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No generation of South African youth has spent more of its life in digital environments than this one, yet growing numbers are choosing to learn, work, and socialise in physical spaces again. Higher education is part of that return, as students recognise that campus learning brings them closer to real workplace conditions, where they can test what they know under supervision, challenge ideas as they take shape, and gain the confidence that develops through repeated human inte

By Henk van Bemmelen, CEO of Blue Security Private security has become a critical force multiplier for policing in South Africa as the South African Police Service (SAPS) grapples with severe staffing shortages and chronic resource constraints. Those shortages restrict officers’ ability to patrol consistently, respond quickly, investigate thoroughly, and maintain a strong visible presence across high-risk areas. The country now has over 650,000 active registered security of

Patients often see a dramatic drop in appetite as proof that a weight loss treatment is “working.” They eat less, feel less hungry, and may initially lose weight quickly. The danger is that appetite suppression can hide deeper nutritional gaps forming beneath the surface, leaving the body with too little protein, fibre, micronutrients, hydration, and energy to preserve muscle mass and normal function. This challenge has become more visible recently with the growing use of i

By Madelain Roscher, Founder and CEO, PR Worx and Public Relations Institute of SA (PRISA) Member For decades, PR sat at the bottom of the boardroom budget conversation. AI search, the new Google, has just changed that forever - and most companies have no idea what is coming for them. When Gartner predicted last month that global PR and earned media budgets will double by 2027, the communications industry celebrated. I did not. Doubling is nowhere near enough. After 25 year

Blaauwklippen lands a rare double on WineLand Media's 2026 "30 Under 30", with Elani Nell and Mila Malherbe named among just 30 young professionals nationwide. Blaauwklippen, one of South Africa's oldest wine farms and first registered company, has just had two team members under 30 named to WineLand Media's 2026 30 Under 30 list – one of the wine industry’s most competitive annual recognitions, limited to just 30 young professionals nationwide. WineLand Media has reported

South Africa’s life insurance and investment industries delivered strong customer experience results in the latest University of Pretoria (UP) Customer Experience (CE) Index, with life insurance scoring 74.3 and the investment benchmark reaching 76.7 out of 100 against the international benchmark of 75. According to Professor Adré Schreuder, Head of the Industry Chair in Customer Experience at UP, the investment industry was added to the CE Index following subscriber reques

Leading private residential and commercial security companies often sit on a deep reserve of highly localised crime data, with valuable insight into how crime moves through specific suburbs, streets, and residential estates. Yet it is rare, especially in South Africa, for an armed-response company to have a dedicated unit that uses this data to predict and prevent crime at neighbourhood level, rather than only investigate it after the fact. Typically, firms monitor CCTV and

By Leon Smalberger, CEO of the Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE) South Africa graduated 220,758 students from its public universities last year, and more than a million are enrolled in higher education - more graduates than at any point in the country’s history. And yet, in the first quarter of 2026, the youth unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 reached 60.9%. For those aged 15 to 34 - the cohort we most associate with graduate employment - it stood at 45.8%. Nearl

By Pedri Reyneke, CEO and Fund Manager, Findotec After nearly a decade in financial services, you develop certain assumptions about what you know. This is based on experience, through research, developing solutions that work, serving clients who are in different stages of life, and applying what you have learned throughout the years. This is not arrogance, exactly - more a quiet confidence that naturally arrives after enough years in the same industry. As a result, you somewh

Italy’s interest in South African beef – raised during recent trade discussions at the SA-Italy Agriculture Business Forum in Cape Town – should be a positive signal for local producers. However, new export opportunities mean little if government cannot restore access to meat markets already accessible, approved, or commercially ready, says Paul Matthew, CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of Southern Africa (AMIE). AMIE chairman Mark Luff says global tra

By Roelof van den Berg, CEO of the Gap Infrastructure Corporation (GIC) Clean water saves lives, sustains public health, enables businesses to operate, and keeps South Africa’s agricultural sector productive. Wastewater management is a vital component of water security, helping to ensure both rural and urban South Africans have access to potable water. As demand on water systems grows alongside our population, industrial activity, and climate variability, wastewater infrast

By Pedri Reyneke, CEO and Fund Manager of Findotec In the first half of 2025, 92% of actively managed funds benchmarked against the S&P South Africa 50 lagged the index. Over the past decade, three out of four active South African funds have underperformed their benchmark, and around 40% of the funds that existed ten years ago no longer survive at all. For Reyneke, those numbers point to a single uncomfortable truth: the way most South Africans invest is broken. "Investor

