![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 5 JunePOSTED ON: June 5, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso I call on government to approach the healthcare question with the same openness to partnership with business that it has shown in solving our electricity crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 29 MayPOSTED ON: May 29, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged at the 2023 South Africa Investment Conference that the visa regime would be overhauled. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 22 MayPOSTED ON: May 22, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso The National Electricity Crisis Committee last year pulled together the best minds on electricity and set out a plan to address the crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 15 MayPOSTED ON: May 15, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso BLSA has called on government to take a clear position on arms trades with Russia, as other non-aligned countries like China have done. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 8 May 2023POSTED ON: May 8, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso The attack on De Ruyter and the risk assessment that BLSA part-funded must be seen in terms of who stands to benefit. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 2 May 2023POSTED ON: May 2, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso Last week I got to see a success story of what can happen when business and local government work together. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 24 April 2023POSTED ON: April 24, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso Our greatest economic challenge is the electricity crisis. And we have a plan to deal with it. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 17 April 2023POSTED ON: April 17, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso While the investment conference’s R1.5 trillion is impressive, it has happened during five years of the weakest economic growth we’ve seen for decades. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 11 April 2023POSTED ON: April 11, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso It requires constant care to position the “brand” of South Africa as an excellent opportunity for investors. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 3 April 2023POSTED ON: April 3, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso We need to give international companies the sense that they are welcome in South Africa and the confidence to plan on investments here without the fear that they will simply be unable to send their people because we cannot manage our own bureaucracy. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 27 March 2023POSTED ON: March 27, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso I believe last week was a positive indicator of how government and the private sector can work together to improve the security situation. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: SA’s economic future hinges on business partnering genuinely with the statePOSTED ON: March 21, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso We know what needs to happen, and so does government. We just need to get it done. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 20 March 2023POSTED ON: March 20, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso We have over the last few years had to find ways of working to overcome all kinds of external shocks and today presents another. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | How big business can contribute to addressing the challenges identified by S&PPOSTED ON: March 17, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso BLSA is already working on the areas of concern expressed by S&P and the issues that are keeping South Africans, international stakeholders and investors awake at night. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Fund to mobilise resources a crucial step towards resolving power crisisPOSTED ON: March 14, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso We hope to see the creation of the RMF become the turning point in our efforts to address the electricity crisis that has plagued us for years. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 13 March 2023POSTED ON: March 13, 2023The electricity crisis has been exacerbated by the lack of alignment between key stakeholders. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | We have a somewhat refreshed cabinet – but there are more important things to focus onPOSTED ON: March 10, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso A lack of delivery on key reforms, maladministration and corruption have conspired to bring the country to what is a crisis position. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Beyond the headlines, glimmers of hopePOSTED ON: March 7, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso In drawing attention to progress, we shouldn’t minimise the very real and serious challenges we face. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA Media Release: Cabinet ReshufflePOSTED ON: March 6, 2023With resolving the electricity crisis so critical to our economic prospects, BLSA hopes government will be united in implementing the Energy Action Plan. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO letter – 6 March 2023POSTED ON:By Busisiwe Mavuso The conversations I had last week demonstrated the great deal of creative energy and passion for this country that is out there. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Scoring the equaliser after the greylisting own goal of will take some doingPOSTED ON: February 28, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso We must take heart that Mauritius was able to get itself off the grey list in less than two years after implementing the necessary reforms. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 27 February 2023POSTED ON: February 27, 2023BLSA hopes that the JET-IP package is not now at risk with the countries that are funding it already concerned about SA’s international positioning. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Godongwana delivers strong budget with clear plans to tackle energy crisisPOSTED ON: February 24, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso BLSA was relieved to hear that concrete measures are finally being taken to address the debt owed to Eskom by municipalities. read more >> |
![]() |
Press release: Budget Speech 2023POSTED ON: February 22, 2023BLSA expected the country’s fiscal trajectory to weaken given the Eskom debt transfer and while SA’s high debt level is a concern, we believe this was necessary to help address the crippling effects of loadshedding. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: We are expecting a credible budget with news of reforms that will grow our economyPOSTED ON: February 21, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso A solution to Eskom’s debt problems will undoubtedly be the most important feature of this budget. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 20 February 2023POSTED ON: February 20, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso With loadshedding now causing massive economic destruction every day, addressing the energy crisis will be central to the budget. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Tax incentives for solar installation should benefit those most in needPOSTED ON: February 17, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso The form that any incentive takes is therefore crucial to stimulating off-grid installations. Zero-rating VAT for renewable energy components and invertors is a simple option. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Private sector is ‘in the ring’ and wants to do morePOSTED ON: February 14, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso Social friction undermines all elements of society including business. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 13 February 2023POSTED ON: February 13, 2023More accountability is being shifted away from cabinet and into the presidency. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso| International donors reflect impatience with pace of SA’s JETPOSTED ON: February 10, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso While some fear it is now “up in the air”, it’s important to emphasise that SA’s energy transition is inevitable and is progressing in certain areas. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA MEDIA RELEASE: SONA ADDRESSPOSTED ON: February 9, 2023It’s important for government to limit the use of the extra powers it has granted itself purely to address the loadshedding crisis on a least-regret basis. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Whistle-blowers need rewards, not persecutionPOSTED ON: February 7, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso Business is heavily invested in the fight against corruption because the application of the rule of law is essential to the business environment. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO letter – 6 February 2023POSTED ON: February 6, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso A state of disaster triggers emergency powers that can limit constitutional rights. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Conspiracy theories are reckless and deflect attention from actually solving problemsPOSTED ON: February 3, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso It is critically important for leaders to make calm decisions based on the facts. Anything else is irresponsible. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Ramaphosa should use strong mandate to root out crime and graftPOSTED ON: January 31, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso Patronage and corruption exist in other states too, so SA is not alone in having a crippled public service – but that is no excuse for complacency. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO letter – 30 January 2023POSTED ON: January 30, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso With a cabinet reshuffle being imminent, BLSA hopes leaders are appointed who are fully committed to resolving the problems that are holding up progress. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Independent body needed to produce IRP with energy department unable to do it every two yearsPOSTED ON: January 27, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso Despite the lack of any major breakthrough announced by Necom, promises of the end of loadshedding are coming thick and fast with elections looming next year. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Climate change the main reason for world to dump fossil fuelsPOSTED ON: January 24, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso Climate-resilient infrastructure needs to become embedded into SA’s infrastructure development. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 23 January 2023POSTED ON: January 23, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso While we tend to focus on our own problems, the WEF provides a clear lesson on the global context in which we find ourselves. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Only political will can address load shedding woesPOSTED ON: January 20, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso There are many legacy issues that remain unresolved while new problems keep arising, demanding priority status. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Government has plans but nothing changesPOSTED ON: January 17, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso Business will keep pushing hard for policies we believe are in the best interests of the economy and all South Africans. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter: 16 January 2023POSTED ON: January 16, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso We must make clear to the world that the project of rebuilding institutions is working. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | SA needs leaders who can get things donePOSTED ON: January 13, 2023By Busisiwe Mavuso The economy is too fragile for the country to withstand any further misgovernance. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | What the bond market says about SA reformsPOSTED ON: December 16, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The best way to accelerate the reform process and help to overcome obstacles is to open the way for further private sector participation. read more >> |
![]() |
Media statement: André de Ruyter’s resignation met with great disappointmentPOSTED ON: December 15, 2022BLSA is extremely concerned that international support for SA’s just energy transition might |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: The compelling drama that continues to be SAPOSTED ON: December 13, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Whatever gripes you might have with South Africa, the drama is certainly compelling. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 12 December 2022POSTED ON: December 12, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso In her last letter of 2022, BLSA’s CEO reflects on what BLSA has done this year to help deliver inclusive economic growth. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Factions within ANC threaten key reforms — and the world is watchingPOSTED ON: December 9, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Heading into the ANC elective conference next week, the most important message is for the leadership to do their duty and put the country’s interests first. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Phala Phala process in parliament part of restoring rule of lawPOSTED ON: December 6, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso As business, we support the appropriate legal avenues being fully exhausted as recommended by the Section 89 Panel. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 5 December 2022POSTED ON: December 5, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The collapse of the rand and the value of South Africa’s traded debt last Thursday showed how concerned investors were. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | No new state entities until government has fixed all the ones that it has brokenPOSTED ON: December 2, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Government should set itself a goal: no new state entities can be formed until it has fixed all the ones that it has broken. read more >> |
![]() |
Media Statement: BLSA statement on the Phala Phala panelPOSTED ON: December 1, 2022BLSA will continue to stand resolutely in support of the rule of law and we call on all stakeholders in South Africa to do so too. read more >> |
![]() |
Conclusion: Festive season campaign 2022 E2 successesPOSTED ON:E2 looks forward to more beneficial partnerships in 2023 that will help make South Africa good for business, and business good for South Africa. read more >> |
![]() |
SAFETY TIPS: kidnappings and missing peoplePOSTED ON:In the first six months of 2022 an average of 1,143 kidnappings a month were reported to the police; this is double the monthly average of the 2021 period. read more >> |
![]() |
SAFETY TIPS: HijackingsPOSTED ON:According to the crime stats, from 1 July 2022 to 20 September 2022, there were 6 149 hijackings. read more >> |
![]() |
SAFETY TIPS: House break-insPOSTED ON:The recent crime stats show that housebreak-ins are the most common crime experienced by South African residents. read more >> |
![]() |
SAFETY TIPS: gender-based violence (GBV)POSTED ON:The GBV situation in the country has reached boiling point and all South Africans together with NGOs, the police and government need to work together to fight against this scourge. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: We remain deep in junk territory and it’s costing us dearlyPOSTED ON: November 29, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso There hasn’t been much focus on regaining our investment grade rating but its importance cannot be overemphasised. read more >> |
![]() |
Introduction: Eyes and Ears Initiative – Constantly growingPOSTED ON: November 28, 2022The large geographical footprint of the private partners enables countrywide collection of real-time incident data. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 28 November 2022POSTED ON:By Busisiwe Mavuso We are in the grip of an epidemic with large industries from mining to construction being targeted by extortion rackets. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | More crisis management for Eskom – and again it’s too little, too latePOSTED ON: November 25, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We’ve now run out of options to fix the short-term problem of load shedding. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: We survived state capture and the pandemic so there is hope for usPOSTED ON: November 22, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The strength of our financial sector is something to be nurtured and we must keep adding to its resilience where we can. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 21 November 2022POSTED ON: November 21, 2022What ideas is labour bringing to the table to improve the national fiscal outlook? read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Extortion syndicates becoming increasingly brazen but silence from authorities is alarmingPOSTED ON: November 18, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso All the structural reforms aimed at improving our economic growth prospects will be undermined if the rule of law does not prevail. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Government’s Zondo response leaves door ajar for cadre deploymentPOSTED ON: November 15, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The world is looking to SA to provide a blueprint to combat entrenched corruption. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 14 November 2022POSTED ON: November 14, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Last week BLSA hosted the team from the International Monetary Fund responsible for the Financial Sector Assessment Programme it has undertaken on South Africa over the last few years. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Business and government need to collaborate to overcome blockages to private sector investment in energy transitionPOSTED ON: November 11, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso It’s imperative for SA to get the “just” part of the just energy transition right. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: No quick fix for the cancer of crimePOSTED ON: November 8, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Organised crime is entrenched in South Africa but the “construction mafia” has risen to prominence recently read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 07 November 2022POSTED ON: November 7, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Transition is not just about decommissioning coal power plants and switching to electric vehicles; it also must be about massively ramping up overall energy production. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | BLSA calls on DMRE to urgently address power generation shortfall to prevent loadshedding beyond 2024POSTED ON: November 4, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso It’s almost impossible to reach higher EAF levels by increasing maintenance and trying to extend the life of coal plants because Eskom plant has deteriorated so extensively as a result of previous maintenance neglect. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Some high-ups must be sweating as they await that knock on the doorPOSTED ON: November 1, 2022By Busiswe Mavuso The fight against corruption, it appears, is now gaining strong momentum and BLSA fully commends Batohi and her team for the progress made under extremely challenging conditions. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 31 October 2022POSTED ON: October 31, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Last week the finalised National Framework Towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service was released, having been approved by cabinet the week before. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Eskom mafia directly causing power cuts by mixing byproducts — including rocks — with subgrade coalPOSTED ON: October 28, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso SA needs accountability, which is precisely what the future anti-corruptions structures need to generate. read more >> |
