of the new century, last racing in V8 Supercars in 2002.

After his Formula One career, Jones became a motorsports pundit on Australian TV, where his insight and straight-talking proved popular with fans.

“Alan dedicated his life to motorsport, building a legacy that will live on through the countless people he touched along the way,” his wife’s statement said.

“Through his achievements, passion and unmistakable character, both on and off the track, Alan left an enduring mark on the sport nationally and across the globe.”

Reuters

]]>John Eggitt<![CDATA[Ramaphosa says US midterms spark hope for a reset in world relations]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-04-ramaphosa-says-us-midterms-spark-hope-for-a-reset-in-world-relations/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-04-ramaphosa-says-us-midterms-spark-hope-for-a-reset-in-world-relations/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 10:54:35 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that the results from midterm elections in the US would usher in a new era in world relations after millions of voters delivered a scathing rebuke to President Donald Trump.

Relations between South Africa and the US are at a low point.

This week Trump’s administration moved to end South Africa’s duty-free access to the US market after last year cutting financial aid and expelling its previous ambassador to Washington.

Trump has targeted the country largely due to what he said is its persecution of white people, which South Africa says is a false narrative spread by fringe groups.

“We have seen that the Democrats have taken control of the Senate and of the House, and the people of America have spoken. I do think that this is going to introduce a new era in world relations,” Ramaphosa told reporters after casting his vote in South Africa’s municipal elections.

Ramaphosa said Monday’s announcement that South Africa would be suspended from Washington’s African Growth and Opportunity Act trade initiative from January “is indeed a negative for us” and that the focus should be on negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US.

“While we are sad that we’ve been removed from Agoa, our trade relations with the US continue,” he said.

Ramaphosa said South Africa had been working to secure new export markets and “diversification has now become the order of the day”.

Reuters

]]>Phando Jikelo<![CDATA[Untangling the mysterious vanishing of mystery writer Agatha Christie]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/lifestyle/books/2026-10-29-untangling-the-mysterious-vanishing-of-mystery-writer-agatha-christie/https://www.businessday.co.za/lifestyle/books/2026-10-29-untangling-the-mysterious-vanishing-of-mystery-writer-agatha-christie/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000“One hundred years ago, in December 1926, from the night of the 3rd until the evening of the 14th, Agatha Christie disappeared … How, why?”

In the very readable and painstakingly researched Eleven Days, author Laura Thompson attempts to answer these questions about this high-profile, century-old, but still unsolved, mystery.

The author’s task is not easy. She explains that “the facts are elusive, contradictory, all too often uncorroborated, and if evidence cannot be tested, it cannot be trusted”.

She shows, in detail, how often basic facts differed from one media report to another and how the police failed to take seriously many reported sightings and the whole range of explanations for the disappearance of the crime novelist — because they were convinced from the start that she had been murdered by her husband, Archie Christie.

Thompson may be exaggerating when she writes that the disappearance “is the greatest mystery ever created, by the greatest writer of mysteries”. However, it was certainly front-page news, as Agatha Christie was already a well-known author by the time she vanished.

What is undisputed is that Agatha had driven off from home after dining alone on December 3 1926 and that her car was found abandoned the next morning in a remote, rural spot.

“The car, the first public indicator of the mystery, was a giant clue; its headlights burning through the murk, like two signposts symbolising the start of a trail, on the morning of Saturday, 4 December,” Thompson writes.

“Where had it been left? On the vertiginous slopes of the North Downs in Surrey, at a place called Newlands Corner, a chalk ridge some 170m in height … and, at both top and bottom of the ridge, water everywhere: Sherborne Pond, the Silent Pool, Albury Mill Pond, the Tillingbourne — a deep, dragging dampness in the air.

“During the eleven days all these waters, all this land, would be searched for the body of Agatha Christie. Nobody then knew that she was barely at the start of her life, her magnificent career. Some of the newspaper reports read like obituaries.”

All good mysteries require clues, and the abandoned car contained enough material to satisfy any sleuth. Inside was a fur coat, a case containing various articles of ladies’ clothing, a hotel bill, and the driving licence of Ms Agatha Christie of Sunningdale, Berkshire.

“It is beyond question, to my mind, that the Morris-Cowley was deliberately abandoned, in a position chosen to cause maximum alarm,” Thompson argues.

During the eleven days all these waters, all this land, would be searched for the body of Agatha Christie. Nobody then knew that she was barely at the start of her life, her magnificent career. Some of the newspaper reports read like obituaries.

“There is no plausible way that Agatha’s car could have arrived at that site of its own accord. Nor, I would assert, was there any concussion, or sudden entry into a fugue state.

“Instead, there was a placing of clues — the driving licence, the clothes, the hotel bill, the markers of identity.

“Agatha had been in that state of mind, she had reached the point of absolute nullity, known the pure coldness of despair; by 3 December, I believe, she was fighting her way out of it; although the deep relentless strain of distress had left her the ghost of herself.

“What she conjured in her real-life plot — the tableau on the North Downs; the car whose driver had evaporated into the Surrey mist — had the air of a crime scene. It was designed to give an impression of desolation, to bring an acute awareness of the unhappiness that still tormented its creator. It was a theatrical representation of a true situation.”

What later emerged was that the author had gone to stay in a hotel in the spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, almost certainly travelling through London.

She had posted and left behind some letters, including one stating that she was planning to travel to Yorkshire — and local police did indeed visit some hotels in Harrogate looking for Agatha, who was hiding in plain sight, but was not found.

However, the focus of the police investigation centred on Agatha’s car, and the surrounding area was searched extensively for a body. There was much less attention on various other clues and theories.

The disappearance of the crime novelist remains such a mystery because she herself never gave a full explanation for her actions. Picture: 123RF/SNAK
The disappearance of the crime novelist remains such a mystery because she herself never gave a full explanation for her actions. Picture: 123RF/SNAK

And, of course, neither Hercule Poirot nor Miss Marple had been on hand to steer the police in the right direction.

The disappearance of the crime novelist remains such a mystery because she herself never gave a full explanation for her actions, not even in her autobiography, and because her husband and others initially suggested after she had been discovered in Harrogate that Agatha had suffered a memory loss and was unable to say how or why she had gone off alone to the spa town.

What is certain is that 1926 had been a very bad year for the novelist.

Her mother, Clara Miller, to whom she was devoted, had died. And in a subsequent blow, her husband had told Agatha that he was in love with another woman and wanted a divorce.

“When, therefore, she checked into the Hydro hotel in Harrogate, just before 7pm on the 4th, taking room five on the first floor for five guineas a week, carrying a small dressing case, and signing the register as Ms Teresa Neele of Cape Town, it was indeed a ghost who did so,” Thompson suggests.

The surname Neele was significant, as Archie Christie was in love with one Nancy Neele, and this was known to his wife.

Archie had told Agatha “that he was in love with Nancy Neele, and he wanted Agatha to give him a divorce so that he could marry her. He was sorry about it. But there it was.”

The missing crime writer was finally tracked down after Bob Tappin and Harry Leeming, two members of the Harry Cobb Band, which played at the Harrogate hotel where she was staying, recognised and identified the novelist from her pictures in the newspapers. They reported this to the local police on December 12 1926.

