Ray Mahlaka

Highlights of the 2024 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement presented on Wednesday by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.

As investor sentiment improves towards South Africa, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has renewed the government’s commitment to a path of fiscal consolidation. This path will be anchored by debt and spending reductions and accelerating structural reforms.

Finally, the government seems to be moving in the right direction by promising to amend regulations and offer incentives to make it easier for private sector capital to start investing.

All indications are that the latest pay rise offer for 2025 is set to be rejected by most public servants. There was a proposal at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council for the government to sweeten its offer to 4.7%

The year 2016 was a flashpoint for election polls. A sweeping victory for Hillary Clinton was predicted against Donald Trump. In assessing an election cycle since then, I prefer to take a safe approach: wait for the election results to be called and declared by officials.

SA's authority could cancel or suspend FlySafair's aviation licence (effectively grounding flights) until its shareholding structure is fixed. The authority could impose fines or penalties against FlySafair, or give FlySafair more grace (no sanctions) and time to fix its shareholding structure by possibly selling shares in the company to locals.

I have been drinking a lot of tea to lower my stress levels. The tea has been paired with deliciously crunchy soetkoekies, which will briefly make you hopeful about the next four years.

In his second term as president, an emphasis on protecting US industries, pushing regressive tariff hikes, tax cuts for the rich and transactional trade policies are on the cards.

The road for Transnet ports to recover, become globally competitive and open to private sector participation might be prolonged because of self-inflicted problems. High port tariffs and procurement problems are at play.

A pending deal between trade union Nehawu and Parliament will see the pay of entry-level and lowest-paid workers — such as cleaners, waitstaff and cooks — double over the next three years.