African Rainbow Energy (ARE), founded by well-known South African entrepreneur Dr Patrice Motsepe, has acquired control of South Africa’s biggest independent power company, SOLA Group, which holds a R20 billion renewable energy portfolio.
ARE increased its stake in SOLA Group to 83% from 41%, for an undisclosed amount, consolidating majority control over the renewable energy platform, a statement said Tuesday.
The transaction will see SOLA accelerate efforts to support the decarbonisation of the country’s electricity sector. SOLA owns 1,100 MWp of solar PV and 730 MWh of battery energy storage in construction and operation.
ARE has Ubuntu-Botho Energy Holdings as its parent, which was founded and controlled by Motsepe, and which has Absa Bank as a partner, an online search by Business Report showed.
Following the increased investment in SOLA Group, ARE is invested across a diversified portfolio of renewable energy projects totaling 2,000 MW. Of this, 1.5 GW is already operational, with a further 500 MW under construction. In addition, it owns a R5bn debt portfolio across 20 renewable energy assets.
“Our partnership with SOLA Group over the past five years has seen the company grow significantly, delivering clean energy solutions to large South African corporates,” said SOLA EO Brian Dames in a statement.
He said this acquisition, together with the additional investment, supported ARE’s target of building a large-scale energy company that provides affordable clean energy to clients.
Motsepe, ARE chairman, said the deal positioned them as one of the largest, most competitive, independently owned energy businesses in South Africa that provides affordable electricity and delivers competitive returns to investors.
“This transaction also advances our objective of building ARE into a world-class African energy company,” said Motsepe.
SOLA Group has been focused on selling power to private companies through on-site projects or using Eskom’s wheeling program, where energy can be supplied to corporates from a distance.
“SOLA has focused on the journey of the corporate consumer, mapping their least-cost pathways to net-zero carbon. This requires an in-depth understanding of complex technology options, regulatory pressures, and decentralised generation and storage – all expertise that sits within SOLA,” said SOLA Group director, Dom Wills.
As part of the transaction, Simon Haw, Chris Haw and Dom Chennells would remain actively involved in the business, while stepping back from their executive roles. They will be assuming positions as non-executive directors on the SOLA Group board, while retaining shareholdings in the company.
Wills was appointed Group CEO, a role he previously held from 2017 to 2024. The broader management team remained unchanged.
This year, SOLA closed South Africa’s first private solar and BESS (battery energy storage system) wheeling project, with Sasol as offtaker.
Founded in 2008, the company has spent nearly two decades pioneering renewable energy in South Africa.
A series of industry firsts includes building South Africa’s first 1 MWp+ rooftop solar installation in 2013, the largest in the country at the time, and closing South Africa’s first renewables wheeling project, a 12 MWp solar facility with Amazon as offtaker.
In 2022, it closed the first utility-scale wheeling project to a private client following the lifting of NERSA’s licensing requirements, a 256 MWp project supplying Tronox. In 2023, it closed the 195 MWp Springbok Project, the first utility-scale wheeling project with multiple private offtakers.
This article was originally posted by THE BUSINESS REPORT
South Africa’s unemployment crisis worsened sharply in the first quarter of 2026, exposing deep structural weaknesses in an economy that continues to struggle to generate enough growth, investment and business confidence to absorb millions of job seekers.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa showed the official unemployment rate climbed to 32.7% in the first three months of the year from 31.4% in the previous quarter after the economy shed 345,000 jobs.
]The number of employed South Africans fell to 16.8 million, while the number of unemployed people rose to 8.1 million. Youth unemployment climbed to an alarming 45.8%, with nearly 4.7 million young South Africans unable to find work.
Economists said the latest figures highlight not only the country’s weak economic growth trajectory, but also a labour market that is becoming increasingly exclusionary as more discouraged people abandon the search for work altogether.
KPMG lead economist Frank Blackmore said the sharp deterioration in employment reflects the intense pressure facing both households and businesses.
“This echoes the pressures that both consumers and businesses face: rising costs, high inflation, elevated interest rates, and, fundamentally, insufficient economic growth,” Blackmore said.
He noted that while South Africa’s working-age population continues to expand rapidly, the economy is failing to create jobs at a pace needed to absorb new entrants into the labour market.