![]() |
Media release: Positive MTBPS with improved fiscal trajectory likely to boost investor appetitePOSTED ON: October 26, 2022BLSA welcomes the 2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) tabled today by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana that affirms the country’s adherence to a policy of fiscal consolidation that will lead to better growth in the future. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: It’s cheaper for Eskom to build new plants than boost maintenancePOSTED ON: October 25, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso With its debt service costs reduced dramatically, Eskom would be able to operate more freely, particularly in implementing its strategy to help resolve the energy crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 24 October 2022POSTED ON: October 24, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso It’s important to remember that whatever is broken can be fixed and global investors need to be assured that we’re working on creating a desirable investment environment. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Macroeconomic impact of Transnet’s woes as bad as short-term economic lossesPOSTED ON: October 21, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Transnet needs to be transformed into a financially self-sustaining entity or it will keep burdening the fiscus with more and more debt. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: We still have a fighting chance of avoiding greylistingPOSTED ON: October 18, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The FATF published a report a year ago highlighting SA’s deficiencies and effectively gave us until this October to get our house in order. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 17 October 2022POSTED ON: October 17, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso If we are to avoid grey listing, or ensure we are grey listed for the shortest time possible if we cannot avoid it, we need to do a lot of work quickly. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Time to declare energy and transport essential services that would prohibit strike action?POSTED ON: October 14, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The dismal state of our energy and transport systems are core reasons why our economy is so crippled. read more >> |
![]() |
Media Statement: Joint statement from BUSA and BLSA on Transnet StrikePOSTED ON: October 13, 2022Short term solutions can create unintended consequences in difficult industrial relationship situations, especially if inflation remains elevated for some time, and in a difficult economic and fiscal environment. read more >> |
![]() |
Press Release: BLSA Releases Report on Potential FATF Grey ListingPOSTED ON: October 12, 2022BLSA has today released an independent report on the prospect of South Africa being grey listed by the Financial Action Task Force. The report, by researchers Intellidex, puts the probability of grey listing at 85% come the FATF plenary in February next year. The researchers estimate that the economic impact of grey listing could be limited or severe depending on how South Africa reacts to grey listing. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Act now so we do not leave a corruption-riddled country for future generationsPOSTED ON: October 11, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We need to get things right in terms of setting up structures and processes to fight corruption. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 10 OctoberPOSTED ON: October 10, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The strike action makes Transnet’s financial position far worse. It could trigger further ratings downgrades. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Emergency measures needed to lift infrastructure programme out of bureaucratic quagmirePOSTED ON: October 7, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso BLSA has repeatedly highlighted that the institutional architecture for infrastructure within the state is simply not fit for purpose. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Consultants and auditors: where the private sector interacted with the captured statePOSTED ON: October 4, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Strengthening the processes to ensure ethical leadership on the boards of SOEs and private companies is just one of many measures needed that will prevent corrupt elements from attaining positions of influence. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 3 October 2022POSTED ON: October 3, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Grey listing is largely a consequence of the collapse of commercial crime investigation and prosecution during the state capture era. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Higher than normal bond redemptions will put extra pressure on expenditure in medium-term budgetPOSTED ON: September 30, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Until we stabilise our national debt, we’ll keep paying more and more just to service it. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: SA needs a culture change where the corrupt resign in shame rather than run for high officePOSTED ON: September 27, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso BLSA is fully committed to helping transform South Africa into a country where corruption is considered shameful and people are held accountable. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 26 September 2022POSTED ON: September 26, 2022By Busiswe Mavuso Given the urgency with which we need to address the power crisis, the obvious question is what we can do to get more of the round 5 projects to close. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | SA cutting it fine with investment plan ahead of COP27POSTED ON: September 23, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The funding to reduce SA’s use of coal hinges on SA producing an investment plan that would need to be agreed to by the partners. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Government is cause of load-shedding and only it can solve the problemPOSTED ON: September 20, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Our economy needs a quick solution based on the least-regret option. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 19 September 2022POSTED ON: September 19, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Even when their actions successfully lead to prosecutions, convictions and recovery of stolen assets, whistle blowers can struggle to find work and rebuild their lives. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | The fight against corruption: Where there’s action, there is hopePOSTED ON: September 16, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso SA’s renewable energy market remains an attractive proposition to global investors but we’re certainly no longer considered a low-risk destination. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: SA is falling further behindPOSTED ON: September 13, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The Fraser report provides a useful checklist that highlights where SA is coming up short. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 12 Sept 2022POSTED ON: September 12, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso BLSA is committed to various initiatives to support government to solve the energy crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | If SA wants foreign investments, visa applications can’t be a headachePOSTED ON: September 9, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso It is critical for SA to make all aspects of the investment process as smooth as possible. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: The many reasons to be optimistic about SAPOSTED ON: September 6, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Only higher levels of economic growth will sustainably provide the resources we need to address the needs of the poor without threatening our fiscal sovereignty. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 5 September 2022POSTED ON: September 5, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The president clearly showed how his government and business are aligned on many of the key challenges that we need to jointly overcome. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Hope at last for South Africa’s fight against corruptionPOSTED ON: September 2, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The state capture-linked arrests still haven’t moved up to any senior government levels yet but the NPA hinted that these will come. read more >> |
![]() |
MEDIA STATEMENT: Release of the Auditor-General’s first special report on flood relief fundsPOSTED ON: September 1, 2022We are heartened by the AG’s ongoing, independent outputs that speak truth to power with neither fear nor favour. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Plans to save small businesses amid high inflation and red tape need boostPOSTED ON: August 30, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Small businesses have the greatest potential to address SA’s problems of poverty and inequality. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 29 August 2022POSTED ON: August 29, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso It would be easier to support NECOM and government if our bureaucratic and regulatory functions were working the way they are meant to. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | We need capital to build SA’s economy – and fastPOSTED ON: August 26, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso BLSA believes the ISA should be the centre for excellence in respect of developing bankable PPPs. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Godongwana faces headache of sparse kitty for growing wish listPOSTED ON: August 23, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The increased allocation for infrastructure development aims to address an urgent overall need of improving the efficiency of the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 22 August 2022POSTED ON: August 22, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The state capture years put immense pressure on National Treasury and led to a period of spiralling debt and extremely poor expenditure that delivered low value for money. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Don’t bet more taxpayer money on ailing SOEsPOSTED ON: August 19, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Improving our debt profile will accelerate our return to investment grade ratings, which in turn will make our debt cheaper. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Liberalisation of energy market will spur economic activityPOSTED ON: August 16, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Eradicating red tape is an easy win; it comes at no cost to the state while its benefits are widespread and will be immediately felt. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | NPA agreement forms part of overall goal of building a capable statePOSTED ON: August 12, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso When government and business collaborate to address SA’s problems, the results are meaningful. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: No quick fixes for SA’s economic woesPOSTED ON: August 9, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso There is no magic elixir for the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 08 August 2022POSTED ON: August 8, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The NPA is ramping up its efforts to respond to the Zondo Commission and will need specialised skills to support complex corruption cases, such as forensic accountants and data analysts. While the NPA has benefited from increases in funding to support its efforts, it will take time to recruit and train for the specialist skills it needs. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Why a wealth tax is not the solution to help SA’s poorPOSTED ON: August 5, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Government has brought us to this point and now there are no easy solutions. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Business not indifferent to the plight of the poorPOSTED ON: August 2, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Until we stabilise the national debt we’ll keep paying more just to service it. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 01 August 2022POSTED ON: August 1, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Even if we get everything right, we are still at least two years away from entering a new era of stable electricity supply. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Why energy reforms will benefit SA beyond just ending load sheddingPOSTED ON: July 29, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso An important aspect for government to get right is the promise of quick, efficient bureaucratic procedures. read more >> |
![]() |
Media release: BLSA welcomes the president’s energy plan and applauds its bold approachPOSTED ON: July 26, 2022We hope the measures announced in the president’s plan will be implemented with both urgency and purpose as well as transparency. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: SA simply cannot afford a BIGPOSTED ON:By Busisiwe Mavuso Tightening capital controls or preventing tax emigration are simply not viable alternatives. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 25 July 2022POSTED ON: July 25, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We do ourselves no favours by embracing reforms that destabilise government finances and the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | It’s no use blaming the Reserve Bank for rate hikesPOSTED ON: July 22, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Inflation is rising globally and a significant cost-of-living crisis is emerging for many nations. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: We can realise the vision of an inclusive, growing economyPOSTED ON: July 19, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso SA was identified as one of 31 countries with high risks around the “erosion of social cohesion” in the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Risks report. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 18 July 2022POSTED ON: July 18, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The one element that can accelerate the recovery of small businesses is the red tape unit in the Presidency. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | SA is running out of time to avoid greylisting by money laundering watchdogPOSTED ON: July 15, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso South Africa has been in the FATF’s sights since 2009 following an initial review. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Proposals on power crisis are encouragingPOSTED ON: July 12, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Business believes this limited easing of requirements will provide the necessary energy foundations upon which all sustainable local manufacturing depends. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 11 July 2022POSTED ON: July 11, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We need to have a plan ready by the time of COP27 in Egypt in November that provides a clear path for the country to shift its carbon intensity. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Government needs to focus on national prioritiesPOSTED ON: July 8, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso All indications are that in October SA will be placed on the grey list by the Financial Action Task Force. read more >> |
![]() |
Media release: BACSA supports SAPS task teamsPOSTED ON: July 6, 2022To date, 39 cases have been reported on the BACSA information-sharing site. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Government may finally have seen the light on energy crisisPOSTED ON: July 5, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso According to Eskom, SA needs to create 50GW-60GW of new generation capacity by 2035. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Letter – 04 July 2022POSTED ON: July 4, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We must diversify the sources of electricity in South Africa. read more >> |
![]() |
Media Statement: BLSA together with Matla a Bana help fight GBVPOSTED ON: July 1, 2022BLSA has partnered with Matla a Bana – an NGO that fights GBV and creates child-friendly reporting facilities at police stations, courts and hospitals. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Govt can act now on Zondo’s advice, and there’s no room to failPOSTED ON:By Busisiwe Mavuso The allocation of resources will be a litmus test of how seriously government is taking the Zondo report. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Prosecutions should follow publication of Zondo reportPOSTED ON: June 28, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Publication of the full Zondo report is only the first step. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Letter – 27 June 2022POSTED ON: June 27, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso It is a key strategic objective for BLSA to support the prosecuting authorities to succeed. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Lack of infrastructure maintenance a leading cause of SA’s water crisisPOSTED ON: June 24, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Underspending on infrastructure affects not only water supply but infrastructure for all SA’s network industries read more >> |
![]() |