Archie travelled to Yorkshire and went with the police to the hotel, where on the evening of December 14 he was able to identify his wife.

Eleven Days is more of a “why she dunnit?” than a “who dunnit?” — and Thompson does provide her own explanation.

However, it would be unfair to divulge this in a review, as it would deprive readers of the pleasure of following this tale and fully understanding all the events that had led to Agatha Christie’s troubled state of mind.

Suffice it to say that some previous theories are dismissed and that Thompson’s conclusion is well-argued and convincing.

Let us also celebrate the outcome of these strange events.

In 1928 Agatha was divorced from Archie. She went on to remarry and to become one of the last century’s most prolific and best-selling authors.

It may have taken her strange, mysterious disappearance to get her back on the rails mentally, but, without it, we might never have had the pleasure of savouring her genius as the undisputed queen of crime fiction.

Business Day

]]>SUPPLIED<![CDATA[When hotels become part of classic literary landscapes]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/lifestyle/books/2026-11-05-when-hotels-become-part-of-classic-literary-landscapes/https://www.businessday.co.za/lifestyle/books/2026-11-05-when-hotels-become-part-of-classic-literary-landscapes/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000At a literary event at Burgh Island Hotel in south Devon recently, the novelist Catherine Newman remarked that whenever she looked down from the island’s steep cliffs while walking, she half-expected to discover a body.

It was an apt response to a place that helped inspire Agatha Christie’s crime novels, including Evil Under the Sun. In the novel, Christie makes the island’s isolation part of the mystery. When character Emily Brewster remarks, “This isn’t the sort of place you’d get a body”, the famous sleuth Hercule Poirot responds, “But why not?”

Burgh Island is more than a beautiful art deco hotel. Its cliffs, tidal causeway and isolation are geographical realities, but Christie transformed these features into elements of a fictional world. Generations of readers have since learnt to see the island through her stories.

This is part of what makes literary hotels so fascinating. Some are associated with writers’ lives; others with the places where they worked. A third group has become part of the fictional worlds themselves.

From writers’ lives to fictional worlds

Years ago, shortly after moving to Lancaster, I spent a night in a hotel where Charles Dickens once lodged. There was a certain pleasure in knowing that he had been there before me, but the connection was historical rather than literary. The hotel belonged to Dickens’s life, not to the fictional world he created.

Other hotels offer a more direct connection to the act of writing. Poet Dylan Thomas’s relationship with Brown’s Hotel in Laugharne, southwest Wales, belongs to this category. He would walk from the Boathouse, where he lived and wrote, into the town, spending time at Brown’s.

Such places offer a glimpse of the circumstances in which writers lived and worked. But a writer’s presence does not necessarily tell us how a particular story came into being. The relationship changes when a hotel enters fiction itself.

Hotels are particularly adaptable settings for fiction. They bring strangers together in temporary communities, creating opportunities for encounters, misunderstandings and suspicion. In detective fiction, they can also provide a ready-made sense of enclosure: a place where characters are brought together and escape becomes difficult.

Christie stayed at Burgh Island and wrote in its Beach House, drawing on its distinctive geography. In And Then There Were None, the island features an unnervingly modern house; in Evil Under the Sun, it becomes the fashionable Jolly Roger Hotel.

The island’s isolation is real, but Christie transformed it into something more. In her novels, the landscape becomes part of the machinery of suspense. Knowing the stories can therefore change how visitors experience the place itself. A tidal causeway is no longer simply a route across the water; it becomes a reminder that an island can be cut off from the outside world.

A similar phenomenon can be seen at Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor. Daphne du Maurier’s experiences at the inn helped inspire her 1936 novel of the same name.

During an early visit, she and her companion became lost in mist and darkness on the moor while riding, eventually finding their way back with the help of their horses. The experience of isolation and uncertainty echoes through the novel, in which the inn stands as a “grim landmark” in a desolate landscape.

In both cases, the relationship between place and fiction works in two directions. The real landscape provides material for the story, while the story gives the landscape a new identity.

A literary afterlife

The King’s Arms Hotel in Dorchester illustrates how these three categories can overlap. Novelist Thomas Hardy stayed there, wrote there and incorporated the building into The Mayor of Casterbridge as the principal hotel of Casterbridge.

The building therefore belongs to Hardy’s biography and to his fiction. During his lifetime, the King’s Arms became part of the emerging literary geography of Wessex, attracting readers eager to connect fictional locations with real ones.

Hardy helped foster this connection by revising his novels and prefaces to emphasise Wessex, the fictional region based on real places in southwest England. The King’s Arms was no longer simply a hotel where Hardy had stayed; it had become part of the landscape his readers came to explore.

Across Britain, hotels, houses and inns continue to attract visitors through their associations with writers and books. Some offer a glimpse into an author’s life, while others allow readers to encounter places that have become inseparable from the stories told about them.

It is an important distinction because a hotel where a writer once stayed can bring us closer to literary history. A hotel that has entered fiction offers something different: the chance to experience a place through a world we first encountered on the page.

Literary hotels make visible the relationship between literature and the world beyond it. The buildings are real, but their significance is continually reshaped by the stories attached to them and the readers who arrive in search of those stories. In this sense, visiting a literary hotel is not simply a journey into the past. It is also a way of stepping, however briefly, into a fictional world.

The writer, Rebecca Hutcheon, is a research fellow at the faculty of business and creative industries at the University of South Wales.

]]>Reuters/Rebecca Naden<![CDATA[JONATHAN GOLDBERG | Redeploy before you retrench]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-jonathan-goldberg-redeploy-before-you-retrench/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-jonathan-goldberg-redeploy-before-you-retrench/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000Barclays recently told the market it would cut about 5,000 jobs this year, roughly one in 20 of its staff, with productivity gains from AI as part of the reason. Its CEO was careful to call AI “the icing on the cake, not the cake”. But the message employers heard was simpler: technology is now a legitimate line in a retrenchment business case.

In South Africa that conclusion would be a mistake, and Pick n Pay shows why. In May the retailer started retrenchment consultations with about 22,000 store employees. Instead of large-scale job losses, it ended in an agreement with the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu), and a new store labour model took effect on November 1 without a single dismissal for operational requirements.

The deal was not painless. According to Saccawu, workers have given up part of their Sunday premium. But that is the point. Adjusting benefits that have drifted out of step with the market is a far better outcome than a job loss, for workers and employers alike. Until now, unions have often been reluctant to negotiate terms and conditions in this way. Pick n Pay and Saccawu have shown it can be done, and it should become the norm.

It is also what the law expects. Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act requires an employer contemplating retrenchment to consult on measures to avoid dismissals altogether. Redeployment, retraining and changed working arrangements are exactly those measures.

None of this means reskilling is easy. If anything, it is getting more difficult. Skills date faster than training programmes can keep up, and the roles technology removes rarely match the roles it creates. Barclays, with far deeper pockets than most South African employers, has evidently concluded that it is quicker to cut than to repurpose.

That is why reskilling has to move from a human resources afterthought to a board-level responsibility. Employers that wait until a section 189 notice is being drafted have left it far too late. Reskilling should start at least 36 months before any restructuring, giving staff a genuine route into redeployment within the business or into self-employment.