“We need to increase that growth, and to do so, we need to attract international investment and invest more ourselves, which will require, you know, a lot of different initiatives based on the policy space and attracting investment space, for us to get the type of growth rates we need to dent this unemployment seriously,” Blackmore said.
Nearly half a million people joined the working-age population over the past year, yet the economy lost 33,000 jobs during the same period.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said the reason for this was the large number of school leavers who matriculated the previous quarter and could not, for some reason or the other, further their education at tertiary institutions.
At the same time, the number of economically inactive South Africans increased significantly, suggesting many people have simply stopped looking for work.
The survey showed the number of people outside the labour force rose by 164,000 to 17.3 million during the quarter. This includes discouraged work seekers who no longer believe jobs are available.
North-West University Business School chief director, Prof. Joseph Sekhampu, said South Africa’s labour market is no longer defined only by unemployment, but increasingly by “withdrawal”.
“The issue is no longer only the scarcity of jobs, but the growing detachment of many South Africans from the expectation that sustained participation in the labour market will produce meaningful opportunity,” Sekhampu said.
He argued that the latest labour force data reveals a deeper structural crisis in which prolonged unemployment is gradually eroding confidence in the labour market itself.
“Withdrawal, in this context, reflects not a preference for inactivity, but a rational adaptation to persistently weak prospects of labour market entry,” he said.
The bleak employment picture comes as economic growth remains sluggish, with businesses battling weak consumer demand, high borrowing costs, electricity constraints, logistics bottlenecks and global geopolitical risks.
Job losses were broad-based across the economy. Community and social services suffered the biggest decline, shedding more than 206,000 jobs, while construction lost 110,000 jobs and transport employment declined by nearly 30,000.
Although manufacturing, mining and agriculture recorded modest gains, economists warned that these increases remain too small to materially change the overall employment outlook.
FNB and WesBank senior economist, Thanda Sithole, said unemployment could worsen further if global pressures intensify.
“Elevated levels of unemployment remain a critical challenge and could be exacerbated by the prevailing Middle East turmoil, which is likely to complicate consumption and production conditions as prices rise,” Sithole said.
Higher oil prices linked to geopolitical tensions are expected to place additional pressure on inflation, fuel costs and consumer spending, further weakening already fragile business conditions.
South Africa’s inability to create jobs consistently is also linked to low fixed investment and weak economic expansion.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said it will be tabling formal proposals on a stimulus package mobilising every possible public and private financial resource to Nedlac and Parliament.
“We cannot continue to normalise 1% economic growth and dangerously high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality,” said Cosatu Parliamentary coordinator, Matthew Parks.
“The extent of this crisis requires a bold and aggressive stimulus package to kickstart the economy, rebuild public and municipal services, make capital affordable and accessible for SMMEs and industrial sectors, and extend relief for the unemployed by expanding public employment programmes.”
This article was originally posted by THE BUSINESS REPORT
Ndlozi Criticises Ramaphosa’s Address, Sparking Online Political Debate
Political commentator and broadcaster Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has sharply criticised remarks made by President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing the head of state of prioritising personal political defence over urgent national concerns.
The criticism, shared by Ndlozi on 12 May 2026 via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), followed Ramaphosa’s recent public address in which he reiterated his commitment to remain in office and uphold the Constitution, while responding to allegations levelled against him. The President maintained that he had committed no wrongdoing, describing the claims as unsubstantiated and confirming his willingness to cooperate with any formal investigations.
However, Ndlozi argued that the address failed to acknowledge pressing humanitarian challenges facing parts of the country, particularly severe storms and heavy rainfall affecting regions such as the Western Cape. In his post, he suggested that the President’s focus on defending his position overshadowed the immediate needs of communities impacted by weather-related destruction.
“Storms and heavy rains are devastating people's lives in the Cape. The chap took the platform to address us about not resigning and made zero mention of this weather crisis. Nothing about our people’s well-being in this difficult time,” Ndlozi wrote.
He further described the speech as reflective of “terrible leadership,” arguing that a national address should prioritise public welfare and disaster response over political rebuttals. His comments quickly circulated online, drawing widespread engagement and polarised reactions.