Media release: BLSA welcomes the handover of the final parts of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture ReportPOSTED ON: June 23, 2022Corruption comes at a high price to business and the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Shock reports on municipalities point to folly of cadre systemPOSTED ON: June 21, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Many municipalities commit a direct act of corruption when residents pay their electricity and water accounts but the officials do not pay that money over to Eskom and the water boards. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Letter – 20 June 2022POSTED ON: June 20, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso There is nothing normal about the fact that 65% of youth aged 15-24 were unemployed in the first quarter. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Cargo truck hijackings, railway lines and cable theft set back important reformsPOSTED ON: June 17, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Over 250 people had been prosecuted and convicted of crimes related to tampering with essential infrastructure read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Comair downed by competition, but no such pressure on TransnetPOSTED ON: June 14, 2022By Busiswe Mavuso Comair’s demise after more than six decades of operation reflects the harshness of the competitive nature of the free market. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Letter – 12 June 2022POSTED ON: June 13, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso| Reserve Bank warns that risk of FATF grey listing is highPOSTED ON: June 10, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: SA needs Chinese-like commitment to its development planPOSTED ON: June 7, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Quality education enabled individuals to fulfil their potential while a reliable energy supply was a prerequisite for economic growth. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Letter – 06 June 2022POSTED ON: June 6, 2022By Busiswe Mavuso BLSA looks forward to more work with the police and communities to improve SA’s fight against crime. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | State capture: Join the dots, find the moneyPOSTED ON: June 3, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso |
![]() |
Press release: BLSA and partners offer Nelson Mandela Bay drought solutionsPOSTED ON: May 31, 2022TAMDEV is conceptualised as giving institutional form to a collaboration between government and business. read more >> |
![]() |
Press release: Giving entrepreneurs the necessary capacityPOSTED ON:22 On Sloane aims to assist approximately 100 entrepreneurs through the Capacity Building Programme. read more >> |
![]() |
Press Release: Offering SMMEs affordable fundingPOSTED ON:Enterpriseroom is dedicated to achieving socioeconomic transformation by starting, sustaining, growing and developing small and medium-sized businesses. read more >> |
![]() |
Press Release: BLSA and partners help address unemploymentPOSTED ON:A total of 364 students have completed their training and 260 have been placed in various jobs. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Upgraded credit rating by S&P Global boosts SA’s allure to investorsPOSTED ON:By Busiswe Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Letter – 30 May 2022POSTED ON: May 30, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Act against those who sabotage our economy and livelihoodsPOSTED ON: May 27, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We are facing a national crisis and every act designed to destabilise supply is an act of treason. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Fighting inflation is a pro-poor interventionPOSTED ON: May 24, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Our government is facing a tough situation, but it’s one that would be far more manageable had our economy been in a stronger position today. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 23 May 2022POSTED ON: May 23, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso BLSA is not a single entity that can be called “business”. There is no such thing. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Small businesses could be creating millions of jobs in SA, so why aren’t they?POSTED ON: May 20, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The sooner all these reforms are implemented and the economy is functioning efficiently, the sooner we will have an environment that is conducive for businesses of all sizes to grow. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Mining Indaba shows Mantashe has to get crackingPOSTED ON: May 17, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The lack of investment in the mining sector reflects investor concerns over persistent regulatory uncertainty. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 16 May 2022POSTED ON: May 16, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The private sector is going to be largely responsible for generating and selling electricity. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | We need more private sector involvement to help govt solve SA’s problemsPOSTED ON: May 13, 2022By Busi Mavuso The more that government brings in the private sector to help tackle such problems, the quicker they will be resolved. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Pushing back financial close for renewable energy bids is fatalPOSTED ON: May 10, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso SA cannot afford to suffer further delays to getting new energy on grid. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 09 May 2022POSTED ON: May 9, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Real progress is happening and it is taking us towards a far better environment for business and the public. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | 3 levers SA needs to pull to rebuild confidence and rejuvenate our economyPOSTED ON: May 6, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: State capture report shows how cadre deployment wrecked SAPOSTED ON: May 4, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 03 May 2022POSTED ON: May 3, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The responsibility of employers is clear: they have to protect the health and safety of their employees. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | The public-private partnership model will be crucial in upgrading SA’s portsPOSTED ON: April 29, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: State of water and wastewater treatment is sliding deeper into the dwangPOSTED ON: April 26, 2022By Busi Mavuso Putting the health of our citizens at risk and jeopardising the security of the country’s clean water supply is a serious crime. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 25 April 2022POSTED ON: April 25, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso There were clear missteps that we have learned from. That learning must be fully absorbed into how we use the new regulations to deal with the pandemic. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Time for SA to increase its investment in climate adaptation measuresPOSTED ON: April 22, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso With more climate crises on the horizon, it’s time for our country to increase its investment in climate adaptation measures. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Why education must be at the core of everything we doPOSTED ON: February 17, 2022By Busi Mavuso The overall objective is to equip every school leaver with the ability to integrate into society with skills that make them directly employable read more >> |
PRESS RELEASE: Alleged Sale of Weapons to RussiaPOSTED ON: May 12, 2023Traditionally BLSA would not comment on foreign policy issues. But our government’s stance on the Ukraine conflict is now having serious consequences for our economy and our ability to recover from the other crises our country faces. The US and European markets are particularly important for our manufactured goods, the kind that sees far more… read more >> |
|
![]() |
BLSA CEO Letter – 15 August 2022POSTED ON: August 15, 2022By Busiswe Mavuso Investment and employment cannot be a starting point, it must be an outcome. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 19 April 2022POSTED ON: April 19, 2022By Busi Mavuso We need to study and assess the risks to our infrastructure and ask if we are as prepared as we can be for what is coming. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Our emergency response system needs an overhaul to survive climate changePOSTED ON: April 15, 2022By Busi Mavuso My heart goes out to the loved ones of those who died and to those who are still searching for their missing family and friends. read more >> |
![]() |
Media release: E2 programme provides relief to KZNPOSTED ON: April 13, 2022The E2 initiative will continue to provide relief in the affected areas. We call on members of the public, government, civil society and businesses to lend a helping hand during these unpredictable times. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Mogajane’s competence should be the norm in government, not the exceptionPOSTED ON: April 12, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We need people like Mogajane in all of our state institutions. People who stick to their principles despite the pressures, and people who are very good at their jobs. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 11 April 2022POSTED ON: April 11, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The message we give is one of optimism but it’s balanced – we give the good and bad news. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Ramaphosa simply can’t fix SA without first coming down hard on corruptionPOSTED ON: April 8, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Until the education crisis is effectively resolved, inequality will remain entrenched. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: SA held hostage by corruptionPOSTED ON: April 5, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Our economy is too weak to continue withstanding this sustained attack on its resources from corruption. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 04 April 2022POSTED ON: April 4, 2022By Busi Mavuso Unemployment is a strategic focus for BLSA and I want to build on our set of positive interventions that we can look to deliver with government. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Dear SA government: We need to get a move on – right nowPOSTED ON: April 1, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We’re trying to transform from a radically inefficient state into a smooth-functioning one that is able to deliver services to fuel economic growth. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Ramaphosa puts on a good show at investment conferencePOSTED ON: March 29, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso The best way to convince investors that his government will deliver is to remove the blockages that are hindering progress in the numerous reforms under way. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 28 March 2022POSTED ON: March 28, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We must not lose sight of the fact that largescale investment only happens when millions of people feel it is appropriate to put their money at risk by investing. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO | Remaining COVID restrictions for business are self-defeatingPOSTED ON: March 25, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso We need all businesses to be able to operate at full efficiency for them to contribute to a broader economic recovery that is struggling to get going. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Energy regulator should take a leaf out of Icasa’s bookPOSTED ON: March 23, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso A positive announcement on the Nersa approvals process before the investment conference would be a nice surprise. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 21 March 2022POSTED ON: March 22, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Instead of the private sector announcing projects, let government announce regulatory changes that advance the case for investment. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Investors don’t care about politicians’ platitudes if basic services are failingPOSTED ON: March 18, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso When important economic and social services collapse, it causes serious problems for society. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: The Reserve Bank is not a plaything for political expediencyPOSTED ON: March 15, 2022By Busi Mavuso Politicians will choose whichever monetary policy will get them re-elected, but independent central banks must stick to their mandates. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 14 March 2022POSTED ON: March 14, 2022By Busi Mavuso Michael was a believer that South Africa benefits when business and government work well together. read more >> |
![]() |
MEDIA STATEMENT: Condolences on Mr Michael Spicer passing awayPOSTED ON: March 11, 2022Mr Michael Spicer was a well-respected, and formidable businessman and leader. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Spectrum: With an economy in crisis, wasting time is not an optionPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Had the auction been conducted in 2010 when originally scheduled, consumers would have been enjoying lower data costs for the past decade at least. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Onerous processes snuffing out spark of hope for energy supplyPOSTED ON: March 8, 2022By Busi Mavuso A national energy trading market will de-risk investments and spur more self-generation plants. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 07 March 2022POSTED ON: March 7, 2022By Busi Mavuso The process of moving forward from the state capture era must involve a full reckoning for those businesses implicated. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO | Public wage ruling sets the tone for govt to exit similar agreements in futurePOSTED ON: March 3, 2022By Busi Mavuso Government expenditure needs to be directed towards priority areas for economic growth. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO | Ramaphosa and Godongwana spot onPOSTED ON: March 1, 2022By Busi Mavuso It’s time for the government and the private sector to not only work more closely together, but to re-establish trust and confidence in each other. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO Newsletter – 28 February 2022POSTED ON: February 28, 2022By Busi Mavuso For once I feel like business and government are not pulling in opposite directions. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | Budget helped repair trust, but more could have been donePOSTED ON: February 25, 2022By Busi Mavuso Treasury must take on the task of ensuring the greatest value for money in terms of delivering on overall policy objectives. read more >> |
![]() |
We’re not out of the woods but this Budget moves us in the right directionPOSTED ON: February 23, 2022By BLSA Admin The minister’s assurance that the historically rapid increases in the public sector wage bill will be curtailed is to be applauded. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO: Godongwana has chance to make new start with zero-based budgetingPOSTED ON: February 22, 2022By Busi Mavuso We need taxes to be allocated based on necessity and targeted in areas that will have maximum impact. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 21 February 2022POSTED ON: February 21, 2022By Busi Mavuso Corruption comes at a high price to business and the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSISIWE MAVUSO | Sona was less than business had hoped forPOSTED ON: February 15, 2022By Busi Mavuso Business was hoping a greater sense of urgency and a stronger commitment to accelerating the energy market reforms and the infrastructure rollout. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 14 February 2022POSTED ON: February 14, 2022By Busi Mavuso Business is an important constituent and provides livelihoods to millions of our citizens. We understand that business depends deeply on a state that can function optimally. read more >> |
![]() |
State of the Nation Address 2022: A missed opportunityPOSTED ON: February 10, 2022By Busi Mavuso Business was hoping for a greater sense of urgency and stronger commitment to accelerating both the reform agenda and infrastructure rollout. read more >> |
![]() |
Busi Mavuso | Xenophobia won’t create jobs – but foreigners with critical skills mightPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Excluding foreign nationals from certain jobs would amount to discrimination and clearly be unconstitutional. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSI MAVUSO: Ramaphosa should crank up action over energy supplyPOSTED ON: February 8, 2022By Busi Mavuso Despite the Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme running behind schedule, it has been delayed yet again read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 07 February 2022POSTED ON: February 7, 2022By Busi Mavuso I am deeply concerned that the failure of the government to relax workplace restrictions in line with the relaxations in other spheres of our lives, reflects that the economy simply isn’t paid due attention. read more >> |
![]() |
Busi MAVUSO | If a basic income grant means tax hikes, the economy will sufferPOSTED ON: February 6, 2022By Busi Mavuso The primary goal of our economic policy still needs to be driven by job-creating economic growth. read more >> |
![]() |
Busisiwe Mavuso | What we do after state capture report will map out SA’s futurePOSTED ON: February 4, 2022By Busi Mavuso Independently selecting SOE executives as well as the recommendations from the first report will help to steer South Africa on the right path in future. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSI MAVUSO: We must get BIG right first timePOSTED ON: February 1, 2022By Busi Mavuso We need to alleviate the suffering of the poor, not add to their number. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 31 January 2022POSTED ON: January 31, 2022By Busi Mavuso We should be asking the real question: why is it that businesses are not investing, growing and employing more people? read more >> |
![]() |
How a pandemic got Nedlac back on its feet againPOSTED ON: January 28, 2022By Busisiwe Mavuso Developing a strong base of local suppliers who are competitive and expanding the small business sector would strengthen the foundation of our economy while creating jobs. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSI MAVUSO: SA can’t afford personal political power playsPOSTED ON: January 25, 2022By Busi Mavuso Personal power plays of politicians cannot become a distraction from the acceleration of SA’s economic recovery agenda. read more >> |
![]() |
CEOs newsletter 24 January 2022POSTED ON: January 24, 2022By Busi Mavuso South Africa does not have the luxury of fiscal room to continue to absorb economic losses. We need economic growth to recover as fast as possible. read more >> |
![]() |
Busi Mavuso | Selfish economic sabotage by politicians will not help the poorPOSTED ON: January 20, 2022By Busi Mavuso We need to focus on sustainable and real ways to improve the system for the poor. read more >> |
![]() |
Press release: BLSA accepts resignation of Bain from membershipPOSTED ON: January 18, 2022BLSA has noted the decision of consulting firm Bain to withdraw its membership. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSI MAVUSO: SA society needs to stand together againPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso South Africans should expect a new wave of personal attacks and smear campaigns on defenders of democracy in our judiciary, National Treasury, the Reserve Bank and other key institutions. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 17 January 2022POSTED ON: January 17, 2022By Busi Mavuso In the two and a half years after Bain’s suspension, BLSA had several engagements with Bain in which we set out our views on what the company had to do to regain the trust of BLSA. read more >> |
![]() |
Deal decisively with unemployment and povertyPOSTED ON: January 13, 2022By Busi Mavuso Each reform and each infrastructure project that is actually rolled out will contribute in their own ways to boosting economic growth, and that is the only way to reduce unemployment. read more >> |
