Category: The Outlier
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SA stock market listings halve over past 30 years
The number of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange today is just half of the number of companies listed 30 years ago. Listings peaked at 669 listings in 1998, but the dot-com crash led to 128 companies delisting within 2 years. There was a brief resurgence between 2003 and 2008 with the introduction of…
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Democracy in South Africa: 30 years in 8 charts
As South Africa marks 30 years of democracy, the legacy of the African National Congress is under scrutiny. On one hand, nearly half the population receives some form of grant funding, but unemployment rates are alarmingly high and business confidence has waned significantly. These economic challenges cast a dark shadow over the milestone that is 3 decades…
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SA inflation down for second consecutive month
The consumer price index (CPI) recorded an annual increase of 5,2% in April, down from 5,3% in March and 5,6% in February. Housing & utilities, miscellaneous goods & services, food & non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) and transport were the main drivers behind the headline rate in April.
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Record marathoners: Keeping up with Africa’s fastest women
Africa has come to dominate long-distance running. No less than 82 of the world’s 100 fastest female runners were born in Kenya and Ethiopia.
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SA’s big e-sports winners
Twenty-five-year-old Ioannis Theodosiou is the top-earning South African e-sports player. His winnings to date amount to $196,451 (R3.7-million). Theodosiou, who goes by the player name JT, won most of his money by playing Counter-Strike Global Offensive. CS:GO is a first-person shooter game. Half of the South Africa’s top 10 highest-earning pro gamers also compete in the…
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Durban harbour delays 2-4x longer than other major ports
Ships avoiding attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea are sailing past the Cape of Good Hope. Neither Cape Town nor Durban have seen an uptick in ships docking to refuel. One reason why ships bypass Durban is because of how congested it is. In mid-April, the average wait time was 4 days, according to Portcast, which tracks global…
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Shell’s divestment from SA follows global energy trends
Although Shell plans to sell off its service stations and refinery, it will retain its explorative and extractive activities in the Karoo and off the Wild Coast.
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Electric vehicle sales in SA lack spark
South Africa is way behind countries such as the UK when it comes to sales of electric vehicles. Although the countries have similar-sized populations – 60-million for South Africa and 67-million for the UK – the latter sold hundreds of thousands more EVs last year. South Africa only sold 1,080 electric vehicles in 2023, according…
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South Africa’s ports miss the boat as ships reroute via the Cape
Attacks to commercial ships in the Red Sea have led to companies rerouting their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Suez Canal.