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South Africa is lagging behind in its transformation crusade, given that Standard Bank and Nedbank have less than 1% black ownership and neither have concluded black economic empowerment (BEE) transactions for a decade.

South Africa’s transformation drive under scrutiny as JSE black ownership remains low 

There were replacement transactions at Old Mutual and Absa, with FirstRand, Sanlam and Capitec retaining black ownership. But Standard Bank and Nedbank have less than 1% black…

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola (left) and Minister of Trade Parks Tau (right) during a briefing on Monday. (DIRCO)

South Africa seeks new export markets as US tariff looms

While the government negotiates a mutually beneficial deal with the US, it says it is making plans to diversify its export marke

Auditor general Tsakani Maluleke has repeatedly made recommendations to improve municipalities’ performances but to little effect. Photo: GCIS

Government wasted R38 billion in overspending, auditor general says

A disregard for the rule of law also saw the country lose R14 billion through payment of goods not received

UIF online system still down after six weeks

COSATU has called on the labour minister to intervene

The African Development Bank (AfDB) says South Africa’s well-developed financial sector has the potential to be the continent’s powerhouse.

The Fiscal Cliff | Is South Africa nearing a debt crisis?

The real issue is that the February 2023 budget was the least credible assessment of the country’s finances since 1994

Seeing red: SA Federation of Trade Union members protest the high cost of living and unemployment, among other issues.
Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Dear SA, halt suicidal policies lest we become an economic wasteland

The government must invest in its people and infrastructure to stimulate the economy

Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Nxesi: The changing definition of work demands a review of labour protection

The labour minister noted many informal workers had been excluded from the country’s Covid-19 relief scheme

Social grants are by far the largest facet of South Africa’s social protection system in terms of the number of people covered, according to the World Bank

SA one of the biggest spenders on social assistance globally — World Bank

Social grants are by far the largest facet of South Africa’s social protection system in terms of the number of people covered, according to the World Bank

Bakery workers in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape were left destitute after their employer, Zahid Desai, chased them from their workplace following a wage dispute. (Photographs by Sibongile Jonas)

Nowhere to turn for abused bakery workers

After being chased away for asking for minimum wage, Gqeberha bakers who endured racism turned first to the CCMA, then to a political party, then to a union. None helped

The 2024 annual report by SweepSouth on domestic worker pay and conditions found that many are drowning in debt and depression because of low wages and non-compliance with working conditions laid out in labour laws.(Gallo)

Employers should respect women’s rights and provide domestic workers with employment contracts

About a million women are employed to work in private homes, enabling the economy to function and their employers to work and return to clean homes and cared for children

The latest unemployment figures show deepening joblessness and continuous setbacks. (Photo by Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)

Professional or working class, unemployment has hammered black women the most

The latest unemployment figures show deepening joblessness and continuous setbacks

Kate Monama is a mother who has been unemployed for five years. (Andy Mkosi)

A black woman’s burden: Carer, provider and unemployed

All indicators, including the employment statistics released this week show how black women bear the brunt of unemployment. Here are their stories

Social security net: Senior citizens queuing for their social grants outside Jabulani Mall in Soweto.

The basic income grant is surely on the horizon

It is becoming clear SA needs a BIG, as many ANC cabinet members, opposition parties and experts agree. But there is still dissent from some quarters

Employers affected by the recent unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal will be able to apply for support through the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) as soon as next week. (Photo by MARCO LONGARI / AFP)

Companies affected by unrest can apply for support as soon as next week

Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi urges employers to be honest when applying for help

In 2020, former finance minister Tito Mboweni Tito Mboweni announced his plan to reduce the public sector wage bill in an effort to squeeze some of the air out of the country’s ballooning debt and fiscal deficit. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Mboweni extends R38bn to cope with double calamity of Covid-19 and unrest

The finance minister extended the Ters relief and the social distress relief grant, and also ensured businesses hit by looting can access insurance

Lifeline: People queue at the labour department’s offices in Johannesburg to apply for UIF benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic.  (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

It will cost UIF up to R3.5-billion in Ters payments every week the lockdown is extended

Any further extensions of Ters payments will impede the UIF’s ability to pay normal claims for unemployment and parental leave

Only half of digital labour platforms could give evidence that workers were paid at or above the minimum wage, a new report shows

Low pay, unfair conditions and no safety net for Covid-hit gig workers

Only half of digital labour platforms could give evidence that workers were paid at or above the minimum wage, a new report shows

Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi.

Nxesi says employment and labour department must ‘talk less’ and do more

The minister and his management team appeared before parliament after another scathing auditor general report was tabled

Come what may, the UIF will pay

The fund – the main safety net for unemployed workers – will run at an almost R20-billion deficit

Snip, snip: Mboweni eyes wage bill, other future spending cuts

Last year, the finance minister noted that increased government spending has failed to promote growth over the past decade