Liabo Setho

South Africa’s telecommunications sector is undergoing a seismic shift as major mergers, evolving regulations, and public interest demands redefine the competitive landscape. This was the major takeaway from the collaborative sector event exploring the new frontier of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) regulation in Sandton, earlier in the week.

Old Mutual Investment Group says South Africa’s structural reform and growth path could be delayed by 12 to 18 months due to geopolitical shocks. This comes as tensions in the Middle East continue to drive oil price increases. Investment analyst Sisa Kobus expects inflation to average closer to 4% from April, up from the current 3.1%, and anticipates that the central bank could implement a 50 basis point interest rate hike.

The outspoken spokesperson for the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA), Phakamile Hlubi-Majola has resigned from the union, citing death threats. In her resignation letter, Majola says this is the third time a death threat has been made to her life. She says she received a call, on Saturday while travelling to Cape Town from a person warning her that people have been sent to assassinate her and were tracking her movements.