The opportunities are there for employers willing to look. Take a business that needs fewer drivers. Rather than retrenching them, it could put them through an accredited programme that makes them among the best-trained heavy-duty vehicle drivers in the world, employable wherever there is a shortage, including abroad. Or it could train them for last-mile delivery, one of the fastest-growing parts of retail, and include a scooter in the package so they can work for themselves from day one. Too often, companies simply retrench instead.

There is also a quieter risk. In South Africa, AI is more likely to show up first as a hiring freeze than as a mass layoff. A company that automates entry-level tasks and stops recruiting faces no section 189 process at all. The cost falls on young work seekers who never get a first job.

That is a strategic mistake as well as a social one. Younger workers are often the quickest to adopt new tools, and they bring the digital fluency employers need to make technology pay. Closing the door on them also hollows out succession planning: the experienced people who carry a company’s institutional knowledge need successors to hand it to. The strongest workplaces will pair the two so that experience and digital fluency flow in both directions.

The government has a part to play too. Every retrenchment costs far more than one company’s payroll: lost income tax and VAT, claims on the Unemployment Insurance Fund, greater reliance on social grants, and spending that drains out of local economies. The employment tax incentive already rewards employers for hiring young people. Perhaps it is time for the country to consider incentives that reward employers for retaining and reskilling workers as well.

For employers, the agenda is practical. Identify the roles most exposed to automation and restructuring at least three years ahead. Build redeployment and self-employment pathways into every restructuring plan. Put outdated terms and conditions on the table before jobs. And keep the door open to young people.

Retrenchment will sometimes be unavoidable. But in a country with our level of unemployment, it should be the last decision an employer reaches, not the first one technology makes easier. Employers who invest in redeploying their people will keep the skills, loyalty and knowledge their competitors are letting walk out of the door.

• Goldberg is chair of Global Business Solutions.

]]>123RF<![CDATA[EXPLAINER | How the IEC’s dispute resolution system works]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-explainer-how-the-iecs-dispute-resolution-system-works/https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-explainer-how-the-iecs-dispute-resolution-system-works/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

South Africa’s electoral dispute resolution system gives political parties several avenues to challenge alleged irregularities, report administrative failures and seek action against breaches of election rules. But the processes are not interchangeable and parties must use the correct legal channel and meet the applicable deadlines if they want their complaints to be considered.

As South Africans vote in Wednesday’s local government elections, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) must ensure that complaints are dealt with in accordance with the law.

Its responsibilities include adjudicating administrative disputes, deciding formal objections that could affect election results and dealing with complaints involving the Electoral Code of Conduct within the limits of its statutory powers.

Political liaison committees (PLCs) provide a separate forum for the commission and political parties to discuss electoral matters, raise concerns and seek solutions. However, they do not replace formal objections or the legal processes available to parties seeking to challenge an election result.

The distinction is important because a complaint raised at a PLC meeting does not automatically constitute a formal objection. Similarly, an allegation that a party or candidate has breached the Electoral Code of Conduct does not necessarily amount to an objection to the voting or counting process.

The IEC’s PLC system operates at national, provincial and municipal levels. Under the regulations governing the committees, parties represented in the National Assembly, provincial legislatures and municipal councils may appoint up to two representatives to the relevant committees. The regulations also provide for representation by parties represented at higher levels of government but not at the relevant lower level, as well as qualifying independent representatives.

The IEC appoints a representative to convene and chair each committee. The committees are intended to facilitate consultation and co-operation between the commission and political parties on electoral matters, including the administration and conduct of elections.

Though PLCs can help resolve disagreements through engagement, they are not courts and do not have the same powers as the IEC when it adjudicates a formal dispute or the Electoral Court when it considers an appeal or other electoral matter.

Section 5(1)(o) of the Electoral Commission Act empowers the IEC to adjudicate disputes arising from the organisation, administration or conduct of elections that are administrative in nature. This provides a mechanism for addressing disputes about the administration of electoral processes.

The scope of that power is important. In a 2021 judgment involving the IEC and the DA, the Supreme Court of Appeal considered the limits of the commission’s authority under section 5(1)(o). The judgment distinguished administrative disputes concerning the mechanics of an election from disputes requiring powers or remedies that the legislation does not confer on the commission.

A separate process applies to objections material to the results of municipal elections. Section 65 of the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act 27 of 2000 allows an interested party to object to matters concerning voting or counting procedures, as well as specified unlawful conduct involving interference with election activities or the intimidation or obstruction of voters.

An objection must be lodged in writing with the commission and must identify the election concerned, the legal provision under which it is brought, the details of the alleged irregularity, the reasons for the objection and the relief sought. The objector must also provide the prescribed supporting information and documentation.

Strict deadline

The deadline is strict. Under section 65(2), an objection must be lodged by 5pm on the second day after voting day. For the local government elections held on Wednesday, that means November 6. The commission may condone a late objection if the statutory requirements are met.

The IEC must consider the objection and notify the objector and other interested parties of its decision. A party aggrieved by that decision may appeal to the Electoral Court within seven days.

The court can reject the appeal, amend the commission’s decision, set aside the election or make another appropriate order. Where the commission refers an objection to the court because the alleged irregularities or unlawful conduct may justify setting aside the election, the court has the powers provided for in section 65 to determine the matter.

Importantly, the declaration of an election result is not automatically suspended while an appeal is pending.

Complaints involving the Electoral Code of Conduct follow a different legal route. The code, contained in schedule 1 of the Municipal Electoral Act, establishes standards for parties and candidates intended to promote free and fair elections, tolerance of democratic political activity, open public debate and lawful campaigning.

The legislation provides mechanisms for enforcing the code. Section 77 allows the chief electoral officer, acting on behalf of the commission, to institute civil proceedings to enforce provisions of the act or the code. Section 78 gives the Electoral Court jurisdiction over electoral disputes and complaints about infringements of the code, subject to the applicable statutory provisions.

The distinction between a code complaint and an objection to an election result matters. Allegations of intimidation, unlawful campaigning or other prohibited conduct must be assessed under the relevant provisions. They do not automatically invalidate votes or establish that an election result should be changed. The appropriate remedy depends on the nature of the alleged breach and the powers available under the law.

A single incident may raise more than one legal issue. An alleged failure by the commission to administer an electoral process properly may give rise to an administrative dispute. Conduct by a party or candidate may raise a separate question under the Electoral Code of Conduct. An irregularity involving voting or counting that is material to the election result may warrant an objection under section 65.

However, parties cannot assume that raising a concern through one mechanism automatically satisfies the requirements of another. They must identify the legal basis for their complaint, submit the necessary evidence and follow the procedure applicable to the remedy they seek.

The Electoral Court’s role is particularly important if a dispute cannot be resolved through the commission’s administrative processes or if a party challenges a decision through a statutory appeal. The court’s powers, however, depend on the legal basis of the matter before it, and parties must comply with the applicable procedural requirements.

For parties contesting the local government elections, the practical implication is that complaints must be documented and pursued through the correct channels in the prescribed timeframes. Raising a concern through a PLC may prompt engagement with the IEC, but it does not necessarily preserve a party’s right to lodge a formal objection or appeal.

The effectiveness of the system therefore depends on the commission’s ability to deal with complaints impartially and the parties’ understanding of the legal procedures available to them. The aim is to ensure that legitimate grievances receive proper consideration without allowing the dispute resolution process to become a substitute for the requirements of electoral law.