![]() |
Business is ready to help turn Zondo report into actionPOSTED ON: January 11, 2022By Busi Mavuso BLSA fully supports the “overarching” recommendation in Judge Raymond Zondo’s report that a national charter against corruption be adopted by government, the business sector and relevant stakeholders. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Newsletter – 10 January 2022POSTED ON: January 10, 2022By Busi Mavuso We at BLSA have studied the Zondo Commission report and in particular the role of business in the recommendations that the Commission has made. We welcome these and look forward to working with social partners to support the necessary legislative changes, particularly where they affect business. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s leadership recognised by Daily MaverickPOSTED ON: December 23, 2021“Whether Mavuso is encouraging the adoption of vaccine passports, talking about the importance of institutional integrity, suggesting a review of South Africa’s labour legislation, or banging a drum for structural reform, her views are informed, robust and always on point,” the Daily Maverick says. read more >> |
![]() |
Why we have some good reasons for festive cheerPOSTED ON: December 16, 2021By Busi Mavuso The country desperately needs positive movements as we head into the holiday season with the fourth wave of Covid infections rising alarmingly quickly and tourism and hospitality businesses already hard hit by the international travel bans. read more >> |
![]() |
Eskom’s plan to lease land for private generation shows refreshing innovation with potential to generate up to 20GWPOSTED ON: December 15, 2021The aim of this programme is to provide relief to the constrained electricity system in as short a time as possible. Eskom land is generally close to the necessary grid infrastructure and has several regulatory approvals in place to ensure the time to begin development will be far quicker than other land. read more >> |
![]() |
Covid, corruption and civil unrest make for another tough yearPOSTED ON:President Cyril Ramaphosa got the year off to a good start in setting the right tone in his state of the nation address where he presented his four overriding priorities: defeat Covid; accelerate the economic recovery; accelerate economic reforms to drive inclusive growth; and fight corruption. read more >> |
![]() |
Government needs to heed IMF warning on structural reformsPOSTED ON: December 14, 2021By Busi Mavuso There’s much that government needs to do to accelerate everything, ranging from easing red tape wherever it can (which is everywhere) to expediting the bid windows for the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 13 December 2021POSTED ON: December 13, 2021By Busi Mavuso Make no mistake, this year has been the worst we’ve had in terms of energy availability. By November we had faced over 1,000 hours of load shedding for the first time since the crisis began. read more >> |
![]() |
Why the Tourism Relief Fund must be revivedPOSTED ON: December 9, 2021By Busi Mavuso BLSA supports the widespread calls for the travel bans to be immediately lifted to avert any further damage being done. But the bans have already had devastating consequences on our tourism industry as we head into the festive season read more >> |
![]() |
Can our leaders stop languishing and start clearing reform hurdles?POSTED ON: December 7, 2021By Busi Mavuso There is something seriously wrong in our policy environment and the labour market that is making South Africa unattractive to the long-term investment required for economic growth and job creation. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 6 December 2021POSTED ON: December 6, 2021By Busi Mavuso I would like to see every business in South Africa doing everything possible to encourage employees and the wider public to get vaccinated. This is in our own interest as business – we will never be able to confidently get past this pandemic if we do not get vaccination rates up across the whole country. read more >> |
![]() |
Vaccination passports the only practical way to keep our economy functioningPOSTED ON: December 2, 2021By Busi Mavuso Thankfully, government didn’t hit the panic button in response to the sudden outbreak of the Omicron variant and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment on Sunday to charting a course for mandatory vaccinations where appropriate is an important step in our war against the virus. read more >> |
![]() |
Safer festive season as crime fighting initiative extends to eight provincesPOSTED ON: November 30, 2021South Africa experiences a sharp increase in crime during the festive season. This is attributed to the remarkable increase of cash volumes which leads to armed robberies, burglaries and CIT heists. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 29 November 2021POSTED ON: November 29, 2021By Busi Mavuso Clearly the fight against this pandemic is far from over. We need to fight it on the health front, but we also need to fight the economic consequences it inflicts. read more >> |
![]() |
Mining industry’s plans to invest in energy projects hampered by red tapePOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso We are in an emergency situation and everything possible needs to be done to secure our energy supply fast. The longer we live with insufficient supply, the smaller our economy will be, and the fewer the jobs and tax revenue that can be generated. read more >> |
![]() |
New municipal councils must be held to account on delivering water securityPOSTED ON: November 25, 2021By Busi Mavuso Among our many problems, we face a water and sanitation crisis with failing wastewater treatment and subsequent pollution of the country’s water resources a particular problem, prompting the SA Human Rights Commission to declare it a national disaster. read more >> |
![]() |
Interest rate increase should serve as a flashing warning lightPOSTED ON: November 23, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 22 November 2021POSTED ON: November 22, 2021By Busi Mavuso The medium-term budget policy statement two weeks ago showed more evidence that debt is being brought under control and that Treasury is keeping a firm hand on spending. This is all the more important because the calls for Treasury to open the taps, particularly on welfare spending, have been loud and incessant. read more >> |
![]() |
Load shedding crisis calls for emergency measuresPOSTED ON: November 18, 2021By Busi Mavuso The feasibility of reforming the bid window process should be explored, with renewable energy to be procured on an ongoing basis as the situation demands. read more >> |
![]() |
Godongwana sets example for strong fiscal disciplinePOSTED ON: November 15, 2021By Busi Mavuso On behalf of Business Leadership SA, I congratulate finance minister Godongwana for delivering a credible and disciplined first #MTBPS2021 in parliament. read more >> |
![]() |
Press release: The impact of load sheddingPOSTED ON:BLSA is extremely concerned about the impact of load shedding on the economy. It has affected business operations across the country, as well as ordinary citizens, including students sitting for their final exams. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 15 November 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso BLSA will be working with its members to assess progress by business in using the regulatory space now available to invest in new generation. read more >> |
![]() |
A mostly positive budget for reform momentum and debt managementPOSTED ON: November 11, 2021By Busi Mavuso We congratulate Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana for his first MTBPS in parliament. It has not been the easiest moment for the minister to take on the reigns. read more >> |
![]() |
Spending itself out of a crisis is not an option for SAPOSTED ON: November 10, 2021By Busi Mavuso Finance minister Enoch Godongwana needs to stick with predecessor’s plan to ‘close the hippo’s jaws’. read more >> |
![]() |
Let’s salute the SA climate team for a fine achievementPOSTED ON: November 9, 2021By Busi Mavuso Securing an eye-catching finance agreement to aid our green energy transition was a job well done by the SA team at COP26 in Glasgow. read more >> |
![]() |
The promises of the newly elected councillorsPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Residents and businesses are quite entitled to expect their municipalities to deliver basic essentials such as a reliable water and electricity supply, efficient refuse removal and sewage collection and disposal. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 8 November 2021POSTED ON: November 8, 2021By Busi Mavuso If we are going to deliver on targets such as net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we have to pull together as a country. read more >> |
![]() |
Poorer nations are paying the price for the rich’s environmental crimesPOSTED ON: November 3, 2021By Busi Mavuso Countries that are still trying to develop their economies must now stop using the fuel resources that drove the development of rich nations – and we don’t have a choice. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 2 November 2021POSTED ON: November 2, 2021By Busi Mavuso Millions of fellow citizens have peacefully gone to the polls to vote in the local government elections. This is testament to the strength of our democracy that our people ensure they use their votes. read more >> |
![]() |
Go green or pay a hefty international pricePOSTED ON: October 26, 2021By Busi Mavuso The pressure from international trade partners on SA’s business sector and government to accelerate the transition to a green economy has escalated dramatically in the past few years. The essence of their message is: green up or lose our business. read more >> |
![]() |
Icasa damaging our recovery effortsPOSTED ON: October 25, 2021By Busi Mavuso Emergency spectrum was an important and effective weapon in our fight against the effects of lockdown restrictions on our economy. ICASA’s decision to withdraw it is confounding. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 25 OctoberPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Every political and business leader will be arriving to get things done in Glasgow for the COP26 next week. I am confident those who will be representing us, from both business and government. read more >> |
![]() |
We’re ready for another bold move, Mr PresidentPOSTED ON: October 19, 2021By Busi Mavuso The IMF’s medium-term forecasts have alarming implications for our unemployment situation. read more >> |
![]() |
Income disclosure requirement will do little to address inequalityPOSTED ON: October 18, 2021By Busi Mavuso The remuneration of CEOs and senior executives is a sensitive topic in SA given high levels of income inequality – but it’s an important issue globally. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 18 October 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso We have 27% of our adult population fully vaccinated including 53% of those over 60, but need to reach 60%-70% to minimise the impact of the virus. read more >> |
![]() |
Policy needs to enable businesses to flourishPOSTED ON: October 13, 2021By Busi Mavuso The Draft Companies Amendment Bill approved by cabinet last month, adds significant administrative burdens on companies while diminishing SA’s attractiveness as a place to do business. read more >> |
![]() |
Every decision needn’t be a ‘big bang’ reform but a signal of proactive decision-makingPOSTED ON: October 11, 2021By Busi Mavuso BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso says that although some degree of red tape imposed on businesses is necessary to protect consumers and ensure orderly commercial activity – but SA can do better. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 11 October 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The decision by the UK to remove SA from its red list of countries was late but welcome. The change will now also allow more normal business travel to resume with one of our biggest trading partners. read more >> |
![]() |
South African CEO business confidence back to pre-pandemic levels, KPMG survey saysPOSTED ON: October 5, 2021CEOs of the world’s largest companies are increasingly optimistic about the outlook for their businesses, KPMG South Africa’s 2021 CEO Outlook survey found. read more >> |
![]() |
Minister Godongwana’s message should be sent to every public servant in the landPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso “We have got to make it really easy to do business.” With that underlying message, Minister Godongwana hit all the right notes in his address to the Sunday Times Investment Summit last week. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 4 OctoberPOSTED ON: October 4, 2021By Busi Mavuso A big take away from last week’s meeting between business representatives and President Cyril Ramaphosa was that fixing the workings of the economy must be a joint endeavour. read more >> |
![]() |
State should use timely budget surplus boon to accelerate reformPOSTED ON:By Busi mavuso The news of the surplus is positive and more importantly, it helps regain some credibility in markets for a Treasury that has taken a knock in recent years. read more >> |
![]() |
It’s urgent fiscal reform — or bustPOSTED ON: September 28, 2021By Busi Mavuso Inflationary pressures, if sustained, suggest that we should focus on fiscal and policy reform to ensure that our economic rebound from last year’s catastrophic collapse continues. read more >> |
![]() |
COP26 offers a chance for President Ramaphosa to sell SA as an investment destinationPOSTED ON: September 27, 2021By Busi Mavuso COP26 is a chance for President Cyril Ramaphosa to put SA back on the global map as a green investment destination and is also a chance to kickstart his much-vaunted infrastructure plans. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s newsletter – 27 September 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Businesses must now worry about the prospect of a major cut in bandwidth for those who connect through cell-phone networks, with ICASA pressing ahead to terminate access to emergency spectrum at end-November. read more >> |
![]() |
Icasa call on ‘Covid-19 spectrum’ is a shockPOSTED ON: September 21, 2021By Busi Mavuso One of the key structural reforms SA desperately needs is far greater access to spectrum. Economic growth is being choked by a lack of data bandwidth at reasonable prices. read more >> |
CEO’s newsletter – 20 September 2021POSTED ON: September 20, 2021By Busi Mavuso I was disappointed by the announcement by UK authorities on Friday that SA would remain on its “red list” of countries. This decision is bad for the two countries’ economic ties. read more >> |
|
![]() |
Vaccine passports are necessary to escape restrictions and to reach ‘herd immunity’POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso We believe it’s time to consider an introduction of vaccine passports because we need to keep as much of the economy as open as possible. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA’s push to get SA off the UK red list: Busi MavusoPOSTED ON: September 15, 2021Business Leadership SA is campaigning for the removal of UK travel restrictions that threaten to bring the second summer of misery to SA tourism. They are enlisting some of the world’s best-known companies to assist. Before the pandemic, SA attracted about 450,000 UK travellers a year. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA letter to Prime Minister Boris JohnsonPOSTED ON:As Britain looks to develop new trading relationships around the world, BLSA urges UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to reassess the restrictions placed on SA. read more >> |
![]() |
Q3 business confidence figures show the slippery slopePOSTED ON: September 14, 2021By Busi Mavuso Last week, we got bits of economic data reflecting the effects of the July unrest. The RMB Business Confidence Index slumped back into negative territory (below 50 points) in Q3, falling seven points to 43. read more >> |
![]() |
SA should lower restrictions in boosting economic recoveryPOSTED ON: September 13, 2021By Busi Mavuso Our jobs market remains one of the worst in the world, with unemployment in Q2 reaching 34.4%, the highest of 80 industrialised nations tracked by Bloomberg. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter -13 September 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Following the July unrest, many business leaders want to rebuild, but they cannot do it without a sense that government and the rest of the country has their back. read more >> |
![]() |
The importance of secure electricity will come to light again in Q2 GDP figuresPOSTED ON: September 7, 2021By Busi Mavuso There’s no way of attaining healthier growth rates without dealing with the elephant in the room – our lack of electricity capacity to meet the demands of this economy. Only that way can we become richer as a nation. read more >> |
![]() |
Alert level 2 is the next logical phase to move toPOSTED ON: September 6, 2021By Busi Mavuso The current Level 3 runs to 15 October – that is too long to wait. A shift to level 2 should happen sooner. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 6 September 2021POSTED ON: September 5, 2021By Busi Mavuso I want to add my welcome to the incoming president Bonang Mohale and deputy president Adrian Gore, who are taking up the leadership of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) at this crucial point. read more >> |
![]() |
We have to review labour regulation to stem jobs bloodbathPOSTED ON: August 31, 2021By Busi Mavuso We need to review labour regulations that have protected the rights of employees but have also made it more expensive and harder for small businesses to hire new workers. read more >> |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 30 August 2021POSTED ON: August 30, 2021By Busi Mavuso I feel positive that we are moving in the right direction, both on the vaccine programme and the economic policy changes needed. read more >> |
|
![]() |
Record unemployment will worsen if we can’t unlock infrastructure promisePOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso If we thought we had a jobs crisis on our hands before this pandemic, we now we have something much, much larger than we had ever imagined. read more >> |
![]() |
MEDIA STATEMENT: Unemployment data reflects a structural crisis and underperforming economyPOSTED ON: August 25, 2021Unemployment data reflects a structural crisis and underperforming economy that only swift and decisive action by all social partners can address. read more >> |
![]() |
A job is still the best social security in these timesPOSTED ON: August 24, 2021By Busi Mavuso The green paper on a new social security reform programme would be debilitating on workers as they would have to contribute between 8% and 12% of their earnings. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter — 23 August 2021POSTED ON: August 23, 2021By Busi Mavuso A successful vaccination programme is critical to being able to rebuild the economy to be able to support all South Africans. read more >> |
![]() |
Reform momentum must be increased to deal with jobless crisisPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Our only escape from the unemployment crisis and underperforming economy is through reform. read more >> |
![]() |