Some social media users echoed Ndlozi’s concerns, expressing frustration that the President did not directly address the impact of the adverse weather conditions or broader socio-economic challenges such as unemployment and migration pressures. Critics in this camp argued that leadership messaging should be more responsive to immediate crises affecting citizens.
Others, however, defended Ramaphosa, stating that expectations for him to address natural weather events in the same speech dealing with governance and constitutional matters were misplaced. Supporters of the President also dismissed the critique as politically motivated, accusing Ndlozi of unfairly targeting the head of state.
The exchange has since added to ongoing public debate around political accountability, leadership priorities, and the tone of national communication during periods of crisis. While Ramaphosa’s office has not directly responded to Ndlozi’s remarks, the incident reflects continued tensions in South Africa’s political discourse, particularly on the role of executive leadership in balancing governance, crisis response, and public communication.
This article was originally posted by The Briefly
By: Matshidiso Selebeleng
‘Our nurses, our future. Empowered Nurses Save lives’, this is the theme for this years international nurses day celebrated across the country today.
MEC for Health in the Free State Monyatso Mahlatsi describes nurses as the backbone of healthcare, saying that they are present at every stage of life, delivering care with skills compassion and resilience often under immense pressure.
“To our nurses , the quiet humble warriors in white, today we celebrate not only what you do, but who you are.
“You are the light that shines and enters the room before medicine does, the gentle touch that gives strength to the weak, and the courage that stands firm when fear surrounds our people.
“In every heartbeat you protect, in every tear you wipe away, and in every life you help restore, you remind us that healing is both a science and an act of love,” he said.
He says he honours their resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering spirit, even on the hardest days, because they continue to rise before dawn to carry the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.
“May you never forget that your compassion changes lives, your service gives dignity to humanity, and your calling is one of the noblest gifts to society.
“Today, we do not merely thank you we salute the greatness within you,” said Mahlatsi
By Mpho Sekharume
South African Communist Party (SACP) Secretary-General (SG), Solly Mapaila, intensified the growing friction between his party and the ANC during his address at a provincial Chris Hani commemorative event in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.
Mapaila’s address signalled a significant departure from the traditional unity of the Tripartite Alliance by directly challenging the current administration's integrity.
He warned that the state faces an existential threat if executive accountability is not enforced immediately, whilst insisting that institutional delays are being exploited to facilitate the wholesale liquidation of South African public assets.
Mapaila further positioned the SACP as the primary bulwark against the privatisation of the energy sector. He alleged that the Government of National Unity (GNU) is working in tandem with international lenders to compromise national sovereignty.
“We welcome this Constitutional Court judgment. This impeachment must move fast because if it is delayed, we will have no government infrastructure, as everything would have been sold.
“The GNU government wants to sell Eskom. They want to put Eskom in the market, and they think we don't know that. They are collaborating with the IMF. That will never happen as long as we are alive in South Africa.
“They are people who have even been told to run Operation Vulindlela, business people. They are right inside the Presidency; they are sharing the resources of this country. It's a new form of state capture, and they are now even selling water to the people,” Mapaila explicitly said to attendees.
By labelling Operation Vulindlela as a new form of State capture, Mapaila effectively accused the Presidency of prioritising corporate interests over the poor. This public condemnation suggests that the rift between the SACP and the ANC leadership may be reaching a point of no return as local government elections loom.
Minister Gayton McKenzie pledges action against corruption in the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation while restoring funding to vital arts projects.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) last week released its latest list of projects supported by the Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE), revealing that funding has been reinstated for at least two major events — the Cape Town Carnival and the National Arts Festival in Mkhanda. However, this move comes amid lingering controversy over what critics describe as an “opaque” selection process.
Despite the release of the list, both the department and Minister Gayton McKenzie have yet to provide Parliament with a full account of the R110-million MGE budget. Specific details regarding individual award amounts and the criteria for panel selection remain strictly “confidential”.
McKenzie’s decision in September 2025 to defund major festivals triggered a wave of chaos across the sector, leaving landmark events in a catastrophic lurch after their financial lifelines were abruptly cut.