Business Day

]]>IEC<![CDATA[EDITORIAL | The new trade blow against South Africa]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/editorials/2026-11-05-editorial-the-new-trade-blow-against-south-africa/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/editorials/2026-11-05-editorial-the-new-trade-blow-against-south-africa/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000Undoubtedly, the mooted removal of South Africa’s trade benefits will hurt our exporters, jobs and growth. This is regrettable.

On Monday, American President Donald Trump wrote to Congress about his intention to remove South Africa and Rwanda from the list of African countries benefiting from the African Growth & Opportunity Act. Agoa grants duty-free access to thousands of African exports without quotas.

Because there is no bilateral trade agreement in place, from January South African exports will enter the US markets under the most favoured nation (MFN) regime of global trade rules.

Rwanda’s removal was a surprise. Yanking off South Africa certainly wasn’t.

The five “asks” by Washington remain unresolved. These include claimed Afrikaner discrimination, black economic empowerment and land expropriation without compensation or confiscation of white land — Trump’s preferred characterisation.

The new concern relates to South Africa’s foreign policy positions which are posing a threat to US national security. This could be deciphered as a reference to Pretoria’s relationship with Iran, which is at war with America and Israel, South Africa’s criminal case against Tel Aviv over the war in Gaza and South Africa’s membership of Brics+, a bloc that the US regards as anti-American.

National security interest is very broad and subjective.

Industries likely to be affected include agriculture, mining, manufacturing and the auto sector. These are among those that have benefited handsomely from the unilateral scheme.

Three provinces, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape and Limpopo, are most exposed to the new dispensation.

Both business and labour are rightly concerned at the adverse effects of Washington’s decision. After all, behind the products are thousands of South African jobs.

In its initial response, the government has promised support for the affected sectors. When US-SA relations began deteriorating, the government set up a help desk to help local businesses. Among others, the desk — housed in the trade, industry & competition department (the DTIC) — was supposed to help these exporters find other markets.

Between then and now, China has moved in. It has scrapped import duties for exports from the African continent.

Monday’s decision is a double-edged sword. As well as hurting South African producers, it will also harm American consumers. While making South African goods uncompetitive, it will deprive American consumers of choice.

The US decision raises serious policy questions. The wrangling is between two governments, yet the punishment is directed at nongovernmental actors including civilians. It’s the private sector, its millions of employees and their families who are victims. Few, if any, of the state-owned enterprises export directly to the US.

Up until now, Washington has threatened to sanction South African politicians and policymakers. But no list of targets of the visa and travel restrictions has been published yet.

Apart from the bellicose rhetoric from Washington, the only tangible anti-South African actions have been uninviting South Africa from the G20 leaders’ summit later this month and stalling trade talks with Pretoria through the near-impossible demands.

Diversifying away from the US will take months, if not years, to achieve. The government should accelerate efforts towards a mutually beneficial free-trade area, while, in the interim, providing targeted support for the affected sectors.

Business Day

]]>SIPHIWE SIBEKO<![CDATA[Michelin targets SA mining companies and long-haul truck fleets ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-michelin-targets-sa-mining-companies-and-long-haul-truck-fleets/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-michelin-targets-sa-mining-companies-and-long-haul-truck-fleets/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Michelin is focusing its South African business on mining companies and commercial fleets willing to pay for tyres that reduce fuel consumption, extend tyre life and lower operating costs, rather than competing on price with cheaper products.

Speaking to Business Day in Chennai, India, during the launch of Michelin’s X Multi Energy Z2 on Friday, Vitor Silva, the group’s president for Africa, India and the Middle East, said tyres account for about 5% of a fleet’s operating budget but influence a much larger share of its costs through fuel consumption, vehicle downtime and safety.

Michelin estimates that these factors account for 40%-50% of fleet operating costs. The figures are Michelin’s estimates and are not specific to South African fleets.

Multi Energy Z2 is a “fuel-efficient” truck tyre developed specifically for Indian operating conditions.

Michelin’s market position varies by segment. In large open-pit mines, it supplies giant tyres for rigid dump trucks used to transport heavy loads across mining operations. These include tyres with 57- and 63-inch rim diameters. Silva said Michelin held most of the market in this segment.

He attributed its position partly to international supply agreements with mining groups such as Anglo American and its spin-off businesses.

Michelin president for Africa, India, and Middle East Vitor Silva. Picture: Supplied
Michelin president for Africa, India, and Middle East Vitor Silva. Picture: Supplied

In the regional mining market, smaller operations typically use 49-inch tyres, which are fitted to heavy-duty mining vehicles. According to Silva, Michelin has double-digit market share in this segment.

Silva identified underground mining as an area where Michelin wants to expand its presence.

The group’s position is different in road transport. Michelin supplies leading truck manufacturers in South Africa, including Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. In the replacement market, it targets medium-to-large long-haul fleets that buy new tyres for trucks already in service.

Across the overall South African truck market, Michelin estimates its share is in the low single digits, a position Silva said was partly the result of its decision not to target every segment or price point.

Competing on lifetime costs

Michelin’s strategy comes as lower-priced tyre imports from China and other markets increase competition in South Africa. Silva said the company was seeing greater price competition in several markets, including South Africa, but did not intend to compete in the cheapest segments.

Michelin targets fleet operators that weigh the cost of tyres over their working life against the initial purchase price. “Our products are not aimed at the lowest-priced segments,” Silva said.

Silva said the savings depend on operating conditions, including vehicle use, road conditions, loading and maintenance.

Michelin’s focus on mining also extends beyond supplying new tyres. It is working with mining customers on end-of-life tyre solutions, an area that presents operational and environmental challenges given the size and volume of tyres used in the industry.

Silva cited relationships with mining customers, including Valterra, as part of the group’s work on end-of-life tyre management.

South Africa’s regional role

Michelin uses its South African operation to support customers and its business in other African markets. Field engineers work with customers to collect operational data and advise on tyre performance.

Silva said employees from South Africa had moved into roles in North America, India and Europe, describing the country as a “net exporter of talent”. The local team also supports operations in neighbouring countries and across Southern, Western and Eastern Africa, as far as Ethiopia.

Domestically, the company’s passenger tyres are sold through more than 1,000 retail outlets.

Silva said the company has no plans to manufacture tyres in South Africa in the foreseeable future. He attributed it to the size of the local market and the economics of production.

“A factory would require an investment of hundreds of millions. We generally favour locations where local demand can absorb most of the factory’s output, with some production exported,” Silva said. “It’s just a question of scale. It’s a question of economics.”

Silva said South Africa’s skills base and operating environment are desirable.

“Local tyre volumes, including those in mining, would not be sufficient to justify a manufacturing plant,” he said.

Business Day

]]>Supp<![CDATA[CARTOON | Mkhwanazi’s next move]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-cartoon-mkhwanazis-next-move-hawks-or-police-chief/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-cartoon-mkhwanazis-next-move-hawks-or-police-chief/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000More by Brandan:

]]>Brandan Reynolds<![CDATA[STEPHEN CRANSTON | People matter more than balance sheets, says Brian Joffe]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-stephen-cranston-people-matter-more-than-balance-sheets-says-brian-joffe/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-stephen-cranston-people-matter-more-than-balance-sheets-says-brian-joffe/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000With MS Teams we have all got used to people from overseas appearing virtually at conferences and award ceremonies. So it was quite unexpected to me that Brian Joffe attended in person at an awards ceremony at the weekend.

