Rise Thrive Innovate Podcast – Episode 1
🎙️ Rise Thrive Innovate Podcast E01🚀 In the Rise Thrive Innovate (RTI) podcast, we’re diving deep into the trends and future of business in South Africa. In Episode 1, host Refilwe Rakoma welcomes Neil Pollock, Deputy President of the SA Chamber of Commerce. They explore: The “Second Wave”: Why South Africa is entering a new…
RCCI CEO Year End Statement
As holiday season approaches and we prepare for a well-deserved summer break, I would like to express my deep gratitude for the incredible support the Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has received the past 12 months. As the CEO, it is an honour and a pleasure to convey my heartfelt wishes to our…
RCCI Announces Rise Thrive Innovate Business Magazine and Podcast Series
The Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry is proud to present The Rise Thrive Innovate (RTI) business magazine and Podcast series. Both initiatives are set to be formally launched in January 2026. RTI (Magazine and Podcast) champions entrepreneurship, SME growth and Trade in South Africa. We spotlight bold business leaders, unpack key market trends and…
City of Johannesburg Announces Festive Season Operating Hours, Urges Customers to Settle Their Accounts Ahead of festive Holidays
The City of Johannesburg is urging residents to settle their municipal accounts before embarking on long Festive Season holidays, as all Customer Service Centres will be closed on public holidays. The City encourages customers to take proactive steps to safeguard their municipal accounts and avoid any disruptions while away. The City’s Group Finance Director for…
RCCI cautiously welcomes JMPD raids in the Randburg CBD
The Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) welcomes by-law enforcement initiatives by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) in the Randburg CBD, but calls for consistency. The raids which were conducted on Thursday 4 December, were part of a broader city’s cleanup campaign which seeks to enforce bylaws as violated by illegal informal traders….
South African SMEs urged to prepare for Black Friday surge
As South Africa approaches the busy Black Friday trading period, experts are urging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to view the event as more than just a sales spike. Instead, it is an opportunity to test operational systems, strengthen business resilience, and unlock new growth channels. Black Friday, expected in November, signals one of the…
Controversial business licensing bill closes for public comment
The draft Business Licensing Bill, gazetted by the Department of Small Business Development is expected to close for public comment today (Friday 28 November) after it was announced in September. The bill aims to achieve a registry of all businesses operating within the country in both the formal and informal sectors. This will be accomplished…
NERSA warns municipalities of imminent electricity price hike
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) says all licensed municipalities and private electricity providers must submit their tariff applications for next year by 12 December 2025. These must be accompanied by cost-of-supply studies, and municipalities that fail to comply with the watchdog’s requirements won’t be allowed to implement tariff adjustments in the 2026/27…
B20 summit leaders push for continental trade to boost investment
Calls for Africa trading with Africa were made at the B20 summit, which took place this week in Sandton, Johannesburg. The B20 summit is held just days ahead of the official G20 heads of state meetings happening this weekend, 22 to 23 November 2025. Business leaders and policymakers say in order to grow the African…
Medium Term Budget Policy Speech (MTBPS)
Key takeaways Our economy is growing faster than expected, though still not fast enough. Gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to rise by 1.2% this year, more than double the growth rate in 2024. For the first time since 2008, South Africa’s national debt is not rising as a percentage of GDP. This means we…
Small business sector takes credit as unemployment rate drops
South Africa’s jobless rate fell with a slight margin in the third quarter of 2025, with construction being the biggest contributor, confirmed Statistics South Africa (StatsSA). The official unemployment rate now stands at 31.9% in July-September down from 33.2% in April-June 2025. The positive change in unemployment rate can be attributed to the resilient Small…
SARS releases the preliminary trade statistics for September 2025
South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R21.8 billion in September 2025. This surplus was attributable to exports of R186.4 billion and imports of R164.6 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN). The year-to-date (01 January to 30 September 2025) preliminary trade balance surplus of R121.5 billion was lower…