Join the dots between cadre deployment and state capturePOSTED ON: August 17, 2021By Busi Mavuso Putting the right people in the right jobs is critical for success. This is tougher in politics, where success is much harder to define, than for businesses. read more >> |
![]() |
Securing the nation, focusing on reforms to rebuild confidencePOSTED ON: August 16, 2021By Busi Mavuso Business confidence is essential, especially for the infrastructure plans that look to unlock 800,000 job opportunities in the medium term. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter – 16 AugustPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act has the potential to spur major new investment in electricity generation and make a major contribution to stabilising electricity supply. read more >> |
![]() |
Rebuilding confidence of small business is key to jobs and growth crisis battlePOSTED ON: August 10, 2021By Busi Mavuso read more >> |
![]() |
July protests add to a series of unfortunate events for women in SAPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso We should consider the real impact of the protests and the various lockdown measures on women, especially black women in the country. read more >> |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 10 August 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso I wish Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana all the best in his new role. He is taking on one of the most difficult jobs in the country. It is central to business confidence. read more >> |
|
![]() |
Pension rule changes are a short term-fix, growth is essentialPOSTED ON: August 3, 2021By Busi Mavuso I think that the idea to allow withdrawals from their pension comes with some dire consequences if one considers that only 6% of South Africans retire with enough savingS. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 2 August 2021POSTED ON: August 2, 2021By Busi Mavuso I hope that government’s new-found affinity for pragmatism kicks in again and it finds ways to accelerate structural reforms. read more >> |
![]() |
Resilient South African businesses start road to recovery after protestsPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso As BLSA, we’ve asked the state to step in and aid the rebuild effort. National Treasury’s R39bn package to provide relief to businesses and the poor should be welcomed. read more >> |
![]() |
SA businesses will rebuild but need protectionPOSTED ON: July 27, 2021By Busi Mavuso I’ve been encouraged to hear some of SA’s businesses, including retailers, speaking of restocking and in some cases rebuilding stores in the aftermath of the protests that quickly spilled into rampant criminality. read more >> |
![]() |
Increasing pace of SA’s vaccination programme a welcome signPOSTED ON: July 26, 2021By Busi Mavuso Without an effective national vaccination programme, there’s certainly no end to this pandemic nor a start to a sustainable economic recovery. read more >> |
![]() |
CEO’s weekly letter – 26 July 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The resumption of alcohol sales is extremely important for an industry that has been brought to its knees by the ban, as well as the rest of the supply chain from bottlers to restaurants. read more >> |
![]() |
Businesses’ strong resolve to address new crisis, new problemsPOSTED ON: July 23, 2021By Busi Mavuso It’s important that the South African government follow through on plans that are going to be developed following the recent unrest to ensure investment in SA continues. read more >> |
![]() |
Covid-19 exposed our inequalities, the protests just deepened themPOSTED ON: July 20, 2021By Busi Mavuso The implications for rural and township economies, where the bulk of the damage was incurred due to recent unrest, looting and destruction to property, will be far reaching. read more >> |
![]() |
The cost of the economic damage will be borne by the most vulnerablePOSTED ON: July 19, 2021By Busi Mavuso The cost of the economic carnage in KZN and Gauteng will be carried by the most vulnerable segments of South African society. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 19 July 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The president’s speech on Friday evening, flanked by the heads of the police and army, was the right message to convey to the public. read more >> |
![]() |
Difficult week, but South African institutions endurePOSTED ON: July 13, 2021By Busi Mavuso The rule of law took precedence over political prudence. No-one can display the contempt of court that Zuma did without expecting consequences. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter – 12 July 2021POSTED ON: July 12, 2021By Busi Mavuso Business confidence has had a shot in the arm from several directions at once. The arrest Jacob Zuma and improvements in vaccination rates are some of the reasons why. read more >> |
![]() |
Zuma Arrest: signal that institutions of state are working again.POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Former President Jacob Zuma’s arrest shows that no individual, no matter how powerful, is above the laws we have created to serve our democracy. read more >> |
![]() |
Eskom’s falling debt levels are signs of reform taking rootPOSTED ON: July 6, 2021By Busi Mavuso Eskom’s debt is now less than R400bn. This is still a staggering number but at least it is beginning to reduce. read more >> |
![]() |
Treasury has some space to support businesses and workersPOSTED ON: July 5, 2021By Busi Mavuso The state should consider providing further social support for the vast majority of South Africans who aren’t as shielded from the economic strain caused by these unavoidable lockdowns. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter – 5 July 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The business sector is a national asset. Government needs to work with it to ensure it is not unnecessarily damaged. read more >> |
![]() |
Structural reform: A section 25 change is not a necessary step in addressing land reformPOSTED ON: June 28, 2021By Busi Mavuso It is unnecessary to shake the foundations of the country by changing Section 25 of the constitution. read more >> |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter 28 June 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso I agree with the president that the measures taken reflect strong efforts to minimise the impact on the economy, with most businesses able to continue at full capacity. read more >> |
|
![]() |
Another positive economic reform in the corporatisation of Transnet ports authorityPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The corporatisation of the Transnet National Ports Authority by President Cyril Ramaphosa is yet another positive step in restructuring our SOEs. read more >> |
![]() |
SOE reform: Pragmatism, rather than ideological dogma is welcomed in SAA salePOSTED ON: June 22, 2021By Busi Mavuso I believe selling a majority stake in SAA is just one step, but it promises a much-needed pragmatic approach to the problems that SOEs continue to pose. read more >> |
![]() |
President needs to keep investment drive while striking tough balancing act in pandemic responsePOSTED ON: June 21, 2021By Busi Mavuso President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to keep investment drive while striking tough balancing act in pandemic response. read more >> |
![]() |
CEO’s weekly 21 June 2021POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Last week South African business lost one of its giants. Jabu Mabuza helped business find its voice at the height of state capture. read more >> |
![]() |
Media statement: Big business mourns the loss of Dr Jabu MabuzaPOSTED ON: June 16, 2021It is with deep sadness and sorrow that BLSA learnt of the passing of its former Chairperson, Dr Jabu Mabuza. He passed away earlier this evening following complications due to Covid-19. read more >> |
![]() |
President Ramaphosa takes gigantic step is in structural reform agenda in one weekPOSTED ON: June 15, 2021By Busi Mavuso President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration took its most significant steps so far in its structural reform agenda in liberating the energy sector and selling 51% of SAA. read more >> |
![]() |
Light at the end of the load shedding tunnelPOSTED ON: June 14, 2021By Busi Mavuso President Cyril Ramaphosa’s move on the licence exemption for electricity generation is highly positive. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 14 JunePOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA lauds announcement on energy security and SAA partnershipPOSTED ON: June 11, 2021Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) welcomes yesterday’s announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the licensing exemption threshold for own generation under schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, (ERA) will be lifted to 100MW. The own generation threshold was higher than business had hoped for and means that firms such as mines and large industrial… read more >> |
![]() |
Eyes and Ears, Memeza crime operation yields positive resultsPOSTED ON: June 10, 2021Business Leadership SA has hailed efforts by the Eyes and Ears initiative and Memeza crime-fighting project to tackle crime at non-fee-paying schools. read more >> |
![]() |
Unemployment reflects the economy’s underlying strugglesPOSTED ON: June 9, 2021By Busi Mavuso Q1 GDP figures provide further evidence of the economy’s rebound from the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in our worst economic performance in a century. read more >> |
![]() |
Press release: BLSA concerned at low investment levels and calls for rapid delivery of Economic Reconstruction and Recovery PlanPOSTED ON: June 8, 2021Today’s economic growth figures show that the economy is struggling to recover. While there were some areas that grew, the overall picture shows that much of the economy remains weak. read more >> |
![]() |
Youth day and a ballooning youth unemploymentPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Next week we will mark 45 years since the June 1976 Soweto protests that would prove to be one of the most important dates in our struggle against apartheid. However, as we head towards Youth Day on 16 June, the official unemployment rate in the 15-34 age bracket sits at 46,3%. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 7 June 2021POSTED ON: June 7, 2021By Busi Mavuso One area the economic reconstruction and recovery plan is clear on is energy security. As our economy reels from more devastating load-shedding, the urgency of this is ever more apparent. read more >> |
![]() |
Land reform: The problem is implementation, not the ConstitutionPOSTED ON: June 1, 2021By Busi Mavuso We need close collaboration with the state to ensure land reform is implemented in a way that doesn’t threaten food security, the agriculture sector and property security. read more >> |
![]() |
SA is falling down global league rankingsPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso South Africa’s “beachhead” advantage of a gateway to Africa, long trumpeted, may be waning. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 31 May 2021POSTED ON: May 31, 2021By Busi Mavuso The Expropriation Bill is perhaps the most consequential of the legislation and amendments being considered. read more >> |
![]() |
Economic reform is for all spheres of societyPOSTED ON: May 25, 2021By Busi |
![]() |
Local isn’t just lekker – it’s essentialPOSTED ON: May 24, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 24 MayPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
State must be open about restrictions as third wave loomsPOSTED ON: May 18, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Collapsing municipalities could be the final nail in Eskom’s coffinPOSTED ON: May 17, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA, BUSA launch research report into localisation policyPOSTED ON:By BLSA |
![]() |
Localisation reportPOSTED ON:Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) in conjunction with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) have launched an important research report into localisation policy. This timely report was compiled by local consulting firm Intellidex and aims to contribute to policy on promoting local manufacturing in South Africa. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 17 MayPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA ready to assist amid threat of third wavePOSTED ON: May 13, 2021BLSA notes with concern that the increase in Covid-related hospitalisations and positive tests in the Free State and Gauteng read more >> |
![]() |
Eskom’s restructuring vital to secure energy futurePOSTED ON: May 11, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Unions are right to blame Eskom’s former management – but it doesn’t helpPOSTED ON: May 10, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 10 MayPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Businesses push to minimise impact of Covid-19POSTED ON: May 7, 2021By BLSA |
![]() |
Businesses inject funds to fight the pandemicPOSTED ON: May 5, 2021BLSA members have shown commitment by providing funding into health infrastructure, relief funds, PPE, technology, education and awareness campaigns in communities and workplaces. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA members commit to greater goodPOSTED ON:By BLSA |
![]() |
SA’s energy expansion and the risk posed by tales of corruptionPOSTED ON: May 4, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Thumbs up to businesses for keeping communities safePOSTED ON: May 3, 2021By BLSA |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 03 MayPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Businesses safeguard lives amid the pandemicPOSTED ON: May 2, 2021By BLSA |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter – 28 AprilPOSTED ON: April 28, 2021By Busi Mavuso Judge Raymond Zondo will deliver a report at the end of the state capture commission that will, hopefully, be the definitive account of the traumatic decade of corruption our country was made to endure. read more >> |
![]() |
SARB’s control over inflation shows importance of institutional integrityPOSTED ON: April 27, 2021By Busi Mavuso The story of our inflation rate speaks to more than just an economic data point: it highlights the importance of the independence of our institutions. read more >> |
![]() |
Better managing our public healthcare infrastructure is vitalPOSTED ON: April 22, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA members at the forefront of educationPOSTED ON: April 21, 2021By BLSA |
![]() |
Business services success is swell, but spectrum woes remain cripplingPOSTED ON: April 20, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 19 AprilPOSTED ON: April 19, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA members step up to better equip communitiesPOSTED ON: April 16, 2021By BLSA |
![]() |
The Eyes and Ears initiative is testimony to our commitment to fight crimePOSTED ON:By BLSA |
![]() |
Business leads fight against Covid-19 in most exemplary wayPOSTED ON: April 15, 2021By BLSA |
![]() |
SA’s delayed vaccine programme should not be suspended for too longPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Corporate leaders pledge billions to ease impact of Covid-19POSTED ON: April 14, 2021Executives and board members pledged 30% of their income towards debt relief for small businesses and to ease financial disruptions during the pandemic. read more >> |
![]() |
The tests ahead for a sustainable recoveryPOSTED ON: April 13, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Let private sector be a partner in creating proper infrastructurePOSTED ON: April 12, 2021By Busi Mavuso and Stuart Theobald |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 12 AprilPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Covid-19 pandemic spurs tech innovationPOSTED ON: April 9, 2021BLSA members have, for many years, embraced technology to drive innovation and find better ways to do business while changing our social landscape. read more >> |
![]() |
Timely commodities bounty should have been more bountifulPOSTED ON: April 8, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Innovative tech offers support for distressed businessesPOSTED ON: April 7, 2021Technology continues to change and improve our lives in immeasurable ways. read more >> |
![]() |
Culture of accountability should augment improved auditsPOSTED ON: April 6, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 06 AprilPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Going beyond business to make sustainable impactPOSTED ON: April 1, 2021Over R6.5 million was ploughed into various NGOs across the country to provide food parcels to communities, schools and orphanages. read more >> |
![]() |
Vaccine rollout | It’s now time for detailsPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA, members step in to support the vulnerablePOSTED ON: March 31, 2021The effects of the Coronavirus have been felt far beyond hospital beds and isolation centres. read more >> |
![]() |
Report shows how SA can repair sclerotic infrastructure deliveryPOSTED ON: March 30, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 29 MarchPOSTED ON: March 29, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Infrastructure for South Africa reportPOSTED ON: March 26, 2021Business Leadership South Africa today launched a report on solutions to boosting infrastructure investment to drive the economic recovery. read more >> |
![]() |
Positive signs of our switch to a renewable futurePOSTED ON: March 25, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Thulas Nxesi has the hardest job of all: rolling back unemploymentPOSTED ON: March 23, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 23 MarchPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
The tale of Icasa, Nersa and other regulatorsPOSTED ON: March 18, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
The most difficult cabinet position after the era of state capturePOSTED ON: March 16, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 15 MarchPOSTED ON: March 15, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
We must take advantage of changing sentiment to cement recoveryPOSTED ON: March 11, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Make way: Vulindlela is happeningPOSTED ON: March 9, 2021Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are the most efficient mechanism to deliver SA‘s infrastructure goals. read more >> |
![]() |
Ministerial agreements should be about accountabilityPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 08 MarchPOSTED ON: March 8, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Capable state: Reforms need a professional civil servicePOSTED ON: March 4, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Unemployment takes a far greater toll on black womenPOSTED ON: March 2, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 01 MarchPOSTED ON: March 1, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BUDGET |Welcome reprieve, but we shouldn’t forget Mboweni’s Argentina warnings yetPOSTED ON: February 25, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA reaction to budget speechPOSTED ON: February 24, 2021By BLSA |
![]() |
Expect some good news but the hippo’s mouth is still widen openPOSTED ON: February 23, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 22 FebruaryPOSTED ON: February 22, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Sentiment – it’s no conspiracyPOSTED ON: February 18, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
