Visionary South African entrepreneurs were rewarded this week at the 14th SAB KickStart awards at the Sandton Sun hotel. Finalists included companies in hospitality, design, manufacturing and construction.

Structural growth opportunities could in the next five to seven years contribute R5.7bn to R9.6bn to banks' earnings, reckons a research report by RMB Morgan Stanley banking analysts.

Despite Bharti Airtel blaming South Africa's government for the collapse of its proposed telecoms tie-up with MTN, there are no signs of Pretoria more generally shutting the door on outside investors.

South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation will provide R70 billion of new funding over the next five years to help local companies hurt by a global downturn, a senior official said on Friday.

Versed in the highs and lows of emerging-market development, SABMiller, Standard Bank, and others are expanding across the continent and beyond.

Pick n Pay chairman Raymond Ackerman's dream of selling discounted fuel is closer to becoming a reality as the retailer and BP join forces in a groundbreaking new deal.

The business process outsourcing and offshoring (BPO&O) industry in Cape Town is experiencing rapid growth, according to a Key Indicator Report released this week.

South Africa's first clean technology investment fund, The Evolution One Fund, plans to invest R1 billion in clean technology initiatives in Southern Africa. The fund was launched this week by Inspired Evolution Investment Management.

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is throwing its weight behind the growth of the Soweto economy with a centre dedicated to boosting the prospects of its small and medium enterprises.

It is easier to do business in South Africa now than it was last year, according to the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Doing Business 2009 Report.

South African communications company ZOK Cellular has introduced an entrepreneurial project that will supply communities with essential retail, financial and communications services. 

Kumba Iron Ore is to spend R8.5 billion in the development of a new mine in the Northern Cape Province; an investment which is likely to have a strongly positive effect on the region’s economy. 

Five South African companies are expected to emerge as challengers to the world's leading blue chip companies this year, according to the latest Standard & Poor's (S&P) Global Challengers List.

VenFin, a South African investment holding company, has launched a new early stage Intellectual Property (IP) venture capital fund to boost innovation in South Africa and take local ideas to the world market.

South African fast food chicken outlet Nando's has taken its first steps into one of the biggest fast food consumer markets in the world with the opening of a restaurant in downtown Washington DC, USA. 

Situated on 7th Street Northwest in Chinatown, Washington DC, the newly opened restaurant marks the SA restaurant brand's first foray into what co-founder Robert Brozin calls "the final frontier".

"The growth of the Nando's business has been phenomenal."
 

South Africa's biggest competition for entrepreneurs with start-up ideas is on the go again, offering R50 million in funding to this year's Business LaunchPad winners. 

Growing interest in entrepreneurship among South African youth suggests positive implications for socio-economic development, says the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) study.

The city of Kimberley will be home to a R100 million factory that will focus on the production of gold and silver chains for export, announced the Northern Cape Premier's office earlier this week.

The results of the recent Business Trust Progress Report revealed that business and government have together made significant contributions to addressing the social and economic challenges facing South Africa.

Last week marked a national week of giving as hundreds of corporate volunteers gave their time and money to South Africa’s fourth annual Employee Volunteer Week.

Old Mutual and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have launched a R100 million development-finance fund aimed at supporting women-owned enterprises in South Africa.

SABMiller has become the world’s biggest brewer due to strong growth in China and its recent purchase of Dutch beer Grolsch, reports Reuters.

Heineken is now the second largest brewer and US’s Budweiser brewer, Anheuser-Busch, is the third, according to figures from UK-based researchers Plato Logic.

A South African Corporate Social Investment (CSI) consultancy has published a practical ‘how-to’ guide on investing CSI funds effectively.

The majority of privately held businesses in South Africa are optimistic about 2008, according to Grant Thornton’s 2008 International Business Report (IBR).

The South African banking sector has been given a positive forecast for 2008 in Moody's Investors Service's  Banking System Outlook report.