Public Sector Leaders | October 2022

WESTERN CAPE PREMIER ALAN WINDE

in

growth

BACK ON TRACK

FINANCIAL FITNESS

TRAILBLAZER

Editorial

Back on track

Revitalising SA’s rail service

transport solutions

Embracing technology in the transport sector

The new Nissan Qashqai Impressive and top-tier quality

South Africa’s oceans economy

Boosting the ocean economy through the support of the private sector

Social grants

Creating

Addressing

more

society

mouths

Mental health

Providing access to healthcare through technology

Enterprise development and business incubators

Hatching the golden egg

Educate

Features

Addressing The Nation

Presidential Employment Stimulus

Cover Story

Interview with Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde

Trailblazer

Hon. Fikile Mbalula unveils plans for new driver’s licence card

In Other News

Loadshedding’s effect on hospital’s can’t be underestimated

| Regional Focus

Growing Gauteng: A hub for the continent’s economy

| Women in Leadership

Hon. Thoko Didiza: Driving economic growth through agriculture

Financial Fitness

What is SARS’ position on

assets?

Legal Matters

Can Directors be held personally accountable for company debt?

Upcoming Events

October is all about working together

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Editor’s LEttEr

By FIONA WAkELIN

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to the October edition of Public Sector Leaders (PSL)

President

Ramaphosa’s

Letter to the Nation on 3 October focused on the programmes which are stimulating the economy and their beneficial societal spinoffs:

“As we pursue economic growth to deliver decent and sustainable employment at a much larger scale, we will continue to build on the success of the Presidential Employment Stimulus and expand its reach. It is still very much needed to complement recovery of the job market. It also supports that economic recovery in important ways. In a context where a lack of work experience is a major barrier to finding work, these programmes are providing high-quality work experiences,” – His Excellency Ramaphosa.

As part of his busy schedule, President Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the Women Economic Assembly in Pretoria and opened the ECD centre in Nkantolo within the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality, Eastern Cape. H.E. responded to Questions for Oral Reply in the National Assembly and addressed the Local Government Summit.

This October edition of PSL focuses on Transport Month as well as Marine Month and on the front cover we are delighted to feature Western

Cape Premier Alan Winde – whose wide-ranging interview with us is the lead story – in it we get in-depth insight into the province’s strategies for infrastructure development, transport and growth of the tourism industry.

Our Trailblazer is the Minister of Transport, Hon. Fikile Mbalula, who fills us in on what the Ministry is doing to celebrate Transport Month; and the Regional Focus is on Gauteng – did you know that the province is the seventh largest economy in Africa and the

26th largesturban region in the world? In Other News the spotlight falls on hospitals pleading with the government and Eskom to exclude them from loadshedding.

If you have ever wondered about the relationship between SARS and Crypto, then our Financial Fitness regular is a must-read. The Women in Leadership focus this month is on Hon. Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and as part of the celebration of Marine Month we zoom in on the ocean economy –taking a look at what is happening with Operation Phakisa. Enterprise development and incubators - are they hatching a golden egg for the South African economy? Find out in our feature article.

If you are a car enthusiast, please take a look at our Lifestyle section where we bring you a review of the latest Nissan Qashqai.

Whether you are in the public sector, the private sector, supply chain or an interested individual, PSL has something for you.

We hope you enjoy the read.

FIONA WAkELIN | GROuP EDITOR

By FIONA WAkELIN

The Presidential Employment Stimulus

His Excellency recalls that it was less than two years ago that the Presidential Employment Stimulus programme was launched to create jobs and support livelihoods as part of supporting the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; and he is pleased to announce that, as the result of a collaborative effort across government and the wider society, including the private sector and community-based organisations, it has just reached the milestone of one million participants.

“The programme is contributing to employment creation while the economy takes time to recover and create jobs at the scale we need.

“As we pursue economic growth to deliver decent and sustainable employment at a much larger scale, we will continue to build on the success of the Presidential Employment Stimulus and expand its reach. It is still very much needed to complement recovery of the job market. It also supports that economic recovery in important ways [sic].

“In a context where a lack of work experience is a major barrier to finding work, these programmes are providing high-quality work experiences,” – President Ramaphosa. As a result of the Presidential Employment Stimulus nearly 600 000 young people have been placed as school assistants in over 22 000 schools around the country and over 140 000 subsistence

farmers have received production input vouchers to assist them to resume and expand production after the disruptions of COVID-19.

Other innovative programmes introduced by the Department of Science and Innovation include a range of innovative citizen science programmes, such as the Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust, which employs local youth as EnviroChamps to empower communities to rehabilitate local water sources. Another programme by the department helps entrepreneurs to develop business proposals in the green economy.

“Public employment programmes also have a direct positive impact on communities because they create work for the common good. In the case of the Presidential Employment Stimulus, this includes improving learning in schools, upgrading informal settlements, supporting survivors of genderbased violence, environmental conservation and innovating in waste-recycling.

“The incomes earned in Presidential Employment Stimulus programmes have been an economic boost to small enterprises and informal businesses in local economies across the country. School assistants employed in Umgungundlovu are spending their wages in Umgungundlovu. The same in Putsonderwater.

“Instead of the ‘trickle down’ effect, money is being put directly into the hands of communities that need it most. That money then

The Presidential Employment Stimulus has unlocked energy, commitment, creativity, innovation and opportunities

circulates locally and ‘trickles up’ into the wider economy. That is why we call it a stimulus, because the entire economy benefits along with society, ” – His Excellency.

In his letter President Ramaphosa is clear that the Presidential Employment Stimulus has unlocked energy, commitment, creativity, innovation and opportunities –all of which have positive societal spin-offs: over one million people have benefited directly and many more have felt the impact of the programme.

“As a result of the Presidential Employment Stimulus, we now have hundreds of thousands of people with valuable work experience. Most of these people are easy to find through the SAyouth.mobi platform.

“We call on business to hire these young people with newly-acquired work experience as they leave these programmes. Once employers see the Presidential youth Stimulus as a place to find young talent, then we will be able to realise the full potential of this innovative and hugely successful initiative,” – President Ramaphosa

CovEr story

By FIONA WAkELIN & kOkETSO MAMABOLO

“We can do it all here”

Interview with Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde

“IWant to say that this country is worth fighting for,” declares Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, speaking to Public Sector Leaders. “We have got such amazing people and amazing stories in this province, and in this country.” The Premier believes that anything is possible for the Western Cape, and its achievements, and the potential it has, need to be shared proudly with the rest of the country, and the rest of the world. His contribution is to make sure that potential is realised. “It’s about making sure that the province does things that are above and beyond.”

RESOLVING CHALLENGES

Premier Winde loves a challenge. Before he tackled public sector problems he was an entrepreneur who was driven by the need to have fresh problems that need solutions.

“If I think back to the days when I was starting businesses, I always loved the challenge,” says the Premier.

“What are you going to do about it?

Let’s get some people together. Let’s put some investment in. Let’s create this business to solve that problem.”

In 1996, while living in Belvidere, in the Greater Knysna area, the Premier was faced with a challenge, the solution for which propelled him into a career in government. Faced with a choice between only two parties in the local elections at the time, the Premier raised his concern at a community meeting and “long story short, eventually I was convinced to be the independent candidate, which was how I got myself elected against those two political parties.”

One and a half decades later, he was asked to join then newly-elected Western Cape Premier Helen Zille’s provincial cabinet as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance and Economic Development. He served in former Premier Zille’s cabinet for two terms, mostly in Finance but also working in other departments related to the economy.

Having spent almost a decade working in the provincial government, few were as suited to the role of leading the province as the Premier was. In government he found a place with evolving challenges which he can bring people together to solve, improving the well-being of citizens and delivering services.

“If I think back to the days when I was starting businesses, I always loved the challenge”

MAkING THE PROVINCE SAFER

The Premier understands the knock-on effect safety challenges can have on residents, and early in his career in provincial government he sought to gain more knowledge and a better perspective on ensuring the safety of people in the Western Cape. Speaking about his first appointment in 2009, he says, “I personally elected to become the Minister of Community Safety a couple of months before the election, just so I could get my head around safety because I knew that safetycrime - was the biggest inhibitor.”

“The biggest inhibitor to economic growth, the biggest inhibitor to citizen’s ability to take forward themselves or better themselves,” he says passionately.

In 2019, the Premier implemented a plan to address safety in the province. “At that stage in being elected, we were the murder capital of South Africa,” he highlights, in reference to the highest murder per capita rate which reflected a worrying trend which he recognised the need to address proactively, rather than merely reacting to flare-ups in crime.

His vision is clearly articulated in the safety plan document, which involves approaching the problem from two

directions: “The Western Cape Safety Plan will be achieved through a focus on increasing law enforcement presence where and when crime happens,” reads the document, “and through strengthening society’s resilience to crime at several levels: in families, in the school environment, amongst youth at risk, as a result of the harms caused by substance abuse and alcohol abuse, through increased safety in public spaces and by strengthening social cohesiveness and connectedness.”

The first approach, reacting to crime and increasing the presence of law enforcement, gave birth to the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers. “We’ve deployed, so far, 1 100 officers to the 13 hotspot areas. Those are the areas with policing precincts - and they all happen to be in the city [Cape Town], in our province - with the highest murder per capita rates.”

An additional 135 officers form part of the LEAP reaction units, which takes the total number of officers deployed to 1 235. The deployment is based on data, and the reaction units were formed to respond to unpredictable spikes in crimes where additional officers may be required from time-to-time, which solved the problem of having to move officers out of one area to deal with short-term problems in another.

“And in the latest stats that have just come out now [in August], we’ve seen that, out of the top 30 murder stations in the country, [of those] that came down, nine were in the areas we’ve deployed officers,” says the Premier, highlighting the 42% drop in Mitchell Plain’s murder rate as part of the success.

By FIONA WAkELIN & kOkETSO MAMABOLO

over the next seven and a half years.

“To give you an indication, the number of people [coming into the province] is going to be like adding Bloemfontein to Cape Town, in only seven and a half years,” notes the Premier.

“Bloemfontein has got 186 schools, so that means we’ve got to add 186 schools to Cape Town in the next seven and a half years.” In order to meet this demand, there will need to be greater engagement with private and public schools to ensure the system can cope.

The second approach, the proactive one, is still ongoing but stems from the question of what can be done to build a safer society. “How do you make sure that we don’t have that criminal mindset and that everything defaults to crime; that, in actual fact, we are getting safer?” says the Premier.

“How do we identify boys at risk and how do they get put into programmes instead of becoming truant, not doing their schoolwork and then eventually ending up not going to school and ending up in a gang?

“How do we get them through programmes to make sure that they become a risk-taker, not in the illicit economy as a gangster, but a risk-taker as an entrepreneur of the future?

“And that’s linked to the education question - social development, economic development. How do you get into those identified areas that you really do bring in meaningful change? You can’t police your way out of it.”

Preparing learners for the future

“Education is about preparing our youth for a future that they want to envisage for themselves. We’ve got to enable them to be significant role players in our future and to be competitive,” says the Premier, speaking on what’s being done for learners in the province.

His approach has been exemplified by viewing the Education Department as a part of the economic, rather than the social cluster. In order to drive this he appointed MEC David Mynier, who was previously at the helm of the Finance and Economic Development portfolio, as the MEC for Education. The MEC has been tasked with answering the question of how learners can be equipped to participate in economic life.

One of the challenges the MEC faces is catering to the educational needs of a growing population. “Our population growth is projected to grow by another 1.4 million people

For existing schools, the provincial government has invested billions in providing broadband internet access across the province, which will allow the system to not only improve the service offering, but also allow it to reach more learners.

“Already over 20 of them are connected at 100 megabits per second. 1 400 of our schools are connected at around 10 megabits per second.” The rapid increase in connectivity has led to the province’s schools using more data per day than all the other schools in the rest of the country combined.