State of the nation priorities are right, but it’s implementation that countsPOSTED ON: February 16, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 15 FebruaryPOSTED ON: February 15, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA reaction to Sona 2021POSTED ON: February 11, 2021 |
![]() |
State of the Nation: Corruption should be the focusPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Easing the anxieties of a disrupted statePOSTED ON: February 9, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 08 FebruaryPOSTED ON: February 8, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Illicit trade: problems and solutionsPOSTED ON: February 5, 2021By BLSA |
![]() |
Vaccine, then reforms to get the economy goingPOSTED ON: February 4, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Vaccines must be top of Cyril Ramaphosa’s agendaPOSTED ON: February 2, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 01 FebruaryPOSTED ON: February 1, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA to face Illicit Trade head on in upcoming solutions-focused WebinarPOSTED ON: January 29, 2021The BLSA Webinar on Illicit trade seeks to achieve exactly this outcome to contribute towards fast-tracking South Africa’s economic recovery. read more >> |
![]() |
Safely unlocking elements of the SA economyPOSTED ON: January 28, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Softer issue is an important step in rebuilding confidencePOSTED ON: January 26, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 25 JanuaryPOSTED ON: January 25, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Reforms not monetary policy is our best hopePOSTED ON: January 21, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
In solving SA’s energy crisis, we have optionsPOSTED ON: January 19, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 18 JanuaryPOSTED ON: January 18, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Vaccination – the Litmus testPOSTED ON: January 14, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Increased co-operation is the way through this crisisPOSTED ON: January 12, 2021By Busi |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 11 JanuaryPOSTED ON: January 11, 2021By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA welcomes court decision on public sector wage billPOSTED ON: December 18, 2020Business welcomes Monday’s decision by the Labour Appeal Court that government is within its rights not to implement salary increases for this year. This will help government avert a fiscal crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
Reflecting on the year of the pandemicPOSTED ON: December 17, 2020The spirit of working together is going to be critical in 2021. We have to rebuild the economy to be able to give every South African the opportunity to meet their full potential. BLSA is ready to play its part in that joint effort. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 14 DecemberPOSTED ON: December 14, 2020By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Collaboration between SAPS and security companies paying offPOSTED ON: December 10, 2020By Fouche Burgers Sadly, crime is a worrying, almost ever-present threat in South Africa. read more >> |
![]() |
Vaccine and the promise of a 2021 recoveryPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
The year that rudely exposed our decline, even to those in denialPOSTED ON: December 8, 2020By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 07 DecemberPOSTED ON: December 7, 2020By Busi Mavuso The president showed the right balance in his nuanced approached to imposing more stringent local measures. read more >> |
![]() |
Public sector wages – the battle that has to be wonPOSTED ON: December 3, 2020By Busi Mavuso Despite being fiscally constrained, it will be a hard task for SA to persuade public sector workers to agree to a wage cut. read more >> |
![]() |
Resetting business priorities as we rebuild the economyPOSTED ON: December 1, 2020By Busi Mavuso As this horrible year winds down to its close, we had better get our priorities right if we are to emerge from this economic crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 30 NovemberPOSTED ON: November 30, 2020By Busi Mavuso The surge of Covid-19 cases, particularly in the Eastern Cape, is a stark reminder that the pandemic remains extremely dangerous. read more >> |
![]() |
Great Reset: business prioritiesPOSTED ON: November 26, 2020By BLSA Big businesses should use their influence to guide SMMEs and open networks for them to help them grow and so drive economic growth. read more >> |
![]() |
Ratings agencies fire warnings about lack of implementationPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso There was no reprieve for SA as our credit ratings were pushed deeper in “junk” status, with ratings agencies implying a lack of faith in our recovery efforts post the pandemic. read more >> |
![]() |
SABC restructuring a necessity, as with other SOEsPOSTED ON: November 24, 2020By Busi Mavuso The SABC crisis is evidence of how a culture that encourages a lack of good governance, accountability and sustainability can eventually have on the many stakeholders in a company read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 23 NovemberPOSTED ON: November 23, 2020By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
Technology is driving greater economic growthPOSTED ON: November 20, 2020Technology has been key in helping companies adapt to the “new normal” of doing business – and maintaining economic growth! read more >> |
![]() |
Covid-19 as a window of opportunities for solutionsPOSTED ON: November 19, 2020The Covid-19 crises may have crippled our economy, but the setbacks create opportunities for solutions. read more >> |
![]() |
Ethics and paying business on timePOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Statistics SA’s third quarter report card will not tell the full story of just how small businesses across the country are still struggling to keep the lights on. read more >> |
Education is the backbone of the economyPOSTED ON: November 18, 2020Education builds the foundation of an economy. High-quality education allows our nation’s citizens to contribute more effectively to our economy. read more >> |
|
Transport sector key to move economy forwardPOSTED ON:Lockdown may have put the brakes on everything, but BLSA members have kept the wheels moving by providing support where it’s needed most. read more >> |
|
![]() |
The cost of not paying small businesses on timePOSTED ON: November 17, 2020By Busi Mavuso Paying SMEs on time is a small step that big businesses and government can take that will make a big difference. read more >> |
BLSA and its members give back to communities in needPOSTED ON: November 16, 2020The biggest crises to come out of COVID-19 has been the effects of lockdown on our nation’s most vulnerable communities. read more >> |
|
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 16 NovemberPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The opening of borders will give the hospitality and tourism industry a much-needed recovery boost. read more >> |
![]() |
Public sector wages – we need a breakthroughPOSTED ON: November 12, 2020By Busi Mavuso Given revenue pressures, the state, like every household, is going to have to look to reduce its expenses. read more >> |
![]() |
Public service not too big – just too well paidPOSTED ON: November 10, 2020By BLSA BUSA report on the public sector wage bill, researched by Intellidex, was released at a media conference yesterday. read more >> |
![]() |
Delivering reforms will be our key sales pitch at the investment conferencePOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso President Cyril Ramaphosa should use the investment conference to ram home impending changes in policy and show government’s commitment to providing additional power. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 9 NovemberPOSTED ON: November 9, 2020By Busi Mavuso Watch for important research on the public sector wage bill being released today. It makes a detailed contribution to the debate. read more >> |
![]() |
Infrastructure and growthPOSTED ON: November 5, 2020By Busi Mavuso |
Health crucial in pursuit of prosperous economic growthPOSTED ON: November 4, 2020The COVID-19 crises has amplified the importance of health and safety in organisations. read more >> |
|
![]() |
Fiscal reform is just part of a structural reform agenda needed for growthPOSTED ON: November 3, 2020By Busi Mavuso Fiscal reform is no longer avoidable but is essential for any economic recovery as it will boost confidence. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO letter 2 NovemberPOSTED ON: November 2, 2020By Busi Mavuso The economic recovery plan and MTBPS are, in effect, business plans for the country. What matters now is execution. read more >> |
![]() |
Second wave and a return of stricter measuresPOSTED ON: October 29, 2020By Busi Mavuso If there is a serious need for further restrictions, then we must act guided by evidence on the type of lockdown we need. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA reacts to the MTBPSPOSTED ON: October 28, 2020By BLSA Today’s MTBPS speech carried far more significance given the crisis we are in. read more >> |
![]() |
Focus on unproductive behaviourPOSTED ON: October 27, 2020In mapping out South Africa’s recovery, much of the focus is on economic analysis but too little is on “unproductive behaviour” that needs to be fixed, Miriam Altman, director of Altman Advisory, told a BLSA special council meeting on Thursday. read more >> |
![]() |
State and public-sector unions still have time to reach agreementPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 26 OctoberPOSTED ON: October 26, 2020By Busi Mavuso It’s a big week for the country. The MTBPS has the potential to support a recovery in business sentiment, which will boost our recovery prospects. read more >> |
![]() |
Land reform cannot be tackled with recklessnessPOSTED ON:By Tebele Luthuli |
![]() |
BLSA writes to Finance Ministry ahead of MTBPSPOSTED ON: October 22, 2020By BLSA Business backs a tough medium-term budget. read more >> |
![]() |
The overarching goal of the mini budget must be to build confidencePOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso There is one overarching goal for Finance Minister Tito Mboweni: to rebuild confidence in the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
Tourism and its not so rosy outlookPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The focus on tourism in the economic plan is vital. read more >> |
![]() |
Growth in employment needs fertile groundPOSTED ON: October 20, 2020By Busi Mavuso Old ideas of waiting for government to create jobs simply won’t do anymore. We need to change the structure of the economy to solve the jobs crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
Implementation remains keyPOSTED ON: October 19, 2020By Busi Mavuso The president’s plan reflects many of the issues that BLSA has repeatedly highlighted that are constraining growth. These have now been made priorities. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 19 OctoberPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The economic recovery plan does a good job of setting out the issues that are constraining the economy, from lack of infrastructure to visa rules. This is good progress. read more >> |
![]() |
Recovery plan is positive but has some unrealistic expectationsPOSTED ON: October 15, 2020There are lots of positive elements in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic recovery plan. However, it must be seen as more as a starting point. read more >> |
![]() |
Urgency, execution key to attracting investorsPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso We will be watching the president’s economic recovery plan closely as it could set us on a higher growth trajectory if it encompasses structural reforms. read more >> |
![]() |
Lack of trust in business cannot continue if we want a recoveryPOSTED ON: October 13, 2020By Busi Mavuso |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter 12 OctoberPOSTED ON: October 12, 2020By Busi Mavuso The medium-term budget policy statement is the first real test of the credibility of government’s commitment to fix our national finances. read more >> |
![]() |
Implementation, implementationPOSTED ON: October 8, 2020By Busi Mavuso We need a sense of urgency in the implementation of the recovery plan. read more >> |
![]() |
Corruption arrests: A show of teeth and a boost of confidencePOSTED ON: October 6, 2020By Busi Mavuso Arrests of those associated with state capture is an initial, but significant, milestone in rebuilding faith in SA and its economy, read more >> |
![]() |
Less talk, more action needed on land issuePOSTED ON: October 5, 2020By Tebele Luthuli |
![]() |
Restaurants and taverns traded in alcohol despite the bansPOSTED ON:By Tebele Luthuli Coverage and public discourse focus mostly on PPE tender corruption but little has been said about new waves of organised crime during lockdown. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 5 October 2020POSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso SA lost 2.2-million jobs in the Covid-hit second quarter and big companies have warned of thousands of retrenchments to come. It’s time to talk about labour legislation. read more >> |
![]() |
Medium term budget — another seminal momentPOSTED ON: October 1, 2020By Busi Mavuso Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s medium-term budget speech is another seminal moment for South Africa. read more >> |
![]() |
Our progress to datePOSTED ON: September 29, 2020By Busi Mavuso Much has improved since Cyril Ramaphosa became president but we haven’t quite changed direction yet. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 28 September 2020POSTED ON: September 28, 2020By Busi Mavuso With the new IPP bid window announced, we’re finally at the cusp of a real change in energy security and a potentially vibrant new economic cluster. read more >> |
![]() |
Labour reform is more urgent than ever beforePOSTED ON: September 24, 2020By Busi Mavuso SA needs to deal with labour reform, a topic that lurks in the background but never really comes to the fore. read more >> |
![]() |
SAA’s future should partly be about reducing its risk to the sovereignPOSTED ON: September 22, 2020By Busi Mavuso How would another capital injection into SAA fit into the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council’s drive to reform state-owned enterprises. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 21 September 2020POSTED ON: September 21, 2020By Busi Mavuso It was striking how much business could agree with labour and civil society groups at Nedlac on the way forward. read more >> |
![]() |
Business and labour backing president Ramaphosa’s planPOSTED ON: September 17, 2020By Busi Mavuso The economic recovery action plan, agreed to by labour, business and other social partners, is with the president. It’s imperative that Cabinet approves it without delay. read more >> |
![]() |
A most welcome change in pacePOSTED ON: September 15, 2020By Busi Mavuso The president injected a sense of urgency into our economic revival last week, backed up by action with the timetable being set for getting more renewable energy onto the grid. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 14 September 2020POSTED ON: September 14, 2020By Busi Mavuso My confidence soared when the president showed last week that he’s willing to take responsibility and hold people accountable. read more >> |
![]() |
The growth emergencyPOSTED ON: September 10, 2020By Busi Mavuso The country needs urgent interventions implemented from the economic recovery strategy to address the jobs crisis we’ve long faced, which has been accelerated by a Covid-19 crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
Structural reforms a necessity in light of Q2 contractionPOSTED ON: September 8, 2020By Busi Mavuso Will today’s Q2 GDP figures prove to be sobering for policymakers? We hope it makes them realise how urgently we need structural reforms. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 7 September 2020POSTED ON: September 7, 2020By Busi Mavuso Why is the sense of urgency that government displayed at the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak missing from other areas? read more >> |
![]() |
President Ramaphosa continuing the “good fight”POSTED ON: September 3, 2020By Busi Mavuso As business, we will stand behind the president and support the “good fight” against corruption. read more >> |
![]() |
Ramaphosa’s fight against corruption needs support, not rebukePOSTED ON: September 1, 2020By Busi Mavuso We are encouraged that the president is seizing the moment, taking a hardline stance against corruption, which has ruffled feathers within his party. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter 31 August 2020POSTED ON: August 31, 2020By Busi Mavuso How much more onerous will future loan conditions be if SA doesn’t address its creditworthiness? read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA hails Finfind’s SMME initiative amid Covid-19POSTED ON: August 28, 2020FinFind, which provides online access to finance solutions for SMMEs, is launching a comprehensive study on the impact of Covid-19 on this sector. read more >> |
![]() |
A lesson in transparency and trustPOSTED ON: August 27, 2020By Busi Mavuso It is important that government keep the nation informed on the reasons for its decisions. This will breathe confidence into the ability of the state. read more >> |
![]() |
Transparency and ethical leadershipPOSTED ON: August 26, 2020By Tebele Luthuli We hear of so much corruption, but little gets done about it. The corrupt thrive in secrecy; transparency is their enemy. read more >> |
![]() |
Rebuilding an organisation gutted by state capturePOSTED ON: August 25, 2020The job of rebuilding SARS has been an immensely difficult task because of the extent of the damage done in the state capture era, SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter told BLSA members at an online webcast on Thursday. read more >> |
![]() |
Setting the tone against corruptionPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso It’s only after we win the battle against corruption that recovery plans can find proper grounding. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s letter – 24 August 2020POSTED ON: August 24, 2020By Busi Mavuso Corruption damages all spheres of society, from service delivery to investment, while it also guts economic growth and increases inequality. read more >> |
![]() |
Second-quarter contraction and the bounce-backPOSTED ON: August 20, 2020By Busi Mavuso The impact of the initial ‘hard lockdown’ is going to make for some shocking reading when GDP figures are released early next month. read more >> |
![]() |
Now to restart this economyPOSTED ON: August 18, 2020By Busi Mavuso Government’s recovery strategy must actually move the needle and not be just another document. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter – 17 AugustPOSTED ON: August 17, 2020By Busi Mavuso This is the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. Labour and business have presented detailed plans, but why hasn’t government? read more >> |
![]() |
This is no popularity contestPOSTED ON: August 13, 2020By Busi Mavuso Has Cyril Ramaphosa opted to win a popularity contest within the ANC rather than do the right thing for the country? read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter -11 AugustPOSTED ON: August 11, 2020By Busi Mavuso SA Breweries, Heineken and Consol Glass have frozen R13bn of investment. But that doesn’t begin to reflect how much investment we’re losing. read more >> |