Investec invited me to the Jewish Achievers Awards, and Joffe won top prize ― the best director Oscar, if you like. Joffe built up Bidvest and Bidcorp from scratch into businesses with a combined market capitalisation of well more than R250bn. He said when he left there were 140,000 Bidvest employees, which implies that including dependants he was responsible for a population equivalent to a city the size of Mbombela.

Joffe flew in from Tel Aviv to get the prize, the Kirsh Family Lifetime Achievement Award, which is dedicated to anti-apartheid champion Helen Suzman. Joffe was praised by key people in his business life on screen, such as Mpumi Madisa, CEO of Bidvest, and Joffe’s close friend former Investec CEO Stephen Koseff.

Investec provided the initial finance in Bidvest and took an equity stake. Koseff still chairs Bidcorp, which includes the food services business and has a more international footprint than the Bidvest mothership.

Madisa did not have much excuse not to be at the occasion in person as the Bidvest offices are in Melrose Arch, just a stone’s throw from the Sandton Convention Centre where the ceremony was held. But Koseff was sharing his praises from Sydney, Australia, where he now lives.

There was the usual video going through the highlights of Joffe’s life ― those cringeworthy pictures of him in 1980s big hair and big spectacles. He shared that, like so many Jewish mothers, his wanted him to be a doctor. He gave that up within a week after he had to dissect a frog and turned to accountancy. He was a natural. A natural with figures, that is ― he loathed the tedium of auditing.

But what Joffe did learn from auditing was that there were hidden gems in unglamorous businesses. Many of the underlying Bidvest group operations are spectacularly dull, such as toilet cleaning services, Sellotape and catering supplies.

The common denominator was that he bought businesses that were underperforming but yet had solid operational management as family businesses. He told a book on entrepreneurship produced by the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs) that he has never bought showroom businesses at showroom prices. As no-one else wants to buy these companies there is rarely a bidding war.

Joffe was never a command and control CEO. He liked to have a say in how a business was structured, how it defined itself and its point of focus. But after that Bidvest has always had a decentralised approach, with individual managers running their business units as they see fit.

In spite of his accounting background Joffe pays little attention to balance sheets. They do not say much about the operations that will deliver most long-term value, he told Lynden Wright in the Gibs book. He dismisses a balance sheet as a summarised version of the facts that apply at a particular moment in time.

A far more important issue for Joffe is people and how people are managed in a business. His skill has proved to be assessing people, making sure the right ones are in place and that they are being managed in the right way.

“If you could find a way of precisely quantifying and accurately describing the value of people at a specific moment in time you would have an entirely new way of compiling a balance sheet,” he said. “This still has to be invented, of course, so what you are left with is your ability to judge people and what they can do for the business.”

Building the Bidvest conglomerate in the 1990s and early 2000s was certainly against the prevailing fashion of unbundling. In an interview, Anglovaal patriarch Basil Hersov once complained to me that he did not understand why there was such pressure for his mining and industrial conglomerate to disband while Bidvest was still expanding.

Anglovaal was indeed put under pressure to split its mining and industrial businesses, and it later had to split its industrial interests between consumer-focused AVI and engineering and construction-based Aveng. It lost many of the benefits of a strong centre that could see its subsidiaries through hard times.

But the rest of the South African mining and industrial mammoths went through the same process, starting with Gencor, which unbundled Engen and Sappi in 1993. Anglo American resisted unbundling but was eventually forced to shed its banking and insurance and industrial businesses ― even its core gold mines.

At the same time Joffe was reeling in some big fish, such as the Rennies freight and travel business (later the basis of Bidvest Bank), McCarthy, the second-largest motor distributor, and the Waltons stationery chain — not to mention even bigger fish overseas such as Booker Foodservice. Often these conglomerates trade at a discount to net asset value, but there was a Joffe premium for Bidvest.

Consider other conglomerates such as African Rainbow Capital (ARC) and KAP, both of which struggled to reduce the discount to net asset value (NAV). ARC had to delist in the end. In any case, as Bidvest owned 100% of its subsidiaries the NAV was just a matter of opinion.

• Cranston, a veteran financial journalist, is author of ‘The Mavericks’, a new book about South African fund management. His second book, a history of the Investec Group, will be published next year.

Business Day

]]><![CDATA[ANTHONY BUTLER | Cape Town residents pay double to see results, but equality before the law suffers]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-anthony-butler-cape-town-residents-pay-double-to-see-results-but-equality-before-the-law-suffers/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-anthony-butler-cape-town-residents-pay-double-to-see-results-but-equality-before-the-law-suffers/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000While the municipal elections will shuffle the political players in councils, residents are often controlled by less visible and more enduring mechanisms of public authority.

Cape Town has a by-law for almost everything in its parks. Plant a shrub without the City Parks director’s written permission and you are breaking section 10 of the Public Parks By-law. Nail a poster to a tree and you have broken it twice.

Nobody is prosecuted for guerrilla gardening, of course. Every city writes more rules than it can enforce, so the real law of a public space is not what the by-law says. It is what officers choose to act on, where and against whom. In Cape Town, that choice increasingly depends on who has paid for it and on who has taken over local mechanisms of enforcement.

Since 2004 Cape Town has let property owners vote to tax themselves extra. Under section 22 of the Municipal Property Rates Act, if the owners of a majority of properties in an area agree, the council levies an additional rate and passes it to a nonprofit company that runs a special rating area (SRA), sometimes known as a city improvement district (CID). The money buys “top-up” services, such as cleaners, private security patrols and dedicated city law enforcement officers (or “rent-a-cops”).

That last item matters because private guards have limited powers. The Central City Improvement District funds a dozen law enforcement officers to give it fining and arrest powers, and some local SRAs are following suit.

The by-laws are the same across the metro, but enforcement is not. In a CID, a complaint about someone sleeping on a bench results in the dispatch of an officer. SRAs with cynophobic board members can threaten to enforce moribund by-laws against neighbourhood dogs. Elsewhere in the city such complaints are often ignored.

A study by Paasche, Yarwood and Sidaway, geographers who have studied private policing in Cape Town’s CIDs, offers the sharpest account of what this produces. They note that private security serves small, bounded patches of the city, while the police must answer for the city as a whole.

The rational strategy for a CID is therefore not to solve a problem but to displace it. This applies, above all, to the people and activities city managers and SRA boards regard as “undesirable”.

This results in “a patchworked public space” stitched around private enclaves of abundance. A man moved on from a CID-patrolled square does not vanish; he reappears in a suburb where no-one has paid for enforcement.

The stakes are highest for people with nowhere else to go. Estimates of the number of people living on Cape Town’s streets are typically multiples of available shelter beds. A fine for sleeping rough houses no-one, and nor does being “moved on”. It only decides which neighbourhood that person sleeps in next.

None of this requires bad faith. SRAs are answerable to the city, a councillor sits in on their board meetings, and they pay for real cleaning, security and social work. Owners who pay twice for services are entitled to expect results. But the cumulative effect is a city where “equality before the law” has become equality only on paper.

