Parks Tau

On Monday, 14 October 2024, Saudi Arabia and South Africa hosted a Business Forum in Johannesburg. The meeting aimed to identify opportunities for continued...

 By Kagiso Bonoko   South Africa continues to be the most preferred location for multinational investors in Africa. This is made more evident by the continued...

Two unique small business ventures, incubated out of an entrepreneurial business initiative by the City of Johannesburg, aim to develop its ideas that will make a difference in the community.

The city of Joburg honoured two of its greatest residents, giving them the Freedom of the City. George Bizos and Andrew Mlangeni received the honour for their role in contributing to South Africa's freedom - "one a defender and the other a member of the defending legal team".

Joburg's mayor, Parks Tau, joined global leaders at the launch of the first State of City Climate Finance Report, alongside United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki Moon. The report comes out of the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, and speaks of innovative financing solutions.

Some people were pleased with the enforced use of public transport over the month-long EcoMobility World Festival in Sandton. For others it meant traffic jams and loss of income. But the general sentiment was that it was a good idea and got people thinking.

Thousands of digital ambassadors are being trained before being sent out into the city to teach hundreds of thousands of Joburg residents how to maximise the use of technology and the city's broadband wifi connectivity it is rolling out. It is all part of becoming a smart city.

The Gauteng Stakeholder Workshop featured vibrant discussion about the existence of a country's brand, the pros and cons of having one, and the best way to build a nation brand. It was widely agreed that all provinces should align with the overall nation brand message.

When it comes to their competitiveness, South Africa's biggest cities fare well against other emerging metros. But they have a tough battle to reach the same levels as some of the world's most developed regions. Yet Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay and Durban have plenty of strengths in their favour.

When it comes to their competitiveness, South Africa's biggest cities fare well against other emerging metros. But they have a tough battle to reach the same levels as some of the world's most developed regions. Yet Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay and Durban have plenty of strengths in their favour.