Strikes kick off in Durban, and warning to taxi owners
·16 Jan 2025

Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:
- Strike in Durban: The National Union of Metalworkers of SA has embarked on an indefinite strike at Bidvest South Africa Container Depot in Durban over the retrenchment of 106 members. A Numsa spokesperson said the strike comes after the parties “couldn’t find each other” during a section 189 process, which started soon after notice was served to the union in September. [Business Day]
- Scholar transport threats: The Eastern Cape Department of Transport has issued a warning to taxi owners after some were allegedly intimidating private scholar transport contractors and demanding money from them. [Daily Maverick]
- Vodacom Maziv acquisition: Vodacom has shared more details on its plan to buy a 30% stake in Maziv Proprietary Limited. Maziv will own all the fibre assets of Community Investment Ventures Holdings, including Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa. The original deadline for this deal was extended to 15 January 2025 and has now been further extended to 31 January 2025. [SENS]
- Stilfontein mine operations continue: Operations at a Stilfontein mine shaft will enter its fourth day despite initial reports that there are “no longer any illegal miners underground”. More than 240 allegedly illegal miners have been arrested thus far, and at least 77 bodies have been retrieved. [News24]
- Markets: South African assets gained on Wednesday after a key U.S. inflation report showed consumer prices rose slightly more than expected last month in the world’s biggest economy. On Thursday (16 January), the rand was trading at R18.75 to the dollar, R23.04 to the pound, and R19.45 to the euro. Oil is trading at $82.09 a barrel. [Reuters]