In a move that drew heavy criticism, McKenzie directed these organisations to seek support from the MGE fund instead. This guidance proved problematic, as it later emerged that MGE resources had never actually been earmarked for festival support, leaving many organisers stranded without a viable fallback.
On Friday, McKenzie announced the findings of a forensic investigation into the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA), which showed “extensive financial irregularities” for more than a decade.
The seed for CCIFSA was planted after a 2009 meeting between then president Jacob Zuma and members of the cultural and creative industries. Afterwards, the DSAC set up two task teams to develop a framework for the federation supposedly representing 12 identified sectors and 45 subsectors. The first budget in 2014 was R5-million.
CCIFSA fell under the protection of the then minister of sport, arts and culture, Nathi Mthethwa and for years failed to account for funding or its work and has been viewed as a platform for political manoeuvring.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AV_00017688.jpg "Jacob Zuma shares a toast with Nathi Mthethwa, as Zuma celebrates his 70th birthday at Luthuli House in Johannesburg on 12 April 2012. (Photo: Antonio Muchave / Gallo Images / Sowetan)")
The investigation that McKenzie announced, conducted by Gobodo Forensic and Investigative Accounting (GFIA) on behalf of the department, unpacked R51.8-million in public funds transferred to CCIFSA between the 2014/15 and 2023/24.
Some of the rot unearthed included an irregular contract addendum signed in March 2016 that increased an original CCIFSA funding agreement by R772,884 with “no submission, no justification and no proper approval”.
Unspent funds of R5.4-million as of the end of the 2016/17 were not returned to the department as required, instead being used by CCIFSA to fund its operations during the years in which it had no valid contract with the DSAC.
The department’s director-general, Dr Cynthia Khumalo, has been instructed to begin “appropriate processes” against departmental officials identified in the report.
The department will now refer the report to the Auditor-General of South Africa, the Special Investigating Unit and the Hawks for further investigation.
Lara Foot, celebrated CEO of the Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town, was prompted to respond on Facebook: “CCIFSA, who does not employ or create employment for artists, has mismanaged and essentially stolen R57 million, whilst real NPO’s and independent theatres receive nothing!”
McKenzie drew the ire of the arts, theatre and cultural community in September 2025 when he defunded landmark events like the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the Makhanda National Arts Festival, stating they should “stand on their own feet”.
The National Arts Festival lost R5.5-million in state funding after McKenzie withdrew support. Monica Newton, the CEO of the festival, said that the 50-year-old event had initially been excluded from the MGE funding model as it had fallen outside the department’s narrow time requirements.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ED_511184.jpg "A scene from the 2024 National Arts Festival in Makhanda. (Photo: Alet Pretorius / Gallo Images)")
To survive, it had relied on continued support from the Eastern Cape provincial government and the Sarah Baartman District Municipality in 2025. It also maintained partnerships with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and Standard Bank.
While questions are still being asked about some of the organisations and projects that have received MGE funding, well-known artists such as singer and producer Loukmaan Adams and David Kramer received support.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/David-Kramer-picture-by-Jesse-Kramer.jpg "Singer, songwriter and playwright David Kramer. (Photo: Jesse Kramer)")
Last week, the department released “strict compliance guidelines” for the new grants, while facing intense political backlash, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) accusing McKenzie of mismanaging MGE funds and avoiding parliamentary oversight.
The DA has accused the MGE adjudication panel, appointed by McKenzie, of behaving “with open defiance” during an appearance in Parliament.
The panel is chaired by the national spokesperson of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Marlon Daniels, whom the DA has accused of having “no demonstrable professional background or recognised expertise in the arts, culture or creative industries”.
Since McKenzie’s shock announcement last year, it has emerged that the MGE had never been created to fund large arts and cultural festivals.
“After personally defunding established festivals across South Africa, the minister explicitly advised organisers to apply to MGE instead, creating the clear and reasonable expectation that this was an appropriate and viable funding route,” said DA MP Leah Potgieter.
/file/attachments/2991/Screenshot2026-05-10181119_665406.png "DA MP Leah Potgieter. (Photo: Parliament SA)")
The economic fallout from cancelled and downsized festivals had cost local economies close to R1-billion in lost tourism revenue, jobs and supplier income, she said.
