Darren Parker
Darren Parker is a Creamer Media Deputy Editor Online for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.
RFA backs Port of Gauteng plan but warns success depends on private-sector role, real road–rail integration
10th October 2025 The Road Freight Association (RFA) has thrown its weight behind the proposed R50-billion Port of Gauteng project, calling it a potential “missing... →
Loadshedding fell 82% in first half amid demand drop, steady Eskom output
26th September 2025 South Africa experienced a sharp reduction in loadshedding during the first half of this year, with the Council for Scientific and Industrial... →
Chief economists warn of weak growth as economic environment shifts
25th September 2025 The global economy is entering a period of weak growth and systemic disruption, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) latest ‘Chief... →
PRASA employees face disciplinary action amid multibillion-rand train overhaul irregularities
18th September 2025 In a briefing to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on September 17, State-owned entity (SOE) the Passenger Rail... →
Outa takes Sanral to court to have e-toll debt cases declared abandoned
17th September 2025 The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has filed legal action against the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and three... →
Treasury holds first round of workshops on fiscal anchors, broad public engagement to follow
15th September 2025 The National Treasury has reported back on the first round of consultative stakeholder workshops on its Fiscal Anchors discussion document, which... →
Mavuso slams Eskom’s tariff system as ‘farcical’, calls for urgent electricity sector reform
1st September 2025 There is no greater sign of the urgent need for reform of the electricity sector than the way State-owned utility Eskom’s electricity tariffs are... →
NEASA, Sakeliga approach Constitutional Court in pushback against ‘deeply flawed’ new employment equity regulations
1st September 2025 Nonprofit organisations Sakeliga and the National Employer’s Association of South Africa (NEASA) have announced that they will appeal directly to... →
BLSA’s Mavuso hails rail slot allocations as breakthrough in logistics crisis
25th August 2025 Transport Minister Barbara Creecy’s announcement on August 22 that 11 train operating companies have been allocated rail slots across 41 routes and... →
PIC calls for greater private investment to bridge Africa’s $170bn infrastructure gap
15th August 2025 The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has called for more investment to bridge Africa’s infrastructure gap in its second research paper, titled... →
Sacci reports improvement in business climate over short and medium term
13th August 2025 The business climate has improved over the short term, between June and July, as well as over the medium term, from July 2024 to July this year,... →
US lashing out because it is a declining empire – Mantashe
5th August 2025 Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has said the 30% tariffs imposed on South African exports to the US are a form of death... →
US tariffs expected to have significant impact on metals, engineering sector, Seifsa warns
4th August 2025 The 30% tariff on South African exports to the US is expected to have a significant and multidimensional impact on the South African metals and... →
Manufacturing PMI returns to growth in July amid demand rebound, but jobs and outlook weaken
1st August 2025 The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) edged above the 50-point mark and recorded an expansion for the first time in nine... →
Transnet credit rating downgrade a ‘damning indictment’ of the utility’s failed leadership, Mavuso says
21st July 2025 The decision by ratings agency S&P Global to downgrade State-owned enterprise (SOE) Transnet’s credit rating was disappointing news for those in... →
TEDA’s new business plan sets targets to reverse declining investment facilitation
11th July 2025 The City of Tshwane’s multiparty coalition government has approved the Tshwane Economic Development Agency’s (TEDA’s) new business plan, which... →
GNU has made decent progress, but political instability now threatens economy
30th June 2025 While the Government of National Unity (GNU) has made headway in several key areas, Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busisiwe Mavuso has voiced... →
World Bank warns of deepening poverty in conflict-hit economies
27th June 2025 Conflict and instability are taking a toll on 39 affected economies, driving extreme poverty faster than anywhere else, worsening acute hunger, and... →
LexisNexis launches generative AI platform to streamline work of legal professionals
19th June 2025 Legal content and technology provider LexisNexis officially launched its generative AI platform Lexis+ AI in South Africa on June 19. The tool,... →
FDI flows into Africa rose by 75% to $97bn in 2024, Unctad report shows
19th June 2025 The latest ‘World Investment Report’ from UN Trade and Development (Unctad) highlights a significant rebound in foreign direct investment (FDI)... →
