South Africa faces a precarious fresh water situation, which has seen major cities suffer from severe supply restrictions and limitations on use in recent years. Most notably, Western Cape province experienced severe drought in 2017-18, which seriously threatened water supplies for households and businesses located in the province and reduced electricity supplies from hydroelectric facilities. Indeed, Cape Town almost became the first major...

Many foreign firms view South Africa as a springboard to the wider African continent, in the hope that they can establish a foothold and tap into large and rapidly expanding sectors such as banking, manufacturing, retailing, telecoms, transport and utilities. South Africa itself is amongst the largest investors in the African continent and the main driver behind intra-African investment in recent years. The country has clearly benefitted from...

The government is treading a fine line in attempting to tackle the contentious issue of land reform and redistribution in South Africa. The government is keen to avoid unsettling investors, whilst trying to correct for the imbalances that arose under apartheid. This situation will get more politically charged as we approach the national elections in 2014, which could see the emergence of more populist policy and land reform will be high up the...