Budget 2026: Between reform and reality
/ 27 February 2026

Budget 2026: Between reform and reality

South Africa has been given a narrow window to turn the ship around. Whether this Budget becomes a footnote or a foundation depends on what happens next — in Cabinet, in the SOEs, in municipalities and in the daily grind of governance

Seeking to profit from privatising prisons misses the point 
/ 25 February 2026

Seeking to profit from privatising prisons misses the point 

The only evidence Muller presents that “Prisons abroad are being run efficiently and humanely with much clearer accountability” are the examples of the GEO company and the unrelated privatisation of cemeteries. Let us be clear about GEO – it is an example of what we do not want our prisons to become

South Africa at a crossroads – minerals and mobility
/ 21 February 2026

South Africa at a crossroads – minerals and mobility

Can South Africa leverage its mineral wealth and manufacturing expertise to secure a meaningful position in Africa’s mobility revolution? The answer requires an honest assessment of our strengths, our limitations and the strategic role the country can realistically play. South Africa’s manufacturing strengths: A world-class foundation South Africa boasts the most advanced automotive industry in […]

SA’s anti-corruption needle stalled
/ 20 February 2026

SA’s anti-corruption needle stalled

Over a decade after the Glenister judgments, it remains an indictment of the so-called post-state capture moment that we are not further along as a country in settling the institutional architecture required to reverse endemic corruption