Government Partners

Successful implementation of the agreement signed at the Growth and Development Summit in Midrand at the weekend will depend on durable partnerships based on a common vision, says President Thabo Mbeki.

Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan delivered his mid-term budget policy speech before the National Assembly on 27 October 2010.

South African non-profit organisations (NPOs) have done sterling work in improving the lives of ordinary citizens, President Jacob Zuma said at the National NPO Summit in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is confident that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, a key player in South African platinum, will join the other stakeholders in signing a groundbreaking pact to bring stability to the country's mining industry.

Delivering his National Budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced both some tax relief for small business and a new financing agency to improve funding for the sector.

South Africa is increasing its Capital Gains Tax, while raising the thresholds to mitigate the impact on middle-income earners. The country's Secondary Tax on Companies is also to be scrapped and replaced by a withholding tax on dividends.

President Jacob Zuma is to hold meetings with stakeholders to discuss South Africa's migration policy and how different sectors of society can work with the government to promote orderly migration and good relations between citizens and foreign nationals.

The Oxford Business Group, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, has launched a nine-month study that is expected to provide unique insight into the workings of South Africa's economy and investment opportunities in the country.

South Africa's low savings rate is holding the country back compared to its international peers, says Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, adding that the country should avoid becoming a "consumerist society ... that wants to acquire things at any cost".