“If you look at the stuff that’s

“Education is about preparing our youth for a future that they want to envisage for themselves. We’ve got to enable them to be significant role players in our future and to be competitive”

CovEr story

happening around our online schools, it really is amazing to see innovation around new schools that are there for skills and not necessarily only for academics,” says the Premier.

“It’s about schools that are designed for demand.”

THE POST-COVID ECONOMy

“After the first wave [of COVID-19 infections] and going into the second wave, we already said, ‘hang on a second, we need to refocus on the economy because we were losing livelihoods and because businesses were really battling,” says the Premier, when asked about his plans for job creation. At that time, the focus was on recovering from the economic impact of the pandemic in 2021.

“But now what we’re busy with is the sort of second round, and we’re actually going through some policy work right at the moment to say, ‘what else should we be doing now after COVID?’” he says, before touching on a sector which was heavily impacted: tourism.

“In tourism we’re now starting to see the numbers come back. Have we got the ability to deal with the growth?”

The Premier sees lessons which can be learnt from what regions such as Europe and Asia had to go through in its summer months.

“We’ve really got to look at that whole value chain so that when tourism comes back, we’ve learned lessons that the northern hemisphere have through now in this summer season.”

Domestic tourism seems to have recovered, but “international is coming back a little bit slower”.

This has prompted the province to increase its focus on marketing to attract forward bookings. Interestingly, the Premier found that during the lockdowns in Europe, many African tourists chose to come to South Africa when they would normally spend time visiting Europe.

“I think the pandemic has also got people to understand that they don’t have to go to the big city, they can actually go to our towns. We’re seeing that from an investment point of view.”

“We’ve really got to look at that whole value chain so that when tourism comes back, we’ve learned lessons that the northern hemisphere have through now in this summer season”

“People travel first, look, decide and then move,” says the Premier, highlighting how the conferencing industry can have an impact on inspiring business people, who visit for work, to come back with their families.

“We’ve got a product that can hold its own against any business in the world, any region in the world.”

AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

One of the aspects that contributes to job creation and the growth of the economy is the development of infrastructure, which forms a significant part of the Premier’s plans, as evidenced by the creation of a department dedicated to infrastructure development. “Their mandate is anything and everything around infrastructure in this province.”

The other newly-formed department is the Mobility Department which looks to address the questions the province needs to answer such as: “How do people and goods meet? How do learners get to school? How do workers get to work? How do goods get to the port or to markets or to citizens?” MEC Daylin Mitchell was appointed to lead the portfolio in April this year.

CovEr story

By FIONA WAkELIN & kOkETSO MAMABOLO

At the heart of the provincial government’s approach to transport challenges is an understanding that the public sector cannot do it alone. “We’ve got to make sure that we build this network of a governmentenabled regulatory environment with entities that enable private sector investment and operation.”

Having been the MEC for Economic Development, more than a decade ago, when the provincial government set up Green Cape, which was created as a vehicle for the green economy, it’s no wonder that the Premier’s response to being asked if he sees sustainability as a key economic driver, his answer is an emphatic “yes!”. “Way back then we said, ‘listen, let’s set up this organisation used to facilitate the future of green, the future of green jobs and the green economy.”

This work on sustainable development has resulted in the City of Cape Town having the capacity to lighten the impact of loadshedding, through over 3 000 independent power producers, who are using renewable energy to meet demand, with plans for expanding the programme. This focus on sustainable development spreads to agriculture as well, an industry which the province is actively engaging the private sector to drive up investment. Sustainable practices will have an impact on the export market, a signal for the local industry to keep up with the changing times.

“It is critical that we get that right because we know that it’s not only for ourselves and our planet here, but it’s also for our ability to compete in the market,” emphasises the Premier.

LESSONS LEARNT, BRIDGES BUILT

When asked what his “aha!” moment has been, the Premier reflects on what he saw during the pandemic: “I think

some of the things that we achieved during the sort of height of COVID, when we were innovating, when we were developing partnerships to deliver meds or building hospitals or coming up with new ways of treating patients to save lives or getting food coordinated.” The pandemic response showed the Premier what’s possible.

By the kind of inspirational people he’d like to have at his dinner table (Louis Armstrong, Steve Jobs, and his family, among others), it’s clear that he has a penchant for creating solutions that can inspire more solutions. His preferred dessert, a selection of local cheeses and cognac, shows that he is someone who walks the walk, confident in what this country has to offer.

“We can do it all here. We can bring about the change here. And that’s why I do what I do and that’s what I believe my job is here in the province.”

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TRAILBLAZER

BY JESSIE TAYLOR

Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula Plans for secure, technological advanced driver’s licence card unveiled

As South Africa celebrates Transport Month, drivers can look forward to a new driver’s licence card design. The new cards will boast secure design features based on international standards. The new design was recently

unpacked by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula after Cabinet gave its approval to the replacement of the current licence.

REPLACING OBSOLETE TECHNOLOGY

The new cards will be piloted in November 2023, said Minister

licensing centres. In November 2021, the production machine responsible for printing licence cards broke down as a result of an electrical surge caused by flooding from an adjacent building.

However, the introduction of this

NEW DESIGN WITH SECURE FEATURES

NEW DESIGN WITH SECURE FEATURES

The new cards are expected to have security features similar to the smart IDs launched by the Department of Home Affairs in 2013. The smart ID cards are difficult to forge due to security features such as holograms, laser engraving, fingerprint biometrics and biographic data. The card is also made of a durable quality polycarbonate material to prevent tampering.

The new cards are expected to have security features similar to the smart IDs launched by the Department of Home Affairs in 2013. The smart ID cards are difficult to forge due to security features such as holograms, laser engraving, fingerprint biometrics and biographic data. The card is also made of a durable quality polycarbonate material to prevent tampering.

The idea behind the change to the cards is to meet international best practice in terms of security features, and to upgrade the technology used to produce the cards, said Minister Mbalula.

The idea behind the change to the cards is to meet international best practice in terms of security features, and to upgrade the technology used to produce the cards, said Minister Mbalula.

The changes to the cards are expected to be published in the Government Gazette, and the procurement process for the new production infrastructure is expected to start this month, coinciding with Transport Month. Another aspect of the licence cards that may change is the validity period, said Minister Mbalula.

The changes to the cards are expected to be published in the Government Gazette, and the procurement process for the new production infrastructure is expected to start this month, coinciding with Transport Month. Another aspect of the licence cards that may change is the validity period, said Minister Mbalula.

He said his department is considering calls to amend the current five-year validity period that is currently applied to driver’s licence cards. A team at the Road Traffic Management Corporation has completed on a report to establish the feasibility of extending licences to 10 years, and how this could impact safety and revenue. Minster Mbalula said he is currently considering the report and the department may approach Cabinet with new proposals for the validity period. n

He said his department is considering calls to amend the current five-year validity period that is currently applied to driver’s licence cards. A team at the Road Traffic Management Corporation has completed on a report to establish the feasibility of extending licences to 10 years, and how this could impact safety and revenue. Minster Mbalula said he is currently considering the report and the department may approach Cabinet with new proposals for the validity period. n

TRANSPORT MONTH

TRANSPORT MONTH

Transport Month takes place every October and allows the Department of Transport and its entities an opportunity to showcase transport infrastructure services in aviation; maritime; public transport and roads. The month is also used to advance the country’s road safety initiatives. During Transport Month, the government aims to raise awareness of the important role of transport in the economy.

Transport Month takes place every October and allows the Department of Transport and its entities an opportunity to showcase transport infrastructure services in aviation; maritime; public transport and roads. The month is also used to advance the country’s road safety initiatives. During Transport Month, the government aims to raise awareness of the important role of transport in the economy.

October was declared Transport Month in 2005 during the Transport Lekgotla. It is used to raise awareness on the important role of transport in the economy and to encourage participation from civil society and business to provide a safe, affordable, accessible and reliable transport system in the country.

October was declared Transport Month in 2005 during the Transport Lekgotla. It is used to raise awareness on the important role of transport in the economy and to encourage participation from civil society and business to provide a safe, affordable, accessible and reliable transport system in the country.

Sources: Dirco | BusinessTech | EWN | SA Gov | IOL | News24 | OUTA TimesLive

Sources: Dirco | BusinessTech | EWN | SA Gov | IOL | News24 | OUTA TimesLive

PSCBC celebrates its 25th anniversary

By Frikkie De Bruin- PSCBC General Secretary

With the attainment of democracy in 1994, there were many significant changes that were ushered into the labour market arena and the Public Service.

This democracy brought forth the establishment of the PSCBC, an independent organisation tasked with providing a platform for the State, as the Employer, and the admitted Public Service Unions, as Social Partners, to engage constructively over matters of mutual interest.

The emergence of the PSCBC was pivotal as it created a culture of

social dialogue that was necessary to negotiate the transformation of the Public Service. This undertaking formed an integral part of our country's challenge, which forms part of the process of the transition towards democracy. The PSCBC was established on the 13th of October 1997, in terms of Section 35 of the LRA and therefore celebrates its milestone 25th Anniversary this year. The vision remains: to advance and influence change in the labour market environment and our mission is to promote sound labour relations through collective bargaining and dispute management both locally and internationally.

As per Section 37 of the LRA, the Council has a legislative mandate to deal with matters that:

(a) are governed by uniform rules, norms, and standards that apply throughout the public sector;

(b) apply to terms and conditions that cover two or more industries; and

(c) are assigned to the State as Employer in the Public Service but are not assigned to the State as Employer in any other sector.

During the reconstruction of the Public Service, the council played

an integral part in renegotiating and restructuring macro benefits that have been unwarranted in achieving equity and fairness within the Public Service. The PSCBC tackled these challenges headon by laying down the foundation of a culture of engagement and dialogue that were previously foreign concepts to the Public Service and between the parties.

The PSCBC has been at the forefront and remained true to its mandate for the past twenty-five years, in protecting and advancing democratisation of the workplace, strengthening collective bargaining, enhancing dispute management, promoting good governance, and embracing the future of work to

ensure economic development, social justice and labour peace within the public service.

In implementing its constitutional mandate, the Council was able to harmonise the relations between parties to the council, establish formal structures for collective bargaining – both centrally and sectorally and provide effective dispute resolution procedures. Through its mature co-ordinating

capabilities, the Council was also able to sign significant myriad of collective agreements on conditions of service (pensions, medical aid, housing, allowances, grievance, and disciplinary procedures, training, and development issues) and socio-economic issues such as job creation and health issues (HIV/AIDS).

The PSCBC, in its 25 years of existence, has remarkably grown to be one of the largest Bargaining Councils in the world and has positioned itself globally as a benchmark for many countries. As part of the Council's 25th Anniversary celebrations, from the 28th – 31st of March 2022 held a successful Public Service Summit and matters that emanate from the summit will culminate in nationwide roundtable discussions within the various provinces.

The PSCBC would like to use this opportunity to thank our Parties to the Council and the various stakeholders for standing steadfast over the years, for championing the cause of the fight for workers’ rights and making the Council a force to be reckoned with. n

CONTACT

Address: Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council Building B & D, 260 Basden Avenue Lyttelton 0176

Tel Int: +27(0)12 644 8100

Tel Local: 012 644 8100

Email: info@pscbc.org.za

Web: www.pscbc.co.za

The PSCBC has been at the forefront and remained true to its mandate for the past twentyfive years...

The PSCBC, in its 25 years of existence, has remarkably grown to be one of the largest Bargaining Councils in the world and has positioned itself globally as a benchmark for many countries.

Tips for Running a

Successful ESD Programme

“Isthere a blueprint for the creation of a successful Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programme?” A question I often hear in corporate boardrooms. Corporates may have different approaches to ESD, but successful ESD programmes have several things in common.

