South Africa: Economy

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Cape Town's Golden Acre revival highlights ongoing inequality issues

Efforts to revive Cape Town's Golden Acre area are happening alongside reminders of the city's social and economic divides. Morning sea fog also recently slowed activity at the city's port, affecting daily operations.

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Eskom faces criticism over its plans for funding and trading licenses

South Africa's state-owned power company, Eskom, is facing scrutiny on two fronts. Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa suggested that Eskom might need to look for funding sources other than the government's Just Energy Transition (JET) loans, which he described as unattractive. Separately, energy analyst Chris Yelland has accused Eskom of 'double talk' and 'treacherous' behavior regarding its application for electricity trading licenses, arguing the utility is trying to block competition while seeking the same privileges for itself.

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Eskom faces questions about funding for smelters and fines for solar owners

South Africa's state-owned power utility, Eskom, is facing scrutiny on two fronts. The company has not explained where it will get the money to fund electricity for aluminum smelters. At the same time, Eskom is moving toward a deadline that could see owners of solar power systems facing fines, but many key details about how this would work remain unclear.