![]() |
The lessons from Eskom’s tariff winPOSTED ON: August 10, 2020By Busi Mavuso While Eskom’s prices continue to rise, its biggest customers are aggressively looking for alternative energy sources. What is the long-term future of the utility’s revenue model? read more >> |
![]() |
The screws need to be loosenedPOSTED ON: August 6, 2020By Busi Mavuso. It’s imperative to open up as much of the economy as possible without compromising Covid-19 safety protocols. read more >> |
![]() |
Lead by examplePOSTED ON: August 4, 2020With Covid-19 infections rising sharply, it’s important that political leaders and business leaders in SA lead by example in curbing the spread. read more >> |
![]() |
Confidence is in a trough as infections start to peakPOSTED ON: August 3, 2020By Busi Mavuso Boosting confidence is critical for our economic recovery – easier said than done considering the tales of corruption around the management of the health pandemic. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly 3 AugustPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The time for talking is done. We must now become obsessed with implementation – it’s the only thing that matters. read more >> |
![]() |
Special task team to combat covid-19 corruptionPOSTED ON: August 2, 2020By Tebele Luthuli Perhaps many South Africans have become apathetic about corruption because they never see things improving. read more >> |
![]() |
Reality bites with IMF loanPOSTED ON: July 29, 2020By Busi Mavuso SA is being bailed out by the IMF because we can’t finance the Covid-19 battle ourselves. That’s because of our low growth over the last five years. read more >> |
![]() |
Corruption is still rifePOSTED ON: July 27, 2020By Busi Mavuso President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation last week was focused on growing corruption around funds dedicated to our war against Covid-19. A sad state of affairs. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Weekly – 27 JulyPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Scenes of police using water cannons against protesting restaurant workers in Cape Town were shocking. People have a right to protest. read more >> |
![]() |
Another resignation at an SOE a cause for concernPOSTED ON: July 23, 2020By Busi Mavuso The CEOs of SOEs have to reform them. That’s their function and they need to be backed if SOEs are going to be part of the solution to the deepening economic recession. read more >> |
![]() |
Women and youth feel the pain of tourism shutdownPOSTED ON: July 21, 2020By Busi Mavuso If supporting women to become financially independent is among the state’s priorities, denying women and youth the ability to earn a living due to lockdown of industries such as tourism, is the ultimate contradiction. read more >> |
![]() |
Interview: SA’s problems precede the virusPOSTED ON: July 20, 2020An IMF loan through its stand-by arrangement means SA would have to sign up to conditions. While on the surface it is presented as not being a loss of sovereignty, in reality it is. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly letter – 20 JulyPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The need for transparency increases dramatically especially when lockdown decisions could destroy the livelihoods of millions of citizens, as the alcohol ban does. read more >> |
![]() |
A trap long setPOSTED ON: July 19, 2020By Busi Mavuso SA’s application for $4.2bn from the IMF exhausts the ‘conditionality free’ money; the next step will be borrowing based on harsh but necessary conditionality. read more >> |
![]() |
Where will more money for SAA come from?POSTED ON: July 15, 2020By Busi Mavuso Quite simply, the restructuring of SAA into a commercially sustainable airline is too expensive for the state to fund. read more >> |
![]() |
Implementation is key to B4SA’s economic recovery planPOSTED ON:We extend unwavering support to Business for South Africa (B4SA)’s economic recovery plan in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic shock it has caused. read more >> |
![]() |
Business could mobilise its balance sheet if the state were an enablerPOSTED ON: July 14, 2020By Busi Mavuso With alcohol sales locked down again, South Africa needs to make the economic recovery as urgent as our health response. read more >> |
![]() |
South Africa inadequately prepared for digital agePOSTED ON: July 13, 2020By Tebele Luthuli Access to information is the new way of being in and part of the world in today’s digital age. But this brings its own problems – for which SA is unfortunately inadequately prepared. read more >> |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 13 JulyPOSTED ON: July 12, 2020By Busi Mavuso The impact of the Covid-19 crisis is becoming ever clearer: business confidence is record low; over 1-million jobs have been lost; and the Reserve Bank is forecasting that GDP will fall by 33% in Q2 of 2020. read more >> |
|
![]() |
Hard lockdown’s possible returnPOSTED ON: July 9, 2020By Busi Mavuso Better consultation between all stakeholders in the economy could help avoid some unnecessary pitfalls if SA has to revert to a hard lockdown. read more >> |
![]() |
Fight against Covid-19 will be carried out by municipalitiesPOSTED ON: July 7, 2020By Busi Mavuso Amid evidence of maladministration and unauthorised expenditure, most municipalities are unable to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 6 July 2020POSTED ON: July 6, 2020By Busi Mavuso An important background issue to get right as we face the Covid-19 crisis is that business and government must work together, while understanding our different functions. read more >> |
![]() |
We need to provide hopePOSTED ON: July 2, 2020By Busi Mavuso SA can’t afford to lose hope and resign to the worst. Business and government have to work together to ensure that the least amount of lives are lost and that the economy holds a promise of a better tomorrow. read more >> |
![]() |
Actually, not all government debt is badPOSTED ON: June 30, 2020By Busi Mavuso Not all government debt is bad. The key is to ensure funds are geared towards growth-enhancing measures that will benefit the vast majority. read more >> |
![]() |
The many legs of Eskom’s recovery planPOSTED ON: June 29, 2020SA could see the end of loadshedding by August next year, by when Eskom hopes to have eliminated the backlog in its maintenance programme, CEO André de Ruyter told business leaders in a webcast organised by BLSA on 26 June 2020. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 29 JunePOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso As we gear up to drive an economic recovery, the downgrades of the Industrial Development Corporation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa make it more difficult for the two institutions to fund investment to support the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
SA runs the real risk of a sovereign debt crisis in about three yearsPOSTED ON: June 25, 2020By Busi Mavuso SA runs the real risk of a sovereign debt crisis in about three years, which will feed into all our major corporations and our banking sector that managed to successfully navigate the global financial sector crash of 2008. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA reacts to the supplementary budgetPOSTED ON: June 24, 2020We congratulate Tito Mboweni for tackling the key question in the supplementary budget of whether we continue a decline or start a process of renewal. read more >> |
![]() |
The government cannot continue to be a well-paying jobs centrePOSTED ON: June 23, 2020By Busi Mavuso Tomorrow’s emergency budget is supposed to map a way forward for just how the state will help galvanise an economy bludgeoned by the effects of the lockdown. read more >> |
![]() |
WATCH: Emergency budget previewPOSTED ON: June 22, 2020Business is asking three questions ahead of the emergency budget: where the money is going to come from, how the high deficit will be met and what phase three of the economic strategy will look like. read more >> |
![]() |
Crime really doesn’t shock us in SA, and it shouldPOSTED ON:By Tebele Luthuli With many businesses under extreme strain due to the Covid-19 pandemic, desperate measures seem to include much that is seemingly unethical. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 22 JunePOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso We applaud the NPA for the arrests of suspects linked to the looting of VBS Bank and offer our full support as it pursues justice. read more >> |
![]() |
Do we really have capacity for another R10bn SAA adventure?POSTED ON: June 18, 2020By Busi Mavuso To invest in an airline right now is a risky gamble for any investor, especially in a national airline such as SAA that hasn’t produced a profit for a decade and has been surviving on bailouts of over R30bn in that time. read more >> |
![]() |
SOE Council – open letterPOSTED ON:The role of the new SOE council is critical but it has a tough task. BLSA wishes it the best in fulfilling its mandate. read more >> |
![]() |
Restructuring of Eskom is a positive sign of commitment to reform agendaPOSTED ON: June 17, 2020By Busi Mavuso One only hopes the new SOE council has not been set up to meet quarterly to just deliver advisory notes to the president. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 15 JunePOSTED ON: June 15, 2020By Busi Mavuso As South Africa thinks about the economic recovery post the coronavirus crisis, shattered business confidence should have us worried. read more >> |
![]() |
It’s still about structural reformsPOSTED ON: June 11, 2020By Busi Mavuso South Africa needs to focus on the safe reopening of the economy and ensuring the pressure remains on policymakers to keep their commitments to structural reforms. read more >> |
![]() |
How will R130bn be reallocated in the emergency budget?POSTED ON: June 9, 2020By Busi Mavuso The upcoming emergency budget will be difficult as Tito Mboweni has to reallocate R130bn to meet the needs of the stimulus package, which is likely to ruffle some feathers. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 8 JunePOSTED ON: June 8, 2020By Busi Mavuso Whatever courts find on lockdown details, there is no doubt that social distancing and health protocols work and must be in place. read more >> |
![]() |
BACSA – Illicit trade to continuePOSTED ON: June 5, 2020By Tebele Luthuli The efforts of SARS, law enforcement agencies and other groups that have been battling illicit trade in SA long before the Covid-19 lockdown are being undermined by the continued ban on cigarette sales. read more >> |
![]() |
Strengthening SA’s social compactPOSTED ON: June 4, 2020By Busi Mavuso The social compact shouldn’t just be a lofty ideal, but should be practised – and again, business needs to be given the space to contribute. read more >> |
![]() |
Gordhan Briefing 29 MayPOSTED ON: June 3, 2020Government reiterates its efforts to improve SOEs and invites the private sector to participate in infrastructure rollout drive to spur the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
Shift on state ownership welcome, but let’s avoid heavy ‘guidance’POSTED ON: June 2, 2020By Busi Mavuso SA will see a return of badly needed fixed investment only if the state creates an environment that is conducive for businesses to thrive and to grow inclusively. Dabbling in prescribed assets or fiddling with the independence of the Reserve Bank will not rebuild confidence. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 1 JunePOSTED ON: June 1, 2020By Busi Mavuso Momentum is building towards finding viable solutions for our ailing SOEs with the presidential SOE council to be named soon and the review of all SOEs under way. read more >> |
![]() |
Striking a balance between health and the economyPOSTED ON: May 28, 2020By Busi Mbauso As business welcomes the opening of the economy from June 1, we must do so understanding the responsibility of navigating us through the September Covid-19 peak. read more >> |
![]() |
Onus is on business to ensure there isn’t a rapid rise in Covid casesPOSTED ON: May 26, 2020By Busi Mavuso There is a need for extra caution because SA is relaxing its lockdown at a time when the virus spreads more rapidly. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 25 MayPOSTED ON: May 25, 2020The positive message from government is that it is committed to driving a recovery and is open-minded on engaging with business on how to do it. The shift to level three next week is important and welcome. read more >> |
![]() |
A changing world, where the innovative stand a chance of survivalPOSTED ON: May 21, 2020By Busi Mavuso The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing businesses to rethink how they operate. Those that innovate – and quickly – will be able to firstly keep their heads above water and then prosper read more >> |
![]() |
Need to relax the Covid-19 restrictions is becoming more urgent by the dayPOSTED ON: May 19, 2020By Busi Mavuso It was encouraging to see government’s commitment and eagerness to moving to level 3 in an effort to stave off the looming economic catastrophe. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 18 MayPOSTED ON: May 18, 2020Cyril Ramaphosa’s admission that some lockdown restrictions had been unclear, poorly explained and even contradictory was a powerful step in resetting government’s relationship with the public. read more >> |
![]() |
Eskom the questions still to come …POSTED ON: May 14, 2020By Busi Mavuso Eskom grasped the opportunity from lockdown to deal with maintenance issues but its debt is still the biggest sovereign risk to our economy. read more >> |
![]() |
Level four lockdown is fluid, not time-basedPOSTED ON: May 13, 2020Level four is something of a testing ground to assess Covid-19 readiness for moving to levels three and two, to learn more about the challenges and states of readiness, trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel told an online webcast with business leaders on Friday organised by Business Leadership South Africa. read more >> |
![]() |
Lockdown: BLSA supports #NoExcuse initiative to tackle gender-based violencePOSTED ON:Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has thrown its support behind the #NoExcuse initiative which aims to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) during the national lockdown. read more >> |
![]() |
Seeking an IMF loan will take us from dogma to pragmatismPOSTED ON: May 12, 2020By Busi Mavuso ANC leadership is finally accepting the world as it is and not how it wants it to be. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 11 MayPOSTED ON: May 11, 2020Government must be agile in responding to changing conditions. The risk-based framework for opening the economy allows agility to some extent by giving it tools to fine-tune. read more >> |
![]() |
Falling revenues and fewer options …POSTED ON: May 7, 2020By Busi Mavuso If our fiscal roadmap includes plans for the start of a new state-owned airline and, given our most recent record in managing one in SAA, one wonders what sort of terms will be struck. read more >> |
![]() |
Innovation is needed, not a rehash of old ideasPOSTED ON: May 5, 2020By Busi Mavuso That the government is still toying around with bailing out companies such as SAA is a worrying trait that might keep us mired in the past. read more >> |
![]() |
COVID-19: Illicit trade still rearing its ugly headPOSTED ON: May 4, 2020By Tebele Luthuli As people, governments, businesses and civil societies across the globe grapple with the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns, criminal syndicates are taking advantage. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weeklyPOSTED ON:Big businesses as well as SMMEs are facing a serious calamity with the Covid 19 crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
Prohibitions: unintended consequencesPOSTED ON: April 30, 2020The bans on cigarette and alcohol sales have dramatically boosted the fortunes of criminal syndicates and even seen gangs expanding their activities into these markets as their regular criminal activities have been disrupted by the lockdown. read more >> |
![]() |
The easing of the lockdownPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso On Friday, the curtain finally starts to lift on what must rank as the most difficult period for a South African economy that has been through the worst over the past decade. read more >> |
![]() |
Alcohol ban during lockdownPOSTED ON: April 28, 2020By Tebele Luthuli The closure of taverns and shebeens due to lockdown, while necessary, has unfortunately meant significant loss of income for a lot of people across South Africa, particularly in poorer areas. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 28 AprilPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso The phased easing of the lockdown is a welcome step for government to take in managing the covid-19 crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
Let’s have a clear road map of how businesses will operate on level 4 lockdownPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Business has been at the coalface of the damage caused by the lockdown and is most anxious to get back to work. read more >> |
![]() |
We are in last chance saloonPOSTED ON: April 23, 2020By Busi Mavuso We needed decisive intervention from government in the face of an economy that is set to reel from the effects of covid-19. It was delivered. read more >> |
![]() |
Extraordinary times: Patel on phased approach to reopening the economyPOSTED ON: April 22, 2020Trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel briefs business on government’s risk-adjusted strategy in reopening the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
Health-friendly economic recovery plan is urgently neededPOSTED ON: April 21, 2020By Busi Mavuso There’s a lot riding on the solutions that the cabinet proposes to recast the economy for much-needed growth. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 20 AprilPOSTED ON: April 20, 2020By Busi Mavuso SAA is a symbol of government’s mismanagement of the economy. The airline is now terminal. The Covid-19 crisis has put the lid on the coffin, but there were no alternatives even before the crisis. read more >> |
![]() |
Review ban on cigarette sales during lockdownPOSTED ON: April 17, 2020By Tebele Luthuli The reasons for the ban on cigarette sales, though, remain unclear and should be open for discussion and review. read more >> |
![]() |
The economic war on the covid-19 pandemicPOSTED ON: April 16, 2020By Busi Mavuso National Treasury and the Reserve Bank are stepping up to the plate with responses to the Covid-19 pandemic – despite having very little wiggle room given our fiscal constraints. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSI MAVUSO: Lockdown extension was always on the cards, but a further one is frighteningPOSTED ON: April 14, 2020By Busi Mavuso The two-week extension of the lockdown is like taking a punch to the gut, but we need to consider the ramifications. Economists are penciling a deeper GDP contraction this year of -9.7%. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 14 AprilPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso There is a lot government can do from a policy point of view to increase the survival rate of small businesses. read more >> |
![]() |