ESD SupportS Social

DEvElopmEnt anD iS part of a tranSformation StratEgy

Successful corporate clients do not see ESD as a compliance exercise. ESD forms part of their transformation strategy and focuses on social development, impact investing and the creation of sustainable small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

These corporates provide a five-year view of their strategy and short-term plans with precise allocations for financial and non-financial support to SMEs. Plans are implemented early in the financial year and an ESD executive is appointed to deliver the ESD strategy.

ExEcutivE SponSorShip anD alignmEnt bEtwEEn ESD, procurEmEnt, lEgal anD financE

The ESD department cannot achieve the transformation objectives on its own. Objectives should permeate the entire organisation, commencing with

executive sponsorship and include alignment between procurement, legal and finance.

• Procurement should ensure that contracts with SMEs are sufficiently long-term and commercially viable.

• The expertise of the legal team is needed to tailor the contract with the SME because standard supplier contracts may not capture the nuances of SME procurement relationships.

• There should be sufficient funds from the finance area for preferential procurement, supplier development and enterprise development.

propEr govErnancE anD thE importancE of bESt-in-inDuStry partnErS

• Corporations ensure every ESD Rand is spent correctly, audited and reported on.

• Some corporates prefer managing their ESD programmes through a special purpose vehicle and establish a trust. The set-up and day-to-day management of the trust often requires expertise that sits outside of the corporate.

• In most cases, the demand for finance from ESD beneficiaries will exceed what the corporate can provide from its own balance sheet. Successful corporates

know how to leverage the balance sheets of other financiers.

• Best-in-industry partners can support corporates to provide additional market opportunities and the correct business development support ESD beneficiaries require.

importancE of ESD

bEnEficiary DuE-DiligEncE anD financE rEaDinESS Support arE wEll unDErStooD

• A due diligence should establish that the supply chain beneficiaries have the qualifications and experience to perform.

• Finance readiness support should be agreed upfront. This will allow ESD beneficiaries to complete funding applications on time.

mEaSurE impact anD focuS on continuouS improvEmEnt

Successful corporates measure the outputs of social development and transformation strategies.

We have seen that a focus on continuous improvement has led to greater industry collaboration, the introduction of new technology and the linking of ESD to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies for greater impact.

contact DEtailS

web: https://cib.absa.africa/

Email: jan.dekock@absa.africa

Social media: https://linkedin.com/ showcase/absa-cib/ https://twitter.com/absa_cib/

AdvertoriAl absa

Technology in mining operations

Interview with Reshoketswe Zondi

Itwas while studying computer science in high school that Reshoketswe Zondi found her passion for technology.

Chairperson Women in Mining for South32 HMM (Hotazel Manganese Mines). Experienced individual with a demonstrated history of working in the mining industry as well as Information Technology and Services Industry with strong professional skills in Operations Management, Project Management, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Services, Service-Level Agreements (SLA) and People Management. She spent three years in a class of six, where she learned a few basic programming languages. “It was a natural move to continue to study towards my National Diploma at Wits Tech, and I majored in Information Systems and Software Development.” Here Reshoketswe highlights the importance of technology in mining and how it helps improve the efficiency of mining operations.

DIGITISING MINING OPERATIONS

Big Data, the Internet of Things and Power BI are capable of taking

mining operations to the next level by ensuring that they are more efficient and leverage the power of technology. “Big Data is simply loads and lots of data from different formats securely stored in a cloud and how fast the business requires to access it,” says Reshoketswe, Technology Service Manager at South32 . She goes on to explain that Big Data can be defined based on three categories: volume, variety and velocity.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is another tool which mining operations can leverage. IoT is “a group of devices connected via a network to perform a function using applications,” explains Reshokwetse. “IoT is employed in the mining sector to optimise costs and production, enhance safety protocols, and meet their artificial intelligence requirements.”

Reshokwetse highlights Proximity Detection Systems (PDS) and Collision Prevention Systems (CPS) as key to ensuring the safety of miners.

Power BI is a powerful tool for digitising mining operations which

“enables organisations to turn raw data into useful information that can be used to drive deeper business insights and inform decision making faster.”

ADAPTING TO THE NEW NORMAL

The COVID-19 pandemic created the need for using technology to do things we may have done before it created a new normal.

“Mining operations were no different,” says Reshoketswe, “this meant we were forced to adapt, learned to move face-to-face meetings very quick to a mixture of hybrid online virtual sessions, with video options that allowed non-essential workers to dial-in and join essential workers in a Teams, Skype, WebEx or Zoom meetings, amongst other online meeting platforms as the mining operations continued to mine and adapt to our new way of life. “

“The world is not waiting for us to adapt to its changing every minute.

If we don’t adapt and reskill, we will find ourselves out of touch with new reality.”

Reshoketswe Zondi | Technology Service Manager at South32

intErviEw

RESHOkETSWE ZONDI

By JESSIE TAyLOR

Back on track

Revitalising SA’s rail service

Rail is an essential economic infrastructure that offers affordable transport to passengers and is key in transporting freight across the country. But various challenges, including widespread theft and vandalism of rail infrastructure, have seen the use of rail decreasing over the last several years. However, in a bid to increase economic activity, the government and state-owned enterprises have several plans to put the rail service back on track.

AN AFFORDABLE TRANSPORT SOLUTION

In 2020, around 150 000 workers still relied on trains – a decrease from some 700 000 South Africans in 2013. The decrease can be in part ascribed to a service failure, with almost half of the respondents surveyed in the National Household Travel Survey says that they hadn’t used trains because none were available. Others indicated dissatisfaction with travel times: the average travel time by train grew from 74 minutes in 2013 to 107 minutes in 2020.

More than 86% of passengers listed overcrowding, due to limited carriages in service, as the primary cause of dissatisfaction.

Yet rail remains the most affordable mode of public transport, with an

These partnerships feature advanced technologies and additional security personnel

a decline of the rail system as a result of theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure.

South Africa’s rail, port, and pipeline company, Transnet, is responsible for the upkeep of around 31 000 kilometres of track across the country.

average monthly cost of R581 for working South Africans.

Rail also plays an important role in transporting freight, with more than a quarter – around 40 million tonnes – of all freight transported by rail in 2020. This percentage indicated the lowest in a decade, in part due to the economic disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and in part due to

Transnet Freight Rail is the state-owned enterprise’s single largest division and focuses on heavy haul coal and iron ore export lines.

In his State of the Nation Address in February, President Cyril Ramaphosa says our economy could not grow without efficient ports and railways.

“The poor state of passenger rail in South Africa has a direct and detrimental impact on the lives of our people,” he says.

PubLiC trAnsPort

Because our railway infrastructure forms the backbone of the logistics and transport value chain, its key to reviving the country’s economy. For this reason, the rail system has been earmarked as integral to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.

The President’s plans for the rail system include increasing its competitiveness by moving more freight from road to rail.

Rail service providers MetroRail –operated by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) – and Transnet have been challenged by theft and vandalism of infrastructure.

In addition, MetroRail suffered a spate of arson attacks, which reduced its Western Cape fleet from 85 trains servicing around 100 stations to only 32 trains by January 2020.

Transnet Freight Rail lost 354 227 meters of overhead cables to vandalism and cable theft between April 2019 and January 2020 alone, resulting in an average of 21 trains being cancelled per day.

The “exponential increase” in incidents over the last five years has resulted in increased tonnage

and revenue losses and increased repair costs, says Transnet CEO Portia Derby. The financial implications of this have been more than R4 billion.

REHABILITATION OF THE RAIL NETWORk

However, there are plans and projects in place to address these challenges.

The government is working hard to rehabilitate the passenger rail network in 10 priority corridors, including the Southern Line in Cape Town and the Mabopane Line in Pretoria.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says these ten priority corridors of the PRASA passenger rail network are on track to resume services by December. The agency has also been working to clear illegal settlements on and around the network, he says.

There is also a new capital investment strategy in place at PRASA, says Minister Mbalula, which includes investing in locomotives to service passengers. Capital transfers to passenger rail are set to increase from R12.6-billion in 2022/23 to R13.5-billion in 2024/25. These funds will go towards the refurbishment of

coaches, rolling stock, fleet renewal, signalling and increased security of the rail infrastructure.

To improve service delivery, Transnet has started the process of providing third-party access to its freight rail network with the view of increasing activity on the container corridor between Durban and City Deep in Gauteng Transnet has also developed partnerships with the private sector to address cable theft and vandalism on the freight rail network.

These partnerships feature advanced technologies and additional security personnel.

Aside from these partnerships, Transnet and PRASA have teamed up with state-owned enterprises Eskom and Telkom to tackle theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure through the Economic Sabotage of Critical Infrastructure (ESCI) Forum.

The four entities together experience 54 000 incidents of economic sabotage annually.

The Forum has established a multi-disciplinary unit to address economic sabotage, extortion at construction sites, and vandalism of infrastructure, as well as a Police Task Team on Cable Theft and Damage to Essential Infrastructure.

These measures aim to reduce the delays and service delivery challenges associated with the rail service in South Africa and will increase the network’s potential to act as an economic catalyst.

digitising trAnsPort

By JESSIE TAyLOR

Embracing technology for smart transport solutions

Morethan 14 000 people die on South African roads every year, making the country one of the highest ranked for road fatalities.

South Africa is not the only country with these statistics – most of the content experiences fatal road accidents above that of the global average. However, new technology could make roads safer on home soil and across Africa.

In South Africa, around 26 out of every 100 000 people die in road accidents. This is significantly higher than the global average of 18 per

100 000. The high fatality rate has been described as a national crisis by the AA, and it also comes with a heavy financial burden.

The economic cost of fatal accidents has been estimated at close to R150 billion. This economic cost is due to healthcare provided to those who have been injured in accidents, insurance claims, and legal costs. They also deprive countries of a productive and skilled workforce.

Globally, around 1.35 million people die in road accidents – and more than 90% of these deaths take place in low- and middle-income

countries. Road accidents in Africa occur at a higher rate than the global average – it records on average 26.6 deaths per 100 000 population.

However, the continent is also in an ideal position to benefit from new technologies that increased road safety and improve public transport, with is growing youth population.

This population requires a reliable and safe public transport and road network system, to ensure they are able to commute to work and build Africa’s economy. To ensure this system, the continent will have to look at digital transportation and

advanced applications which aim to provide innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management.

To embrace the digital era, countries will have to look at smart solutions to traffic congestion, pollution and poor road safety, based on data informing integrated public transport systems, passenger information systems, and transit services.

Here are just four technologies that are already improving the continent’s transport routes:

1. Digital payment system

Many African countries rely on minibus taxis to provide public transport. However, as the industry tends to operate on cash, it is vulnerable to various risks. Operators are required to provide smaller denomination currency for change and face the safety risks associated with carrying large amounts of cash. To mitigate these challenges, a West Africa pre-payment platform called Gona is enabling cashless payments on a fleet of minibuses. The platform allows commuters to scan a QR code for the vehicle they want to travel on and make a digital payment.

2. Smart traffic systems

More and more transport data is being kept in cloud storage, and this opens up the possibility for machine learning and artificial intelligence. The development of smart traffic management systems allows for machine learning and quickly adapting to various situations such as emergencies. The public transport system would be able to recognise accidents and reroute traffic away from them, as well as alerting healthcare facilities of incoming casualties.

3. Robot cops

One successful adoption of roads safety technologies can be seen in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. These intelligent robot cops, installed on major roads, aim to protect pedestrians crossing

the city’s roads. The robots feature cameras that record everything happening around them, even at night. They are designed to correlate the functions of human traffic officers and traffic lights, as well as collect data. The anthropomorphic robots raise and bend their arms to stop passing vehicles and let pedestrians pass. They are also programmed to speak to pedestrians to indicate when it is safe to cross the road.