Three changes would help. First, the city should publish enforcement data by ward and by by-law, so residents can see where fines are issued and where complaints die.

Second, CIDs should report how many people their officers move on, and where they believe they go.

Third, park and public space by-laws should be pruned of rules nobody means to enforce. What remains after consultation should be applied evenly and fairly. A by-law enforced only where someone pushes for it and pays for it is not really a law. It is a private service.

• Butler teaches public policy at the University of Cape Town.

]]>123rf/sunshineseeds<![CDATA[YACOOB ABBA OMAR | The morbid symptoms of our geopolitical moment ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-yacoob-abba-omar-the-morbid-symptoms-of-our-geopolitical-moment/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-yacoob-abba-omar-the-morbid-symptoms-of-our-geopolitical-moment/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000Between October 4 and today, Brazil, Israel, the US and South Africa will all have gone to the polls. Read together, these votes could describe a world the Italian revolutionary Antonio Gramsci called an interregnum, in which the old order is dying, the new one cannot yet be born and in the gap “a great variety of morbid symptoms appear”.

Yesterday’s local government elections were important at various levels. They will be examined to see what they say about the government of national unity (GNU). They will test whether fragmentation of competing parties can still produce functioning local governments and what that portends for the 2029 general elections. Importantly, the result could determine South Africa’s room for manoeuvre in foreign policy, as seen by its exclusion from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) on the eve of the elections.

A pattern seems to be emerging from the other three elections that have taken place internationally. The very notion of legitimacy is being more widely contested, with the losing side’s first move often being to dispute the count. No camp is winning decisively; majorities are thin, coalitions are improvised and repeat elections loom. Finally, anti-incumbency is selective, as seen in voters punishing reckless or failing governments such as in Israel and the US, and in the case of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva being rewarded for being a bulwark against a Bolsonaro restoration.

Is this a unique moment, or can it be compared to any other instant in history? Writing in the June edition of Foreign Policy, Jo Inge Bekkevold pointed out that today’s nationalist turn resembles the protectionist reaction to the first globalisation of the 1890s, ending in World War 1.

Other analysts suggest that today more closely parallels the 1930s, which saw voters turning to authoritarian-leaning populists after liberal elites failed to deliver. This led to fascism, Nazism, world wars, the holocaust and even the deployment of the most destructive weapons humanity has devised.

South Africa’s leverage in a multipolar world has always rested on moral authority and functioning institutions.

Today, the bypassing of the UN echoes the decade before the outbreak of World War 2, when powers tested whether the League of Nations, created in the aftermath of World War 1, could enforce anything.

The possibility of humanity being wiped out by AI technology, as nuclear weapons wiped out entire cities, must fill us with dread. So too should the prospect of the world being drawn into the vortices of the Middle East or Ukraine.

The 1970s is the more hopeful analogy and the most relevant to the Global South. Marked by international solidarity for anticolonial struggles and graphically represented by the resistance of the Vietnamese people, it was a period when the Non-Aligned Movement emerged and resulted in pressure for a new international economic order.

The Brics bloc and its expansion are today’s equivalents. The possibility of US-EU estrangement continuing after President Donald Trump’s term ends may be a test of whether the architecture around bodies such as the G20 can hold.

Bekkevold has argued previously that the world has already entered a second Cold War, with some variations in the alignments that emerged after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

South Africa’s leverage in a multipolar world has always rested on moral authority and functioning institutions. Moral authority still has it, on Palestine and on multilateralism. However, a middle power whose governance structures are weak will struggle to be heard at the G20 Summit in Miami, Brasília or Beijing.

Bekkevold argues that 2026 combines a 1890s politics (backlash against globalisation), a 1930s risk profile (great power force and institutional decay), a 1970s energy and confidence shock, and a Cold War power structure. The Gramscian interregnum captures that combination better than any single date, which could end either with a new settlement or with ever fiercer and wider wars.

For South Africa the local government elections are a small but real part of that larger choice. If fragmented councils can be turned into stable, competent coalitions and the government of national unity survives to 2029, the country strengthens its claim to speak for a rules-based, multipolar order. If not, it becomes another case study in the morbid symptoms of the age.

• Abba Omar is director of operations at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection.

Business Day

]]>Brian Snyder<![CDATA[CLARENCE TSHITEREKE | SA set to accelerate transition to Asia after Agoa exit]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-clarence-tshitereke-sa-set-to-accelerate-transition-to-asia-after-agoa-exit/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-clarence-tshitereke-sa-set-to-accelerate-transition-to-asia-after-agoa-exit/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000The US decision to terminate South Africa’s eligibility under the African Growth & Opportunity Act (Agoa) from January next year marks a major shift in external economic relations. Citing trade barriers, corruption and foreign policy concerns, Washington is ending more than two decades of preferential access for South African exporters.

Agoa has underpinned South Africa’s trade with the US since 2000, providing duty-free access for more than 1,800 products, including vehicles, agricultural products, wine, steel and manufactured goods. South Africa has been among its largest beneficiaries. Exclusion raises questions beyond immediate export losses: how should South Africa position its economy in a multipolar world?

Adjustment costs may accelerate the transition towards Asia, critical minerals and value-added beneficiation. The immediate impact will be uneven: higher tariffs on automotive manufacturing and components, citrus, wine, macadamia nuts and other agricultural exports threaten their competitiveness, local investment and employment in affected industries and regions.

The shock nevertheless requires perspective. The political importance of the programme has often exceeded its direct macroeconomic contribution. South Africa accounted for about $3.76bn of the $8bn in Agoa imports entering the US in 2024.

Following Stats SA’s rebasing exercise last month, the country’s GDP is now estimated at R8-trillion, some $486bn at the current exchange rate, meaning Agoa-supported exports amount to less than 1% of that economic base. That is important but insufficient to determine the economy’s trajectory.

This comparison offers perspective, not grounds for complacency. A small share of national output can still represent substantial exposure for specific exporters that are dependent on preferential access. Policy should therefore carefully distinguish the economy’s capacity to absorb the shock from adjustment pressures facing individual exporting businesses, without allowing either consideration to obscure the other entirely.

Trade with China

China has been South Africa’s largest trading partner since 2008. Bilateral trade exceeded $34bn in 2023 and continued expanding through to the present. South African exports to China were estimated at $13.5bn in 2025, more than three times Agoa-supported exports. These figures suggest that the country’s broader growth prospects increasingly involve Asian demand and critical minerals.

Since the advent of Agoa in 2000, expanding Asian industrial production, commodity demand and infrastructure investment have shifted the economic centre of gravity eastward. Chinese customs data put two-way trade at $37.8bn in the first seven months of this year: about $21bn in imports from South Africa and $16bn in exports to South Africa. Despite methodological differences between the countries’ statistics, the figures point to deepening interdependence as relations with Washington becoming less certain.

Institutional ties have also strengthened. In 2026, South Africa and China signed the Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Prosperity, followed by China’s unilateral zero-tariff arrangement for qualifying South African exports. These initiatives expand market access and provide a platform for deeper trade and investment.