Consequences of SA lockdown and bad policy: what options are left?POSTED ON: April 9, 2020By Busi Mavuso The lockdown is unprecedented – there’s no manual on how to respond to the shutdown of commerce. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSI MAVUSO: Kick-starting the economy is an urgent but delicate matterPOSTED ON: April 7, 2020By Busi Mavuso We need to consider the ramifications of the lockdown on the world once we win the war against Covid-19. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 6 AprilPOSTED ON: April 6, 2020By Busi Mavuso We are in a living experiment of different policy choices in response to the Covid-19 crisis. The lock-down that we are enduring represents the best policy choice given the experiences of countries around the world that have faced the virus earlier. read more >> |
![]() |
A deepening job crisis loomsPOSTED ON: April 2, 2020By Busi Mavso As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns it has triggered locally and internationally, some estimates say as many as 1.1 million jobs are at risk in SA. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSI MAVUSO: The guillotine falls … can we turn it around?POSTED ON: March 31, 2020By Busi Mavuso We have hit the economic iceberg. The decision by Moody’s to downgrade our credit rating to junk finally cut SA’s tenuous hold on its last investment-grade rating. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s Weekly – 30 MarchPOSTED ON: March 30, 2020The Sword of Damocles has fallen. SA’s debt is now rated junk by Moody’s and raising new debt will be more expensive. The question is what government does next. read more >> |
![]() |
Lockdown, the only intervention …POSTED ON: March 26, 2020By Busi Mavuso Tonight we head into a first in South Africa’s young history, with the entire population being placed under lockdown for our greater good. read more >> |
![]() |
Businesses collaborate with govt to mitigate Covid-19 impactPOSTED ON: March 24, 2020Interventions by governments and monetary authorities around the world have been dramatic in response to Covid-19 – reminiscent of war times. read more >> |
![]() |
BUSI MAVUSO: Moody’s downgrade or not, SA must press on with structural reformPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso SA needs to implement structural reforms, which will imbue the state with credibility at a time when it will count the most as investors settle into a post-coronavirus world. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 23 MarchPOSTED ON: March 23, 2020By Busi Mavuso We have to pull together to confront Covid-19. Business is mobilising. Important objectives are to ensure we can continue getting goods and services to consumers and to increase supply of goods that are particularly needed now such as hand sanitiser, personal protection equipment for frontline staff and medicines. read more >> |
![]() |
Curb coronavirus spread, but economic bedlam awaits regardlessPOSTED ON: March 20, 2020The shock of coronavirus on SA’s economy will be dire, regardless of whether or not the country successfully contains the spread. read more >> |
![]() |
CORONAVIRUS, the response of organized business …POSTED ON: March 19, 2020By Busi Mavuso SA is caught up in a perfect storm of a weak economy, loadshedding and the Coronavirus. This threatens us with another full-blown recession. read more >> |
![]() |
Stimulus package to best respond to coronavirusPOSTED ON: March 18, 2020BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso recommends the required stimulus package to best respond to coronavirus, which is proving to have dire consequences on SA’s embattled economy. read more >> |
![]() |
State of our economy during the covid-19 crisisPOSTED ON:By Busi Mavuso Coronavirus gives SA an opportunity to make bold political decisions and effect the structural reforms we have been talking about read more >> |
![]() |
Uncertainty in a time of coronavirus …POSTED ON: March 17, 2020By Busi Mavuso Indecision is a certainty in SA that has long plagued our economy. But now we have an unprecedented new layer of uncertainty added in the form of coronavirus. read more >> |
![]() |
We must stamp out illicit trade to boost the fiscusPOSTED ON: March 16, 2020It’s time to take strong against illicit trade, which is doing tremendous damage to the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA CEO’s weekly – 16 MarchPOSTED ON:BLSA is a business organisation that believes in South Africa’s future and shares the values set out in the Constitution. In 2017, BLSA signed a contract with South Africa, committing business to playing its part in creating a South Africa of increasing prosperity for all by harnessing the resources and capabilities of business in partnership with government and civil society to deliver economic growth, transformation and inclusion. read more >> |
![]() |
B-BBEE must create jobs: BLSA CEOPOSTED ON: March 15, 2020BLSA CEO Busisiwe Mavuso says Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) needs to create job opportunities. read more >> |
![]() |
What are SA’s stimulus options, if any?POSTED ON: March 12, 2020Coronavirus induced market crisis is worse now than in 2007 when South Africa had a budget surplus. read more >> |
![]() |
SA is losing billions due to the scourge of illicit tradePOSTED ON: March 11, 2020Following a dialogue session on Tuesday, Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso lamented that South Africa’s economy was characterised by low growth, which was further exacerbated by contributing factors such as illicit trade. read more >> |
![]() |
High-flying criminals will get their comeuppancePOSTED ON: March 10, 2020As big business we are working tirelessly to stem the rising tide of crime. read more >> |
![]() |
Not the time to trade family jewelsPOSTED ON: March 5, 2020An estimated 2GW of power generation outside Eskom is just waiting for state approval – but nothing has happened despite assurances by President Ramaphosa that this is a path that his administration has chosen. read more >> |
![]() |
Life support must come with reformsPOSTED ON: March 3, 2020It is well past the time to review all of our SOEs and make the necessary reforms to get our focus back on growing this economy in an inclusive manner. read more >> |
![]() |
A welcome step on public sector wages, but action is still needed on SOE vampiresPOSTED ON: March 2, 2020What we called for in last week’s Budget Speech 2020 was substance rather than the bluster of words of intent. Tito Mboweni rose to the challenge. read more >> |
![]() |
Mboweni rises to the challengePOSTED ON: February 26, 2020Tito Mboweni has faced up to the challenges and delivered a tough budget that will rescue the state from financial disaster – if it can be implemented. read more >> |
![]() |
The toughest budget since democracyPOSTED ON: February 25, 2020South Africa’s national finances are in a perilous state and the finance minister will have the difficult task of setting out how they will be managed. read more >> |
![]() |
THE BUDGET: “SUBSTANCE OVER BLUSTER”POSTED ON:Much is riding in the 2020 Budget speech because a slide into full junk status by Moody’s is a very clear and present danger. read more >> |
![]() |
Bold leadership is required to end SA’s jobs crisisPOSTED ON: February 20, 2020The dual catastrophes of South Africa’s unemployment and economic growth situations can only be met by leadership with a will to make the right but perhaps politically less palatable choices. read more >> |
![]() |
Urgent implementation required on positive Sona messagesPOSTED ON: February 19, 2020President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a positive SONA 2020 with some real plans to deal with our economic problems. The challenge is implementation. read more >> |
![]() |
Cyril Ramaphosa’s Sona is the most significant speech since 1994POSTED ON: February 11, 2020It is up to President Cyril Ramaphosa to reinvigorate and inspire confidence in South Africans from all walks of life in his SONA. read more >> |
![]() |
Cosatu’s debt bailout proposal for Eskom amounts to nothing more than a free lunchPOSTED ON: February 10, 2020SA can’t use public pensions as a convenient piggy bank to bail out our indebted SOEs and avoid fundamental reforms. read more >> |
![]() |
The argument against appointing a ‘land tsar’POSTED ON: February 6, 2020Placing land reform in the hands of a government official – a ‘land tsar’ – will only add another layer of policy uncertainty to South Africa’s economic story. read more >> |
![]() |
Prescribed assets as bail out is a step in the wrong directionPOSTED ON: January 30, 2020Prescribed assets, on the surface, may seem to be a quick-fix to Eskom’s problems but that would serve only to guarantee poor returns for pensioners. BLSA argues for some hard decisions to be taken now to ensure long-term sustainability of Eskom and other SOEs. read more >> |
![]() |
WEF report card for team South AfricaPOSTED ON:The South African story and its main architects should always hold centre of place at forums such as the WEF in Davos and not cower away into corners under irresponsible economic paths because of our own policy inertia. read more >> |
![]() |
The SAA meltdown: a hard lesson on the costs of indecisionPOSTED ON: January 27, 2020SAA, through the actions of our political players, is now effectively a privatised, inefficient enterprise, a situation caused by a legacy of bad direction by its shareholder. read more >> |
![]() |
Illicit trade and South Africa’s vehicle sectorPOSTED ON: January 22, 2020Cheap as they may be to a South African consumer that has been struggling under the weight of an under-performing economy for the better part of five years, the illegal import of vehicles from places as far as Japan, China and Singapore will prove more expensive in the end to the country through the loss of millions in revenue. read more >> |
![]() |
It’s about generation …POSTED ON: January 20, 2020With a new leadership team in Eskom now in place, it’s important that the focus remains firmly on what the crux of our electricity challenges is: the inability to meet power demand. Regardless of the changes that may come to the almost 97-year old parastatal, this is its inescapable truth. read more >> |
![]() |
Business Leadership South Africa mourns the passing of Dr Richard MaponyaPOSTED ON: January 7, 2020Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) is saddened by the passing of the business icon, Dr Richard Maponya, who passed away on the morning of the 6th January 2020 after a short illness. read more >> |
![]() |
Capability outside Eskom for power generation is the light at the end of the tunnelPOSTED ON: December 17, 2019Here are short-term measures that can be be acted upon immediately to help the energy crisis. They will contribute additional capacity and, importantly, boost sentiment. read more >> |
![]() |
Labour, the missing player in South Africa’s turnaroundPOSTED ON: December 10, 2019As difficult a path that business rescue is, and as wary as we are of the unintended consequences, the shareholder’s stance in the SAA matter has put to paid one thing: companies are not too big to fail. Eskom, of course is a special case. This should however not incentivise unions to prolong their rigid approach; rather, they should try and be part of the solution. read more >> |
![]() |
Government needs to pull out all the stops to escape low-growth trapPOSTED ON: December 5, 2019As much as the government under President Cyril Ramaphosa focuses on drawing investment into the country, it is in matters such as freeing up the private sector, and in particular SMMEs, where we’ll find shorter, quicker pathways to a better growth outlook for the economy. read more >> |
![]() |
Ethics Barometer will enable private sector to serve society by putting ethics firstPOSTED ON: December 2, 2019There’s much introspection that we as business need to do, particularly to gauge just where we need to improve our relations with all our stakeholders. This is a conversation that isn’t reserved just for South Africa because of any uniqueness in our history, but one that can increasingly take shape across the globe. While the Ethics Barometer has been acclimatised to our local conditions, the Harvard-developed tool is relevant internationally. read more >> |
![]() |
Decisiveness called for with our day of economic reckoning just around the cornerPOSTED ON:Call them friendly to the South African story, or more considerate of the structural fault-lines in our economy, for whatever their reasoning, they’ve resisted following the path of their peers. But come next February, it seems we may have run out of rope if promises of the new political dispensation at the helm of the governing party, ANC, aren’t translated into hard decisions. read more >> |
![]() |
An open letter to Eskom’s new CEOPOSTED ON: November 18, 2019Congratulations on your appointment as CEO of Eskom, which is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and important jobs in the country, as we are sure you are well aware. |
![]() |
SAA shareholder needs to support board’s turnaround planPOSTED ON: November 15, 2019SAA and its stakeholders are striking this weekend and the airline will lose about R50m a day, but what we would ask of its shareholder representative that it now back its board and executive in managing its dispute. To intervene now would only strengthen the belief among unions that it is indeed “too big, too fail”, serving to harden positions and in effect hasten SAA’s demise. read more >> |
![]() |
Selling SA in a challenging global investment climatePOSTED ON: November 13, 2019Broader macro constraints need to be tackled, such as the implementation of measures that will ensure energy security, stabilising the debt pile and consolidating the fiscus. Unless these are addressed, many participants may continue viewing events like the investment conference simply as mere talk shops. read more >> |
![]() |
Wage bill is perhaps the greatest challenge facing Ramaphosa’s administrationPOSTED ON: November 7, 2019THE sixth administration is going to have to face up to some hard truths over the next few months if it is going to show some real commitment to drawing a line in the continued deterioration of its finances. There’s no harder truth than its bloated wage bill. read more >> |
![]() |
Much work aheadPOSTED ON: November 1, 2019Recovery should kick off with allowing state-owned enterprises to be run like businesses read more >> |
![]() |
The challenges are clear; working together we can turn things aroundPOSTED ON: October 30, 2019The MTBPS has brought home how serious our financial predicament is. All social partners, including business, labour and civil society will have to work together to turn around what has become an entrenched low growth trend. BLSA is ready to play its part in developing the solutions needed to put South Africa back onto a growth path that will deliver our people a better future, free of poverty. read more >> |
![]() |
Gordhan’s Eskom plan a positive step towards sustainabilityPOSTED ON: October 29, 2019All South Africans stand to benefit from a reliable, low-cost electricity supply industry that can support the development of the economy. We look forward to further development of the future scenario for Eskom, including details on the financial plan to stabilise the utility’s balance sheet and the appointment of a permanent CEO to deliver on that the roadmap. read more >> |
![]() |
“Mini Budget” preview – mini in name onlyPOSTED ON: October 28, 2019In years past, this week’s speech – that doesn’t carry as much weight as the February budget – was primarily seen as a marker in calendars of just when the state would be unofficially going on its summer holidays. It couldn’t be more different now as it will serve as a statement of intent of Ramaphosa’s first administration, and perhaps the constant date changes bear testimony to its importance – we hope. read more >> |
![]() |
Integrated Resource Plan: we welcome the certainty, but worry about coal and nuclear hold on ANC politicsPOSTED ON: October 20, 2019Despite our reservations about the planned coal and nuclear future and further expansions because of cost, environmental and perhaps unavoidable political considerations, we welcome the clear path being set in the IRP for the industry – and for the clear role for investors to play in shaping our energy future. This week’s load-shedding serves no better reminder of the urgency of the matter. read more >> |
![]() |
Reserve Bank nationalisation: a political debate that won’t diePOSTED ON: October 18, 2019The loss of unambiguous independence of the bank in its oversight of financial stability would potentially put South Africa at odds with international obligations and risk its continued access to the global financial system. SA is highly dependent on foreign capital inflows to finance its budget and current account deficits. read more >> |
![]() |
Prescribed assets? There are more productive options to spur growthPOSTED ON: October 16, 2019Prescribed assets primarily will divert savings from the private sector to the public sector, reducing private sector investment. It is also a challenge to the principle of property rights, effectively expropriating the savings of a certain segment of the public. read more >> |
![]() |
Business can’t ignore pleas of women who fear to walk down the street or office corridorsPOSTED ON: September 22, 2019Social cohesion improves economic growth by stopping physical and human capital destruction and creating social capital, cooperation and trust in society. read more >> |
![]() |
The slow pace of change within SOEs is enough to cause panicPOSTED ON: September 19, 2019Over the past two years, the idea mooted has been one of prescribed assets as being a panacea for ailing state-owned enterprises and in the main it’s all about Eskom. While we appreciate the desperation of the Eskom question, we urge caution on something that looks like a knee-jerk response and on the surface at least, an easy fix for what’s seemingly exasperated policymakers. read more >> |
![]() |
BLSA condemns gender-based violencePOSTED ON: September 18, 2019Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO, Busi Mavuso condemns gender-based violence against women and children. Mavuso was interviewed by eNCA following #SandtonShutdown campaign by civil society at the doorsteps of Johannesburg Stocks Exchange demanding that big business fund projects to fight the scourge. Watch the interview read more >> |
![]() |
South Africa Lacks Discipline, says BLSA CEOPOSTED ON: September 11, 2019BLSA CEO, Busi Mavuso joined anchor, Bongani Bingwa on SABC News’s Democracy Gauge programme to discuss Effective Leadership in South Africa. Mavuso says South Africa lacks discipline and the political leadership is not helping the country to move forward. Watch as she engages Bongani Bingwa read more >> |
![]() |
Cabinet must forget squabbles and back the Mboweni planPOSTED ON: September 4, 2019When Cabinet meets tomorrow they will in all likelihood do so against a background of news of a positive second-quarter of economic growth and thereby escaping the technical definition of a recession – two consecutive quarters of contraction. For some in that meeting, that may just provide some space to discuss other pressing matters in their departments, unrelated to all things economy and growth. read more >> |
![]() |
FNB initiates a dialogue with SA’s township entrepreneursPOSTED ON: November 14, 2017In line with Global Entrepreneurship Week last month, FNB Business conducted a series of engagements with township entrepreneurs across South Africa’s biggest townships. The engagements started in Tembisa and Soweto townships in Gauteng and were followed by uMlazi Township in KwaZulu- Natal and Khayelitsha in the Western Cape. Mike Vacy-Lyle, CEO of FNB Business said… read more >> |