4. Machine learning

Machine learning is being harnessed to increase the function of road cameras. Through machine learning, objects can be identified and classified, making it easier to identify slow-moving traffic, accidents, and foreign objects on the road. Road use trends can be mapped out, such as where informal pick-up and drop-off points are, and safety measures can be put in place. This machine learning can be used to thwart crime. For instance, it may identify vehicles stopping suddenly and people approaching a vehicle, potentially in a hijacking, and alert authorities.

Embracing technology in the transport sector can allow South Africa, and its neighbours, to leapfrog to safer, more efficient transport solutions. Effective transport systems are the backbone of economies, and the adoption of technologies to enable these systems has the potential to transform how people live and work.

Effective transport systems are the backbone of economies

ARRB SySTEMS

Driven by data

Interview with ARRB Systems Africa General Manager, yesh Balaram

Thedemand for Automated Road Rehabilitation Business (ARRB) Systems’ first survey equipment, developed in the 1980s, led to their flagship platform launching in 2004. Almost two decades later the technology company, specialising in the road infrastructure market, now has more than 200 systems in operation worldwide. Here Yesh Balaram, General Manager for ARRB Systems Africa, explains what technology will be needed to improve safety on roads and takes us through what services the company offers.

PLEASE TELL US WHAT ARRB STANDS FOR AND WHAT SERVICES ARRB SySTEMS SA OFFERS

ARRB Systems is a technology and data driven company servicing the global road infrastructure market. We develop world-class tools to streamline data collection and processing to enhance decision-making and ultimately make roads safer and better.

WHAT TECHNOLOGy IS NEEDED AND AVAILABLE TO BETTER THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SAFER ROADS?

We are well into the Fourth Industrial Revolution yet, like many sectors in South Africa, the roads industry is yet to fully transform the digital divide. Automated technology such

as the iPAVe, can undertake fully comprehensive measurements of the road condition quickly and accurately. This data is seamlessly uploaded to a cloud platform and accessed via a web-browser, making the digitised information easily accessible.

Having a complete, fully integrated dataset enables the road asset manager to better understand the road condition, and subsequently improve decision-making abilities to ensure that the correct treatment is done on the correct section of road at the correct time. This is a paradigm shift from a conventional subjective approach to an objective approach.

The data use extends beyond traditional road maintenance activities. The information is passed on to engineers as input into project level designs, as well as completion/ as-built information of the road

post-construction. Contractors make use of technology as a means of quality control and even financial auditors are finding use in the data for network evaluation purposes and assessing the effect of their investments. Importantly, the same information is also used by road safety practitioners to undertake network level safety assessments and identify the inherent level of safety in each road. This is then used to implement countermeasures to improve road safety and ultimately save lives.

The net result of undertaking automated road assessments is a safer road network and a saving to the fiscus.

DO yOU HAVE ExCITING PLANS FOR THE yEAR AHEAD?

While there’s plenty in the pipeline, one of the initiatives I’m particularly excited about is machine learning and artificial intelligence. We are working closely with our developers to transform analysis techniques and introduce fully automated condition ratings which will further streamline the entire data analysis process. This will result in significant time and cost savings and a greater degree of accuracy to enhance decision making at the tactical level.

CONTACT DETAILS

Address: 10 Kyalami Rd, Westmead, Pinetown, 3610

Tel: (+27) 31 700 2500

Cell: (+27) 82 823 1092

Web: arrbsystems.com

Email: africa@arrbsystems.com

Yesh Balaram | ARRB Systems Africa General Manager

CAr rEviEw

By SINAZO MkOkO

have taken two years to land in South Africa, but for those who have a long history with the brand, it was worth the wait.

T he new

Nissan Qashqai

Impressive and top-tier quality

Impressive,

spacious and top-tier. These are three words that came to my mind when I first laid my eyes on the all new Nissan Qashqai.

On 21 September, 2022, Nissan South Africa revealed its all-new Qashqai to the South African market and we were part of it. The latest set of wheels is available in three grades; the Qashqai 1.3T Visia MT, the Qashqai 1.3T Acenta (Xtronic) and the 1.3T Acenta Plus (Xtronic). Here we look at some of its best features.

SAFETy AND TECH

One can tell that Nissan has prioritised safety for its customers using the latest technological innovation. Drivers of this generation will enjoy their ride, knowing that the car can watch the road and keep passengers safe with its advanced safety technologies.

Nissan SA stated: “One of the safety functions ensuring passenger safety, is through the onboard Predictive Front Collision Warning, which keeps an eye up to two vehicles ahead, and when the system detects a sudden deceleration ahead, it gives the driver an audible and visual warning to slow down.”

They added: “The all-new Qashqai also delivers on an intuitive and protective driving experience through the Driver Attention Alert (DAA) system – which is intended to address

potential driver fatigue and inattention. If the system detects driving behaviour consistent with a drowsy driver, the system uses an audible chime sound and displays an amber coffee cup with a message reading, “Take a break?” in the vehicle’s information display.” This, for me, was a key takeaway. South Africa records a high rate of accidents every year and some of those caused by the distractions and drivers losing attention and the DAA will contribute to reducing such accidents.

TOP-TIER COMFORT

When it came to comfort, Nissan didn’t pull any punches. The new Nissan Qashqai is fitted with premium full Napa leather seats with quilted fronts for one cosy and restful experience.

There’s no way one wouldn’t be comfortable - especially when the seats of this vehicle have a massage function that will put you at ease as you’re driving! The drive was so smooth, I felt like we needed a longer drive or maybe a road trip outside of the province as we effortlessly cruised the twists and turns of Chapman’s Peak. Nissan said they are introducing a two-tone, premium interior to complete the overall premium experience of the third generation Qashqai. From a glance, this beauty comes in different colours with something for everyone including new two-tone colour combinations. It’s a sight for sore eyes. It might

PRICES

The starting price of the 1.3T Visia is R 568 200. The 1.3T Acenta Xtronic CVT is R 639 300, the 1.3T Acenta Xtronic CVT (2-Tone) is R 644 800 and, lastly, the 1.3T Acenta PLUS Xtronic CVT (2-Tone) starts at R 670 600.

1.3T VISIA

Fuel Type unleaded Petrol Engine displacement 1332

Number of cylinders 4

Maximum Torque 240@3500

Drivetrain 2WD

Maximum Power 96@5500

Consumption Fuel Economy Estimate (l/100km)

1.3T ACENTA xTRONIC CVT

fuel Type unleaded Petrol Engine displacement 1332

Number of cylinders 4

Maximum Torque 250@3750

Drivetrain 2WD

Maximum Power 110@5500

Consumption Fuel Economy Estimate (l/100km) 6.1

1.3T ACENTA xTRONIC CVT (2-TONE)

Fuel Type unleaded Petrol Engine displacement 1332

Number of cylinders 4

Maximum Torque 250@3750 Drivetrain 2WD

Maximum Power 110@5500

1.3T ACENTA PLUS xTRONIC CVT (2-TONE)

Engine type Petrol Only Engine displacement 1332

Maximum Power 110@5500

Maximum Torque 250@3750

Fuel Type unleaded Petrol Transmission XTRONIC CVT Drivetrain 2WD

Number of cylinders 4

OPERATION PHAKISA BY JESSIE TAYLOR

Boosting South Africa’s ocean economy through the support of the private sector Anetwork,

spearheaded by private sector stakeholders, has been established to encourage South Africa’s maritime economy.

The newly established Maritime Industry Transport Development Task Force Network offers a significant boost for the oceans economy, by cutting red tape in the industry and supporting government efforts to create jobs through maritime activity.

CAPTURING A LARGER SHARE OF THE MARITIME MARKET

With CEO of Durban-based Sandock Austral Shipyards, Prasheen Maharaj at the helm as president of the Maritime Transport Development Network, the organisation has the full support of the Department of Transport. The initiative aims to support the government’s Operation Phakisa programme. The programme aims to create one million new jobs and unlock R177- billion of value to the GDP through the maritime sector.

The Department of Transport’s Chief Director: Policy and Legislation Dumisani Ntuli said the government welcomes public private partnerships, especially as the maritime sector is critical for economic growth.

He added that around 80% of the economy depends on the maritime sector.

Every year, around 300 million tons of cargo moves through South Africa’s ports in imports and exports. In addition, 1.2 million tonnes of liquid fuels move along our coast, while the rapidly expanding offshore oil and gas activities require a supporting fleet of vessels.

In addition, South Africa is ideally positioned to serve the cargo traffic travelling between the East and West, as well as the continent’s booming offshore oil and gas industry.

However, Despite this competitive advantage, we currently capture only one % of the global market of ship repair and refurbishment. Of the eighty oil rigs

estimated to be in the range of the Western Cape, only four rigs are serviced per year, showing significant potential for growth.

Operation Phakisa aims to increase maritime activity in key areas, including amongst others, gaining a 10% increase in the local manufacturing and ship repair capacity and increase the amount of minerals exported on local ships.

Mr Maharaj estimates that around 90% of goods that come in and leave South Africa through maritime transport are making the sector a key enabler of economic activity. This includes essential products such as crude oil and fuel.

“It therefore becomes critical that our maritime transport economy not only survives but thrives,” he says.

A PRIVATE SECTOR LED PROGRAMME

The network is a departure from previous attempts to increase ocean economy activity, said Mr Maharaj, in that it is not government-led.

“This is private sector driven but supported by the government with the Department of Transport

being the secretariat. The words Network and Task Force were chosen very deliberately. The Network underscores the cooperative and collaborative nature of the undertaking - we need to work closely together to leverage each other’s strengths and resources for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders,” he said.

detailed and practical plans that will allow the government to fasttrack implementation in a number of key ocean economy sectors.

The programme looks to harness the largely untapped economic potential of the ocean, surrounding South Africa on three sides. Operation Phakisa has the critical work of stimulating the South African economy, with all sectors having the potential to produce as many as one million jobs by 2033.

Operation Phakisa has six priority potential growth areas: Marine transport and manufacturing, offshore oil and gas exploration, aquaculture, marine protection services and ocean governance, small harbours development, as well as coastal and marine tourism.

The network will work handin-hand with the Department of Transport under its Comprehensive Maritime Transport Policy. This policy hopes to unlock billions in value through the marine sector.

The task force will identify impediments to the growth and efficiency of the maritime transport economy and ensure solutions are implemented on time and within reasonable costs.

Operation Phakisa, meaning “hurry up” in Sesotho, is modelled on the success of the Malaysian “Big Fast Results” methodology. Launched in 2014, the programme looks to work with stakeholders to develop

The goal behind the network is to provide a platform for the country’s maritime sector collaborate in the rapid development of the country’s maritime industry. The network represents several subsectors in South Africa’s maritime industry work streams or task forces. Six of these task forces have been established and are already in operation.

The network will promote collaboration between government and other stakeholders, to drive investment and business development with the goal of promoting inequality, unemployment and poverty.

Sources: Operation Phakisa | SAFETY4SEA | IOL

The programme looks to harness the largely untapped economic potential of the ocean...

FREEDOM PARk

Freedom Park –The Voice Of The Nation

This is the case with CEO

To lead an extraordinary facility requires exceptional talent and competence.

Jane Mufamadi, previously a lecturer in the department of Psychology, as well as former Director for the Centre of Indigenous Knowledge Systems at the university of Venda.

Before being appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Park, a position she has now held for almost 6 years, Jane has been heavily involved in the institution since its inception; first as a Coordinator for Special Projects and then as the Head of the CEO’s office. During this time, she was also heading the Incubation and Innovation department. Then in 2013, she was appointed as the Head of the Heritage and Knowledge department, followed by being appointed first as the Acting CEO in April 2014. Jane believes that working at Freedom Park is a life calling - one that

We have implemented several key partnerships with like-minded institutions.

offers a rare opportunity to contribute to the promotion of social cohesion and rebuilding the South African nation and the continent at large.