Exports to China remain resource-intensive, dominated by gold, platinum group metals (PGMs), chrome, manganese and iron ore. Precious metals and stones account for 58% of the export basket, while ferro-alloy inputs, particularly chrome and manganese ores, contribute close to 29%.

Against those exports, South Africa imported about $22.9bn from China in 2025. The imbalance exposes dependence on raw material exports but also demonstrates the strategic fit between China’s industrial demand and South Africa’s mineral wealth.

China’s leading electric vehicle, battery, renewable energy equipment, steel and advanced manufacturing industries require manganese, chrome, vanadium, iron ore, copper, nickel and PGMs. South Africa’s globally significant reserves make it relevant to this next phase of China’s industrial development.

Stats SA’s GDP rebasing reinforces mining’s importance. The revised economy is about 5% larger than previously estimated, and mining accounted for the largest upward revision at 12.5%, reflecting improved measurement and broader coverage rather than new production. Mining and trade together accounted for R122bn of the R324bn upward GDP revision, highlighting the previously underestimated footprint of resource-linked activity.

Technological change strengthens this significance. Renewable energy, battery storage, electric mobility, AI infrastructure and advanced defence technologies are driving demand for strategic minerals. Governments increasingly regard secure supplies as essential to economic sovereignty and national security.

South Africa holds some of the world’s largest reserves of PGMs, manganese, chromium and vanadium and remains a significant gold producer. The policy response to Agoa’s termination must therefore go beyond finding alternative markets.

South Africa should leverage its mineral endowment to move up global value chains, treating industrialisation, and not extraction alone, as the central challenge. Exporting raw or semi-processed minerals while importing higher-value manufactures has restricted domestic value capture, a model increasingly inadequate for the critical-minerals era.

Beneficiation imperative

Beneficiation is therefore an economic imperative. Expanding domestic refining, processing and manufacturing could shift exports from manganese and chrome ores and platinum concentrates towards battery materials, speciality alloys, catalytic technologies, hydrogen components and fuel cells, thus deepening industrial capacity and reducing exposure to commodity cycles.

China could provide capital and expertise in battery technology, renewable energy and mineral processing. Moving from resource exports to industrial collaboration could make South Africa–China relations a defining economic partnership of the next decade.

The strategic objective should not be to replace dependence on Washington with dependence on Beijing. Larger trade flows alone cannot guarantee industrial transformation if South Africa continues exporting minerals while importing the finished products. Partnerships should therefore be judged by their contribution to local processing, technological capability and access to markets for higher-value exports.

Chinese capital and expertise would be most valuable when they support these outcomes, alongside co-operation with other trading partners. This approach would make mineral wealth a basis for greater economic agency, rather than simply a source of commodity earnings vulnerable to external demand.

Green hydrogen illustrates the opportunity. South Africa’s solar and wind resources, combined with the PGMs that are central to many hydrogen technologies, offer strong advantages. Appropriate policy and investment could turn these into an export industry supporting clean energy manufacturing ecosystems.

Geopolitical competition over critical minerals also creates leverage. Demand from the US, China, the EU and other industrial powers could help South Africa cultivate diversified partnerships, attract investment, and develop domestic industry.

The bottom line is that Agoa’s termination is a serious sectoral setback but it need not define South Africa’s economic future. If the country succeeds in turning mineral wealth and diversified partnerships into domestic industrial capabilities, prosperity will depend less on preferences granted abroad than on value created at home.

• Dr Tshitereke, an honorary professor at Unisa’s Thabo Mbeki School of Public & International Affairs, is chief of staff at the mineral & petroleum resources ministry.

Business Day

]]>Nomvelo Shinga<![CDATA[Turkey talks up stronger trade ties with SA ahead of COP31 ]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-04-turkey-talks-stronger-trade-ties-with-sa-ahead-of-cop31/https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-11-04-turkey-talks-stronger-trade-ties-with-sa-ahead-of-cop31/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Turkey aims to have stronger trade relations worth billions of dollars with South Africa, Turkish ambassador Kezban Nilvana Darama-Yıldırımgeç said ahead of the country’s hosting of the COP31 UN climate conference in Antalya.

South Africa has been Turkey’s largest trade partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, with bilateral trade volume in 2024 reaching about $2bn, according to the Turkish government.

In an interview with Business Day, Darama-Yıldırımgeç said both countries were engaged in talks to tap into exploring more trade deals.

“South Africa is Türkiye’s largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our bilateral trade stands at around $2bn. This is a solid foundation, but it remains below our true potential. Our aim is to reach a trade volume of $5bn in the near future,” she said.

Turkey’s ambition to grow trade relations with South Africa takes place amid the US’s decision to withdraw South Africa from the African Growth & Opportunity Act (Agoa) trade programme.

Darama-Yıldırımgeç described the South African and Turkish economies as complementary, adding that it created space for significant trade deals.

“Together, we have the opportunity not only to trade but to build shared value chains, transforming raw materials into high-value products, combining technology with resources, and reaching broader regional and global markets,” she said.

“These collaborative ventures will also create local employment opportunities and open new avenues for skills development, research and innovation, particularly for young people.”

For Turkish companies, she said South Africa serves as an ideal platform for the wider African continent. “Conversely, for South African companies, Türkiye is not only a vibrant market of 85-million people but also a strategic bridge to lucrative markets in Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Türkiye remains firmly committed to deepening its economic partnership with South Africa.”

The embassy hosted celebrations for Turkey’s national day last week, which were attended by several high-ranking South African politicians, including former minister of international relations & co-operation Naledi Pandor.

Former minister Naledi Pandor, Turkish ambassador Kezban Nilvana Darama-Yıldırımgeç and sport, art & culture human resource management chief director Zoleka Lamati. Photo: Supplied.
Former minister Naledi Pandor, Turkish ambassador Kezban Nilvana Darama-Yıldırımgeç and sport, art & culture human resource management chief director Zoleka Lamati. Photo: Supplied.

Addressing the event, sport, arts & culture human resource management chief director Zoleka Lamati said South Africa and Turkey held their first military dialogue in October, where negotiations to expedite the conclusion of two pending military agreements took place.

“We recognise and appreciate Türkiye’s support for South Africa’s G20 presidency in 2025, where … President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ahead of his participation in the summit in November 2025, affirmed his government’s full participation. The commitment received from a leader such as the Turkish president remains invaluable to South Africa,” Lamati said.

Military co-operation talks between the countries have been on the table for some time. In 2022, South African National Defence Force chief Gen Rudzani Maphwanya and other top officials attended a reception at the Turkish embassy in Waterkloof, Pretoria.

Turkey will be hosting leaders from around the world this month for the UN’s largest annual international summit to negotiate and advance global co-operation on COP31. It starts on Monday and runs until November 20.

Darama-Yıldırımgeç said a key factor in this year’s conference will be implementation.

“As we enter the second decade of the Paris Agreement, [the] priority must be to translate these commitments into practical action and tangible results. This is at the heart of Türkiye’s vision for COP31 as an ‘Implementation COP’,” she said.

“Over the past three decades, the international community has established a comprehensive climate framework, with the [UN Framework Convention on Climate Change] and Paris Agreement at its centre, and agreed on increasingly ambitious targets. The aim is to help turn climate goals into measurable, investable action and mobilise partnerships, finance and investment.”

