"Statistics SA announced yesterday that the economy rose by 1,2% in the second quarter of this year after it was decided not to annualize the quarterly growth figures anymore to obtain an annual rate.

The Republic of South Africa is both the 25th largest in area and the 25th most populous country, with approximately 53 million inhabitants.

South Africa’s tragically high unemployment has frequently been described as a “ticking time bomb”.

The Central Firearms Registry (CFR) that is responsible for among others, the processing of firearm licence applications and the issuing firearm licences, has casually shifted the blame of the huge backlog in the issuing of firearm licences to civilians. According to Brig. L J Mabule it is the duty of firearm licence applicants to ensure that their applications are captured on the system.

Now that the Constitution 18th Amendment Bill has been formally tabled and is on the National Assembly’s order paper under “further business”, a few facts need to be highlighted. No biased commentary or speculation.

It’s hard to believe that slightly more than ten years ago SA hosted the Soccer World Cup of 2010.

“The economic growth prospects for this year of 5% and higher, which are cited by different commentators for various optimistic reasons,1)2) are not realistic,” says Fanie Brink, an independent agricultural economist.

An export-led strategy underpins South Africa's trade policy, which entails a deliberate effort to get the country's agriculture and other industrial sectors to export products beyond existing international markets.

Governments can build credibility over time through consistent commitment to implementing policies efficiently and effectively. South Africa hasn’t done well on this score.

Since 1998 five communities, Madonsi, Mhlanganisweni, Mahashi, Ngirivane Mathebula and Muyexe, have been struggling to resolve a restitution claim over the Kruger National Park (KNP).

Vineyards that constantly emerged along roads in southwestern tip of South Africa were almost bare at this time of September, the first month of spring here, though opposite to those in winemaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere, South African wine estates expect their grapevines to start off the annual growth cycle with bud break in the month and harvest them around February.

In the current fresh produce marketplace where success does not simply rest on a good balance between supply and demand and healthy prices, the presence of a strong and well-established brand has become the game-changer.

Having to adapt to economic pressures and the effects of climate change, South African wine grape and wine producers are continuing to work towards their own sustainability, and that of the industry.

This past week, a new short film from the Empatheatre Collective was released as part of the Green Connection’s Oceans Tribunal held on 21 and 22 September. 

Pam Saxby wrote on the Constitution 18th Amendment Bill in Daily Maverick of 13 September 2021, asking if Parliament is putting the cart before the horse by trying to finalise the Expropriation Bill before finalising the Constitutional Amendment Process. We would like to engage with some of the questions raised in the opinion piece.

Help is now coming from what seem to be even the unlikeliest of places in the heart-breaking wake of Northern Cape veldfires leaving widespread devastation in only a few days.

One of the world’s most spectacular marine migrations is the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run.

Frustrated citrus growers said this week that Transnet potentially posed the biggest threat to the export industry.

Veld fires have left two firefighters dead and destroyed more than two million hectares in the Free State, North West, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape this year. In neighbouring Namibia, 580,480ha was burnt.  

The World Bank expects South Africa to grow by 4.6% in 2021, an upward revision from its 3% April forecast and also a significant improvement on the bank’s 2.6% growth projection published in October last year.