Her vision is to make Freedom Park, not just a place to preserve the memories of those who sacrificed their lives for freedom and humanity, but a centre for healing and reconciliation, a place that not only restores the pride and dignity of all South Africans but also one that inspires hope and the celebration of the resilience and triumph of the human spirit. Her current focus is to make Freedom Park a visible entity, thereby growing its number of visitors.

Enunciating on this challenging role, Jane’s emphasis is on teamwork,

focus, and accountability as the hallmark of how she leads her team in accomplishing their goals. She further indicates that there is gradual visibility of Freedom Park, and the Park is on demand from other museums in South Africa and foreign governments to share its experience of a Park dedicated to peace and freedom.

With a smile on her face, she says, “We have implemented several key partnerships with like-minded institutions. Freedom Park is one of the few institutions which deal with sensitive issues of politics and history, but which enjoy legitimacy across the wide spectrum of society.” This is indeed being confirmed by a litany of bone-crushing debates of national significance that are hosted by this erstwhile institution.

unlike other traditional museums and memorials - and as a first of its kind, nationally and internationally - Freedom Park’s approach to knowledge production is distinct. It integrates history, heritage, culture,

and spirituality, and is anchored within the Indigenous Knowledge Systems’ perspective. This extensive comprehension of these critical elements of humanity is unheard of in the history of museums, as most tend to specialise and isolate specific aspects in their approach. This is truly African: An African story, told by Africans themselves, from an African perspective, thus emancipating the African voice and liberation of an African Child. As a symbol of reconciliation, Freedom Park provides a space for healing past wounds. The storyline, the architecture, the landscape, and the ambiance all create an environment for deep contemplation and physical and spiritual spaces for healing. You cannot visit Freedom Park and leave unchallenged.

Jane attributes her success and her drive to hard work, persistence, and perseverance, and urges other women who encounter resistance to their leadership to return to these qualities. ultimately her family and prayer are her cornerstones in times of strife, and she spends as much time with both as she can while remembering her personal motto of

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” as well as her mother’s “First listen to understand and then take time to respond.”

Jane bucks the title of CEO and the preconceptions that come with it, saying that she sees her role as a responsibility to influence, inspire and help others become their best selves, building their skills, and achieving organizational goals along the way. She says more than the title, she just wants to do her job and achieve the goals she sets for herself, and the organization within it. At times the work can be challenging, as when dealing with various internal and external pressures. As an anecdote, Jane states an example, on a personal level, when a few heads of state that have visited the Park, told her that she looks ‘too young’ to be so competently in charge of such an august institution, which she laughs it off as part of stereotyping on the perception of what a leader should look like.

Launched on 1 June 2000, Freedom Park’s objective is to drive the conceptualization and construction of the nation’s Freedom Park. This project would belong to the nation entirely

It would be a place where the nation could come to heal, debate and come to new understandings. Moreover, it would be a place of reconciliation and nation-building, a place where the nation would learn to focus on that which unites us, instead of being blinded by that which separated us in the past. It would be a place where stereotypes would be exposed and obliterated. It would launch the nation on a route of healing, of acceptance and forgiveness. It would be instrumental

in reconciliation and nation-building, in establishing and exploring new avenues of social cohesion. It would be the heartbeat of all that is South African.

With a visibly bright and confident face, Jane vividly reminds us that two years ago, Freedom Park celebrated 20 years of its existence and indeed it is a phenomenal milestone as this institution has become a major visitor attraction capable of securing substantial numbers of visitors locally, nationally, continentally, and internationally. The Park adds to the critical mass of internationally known attractions in Gauteng and brands Tshwane as a cultural tourist destination. underpinning the objectives of Freedom Park is the articulation of an inclusive, multifaceted heritage that will represent, in a visible, experiential, and interactive manner, South Africa’s national consciousness, thus substantiating its culture and deepening its identity.

CONTACT DETAILS

Address: Koch &, 7th Ave, Salvokop, Pretoria, 0002 Tel: 012 336 4000 Toll-free: 0800 470 740

Web: www.freedompark.co.za

Facebook: @freedomparksa flickr: Freedom Park LinkedIn: Freedom Park Tripadvisor: Freedom Park Twitter: @freedom_park youTube: Freedom Park

Jane Mufamadi | CEO Freedom Park

othEr nEws

By SINAZO MkOkO

Loadshedding’s effect on hospitals can’t be underestimated

Health department doing its best to save lives

Eskom’s

struggle to keep the lights on across the country is continuing. As South Africa is grappling with the effects of loadshedding, the hospitals have pleaded with the power utility to exclude them from stage 5 and stage 6 of loadshedding.

An online petition calling for hospitals to be exempt from loadshedding was started by the Head of Internal Medicine at Charlotte Maxeke

Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH), Professor Adam Mohamed.

Prof Mohamed said that loadshedding continues to put a strain on both hospital equipment (which is ageing and in short supply) and the well-being of patients.

He said due to this challenge, emergency surgeries cannot be performed conveniently.

“I’ve started this petition to the Gauteng Provincial Government and relevant departments calling on them to exempt all hospitals in Gauteng from loadshedding.

In the Western Cape province, hospitals are already exempt from loadshedding, surely the same must follow for hospitals in every provinceincluding Gauteng,” he stated in his petition.

Prof Mohamed added that uPS (uninterrupted power supply) batteries in Neonatal Care Wards and other intensive care units (ICus) do not

have enough time to recharge between power cuts during loadshedding, which could lead to fatalities in infants and the most vulnerable of patients. “Even where hospitals do have generators they cannot power the entire hospital so outpatients for example, who sit in an area that is not considered an emergency area, will sit in total darkness requiring healthcare professionals to use their cellphone torches in order to examine them [sic],” he said.

“During loadshedding, a hospital like Charlotte Maxeke burns through between 800 and 900 litres of diesel a day. This translates into an expenditure of between R5-million and R8-million a month - which all comes out of the provincial health budget. This means that there is R5-million to R8-million less to spend on patient care.”

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) also appealed to the government to grant healthcare facilities exemptions to Eskom’s rolling blackouts, warning that vulnerable people going into surgery or in ICu could face serious complications because of loadshedding.

Speaking at a virtual media briefing on Friday, September 30, Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, admitted that the impact of loadshedding on the provision of healthcare services cannot be underestimated or overemphasised and the department would do its best to save lives. “We have noted and appreciated calls made by various organisations, including the healthcare workers who called for exemption of health facilities to mitigate the current impact of loadshedding on the effective functioning of health facilities to save lives.

“Loadshedding is a risk to the efforts to deliver on our Constitutional mandate of protecting, promoting and maintaining the health, safety and well-being of patients and the public by ensuring quality pharmaceutical service for all SouthAfricans,” he said.

He went on to say that while most public health facilities have a back-up power supply system which includes generators and

uPSs, these alternative sources of energy were “not designed to provide back-up electricity for a longer period of time” as some of the equipment is old and others have no necessary capacity to power the entire facility.

“Thus, generators have been proven not to adequately meet the increasing demands during loadshedding in health facilities, hence some hospitals are left without a choice, but forced to switch off some critical areas, which now compromise patient care. That is why provinces like Limpopo have resorted to put elective surgeries on hold until further notice.

“These persistent power outages are significantly contributing to reduced lifespan of some of the critical medical machinery and equipment, including the same backup generators. Again, these unpredictable prolonged power outages which are at higher stages of loadshedding pose a threat to thesafety and efficacy of variousmedications and vaccines whichneed to be stored within specifictemperature,” said Minister Phaahla.

INTERVENTION MEASURES

Minister Phaahla added that they are engaging relevant authorities and entities involved in the power supply and loadshedding to deal with the challenge.

“We can safely report that there is progress to exclude hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the country from loadshedding, and this is work-in-progress done between the Department, Eskom and Municipalities.”

“The department is further engaging the National Treasury to discuss the additional budget implications to sustain the loadshedding contingency plans, including unbudgeted increase in diesel and oil expenditure to run the generators and maintenance costs.

“We are also considering the phased approach investment in renewable energy through solar power installation at health facilities as part of energy mix. This will need a feasibility study before we commence with the critical health facilities per province based on budget availability.

Solarised energy will be prioritised for areas such as theatres, Intensive Care units, High-Tech and advanced equipment,” he said.

NEW ESkOM BOARD

On Friday, September 30, the Minister of Public Enterprises, Honourable Pravin Gordhan announced the new members of the Eskom Board.

In a statement released by the department, the Minister said the Board members bring broad experience, expertise and skills that will provide stability and strategic direction to the entity. Their task will be to reposition Eskom to play a key role in the energy sector.

They said: “The Minister would like theincoming Board to deal with immediate current loadshedding issues, procurement, elimination of corruption and ensuring that there is reliability of energy supply in the medium to long term. The Minister would like to thank the previous Board members for their work and wishes the new Board well during their tenure.”

Solarised energy will be prioritised for areas such as theatres and Intensive Care Units

soCiAL grAnts

By JESSIE TAyLOR

Social grants

Creating a more equitable society

South Africa’s welfare system provides much-needed relief to millions of those who live in poverty.

In order to increase food security among vulnerable households, the Department of Social Development is looking to increase its Social Relief of Distress Grant. This increase is likely to ensure those living below the breadline are able to afford basic nutrition and reduce the poverty gap.

One of the ways of reducing inequality in South Africa is through the redistribution of wealth among citizens in the form of a social welfare programme.

The government has a number of social grants in place to protect vulnerable people and households, by providing them with financial support from taxpayers’ contributions.

A SOCIAL WELFARE SySTEM SUPPORTING MILLIONS

South Africa has a well-established social welfare system that pays out more than 18 million social grants every month. According to data from the Department of Social Development, almost half of all South Africans rely on financial support from the government, and around a third depend on social grants.

Research has suggested that South Africa’s social grant beneficiaries are almost double the number of registered taxpayers.

Most of the South African government’s social spending is divided between the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Social Development. The government has budgeted R1.3-trillion over the next three years in social spending. Of this, more than 95% (R684-billion) has been earmarked for the payment of social grants.

Over the next three years, R3.33-trillion will be allocated to the social wage to support vulnerable and low-income households.

According to Treasury, the social wage amounts to almost 60% of consolidated non- interest spending. South Africa’s comprehensive social wage has been significantly augmented in the last two budgets. The South African government is mandated by the Constitution to protect the socio-economic rights of citizens, including the right to social security. Social grants are a mechanism used by

The bulk of the government’s spending on social grants remains on old-age and child-support

the government to improve the standard of living for many South Africans, by redistributing wealth to reduce inequality.

Administered by the South African Social Security Agency, there are a number of grants to protect against vulnerability and poverty. They include the Child Support Grant, Disability Grant, Older Person’s Grant, and Social Relief of Distress Grant.

During the pandemic, the government implemented a special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant of R350 per month - around 10 million South Africans were eligible for the special grant.

SPECIAL RELIEF, BROUGHT ON By ExCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

The Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant was established to ease some of the unprecedented social and economic challenges brought on by the pandemic. Covid-19 saw low- and no-income individuals and households placed under increased economic pressure, with many enduring extreme financial hardships during the national lockdown implemented to control the spread of the virus. In response, the government introduced a special grant of R350 in May 2020.

This was the first large-scale digitally implemented social security measure. Data from the Department of Social Development showed that the grant was mostly used to purchase food.

This finding supports the call for increased social assistance programmes, indicating that food security remains a key area in which to focus social assistance.

Social Development Minister

Lindiwe Zulu recently put forward a proposal to adjust the social relief of distress grant from R350 to R624 and to relax the eligibility criteria.

The increased amount will match South Africa’s food poverty line (the monthly amount needed for individuals to consume their minimum required daily energy intake), which for this year is R624.

The continuation of this R350 monthly grant through to March next year is expected to add R44.4-bn to the government’s spending in the 2022/2023 financial year. This will push spending on social grants in 2022/2023 which will increase to an unprecedented R364.4-bn, equivalent to almost 4% of GDP.