South Africa will be among the countries attending COP31 and will have its climate experts take part in the multinational negotiations.

Darama-Yıldırımgeç said Turkey was committed to elevating African climate action to the highest political level.

“Geopolitical tensions, energy security concerns, development needs and financing constraints affect the pace and conditions of the transition in many countries, especially African countries. International co-operation therefore remains essential,” she said.

There has been severe flooding in Istanbul and Nepal, which she said was a reminder that no country is immune from the effects of climate change.

“No country is immune from the negative changes of climate change. Türkiye and South Africa have their own experience of nature disasters, floods and dry weather seasons.

“For the COP31, the ambition is from now, having commitments moving towards action.

“Extreme rainfall, floods, droughts, wildfires and heatwaves are increasingly affecting our cities, economies and societies. Türkiye is also experiencing these challenges directly. We therefore approach COP31 as a country that understands the importance of the urgency of translating our collective climate commitments into concrete action.”

BusinessDay

]]>Supplied <![CDATA[Altron says it is 'M&A ready' with R800m cash]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-altron-says-it-is-ma-ready-with-r800m-cash/https://www.businessday.co.za/companies/2026-11-05-altron-says-it-is-ma-ready-with-r800m-cash/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000Altron’s finance chief says the technology group is ready to acquire and take on new businesses, but finding acquisition targets that meet the group’s strict criteria has proven difficult.

The group, valued at R12bn, has been under pressure to expand units such as Netstar after the unbundling of Bytes Technology.

Its strategy is based on “quality earnings”, underpinned by growth in annuity or recurring revenue and higher-margin business lines such as financial technology (fintech).

Having largely executed on this strategy, the company is in a strong financial position, with R800m in cash and little debt, and is now looking for merger and acquisition (M&A) opportunities.

“We’ve got R800m of cash. We have committed debt facilities of R2bn and more facilities that we can activate,” Altron group CFO Carel Snyman said in an investor presentation this week as the company reported interim earnings to August.

“Our current debt covenant limit is less than twice ebitda, but we don’t have debt at the moment.”

With such a financial position, Snyman was confident to say, “we are M&A ready.”

“We are targeting the platform segment for growth opportunities,” he said, explaining the group’s checklist and criteria for potential deals.

“It must make strategic sense to us. We are not going to be buying earnings or buying more of the same.

“Second, it needs to be strategically important to us and create long-term value,” said the CFO.

“It must give us the technology that we don’t have, a quicker go-to-market for markets that we are not in. It must be something that we understand. We’re not going to go into something that we don’t understand.

“It must be in a market where we have a good understanding of how things work. Going into a market with a seven-hour time difference [to South Africa] and a language that we don’t understand is looking for trouble.”

The last point is on financial discipline.

“We have a very high return on invested capital for our group. So we understand that when we do an acquisition that’s not going to add value from day one, but it makes it more difficult for us. If our return on invested capital was 10%, that would have been a different story, but north of 20% makes it more difficult.”

Finding targets that satisfy all the criteria has proven difficult.

“We’ve had probably three or four serious opportunities,” Snyman said.

“For us to be able to do M&A that ticks all the boxes we want, that is difficult. We will continue to look out for opportunities, but we are under no pressure to deploy capital on M&A.”

To emphasise the point, CEO Werner Kapp said they were happy with the current portfolio.

“We’ve done the hard work over the last three to four years of divesting noncore assets. We’re now left with a portfolio of really strong, cash-generative technology businesses. We are happy with the portfolio as it stands today.”

This comes as Altron reports revenue from continuing operations for the six-month period rose 5% to R5.1bn, the group’s strongest interim top-line growth in three years.

Continuing operations include Altron FinTech, Netstar, Altron HealthTech, Altron Security, Altron Digital Business, Altron Document Solutions and Altron Arrow.

Altron reported R2.2bn in annuity revenue in its Platforms segment, an increase of 11%, representing 92% of Platforms revenue.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) rose 16% to R1.1bn and operating profit grew 13% to R622m.

Profit after tax was up 17% at R385m, with HEPS rising 14% to 109c.

The interim dividend was raised 15% to 55c a share.

Business Day

]]>Picture: 123RF<![CDATA[KHAYA SITHOLE | Diplomatic rift with US deepens after Agoa withdrawal]]>https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-khaya-sithole-diplomatic-rift-with-us-deepens-after-agoa-withdrawal/https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-khaya-sithole-diplomatic-rift-with-us-deepens-after-agoa-withdrawal/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000This week, after almost two years of escalating diplomatic spats, executive orders, ambushes and misinformation and disinformation campaigns, the relationship between South Africa and the US hit a wall. President Donald Trump finally announced that South Africa’s participation in the African Growth & Opportunity Act (Agoa) would be terminated at year-end.

The reasons cited by Trump for the decision include South Africa’s failure to establish a system to combat corruption and bribery; actions on matters of international security and relationships with governments of concern; and trade barriers that apparently continue to affect US trade and investment in South Africa.

Surprisingly, no mention was made of the often-cited allegations of genocide against white farmers that necessitated the creation of an exclusive refugee programme in 2025, or the requirement to abolish some domestic laws relating to expropriation and BEE.

The omission of such issues from the letter issued to President Cyril Ramaphosa, after a period in which they have been continuously cited as the dealbreakers that had to be resolved if diplomatic relations were to be normalised, is an unexpected development. What binds such issues together is that they existed in that complicated area where parameters of national sovereignty, bilateral relations and pragmatism intersect.

In demanding that South Africa abolish laws passed by its elected MPs, the US put the country’s leaders in a bind. If they accepted the demands, they would have to embark on a process of ushering in an omnibus of laws to replace the contentious ones. Anyone who understands the laborious lawmaking process in South Africa can appreciate that such a mission would be a matter of years rather than months.

If — as demanded by some — South Africa’s leaders decided to abolish a law that had been passed, they could either leave a vacuum as they embark on the consultation and drafting process required to pass a new law or rush it all through, only for the Constitutional Court to throw it all out for precisely that reason.

A question of sovereignty

Even if the processes were to follow the law, the question arises whether in the drafting of the revised laws the country would be expected to consult the US to ensure that whatever was passed did not still fall foul of American sentiments. The idea that any nation could have such a say in the affairs of another is antithetical to the idea of sovereign states having the right and autonomy to decide on policies and laws that are appropriate for the nation, rather than being an imposed policy framework from another nation.

The desire to maintain bilateral relations can translate to negotiated concessions, but once this gravitates towards a surrender of national policy and identity, the slope becomes slippery, especially when the demands are not anchored in principles. Even if South Africa had acceded to the demands, it is not clear if that would have been good enough to restore relations or, indeed, to maintain participation in Agoa.

The US administration has embarked on an insular agenda that has alienated foes and friends alike. Even when other nations have sought to appease the US and accede to its evolving demands, few long-term guarantees have materialised.

The amplified focus on South Africa owes a lot to the attitude of the right-wing elements of US politics and their ideological peers in South Africa. To expect South Africa to yield to the demands of a counterparty that changes the rules of engagement at every turn would result in a drift that would make engagement pointless.

While exclusion from Agoa will definitely bite, one wonders if there was ever actually a chance of avoiding this outcome.

• Sithole is an accountant, academic and activist.

Business Day

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