FDI into developing countries has dwindled to lowest levels since 2005, World Bank says
17th June 2025 Flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into developing economies have dwindled to the lowest level since 2005 amid rising trade and investment... →
Mavuso admonishes Transnet for capitulating to ‘unreasonable’ union demands
17th June 2025 Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busisiwe Mavuso has said she was “astounded” to see news last week of State-owned Transnet's capitulation to... →
Transport sector shows signs of stabilisation amid ongoing structural challenges – index
13th June 2025 After declining for eight consecutive months to reach a revised index level of 113.5 in January, the lowest level since December 2022, the Ctrack... →
City Power calls on poor households to register for free basic electricity
13th June 2025 The City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ’s) electricity utility City Power has called on all qualifying indigent households across Johannesburg to register... →
Unemployment rate worsens to 32.9% in the first quarter
13th May 2025 Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has reported that the official unemployment rate stood at 32.9% for the first quarter of this year, compared... →
Develop gas economy now or face economic regression, Ramokgopa warns
7th May 2025 South Africa faces a stark reality: failure to take urgent action to address the impending ‘gas cliff’ will result in economic regression,... →
Calls for SABS investigation to be concluded sooner as another whistleblower report emerges
25th April 2025 Yet another whistleblower report regarding corruption and mismanagement at the South African Bureau of Standards has come to light, providing... →
US tariffs pose severe indirect risks to sub-Saharan Africa, BMI warns
24th April 2025 While the direct effects of US tariffs on sub-Saharan African trade were limited, the broader economic and political ramifications – through... →
Global economic growth to suffer immediate setbacks because of US tariffs – analysts
17th April 2025 Global economic growth is expected to be significantly and immediately curtailed as a result of the ongoing US trade actions, global advisory firm... →
Jonas could face cold shoulder in Washington, US analyst warns
16th April 2025 Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas as a special envoy to the US on April 14, public... →
Failure to implement effective IT systems is undermining efforts to create a capable State
14th April 2025 Efforts to create a capable State will be in vain if South Africa does not have the systems available to support it, Business Leadership South... →
More than 240 construction mafia arrests made since November, Macpherson says
11th April 2025 Since the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) hosted its Construction Summit on Crime-Free Construction Sites in November last... →
South Africa should respond to macroeconomic turbulence with resilience and strategic foresight, Mavuso says
7th April 2025 Following last week’s announcement by US President Donald Trump that South Africa will be subjected to 30% tariffs on all imports into the US,... →
SABS investigation continues amid unsettling allegations of mismanagement
4th April 2025 Ever since allegations of corruption and mismanagement against State-owned entity the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) started to surface... →
NUM worried about ‘possible bloodbath of job losses’ on multiple fronts
12th March 2025 The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is worried about a “possible bloodbath of job losses” across multiple sectors, including steel,... →
Budget needs to reduce policy, economic uncertainty, Busa says
12th March 2025 After its unexpected postponement owing to disagreements between the partners in the Government of National Unity (GNU) last month, the 2025 Budget... →
Upcoming Budget speech has to grapple with rapidly changing geopolitical context, Mavuso says
10th March 2025 Rapid changes in global geopolitics mean that this week’s Budget speech will takes place in an entirely different context, Business Leadership... →
Dichotomy between G20 diplomacy opportunities and strained geopolitical relations
3rd March 2025 Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busisiwe Mavuso has noted the dichotomy between the prestige that comes with South Africa hosting the... →
Nersa approves generation capacity charge, sets out other retail tariff plan changes
24th February 2025 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved, in principle, power utility Eskom’s application for a proposed generation... →
Business associations, trade unions welcome budget postponement but voice concern over perceived instability
20th February 2025 The failure of the Government of National Unity (GNU) to resolve its differences over the budget is disappointing and negative for business... →
New single structure to be established that will govern State participation in PPPs
20th February 2025 A single structure overseen by the National Treasury will be established during the 2025/26 fiscal year to coordinate State participation in... →