By Allen Shardelow, Senior Partner at Heidrick & Struggles CMOs are evolving into transformation leaders, integrating marketing, technology, and commercial strategy AI and data are reshaping the function, but leadership capability remains the key differentiator Consumer-facing sectors face heightened pressure to appoint commercially focused, cross-functional marketing leaders who are technology savvy The Chief Marketing Officer role has transformed – but most organisations

By Roelof van den Berg, CEO of Gap Infrastructure Corporation (GIC) South Africa's infrastructure delivery momentum risks stalling as further diesel price hikes loom, largely driven by ongoing geopolitical tensions linked to the US-Iran conflict and the likelihood that the recent temporary R3 reduction in the general fuel levy will need to be reversed in the months ahead. For construction sites that heavily depend on diesel for daily operations, rising costs may place greater

Blaauwklippen Wine Estate showcased 340+ years of winemaking excellence on Monday with the premiere of its new documentary film on viticulture and viniculture in the Cape Winelands. The showing was a major draw for delegates at the World Travel Market (WTM) Africa 2026 exhibition held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on 13 April 2026. WTM Africa brings together international and local travel trade leaders, buyers, distributors, agents, and media, mak

One in every two South African adults is considered overweight or obese. It is not surprising, then, that potentially lifesaving prescription-based metabolic medicines are surging in popularity. The challenge: demand is rising faster than the clinical structure needed to support it, leaving many patients unsure what responsible, medically supervised care should look like. It is a concern Dr Gerhard Vosloo, a prominent sports, exercise, and lifestyle physician, says he is en

Every year since 1984, one ordinary South African wine lover with an extraordinary wine blend of their own creation has seen their name immortalised on a bottle from one of the oldest cellars on the continent. Judged blind against dozens of entries from across the country, one elegant blend will earn its place in more than three centuries of Blaauwklippen history at the beloved annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competition. The competition has been an iconic fixture on South Af

By Julia Goodman, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles Boards are reassessing the leadership capabilities required to move artificial intelligence (AI) into core operations. Leadership alignment, governance, and organisational culture are increasingly determining whether AI initiatives translate into measurable business value. Leaders must be able to integrate AI across different levels of maturity, from individual employee tools to enterprise-wide systems. The boardroom narrati

By Olebogeng Manhe, Chairman of the Gap Infrastructure Corporation (GIC) Construction is building Africa’s capacity and potential, driving thousands of jobs per year. The challenge is that the industry is highly cyclical and vulnerable to economic fluctuations. In the past few years, especially, the industry has experienced sustained contraction with particularly slow recovery, as the aftereffects of the pandemic, geopolitical instability and supply chain disruptions, tighten

Picture the scene: you’re sipping a delightful glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and taking in a breathtaking mountain landscape, a cool breeze teasing your hair, while your children explore the outdoors nearby. For many families, this kind of escape has long felt out of reach – wine farms were places for adults, not weekend destinations designed with children in mind. That perception is changing. As hospitality trends increasingly favour family-friendly wine estates, farms acros

By Tshepo David Sebe, Principal at Heidrick & Struggles Boards have come to expect CFOs to operate as strategic business partners rather than purely technical finance leaders. The modern CFO mandate spans strategy, technology oversight, stakeholder alignment, and team leadership. Expanding CFO responsibilities require organisations to strengthen the structures and teams that support the role. Chief financial officers (CFOs) are under mounting pressure as their mandates expa

Written by: Extraordinary African wild dogs ( Lycaon pictus ), among Africa’s most endangered carnivores, are thriving in parts of the Waterberg Biosphere thanks to innovative conservation programmes and coordinated efforts between reserves and wildlife organisations. Globally, fewer than 7,000 wild dogs remain in the wild, and their survival hinges on vast territories, sufficient prey, and careful population management. “Wild dogs are highly social species and require large

Written by: Pedri Reyneke, CEO Multilink Financial Services As global markets fluctuate , many South African investors are making financial decisions based on headlines rather than hard data — a pattern that history shows can negatively affect long-term investment returns . Recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East , particularly the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran , have contributed to rising global oil prices and increased market uncer

By Sarah Arnot, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles South African organisations face sustained loss of senior talent to international markets and competitors. Weak succession planning and inconsistent executive onboarding are amplifying retention risk. Human-centred leadership, alignment, and structured support remain the most reliable stabilisers. South African firms are confronting an intensifying war for top talent, both locally and abroad, and companies without a sound succ