McKenzie’s “misapplication” of existing funding programmes led to “severe financial consequences” for large arts and cultural festivals, which were directed to apply for MGE grants, even though the programme was not designed to support them.
Previously, some MGE applicants told Parliament about “unfair treatment, inconsistent decision-making, and funding being awarded to deregistered or non-compliant entities”.
Some of the biggest names and brains in the cultural sector in the Western Cape participated in an important discussion, The Future of Arts Funding: Sustainability, Innovation and Collaboration, which kicked off the annual Suidoosterfees, now in its 23rd year.
The panellists included Cornelia Faasen (CEO of Nasionale Afrikaanse Teater-inisiatief, NATi), writer Dominique Enthoven, Beth Arendse (CEO of Business and Arts South Africa, Basa) and Marlene le Roux (CEO of Artscape), with broadcaster Africa Melane moderating.
/file/attachments/orphans/ED_335139_552014.jpg "Cornelia Faasen, the CEO of Nasionale Afrikaanse Teater-inisiatief. (Photo: Deaan Vivier / Gallo Images / Beeld)")
Panellists focused on the “critical and urgent need” to rethink arts funding, noting that despite contributing at least 1.4 million jobs and 4% of the national GDP, the creative sector was often excluded from major investment conversations because current models prioritise “need” over “value”.
Basa’s Arendse said arts funding was “in crisis”, not due to a lack of money but because “old funding models are no longer fit”.
“There is capital,” she noted, “but the value of the arts is not clear to investors. We keep leading with need, rather than designing models that unlock value. Investors are just not seeing it.”
Artscape’s Le Roux highlighted the huge administrative burden attached to government funding and noted that compliance processes could be arduous for those who lacked capacity. The panel agreed that while artists were central to the cultural ecosystem, they should not be burdened with seeking support.
This, said Enthoven, should be the responsibility of “intermediaries and cultural stakeholders” who could build frameworks that would make sustainable funding possible, allowing artists to “just be able to create work”.
Faasen noted the arts sector continued to function “largely driven by passion”; however, this could be “significantly strengthened” through more coordinated government and private sector support. She highlighted the potential of inter-ministerial collaboration, particularly between trade and industry, tourism and innovation.
She cautioned that new regulatory frameworks, while “welcomed in principle”, could place additional burdens on artists. She called for greater social protections, including pension schemes and medical aid support, noting the lack of a safety net for many in the industry.
Le Roux echoed the importance of labour organisation within the sector, encouraging artists to unionise and organise “especially in light of new regulations”.
Faasen cited the Festival Enterprise Catalyst project, a model that deployed “match funding” to enable productions to travel across a network of partners, extending the lifespan of creative work. Project partners included the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, the Suidoosterfees, the Toyota Woordfees, Aardklop, Samro, Concerts SA, NATi and the Tribuo Arts Platform.
While those who tackle the gargantuan task of organising and running massive annual festivals and cultural events were barely swimming when they were hit by McKenzie's defunding wave, CCIFSA, it turns out, has been spending as if there were no oversight — which, of course, there wasn’t.
The GFIA forensic report contained further financial information, said McKenzie on Friday, that “misrepresented funds intended for the Downtown Music Hub” as CCIFSA’s own operational funding.
Downtown Music Hub (DTMH) is located in a landmark recording studio in Johannesburg that was given a makeover in 2015 to provide studio time to aspiring and established artists.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CBT-inner-city-programs-2.jpg "The Downtown Music Hub is a cutting-edge music facility dedicated to supporting the growth and development of professionals in SA’s music industry. (Photo: Piwokuhle Motha)")
The investigation found DTMH funds totalling R3-million “comingled” with CCIFSA’s funds in a single bank account. R10-million, the first tranche paid to CCIFSA for the Ushering In a New Era awards, “cannot be properly accounted for, as no supporting invoices or proof of payments were provided”.
Over and above this, a budget submitted by CCIFSA in support of a recent funding application reflected an administration fee of 32% of the total allocation — more than three times the 10% stipulated in the applicable agreement.
These administration costs consisted primarily of salaries and payments to CCIFSA executives.
McKenzie said the report had been shared in confidence with the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture and with the Auditor-General as part of the department’s accountability obligations.
This article was originally posted by The Daily Maverick
