Business
Business Brief
Hybrid DCS evolution - bridging legacy and digital control
Today's industrial automation continues to evolve at a blistering speed which means traditional Distributed Control Systems (DCS) have to keep up to ensure continuous integration into modern, digital infrastructure.
3 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Cyberbreach insurance - ambiguity favours "for" the insured
In Alice Kane New Mexico Health Connections Inc v. Syndicate 2623 623 Lloyd of London Beazley USA Services Inc (2025),[1] the court was required to consider the coverage provided by the insurer's cyber insurance policy for a claim of damage to a third party \"for a security breach\".
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Al-to-Al engagement - humans optional!
The near future holds the potential for a transformative scenario where a procurement Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform negotiates directly with another company's Al platform. Al interaction could lead to seamless supply agreements with no delays, coffee breaks or human intervention.
6 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) - closing the vulnerability gap
Penetration testing is a cornerstone of any effective cybersecurity strategy - it reveals critical system weaknesses and vulnerabilities, enabling them to be fixed before they can be exploited. However, as cyberthreats have grown in sophistication, frequency and impact, traditional approaches have begun to fall short and ticking a box annually for compliance purposes will not adequately protect any organisation.
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Unit trust tax trap - draft bill hides a “stealth tax'
For millions of South Africans, a unit trust or a portfolio of a Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) is one of the pillars of their financial future, serving as a vehicle for retirement savings, children's education funds, and long-term wealth creation. Under National Treasury's proposed amendments in the draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (TLAB), these CIS investors could face an unexpected tax bill on their holdings even if they have not sold any units.
3 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
AI search readiness - immediate, imperative and imminent!
What does it really mean for businesses to protect their online visibility in an AI-first world? The rules of discovery are changing, and the shift to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) isn't just theory - it's already here.
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
The Rockefeller Hotel ...where business travel breaks the mould
Corporate travel in 2025 is shifting away from anonymous “beige” hotels with their predictable décor and copy-paste amenities. The Luxury Travel Report 2025 notes that 70% of premium travellers believe hotels have “lost their soul,” while three-quarters refuse to pay for “generic luxury.” Today’s business travellers want hotels with personality, purpose, and a sense of place.
1 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Tax court ruling - proof of income lies with taxpayer
While it is entirely within a taxpayer's rights to contest the outcome of a South African Revenue Service (SARS) assessment, doing so requires thorough preparation. This means ensuring that documentation is accurate, consistent, and properly presented, and that the explanation they provide does not change.
3 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Purposeful leadership in learning
In a world that often confuses visibility with value, I've learned that true leadership doesn't always speak the loudest. Sometimes, it speaks most clearly through intention, inclusion and integrity. And often, it's women who model this kind of leadership - quietly, consistently and impactfully.
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Talent attraction and retention - reimagining SME employee benefits
In today's business environment, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) face a critical challenge - attracting and retaining top talent while managing tight budgets. Traditional employee benefits packages, centred around comprehensive medical scheme benefits and pension funds, have long been the gold standard in the corporate world. However, these offerings often prove financially prohibitive for smaller businesses and are even less accessible to lower-income employees.
3 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
The power of positivity - why your mindset matters?
There's a quality I've grown to value more with each passing year, not just in leadership or in the workplace but in people. It's not ambition, intelligence or experience. It's positivity.
3 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Constitutional Court rules - tenure grazing rights confirmed
The Constitutional Court has confirmed that under the Extension of Security of Tenure Act, consent to graze livestock is a protected right. This precedent ruling reinforces that tenure security is not just about shelter, but about the lived practices that sustain dignity and rural life.
3 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
The states of a credit portfolio - Probability of Default (PD)
Probability of Default (PD) models are an important tool for understanding the \"Performing\" (up-to-date on contractual payments) and \"Underperforming\" (increase in risk, but not yet in default) books. They assess the likelihood that accounts migrate to the \"Non-Performing\" book.
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Al Capone board lesson - governance without evidence will fail
For centuries, corporates have relentlessly pursued profit as the primary purpose of business. But sadly, this has often been at the expense of ethics. In recent decades, governance codes and international standards championed by governance specialists and regulators - have promised a course correction through ethical leadership, compliance, and transparency. Yet, for many organisations, these promises remain aspirational and the ideals stay unfulfilled.