However, the bulk of the government’s spending on social grants remains on old-age and child-support grants. These grants perform the essential function of increasing food security among the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

By JESSIE TAyLOR

Feeding hungry mouths by addressing food insecurity

Food insecurity in South Africa has almost doubled since 2019, with single-parent households among those worse affected. The effects of poor nutrition can be long-lasting, and children who are undernourished are more susceptible to stunted growth, disease, and death.

A VULNERABLE POPULATION

An estimated 6.5 million South Africans (11% of the population) are food insecure. This means they do not have sufficient money to buy food and cannot make their own –often due to unemployment or low incomes – and are vulnerable to economic shocks.

The province with the highest number of food insecure households is Gauteng, where more than a third of the population is vulnerable and has at the very least skipped a meal because there was insufficient money for food.

Research has found that those with lower education levels are more likely to experience hunger and food insecurity, and it is more prevalent among households headed up by single people. In South Africa, almost a quarter of households are run by a single individual.

Women are also more likely to be affected by food insecurity, according to the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). The report found that

It will require global solidarity to meet pressing challenges such as food insecurity

women are more likely to be affected by moderate to severe food insecurity and severe food insecurity than their male counterparts. The report estimated that almost 20% of South African women experience moderate to severe food insecurity, compared to men at 15.2%.

Food security is particularly important for childhood development. A lack of nutrition can lead to stunted growth, and according to uNICEF makes children more vulnerable to disease and death.

In a recent address at the united Nations General Assembly, Department of International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor said the world’s greatest challenges are poverty, inequality, joblessness and feeling excluded.

She said that it will require global solidarity to meet pressing challenges such as food insecurity.

WORkING TOWARDS A FOOD SECURITy FUTURE

Dr Chana Pilane-Makaje, Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration says: “Food security is essential to Africa’s human capital development and securing the resultant benefits of social-economic growth and development. Food security in Africa must be prioritised, we must fight hunger, and we must fight malnutrition. If our population in Africa is not well nourished, our population won’t be strong enough for it to participate in the development of Africa.”

There are ways to reduce food security, such as social services and increased employment opportunities.

These are some of the ways the South African government is tackling the issue:

• Feeding at schools. To ensure children have adequate nutrition, the government runs the National School Nutrition Programme which provides one nutritious meal to all learners in disadvantaged primary and secondary schools. While the objective is to provide nutritious meals to learners to improve

their ability to learn, it also ensures children receive the basic nutrition required for healthy development.

• Social support. Through more than 18 million social grants, the government aims to redistribute wealth to those living below the poverty line and increase food security. One of the proposals to further this aim is the increase of the Department of Social Development’s suggestion to increase the Social Relief of Distress Grant, which will ensure beneficiaries are about to afford basic nutrition.

• Increased employment. As food security is linked to household income, creating more employment opportunities has the power to lift households out of poverty and enable to them to afford basic nutrition. The South African government is also tackling employment through programmes such as those run by the National Youth Development Agency and the Expanded Public Works programme and skill development opportunities.

• Urban agriculture. The FIES report suggests that households could produce their own food, to help food security, through urban agriculture.

“Increased household or individual income, economic growth and offering additional resources to improve food insecurity have been very effective in reducing the prevalence of food insecurity in many countries,” the report said.

Sources: uNICEF|health-e|theconversation|citizen|dailymaverick|devdiscourse|news24

These programmes could also be run at community facilities such as schools and parks.

Increasing food security not only ensures the basic human rights of citizens but also creates communities that are healthy and able to contribute to the economy.

This in turn builds an active and resilient society.

REDUCING WASTE

While many South Africans go without food, on average each South African household discards 6kg of edible food every week. The average person requires around 4.4kg of food each day to be well fed.

Based on a report by the Department of Forestry and Fisheries and the Environment, more than 10 million tonnes of quality food is lost or wasted annually.

Food redistribution organisation FoodForwardSA (FFSA) is attempting to put a end to unintentional wasting of food, to reduce food insecurity and save the environment. FFSA managing director Andy du Plessis says that by repurposing surplus food, good quality food can be recovered and redistributed to vulnerable people who don’t have access to a nutritious meal.

FFSA provides meals to more than 950 000 disadvantaged people across the country, with each meal costing less than R1.

Corporate Social Investment

Smile Foundation has a multifaceted CSI Programme whereby corporates and individuals can get involved in a number of ways. Our CSI activities branch out to corporate volunteer programmes, direct donations and fundraising events. By aligning your organisation with Smile Foundation you are investing in the future of South Africa’s children.

Our joint efforts will positively affect children’s lives and enable disadvantaged children to face the world with a positive self-image. Together we can transform lives one

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Our governance is overseen by our Executive Chairman Co-Founder Mr Marc Lubner, Medical Director and Co-founder Professor George Psaras, and a Board of

Our NPO is audited by Papilsky Hurwitz Chartered

Smile Foundation is BEE Compliant. A Section 18A Certificate will be provided. There are numerous marketing, branding and PR

We offer interactive educational volunteer projects. We received the Gold Health Care Award as part of the 2018 Premier’s Service Excellence Awards. We received the bronze award from the Gauteng Premier’s Awards in the Innovation category. We were recognised by the South African National

Benefits to Donors

Cash donations qualify for a tax rebate and Smile Foundation will issue you / your organisation with an 18A Certificate.

BEE Certification

Smile Foundation is BEE Compliant.

By SINAZO MkOkO

International Day of the Girl Child

a girl child, empower a nation

On October 11, 2022, the world commemorates the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child (IDG). The day focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

tEAChing girL ChiLdrEn About LEAdErshiP

It was in December 2012 when the united Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognise girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.

The united Nations (uN) says that while there has been increased attention on issues that matter to girls, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to “confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential; made worse by concurrent crises of climate change, COVID-19 and humanitarian conflict.”

The uN states: “Girls around the world continue to face unprecedented challenges to their education, their physical and mental wellness, and the protections needed for a life without violence. COVID-19 has worsened existing burdens on girls around the world and worn away important gains made over the last decade.”

The first children’s home/shelter for girl-children in the Western Cape, Ons Plek continues to empower young girls through their new programmes that are integrated very closely with each other to equip and prepare the girl children for their future lives.

Having joined the organisation more than 30 years ago with a plan to stay for a year or two, Director of Ons Plek, Pam Jackson, struggled to leave the young girls and felt like they still needed her guidance and, 30 years later, she’s still at the home.

“I realised that these girls were and are still full of resilience, life and spirit. They just want to make a change in their lives. Something just told me I committed myself. I still wasn’t going to stay 34 years. But you know, it’s a very interesting job. It’s never, ever boring. That, and the children have kept me there. There have been times when we were short-staffed and planned on closing and then we get a knock on the door and there’s a man with his twin girls aged four. He’s had to leave them at home while he goes to work because his wife is dead and then he discovers that the man next door is using a chocolate bar to rape them,” she says.

She added that she was going to close the shelter for a week and not take any more children but she couldn’t because the children needed this shelter.

Touching on the leadership and values they teach young children at the home, Ms Jackson says they are not there to disempower children.

“These children have usually grown up in poverty-stricken families and so they are accustomed to cooking, cleaning, helping with responsibilities that my children certainly never had of that age, taking care of the other children, so we’re not there to take away those skills. We also are there to say to them that just because they are poor and haven’t had great opportunities, it doesn’t mean that

they are beggars. They have their own inside [sic] strength and talents.”

“They have to do the shopping under directions. If they arrive home with steaks, then we will say we can’t afford the steaks. Tell the shopkeeper that you shouldn’t have bought the steaks because now we haven’t got money for bread.’

“We also teach them how to make their own decisions and how to handle conflicts. They have discussions about how we handle this conflict in the house. We let them decide what we are going to do for Christmas and they’ve got to work it out again with our guidance. We teach them how to think and how to evaluate budgets and how to evaluate the decisions,” she says.

Touching on society’s role and the challenges they encounter in supporting the girl child, Pam said we still have a long way to go. “While I see a lot of efforts to support the girl child, there’s a huge attitude that we need to combat. I’ve seen this while taking our walks with the girls down the road, there will be a multitude of men who will be turning the young girls, shouting out ‘hello baby’ to children and that needs to change,” she says.

In conclusion, Ms Hendricks said the organisation has come up with good prevention programmes to ensure that young girls do not live on the streets. “I look at these children who come to us for assistance and how they leave with a completely different attitude and feeling empowered. I believe that people have inherent strengths and when you have access to it, nourish it and they will respond.”

uN|Dirco

The organisation has come up with good prevention programmes to ensure that young girls do not live on the streets

MENTAL

BY JESSIE TAYLOR

Mental health

Creating access to healthcare through technology

Every day, there are 23 suicide attempts in South Africa and at least 70% of those attempting suicide have a mental disorder such as depression.

South African start-up mental health support app Panda offers South Africans access to online tools, activities, and support.

A PLATFORM TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH CARE

The Panda app is a digital platform designed to give users easy access to mental health information, community support and expert help. One of the ways it does this is through a feature called the Bamboo Forest.

Yet more than 75% of South Africans struggled to get the mental health treatment they need. This is the gap that a local app hopes to fill, by providing support to those with mental health challenges.

Panda was created by mental health expert and clinical psychologist Allan Sweidan and Alon Lits, former GM and director at Uber South Africa. The app serves as a triage system for people with psycho-social issues and allows users to access care anonymously. The inspiration behind the app was to address the challenge of making mental health care more accessible, says Mr Sweidan. This is essential in communities where people don’t have access to mental health care, or where people don’t know what kind of care they need.

Technology holds the power to bridge this gap, says Mr Lits, as well as transform the industry at large.

This allows users to engage with a community of others who may be facing similar challenges. The Bamboo Forest allows for audio-only discussions with peers or facilitated by experts on health-related topics.

There are also assessment tools to enable users to measure their mental well-being and a feature to track and monitor their personal mental health journey. Panda includes a chat feature where users can connect with registered counsellors and book 30-minute text-based chat sessions. Because of the private and anonymous nature of many of the app’s features, users can access support and counselling without fear of stigma.

The stigma attached to mental health disorders, can lead to discrimination against those who are suffering from them, and becomes a barrier to reaching out for help and treatment.

In fact, those living with serious mental illness are more likely to be homeless, incarcerated or unemployed, because they are often ostracised or unable to access care, research suggests.

CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT

“It is estimated that a third of South Africans will suffer from a mental health issue at some time in their lives. We, therefore, dedicated our time and resources to develop the Panda app to give those seeking help a safe space to open up and receive the support they need when they need it,” Mr Sweidan says. The support is sorely needed in

South Africa. The county ranks the 10th highest in suicide rates, according to a World Population Review study.

According to the World Health Organisation, South Africa has the third-highest suicide rate on the continent, with almost 14 000 deaths annually. The vast majority of these deaths were among men, who face even more stigma around mental health. Estimates by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) report that around 70 percent of those who try suicide have a mental health disorder, and the most common is depression. SADAG also suggests that between half and a third of all patients with depression are not detected by their local doctor. These figures reveal that South Africa needs urgent intervention and resources to support those navigate mental health issues.

Mr Sweidan says: “Being able to use a smartphone to find mental health support for issues you may be experiencing or set up a oneon-one session with a professional discreetly is a valuable tool that digital innovation enables.”

The Panda app is just one example in the fast-growing healthcare sector: Digital mental health services now allow people to access

online resources, better quality care, as well as therapy, coaching and support, via mobile devices anywhere in the world. Sector is democratising mental health care and reaching thousands of people who previously may not have received treatment. n

WHERE TO GET HELP

If you or someone you know is struggle with mental health, or has suicidal thoughts or depression, contact the SADAG 24-hour helpline on 0800 12 13 14 or call the LifeLine SA national counselling line on 0861 322 322.

