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/ 29 January 2008

Prepare for a month of load-shedding

South Africans can expect current load-shedding by Eskom to continue, if not worsen, for at least the next four weeks. Eskom, which met major industrial customers and the six metro mayors on Tuesday, proposed a three-phase recovery period that would include load-shedding, at least in the initial phase.

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/ 22 January 2008

Tales from the dark side …

Weddings in the dark, disgusted tourists and business owners leaving the country are some of the effects Eskom’s power failures are having, according to postings on a website dedicated to the problem. In the first 48 hours of operation, www.eskomstories.co.za has received about 2 000 letters.

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/ 22 January 2008

Power cuts may spook investors

An electricity shortage that has led to frequent power disruptions in South Africa could chase away investors, denting growth and portfolio inflows and weakening the rand. Economists estimate the cost to the economy has run into hundreds of millions of rands, adding to the woes brought on by the falls in financial markets.

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/ 7 December 2007

Expect a restrictive Budget in 2008

South African taxpayers should brace themselves for scant relief when the Budget is announced in February next year as analysts feel Finance Minister Trevor Manuel is likely to be very cautious due to the cyclical risks underpinning the economy. Analysts also feel that the Budget needs to be better harnessed to improve effective expenditure.