4 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Equal parental leave ruling Constitutional Court reshapes the law
In a historic judgment, the Constitutional Court confirmed that South Africa's parental leave framework under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and Unemployment Insurance Fund Act (UIF Act) is unconstitutional for unfairly discriminating against fathers, adoptive parents, and commissioning parents.
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Liquor Amendment Bill - total liquor marketing ban proposed
On 8 September 2025, the Liquor Amendment Bill (B21-2025) (the Bill) was introduced as a private member's bill by Ms Ntombovuyo Veronica Mente-Nkuna, a member of the EFF, in the National Assembly.
5 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Audit reform through education foundational to ethical accountability
South Africa is at a pivotal moment. The need for audit reform in the accounting sector is no longer up for debate - it's critical. Years of high-profile corporate scandals, state capture revelations, and governance failures have severely undermined public confidence and investor trust - and rightly so. As more irregularities continue to be uncovered, the spotlight naturally turns to the accounting profession - not merely as a technical function, but as a pillar of ethical leadership and public accountability.
1 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
SME recruitment AI cuts costs, boosts efficiency
Small businesses around the world face significant challenges when it comes to hiring, and South Africa is no different. Many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) manage recruitment internally or have never handled it before. This can lead to costly inefficiencies, mistakes, and lost opportunities.
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Insurance exclusion clauses - lessons from a U.S. ruling
A recent U.S. federal court decision underscores the power of exclusion clauses in commercial general liability policies - particularly those involving firearms.
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Safeguarding AI adoption - four steps for protection
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the most transformative forces shaping business today. From banks rolling out Al-driven fraud detection, to retailers using algorithms for personalised recommendations and hospitals adopting diagnostic tools, AI is now woven into the fabric of the economy. But with these gains come new risks.
4 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Reframing retirement - pause, purpose, possibility
For decades, retirement has effectively been seen as the end of productivity, purpose and professional relevance in the workplace. But, as more people live longer, stay healthier, and crave meaningful engagement, that narrative is becoming painfully outdated, and more than that, harmful. It is time to reframe retirement, not as an exit, but as a reinvention.
3 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Apple MacBook Air M4
The Apple MacBook Air M4 redefines portable power.
1 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
AI in construction - redefining what's possible
For years, construction productivity has stalled, but Al is now enhancing the skills and judgment of those who build. True adoption, however, must come from within - reshaping mindsets, processes and workflows from inside the industry, driven by its own professionals.
4 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Strategic investing brewing resilience beyond stalwarts
Long-term investment success relies on crafting resilient portfolios that draw on a diverse set of return drivers. A core component of a portfolio should be steadily growing 'stalwarts', which are high-quality companies whose products are in demand even in tough times. These companies usually have long track records of stable growth, trade at a premium and are often found in sectors like cash retail, food producers or healthcare.
4 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
From classroom to boardroom - making AI at work, work
In lecture halls, students are warned not to use Artificial Intelligence (Al) for assignments, assessments, or dissertations. Those same students are expected to use AI in boardrooms to analyse trends, generate insights, and drive efficiency. It is not a contradiction born from ignorance or stubbornness. It reflects how quickly everything is changing.
3 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Trade mark Mayhem - Lady Gaga vs Lost
Trade mark owners across the globe often wonder why they need to register their trade name or logo, especially when they are unclear about its worth. This is the $100 million question that pop icon Lady Gaga and surf brand Lost have to face in 2025.
5 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Family business wealth and legacy planning
In the evolving landscape of South African business families, the concept of wealth has expanded beyond mere financial accumulation. This aligns with the global shift from traditional wealth creation focused solely on financial assets to a broader definition that includes human and social capital.
4 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Africa's digital payments - from corridors to ecosystems
Africa is rapidly becoming a laboratory for payment innovation, where regional corridors, mobile-led economies, and digitally savvy consumers are converging to transform how money moves.
2 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Fraud control management systems - ISO 37003's governance breakthrough
With the growing challenges of fraud in today's complex operational environments, organisations require a rigorous and adaptable framework to protect themselves against risks. ISO 37003 emerges as the new international standard specifically designed to offer comprehensive guidance for developing, implementing and maintaining a Fraud Control Management System (FCMS).
5 min |
BusinessBrief October/November 2025
Business Brief
Sony ULT Field 3 Wireless Portable Speaker
Sony's ULT Field 3 is a testament to durability, delivering booming bass in a rugged, portable package.
1 min |