Sources: News24 | RMB | ORF | Technext | DISRUPT Africa | HEALTH-E NEWS | IT-ONLINE

rEgionAL FoCus

By kOkETSO MAMABOLO

Growing Gauteng

A hub for the continent’s economy

Newly appointed Gauteng Premier, Honourable Panyaza Lesufi takes over the reins of a province which is the economic cornerstone of the country and the continent. “It is both the financial and technological nerve centre of Africa,” said the provincial government in its Growing Gauteng Together 2030 plan. But exactly how big is this economy? What are the plans for further growth? And who has been tasked with driving this growth?

NEW LEADERSHIP

On Friday, October 7, the Premier announced changes to his provincial government, made to fill the vacancy he left after being promoted from the province’s education portfolio. It was at this announcement that he briefly shared the plans for his administration with three main focus points: “We have elevated things we feel are non-negotiable before now and the end of the political term. The economic recovery and reconstruction…

We want to strengthen the immediate fight against crime, corruption, and change living conditions of townships, informal settlements and hostels,” he said.

Chair of the Portfolio Committee on Education in the Legislature, Hon. Matome Chiloane takes over from Premier Lesufi in the Education Department. Hon. Tasneem Motara is now the MEC for Economic Development, with MEC Jacob Mamabolo taking over the Finance Department. Both will be key

The province is the seventh largest economy in Africa and the 26th largest urban region in the world

roleplayers in the realisation of the plans set in motion by the Premier’s predecessor, Hon. David Makhura, and the plans that the Premier himself would like to implement.

Other key appointments include that of Hon. Kedibone

Diale in the Department of Transport and Logistics, and Hon. Lebogang Maile in the Department of Human Settlements. The cabinet is also significant in the improved gender parity, which the Premier said was a conscious effort. At the announcement, the Premier set out the cabinet’s agenda: “There are three things that if we can’t tackle them head-on, we must forget. One, obviously, is to protect our economic position as Gauteng.”

GROWING GAUTENG TOGETHER 2030

The industries driving the province are trade, manufacturing, finance as well as the concentration of government institutions. The finance sector is the largest in the province, making a significant contribution to its GDP.

The Growing Gauteng Together 2030 document was clear: “The province is the seventh largest economy in Africa, the 26th largest urban region in the world and the 6th largest urban agglomeration on the continent. It is both the financial and technological nerve centre of Africa.”

“In response to the global and domestic challenges that confront the province, the government has committed to a plan of Growing Gauteng Together 2030 – or GGT2030, as it is referred to. The plan reflects a collective vision for the GCR in a decade’s time, and beyond, in that, it also highlights priority actions and measures of success.”

• Northern Corridor (Automotive, manufacturing, R&D, aerospace and defence sectors)

• Central Corridor (Finance and technology sectors)

• Western Corridor (Mining, tourism, agri-business and agro-processing sectors)

• Southern Corridor, Sedibeng (Steel sector)

• Eastern Corridor, (Logistics sector)

PRIVATE INVESTMENT

GAUTENG: AN ECONOMIC HUB

SA’s land area

province)

SA’s

(most populated

GGT2030 identifies nine sectors which could drive employment growth and are driving private and public sector investment towards them.

1. Automotive sector

2. Capital equipment and rolling stock manufacturing sector

Agro-processing, food and beverages sector

4. Business Process Outsourcing/ Services (BPO/BPS) and ICT sector

Finance and retail

(highest among

the Global 500 firms

Gauteng

base

SA companies in

Global 2000 based in Johannesburg

Tourism and hospitality

Creative and cultural industries

Logistics and warehousing

9. The green economy

FIVE CORRIDORS

The provincial government GGT2030 “will be implemented along five development corridors that have distinct industriesand different comparative advantages”:

A string of private-public development projects will further strengthen the province’s economy and exemplify the commitment by the private sector to playing their role. Among these are the Roads Infrastructure Project (R23 billion over the next 10 years), the Mooikloof Mega City Project (R84 billion) and the R500-billion Lanseria Mega City Project.

The Lanseria Mega City Project, which is planned to be built as a smart city, was first announced by H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa in his 2020 State of the Nation Address and is set to be home to as many half a million people in the next decade.

“We are transforming what is largely open space into a higher-density urbanised development that is accessible to multiple income categories and classes,” said Jak Koseff, Deputy Director-General in the Gauteng Department of Economic Planning and Development. This, among other projects, is a sign that Gauteng will continue to be at the heart of the country, and the continent.

By JESSIE TAyLOR

Enterprise development and business incubators

Hatching the golden egg

TheSMME sector is a significant economic driver, and more than 70% of South Africa’s workforce is employed in the sector. In its plans to revive the economy, the Government will be taking measures to unleash the potential of small businesses, micro-businesses and informal businesses.

The informal sector provides for a large part of the workforce, keeping many households above the poverty line

In his State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “These are the businesses that create the most jobs and provide the most opportunities for poor people to earn a living.”

THE FORCE BEHIND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

This sector also has a large proportion of businesses operating in the informal sector. Around 2.5 million South Africans work in the informal sector, and it creates almost the amount of direct employment as the mining sector. Due to its importance for economic growth, the Department of Small Business Development has a special focus on the informal sector.

The Department is responsible for the coordination, integration, and mobilisation of efforts and resources towards the creation of an enabling environment for the growth and sustainability of SMMEs and Co-operatives.

It supports more than 70 000 competitive small businesses annually and focuses on introducing interventions aimed at changing the lives of the marginalised, especially women and youth, and those living in impoverished rural areas and townships.

To this end, the Department has a number of programmes targeting the informal sector, including the Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme

INCUBATORS FOR SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

the banking sector, says Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams

may not have the resources or skills that larger corporations have access to. Incubators address the challenges specific to SMMEs – the impact of the pandemic, a lack of access to funding and markets, and limited tech adoption.

2. Here are five newly launched incubators offering SMMEs support.

3. The Gibela Business Incubator supports qualifying entrepreneurs and small businesses operating in Nigel, Springs and the greater Ekurhuleni area. The programme is a partnership between the Gibela Rail Transport Consortium, the City of Ekurhuleni and the Small Enterprise Development Agency.

4. The Fetola Circular Economy Accelerator is focused on supporting the growth of over 100 small and emerging businesses within the circular economy and sustainability sectors. This includes startups that tackle global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.

5. The Department of Tourism, in collaboration with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), has launched the Tourism Technology Grassroots Innovation Incubator Programme.

6. The MultiChoice Creator Incubator focuses on digital video content creators native to the TikTok platform, teaching them digital storytelling and business skills and connecting them with other creators.

7. The Craft + Design Institute (CDI), in collaboration with the V&A Waterfront, is offering Cape Town-based creative entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain full retail experience at their incubator store, Design Lab.

“In addition, the department is assisting with the transitioning of informal spaza shops to formality by providing assistance with regulatory requirements and instruments such as company registration and compliance with tax and labour legislation,” she says.

“This transition allows South African spaza shops to gain access to opportunities for growth and sustainability within the mainstream economy as described under the first point above,” she said.

Another programme offered by the Department is the Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme. The TREP is a dedicated programme to transform and integrate opportunities in townships and rural areas into productive business ventures. The focus is to create platforms that provide the business support infrastructure and regulatory environment that enables entrepreneurs to thrive.

(TREP), with R545 million disbursed to township and rural enterprises during the last financial year.

Building value chains Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams says her Department is working to amend legislation to provide norms, standards, and a common business licensing framework for spaza shop owners. It is also assisting informal spaza shops with company registration and compliance with tax and labour legislation.

Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams says this work will be done through the Spaza

Shop Support Programme, which is aimed at value chain development within the retail space of spaza shops.

This includes the concurrent linking up of beneficiaries with wholesalers, bulk buying arrangements done through South African Spaza Support Associations, access to SMME products at wholesalers by South African-owned spaza shops through localisation efforts of the Department and its entities, as well as the formalisation and strengthening of these South African-owned spaza shops by working with municipalities and

The TREP includes bakeries, autobody repairers and mechanics, butcheries, personal care service providers, spaza shops and tshisanyama and cooked food businesses.

The informal sector provides for a large part of the workforce, keeping many households above the poverty line. These businesses have the potential to reach even higher economic gains with the help of the Department: by formalising these businesses, they have further access to support and resources and are able to contribute to South Africa’s tax base.

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By JESSIE TAyLOR

Driving economic growth through agriculture

Increasing jobs and promoting resilience

Agriculture remains an essential sector in South Africa, not only for food security but also for driving economic growth. Its potential to increase jobs and the national GDP has been the sector earmarked in the government’s economic recovery plans – a move that is already showing dividends. The agriculture sector continues to prove its resilience with growth in the second quarter of 2022.

Agriculture and agro-processing exports amounted to R51 billion, an increase of 12% from the first quarter of the year. The growth has been welcomed by Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza, who has been focused on ensuring the sector’s performance remains a priority.

CHAMPIONING PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURE

Minister Didiza is currently serving as the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development for a second time, having served previously as Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs between 1999 and 2006, before taking up the role as Minister for Public Works between 2006 and 2008.

She has held a wide range of memberships and civic positions, including as Coordinator of the National Youth Programme, Treasurer of the Natal Women’s Organisation, Women’s Advisory Committee member of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), Associate member of the Women’s Development Bank, and National General Secretary of the Women’s National Coalition, among others.

Minister Didiza has committed to building a strong agricultural sector through tools such as the Agriculture and Agro-processing Masterplan, which is part of the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is a collaborative initiative between government and social partners aimed at boosting post-pandemic economic recovery. The plan identifies industries that can play a critical role in bolstering economic performance.

Minister Didiza’s master plan for the sector could create around 317 000 new jobs, most of which will be in the private sector among producers of fruits, nuts, wine and vegetables, and agro-processing.

Expanding production and promoting export is expected to contribute around R80 billion in gross production value.

The growth of the agriculture sector has helped to create job opportunities, and the first quarter of the year saw a large increase in the number of people employed in the sector. The number of people employed in the agricultural sector increased by 6.6% in the first quarter of 2022, from 792,000 people in the first quarter of 2021 to 844,000 people in the same quarter of 2022. Of the 52 000 jobs created, 21 000 were created for women.

ExPANDING MARkETS TO PROMOTE RESILIENCE

Exports remain a key market for South Africa. The agricultural sector accounts for at least 10% of the country’s export earnings. South Africa produces grains, fruits, wine and vegetables, as well as livestock production, and the export of this produce generates an estimated $10 billion in earnings for the country.

Minister Didiza said: “The African continent remained the largest agricultural export market for South Africa in the second quarter of this

Sources: ewn |farmersreviewafrica|theconversation|gov.za |statssa|trade.gov

year, accounting for 35% in value terms. Asia was the second largest region, accounting for 28% of the exports, with the Eu holding the third position with a 21% share in the total exports in value terms.”

To ensure continued growth for the agricultural sector, Minister Didiza has vowed to seek further opportunities for export, including increased trade with Japan, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and South Korea.”

Increasing the number of markets the agriculture sector supplies will go a long way toward increasing its resilience. Currently, South Africa primarily supplies produce to Africa and a selection of Asian and European countries. This makes it vulnerable to import bans or changing regulations. Increased export diversification will build the country’s economic resilience and make it better equipped for disruptions to global supply chains.

International trade has been essential to South Africa’s agricultural sector since the early 2000s, thanks to several key free trade agreements and international markets.

The value of its exports is roughly half of the country’s produce, and the sector is a crucial economic driver and job creator.

In the last ten years, agriculture and agro-processing increased by around 9%. This demonstrates the potential for the next decade – with the right investment, trade partnerships and support, the agricultural sector can continue to grow. This progress will, in turn, unlock jobs and economic growth.

Minister Didiza | Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development

FinAnCiAL FitnEss

By kOkETSO MAMABOLO

Taxing crypto assets

What is SARS’ position?

When examining the rising popularity of crypto assets, particularly cryptocurrencies, it’s difficult to imagine a time when they weren’t widely used as a way of storing value. Blockchain technology – which is at the very heart of what has made crypto assets such a disruptive force – is still something not many understand. But financial institutions such as the south african revenue service (sars) have had to rapidly adapt the policy to ensure financial systems cater to crypto assets and ensure they’re properly regulated and accounted for.

WHAT IS A CRyPTO ASSET?

SARS defines a crypto asset as “a digital representation of value that is not issued by a central bank, but is traded, transferred and stored electronically by natural and legal persons for the purpose of payment, investment and other forms of utility, and applies cryptography to techniques in the underlying technology”.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

Whilst much of the South African public has become aware of the existence of digital representations of value in the last couple of years, financial institutions have been grappling with the issue of ensuring they don’t fall completely outside of traditional financial ecosystems. In 2014, National Treasury released its first statement on crypto assets, in collaboration with SARS, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FCSA) and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).

The initial statement was a warning to South Africans about the risks associated with crypto assets. With the broader fintech industry expanding as the decade progressed, it was not long until an intergovernmental body was formed to ensure the South African government could effectively cater to the changing financial landscape. Two years after the first statement, the Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group (IFWG) was formed,

with SARS and the National Credit Regulator (NCR) joining the group in 2019.

“The objective of the IFWG is to foster fintech innovation by supporting an enabling regulatory environment and reviewing both the risks and the benefits of emerging innovations,” says SARS.

In the same year that SARS joined the group, the IFWG released a paper which went through the “benefit and risks of crypto asset-related activities, as well as policy proposals for a regulatory framework”.

The consultative paper was followed by a position paper in 2020, which was updated in 2021 to “provide specific recommendations for the development of a regulatory framework for crypto assets, including suggestions on the required regulatory changes to be implemented”.

The position paper makes a total of 25 recommendations for the regulatory framework, and details the journey that would need to be taken to implement the recommendations, as well as assigning responsibilities to the different entities within the IFWG.

SARS considers crypto assets to fall under the regular personal income tax rules

Sources:

OWNERSHIP ON THE RISE

4 million

The number of South Africans who own cryptocurrencies

37%

The global average of owners who hold Bitcoin

52%

The percentage of owners who hold Bitcoin

45%

The percentage of SA owners between the ages of 18 and 34

ARE CRyPTO ASSETS TAxED?

SARS considers crypto assets to fall under the regular personal income tax rules. Crypto asset losses and gains need to be reported the same way traditional assets are. “The onus is on taxpayers to declare all crypto assets-related taxable income in the tax year in which it is received or accrued,” says SARS. “Failure to do so could result in interest and penalties.”

The income from crypto asset transactions can be under gross income, but gains can also be regarded as capital. “Determination of whether an accrual or receipt is revenue or capital in nature is tested under existing jurisprudence (of which there is no shortage).” Expenses can also be claimed.

SARS categorises gains and losses associated with crypto assets based on three different scenarios. The first is the “mining” of crypto assets, which involves computer-solving algorithms, resulting in the “miner” ultimately being the holder of the crypto asset, such as cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The second involves investors trading currencies, such as the Rand, for crypto assets, whether it’s through private transactions or asset exchanges.

The third scenario is when crypto assets are exchanged for goods and services. “This transaction is regarded as a barter transaction. Therefore the normal barter transaction rules apply,” says SARS.

What’s next for the regulatory framework? When it comes to cryptocurrencies, South Africans can expect significant changes to how they are regulated, with the Reserve Bank and FCSA expected to implement new regulations in the next year and a half.

LEgAL MAttErs

By SILkE RATHBONE

Can company directors be held liable for the business debt?

Directorship has many benefits and rewards, but be assured; there will be obstacles along the road!

The apparent stress, time and pressure could be argued by some as being relevant to position and power, but liability is different. Liability makes it personal in a way! As a director of a limited liability company experiencing financial difficulties, you may be afraid that you could be held personally accountable for the company’s debts.

One of the primary motives for forming a limited liability company or limited liability partnership is to minimise liability for business debt.

However, there are situations where directors may be found personally accountable, meaning they themselves are responsible for the debt. Another threat for directors is they may face criminal prosecution if their conduct is deemed fraudulent or dishonest.

The issue of directors’ accountability typically arises when a company faces insolvency. As a result, directors often question if they will be held accountable for any company losses when it approaches insolvency.

The Insolvency Act of 1986 is the primary statute that outlines potential liabilities

Below are some guidelines regarding when a company director may be held personally liable for corporate debts:

If you made a personal guarantee/signed surety

If, knowing the business is insolvent, you continue to prioritise shareholders over creditors

If you disposed of company assets for less than their fair market worth or for free

If the company is a personal liability company

The Insolvency Act of 1986 is the primary statute that outlines potential liabilities.

Here are the key sections within that:

• Immoral trading

• Fraudulent trading

• Misfeasance

• Transactions at a discount

• Preferences

• Directors’ liability: personal guarantee When the business is in financial trouble or the financial pressure

starts tearing at the seams, the director must prioritise creditor interests.

To reach a resolution, it is important to be forthright with creditors and shareholders and maintain open communication channels.

Consult with the LE Consult Group if you need legal assistance – we are here to help!

Labour Excel specialises in offering a variety of Labour Law and HR Solutions. Silke Rathbone, one of the Principal Partners, has crafted and honed her skillset and assists corporates and individuals along the Labour journey to ensure they understand what is required of them at all levels.

GET IN TOUCH WITH SILkE

Cell: +27 72 018 5827 Work: +27 086 1000801

Email: atlantic@labourexcel.co.za Web: www.labourexcel.co.za

Silke Rathbone | Principal Partner, Labour Excel

uPCoMing EvEnts

By kOkETSO MAMABOLO

O ctober is all about working together

INTERNATIONAL DAy OF THE GIRL CHILD

Starting in 2012, the uN has observed the International Day of the Girl Child to reflect on the challenges that girls face and create awareness around their rights. This year’s commemorative events and initiatives seek to drive empowerment under the tagline “our time is now – our rights, our future”. These rights extend to health, education, career prospects and more. “In these last 10 years, there has been increased attention on issues that matter to girls amongst governments, policymakers and the general public, and more opportunities for girls to have their voices heard on the global stage.”

WORLD FOOD DAy

To address the issue of food insecurity, the u nited Nations formed the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in 1945. World Food Day commemorates the institution’s formation and raises awareness on the challenge of undernourishment. This year the u N is also celebrating Junior World Food Day, following a successful event in 2021. “Every year, a large number of events – from marathons and hunger marches to exhibitions and light shows, cultural performances, contests and concerts –are organised in up to 150 countries across the world to celebrate World Food Day,” says the FAO.

INTERNATIONAL DAy FOR THE ERADICATION OF POVERTy

The theme for this year is “Dignity for All in PracticeThe commitments we make together for social justice, peace, and the planet”. It’s part of ongoing efforts to reduce inequality across the world, with more than a billion people living in poverty. This comes in the wake of a global pandemic which highlighted the contrast between the haves and the have-nots, after as many as 163 million people were pushed into poverty. “This year marks the 35th anniversary of the World Food Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty and the 30th anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.”

DIPLOMATIC FUN FAIR 2022

This month the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) will welcome diplomats from all embassies in South Africa “to showcase and promote cultural diplomacy through creative expressions, such as arts, music, dance and global cuisine”. The event, which will be held at the u nion Buildings, provides diplomatic missions the opportunity to have elements of their heritage and culture on display for visitors. It’s also a chance for the public to learn more about Dirco. The theme is that of the African u nion’s theme for 2022: “Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent”.

24UNITED NATIONS DAy

Following the end of the Second World War in 1945, world leaders worked together to form theunited Nations. The 24th of October is recognised as the anniversary of the uN Charter coming into effect.

“uN Day, celebrated every year, offers the opportunity to amplify our common agenda and reaffirm the purposes and principles of the uN Charter…”

Almost 80 years later the uN is stronger than ever, as evidenced by the World Health Organisation’s ability to drive the coordination of a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The uN General Assembly is perhaps the most recognisable aspect of the uN’s work. It is more than just a platform to air out issues, but also a vehicle for bringing the world closer together.

WORLD CITIES DAy

“Better City, Better Life” are four words which best represent the intention behind World Cities Day. Part of South Africa’s National Development Plan is the transformation of the spaces which humans inhabit. The plan emphasises the need to develop rural areas while making urban settlements more inclusive and better equipped to handle the needs of the people flowing into cities.

The government has set out a vision, striving for “live-able, safe, efficient cities - socially integrated, economically inclusive and residents participate actively in urban life”. As South Africa’s rural population continues to shrink, this aspect of the NDP will become even more important to the nation’s development goals.

By FIONA WAkELIN

Who are the top 5 wealthiest women in Africa?

And who has tumbled from the top?

Looking at the list of the richest women in Africa, what is striking is that acquiring billionaire status does not happen overnight. Everyone featured here has spent a lifetime investing in, and growing, their entrepreneurial empires. Silver hair and gold in the bank!

1. FOLORUNSHO ALAkIJA - A NIGERIAN BILLIONAIRE

Fifty years ago Folorunsho started out in the fashion industry and today her business interests include real estate, oil and gas and printing.

She is the owner of several groups of companies including Dayspring Property Development Company Limited, a real estate company which owns properties around the globe, as well as Rose of Sharon Prints and Promotions.

Folorunsho is also Executive Director of FAMFA Oil, her family-owned oil production company.

2. NGINA kENyATTA - THE MOTHER OF CURRENT kENyAN PRESIDENT, UHURU kENyATTA

Nearing her ninth decade Ngina Kenyatta is a billionaire with a portfolio which includes investments, banking, media and the dairy industry.

“Mama Kenyatta” has a 24.91% share in the Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) – she also owns shares in Media Max, a media company that owns K24 TV, Kameme Radio, and The People newspaper.

3. HAJIA BOLA SHAGAyA WHO ALSO HAILS FROM NIGERIA

With a current net worth of almost a billion uS, Hajia Bola started out as an auditor for the Central Bank of Nigeria and then her entrepreneurial verve kicked in! She started an empire by importing Konica photographic equipment for resale. Nearly 40 years later she is CEO of Bolmus Group International with interests in oil, real estate, banking, and photography. Hajia founded Practoil Limited, and in 2005 became its managing director. Today Practoil is one of the largest importer and distributors of base oil in Nigeria today.

4. WENDy APPELBAUM IS THE RICHEST WOMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THE 4TH WEALTHIEST ON THE CONTINENT

Wendy Appelbaum is the daughter of Liberty Group founder Donald Gordon and the owner and Chair of De Morgenzon Wine Estate. Previously, Wendy also served as the Deputy-Chairman of the Women’s Investment Portfolio Limited (Wiphold Limited), which is a renowned women’s investment holding company that is listed on JSE. Overall, Wendy is also a director of Sphere Holdings (Pty) Ltd, which is a black empowerment company addressing financial services in mining sectors. In 2015, she was awarded both the Forbes Woman Businesswoman of the Year, and the Forbes Africa Woman of the Year.

5. WENDy ACkERMAN – FMCG POWERHOUSE

Wendy Ackerman is one of the founders and an Executive Director of Pick ‘n Pay Stores. Along with her husband Raymond Ackerman, Wendy has been a tremendous force in building up one of South Africa’s leading FMCG retailers, which, to date, consists of over 450 stores, with the inclusion of 121 supermarkets and 14 hypermarkets. The company extends its food and retail services across South Africa, southern Africa and even Australia, and has employed an estimated 49,000 people over the years. Wendy received an Inyathelo Award for her family’s philanthropic efforts in 2007.

A CAUTIONARy TALE

For many years Isabel Dos Santos, daughter of Angolan President, José Eduardo dos Santos, topped the list as the richest woman in Africa. Currently in self-imposed exile in Dubai she is embroiled in legal battles while watching her empire implode.