The OFM Business Hour
The latest business news from Central SA. Presented by Olebogeng Motse.
Is your business neuroinclusive?
Dr Sarah Babb, Adjunct Faculty and Professional Associate at the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) shares how harnessing neurodiverse strengths can drive innovation, resilience, and impact in your business. Roughly 15% to 20% of the global population is neurodivergent, that is 1 in 5 people one…
Neasa daag indiensnemingskwotas in Konstitusionele Hof uit – vra sakelui moet betrokke raak
Die Nasionale Werkgewersvereniging van Suid-Afrika (Neasa) maan Suid-Afrikaanse sakelui om versigtig op te tree en kundige advies in te win oor omstrede gelyke-indiensnemingskwotas. Alle maatskappye met 50 of meer werknemers moet sedert Maandag 1 September hul 2025-verslae oor Gelyke Indiensneming (EE) indien, soos vereis deur die regulasies en sektorteikens. Verlede…
Potchefstroom Sakekamer se besige kalender ’n teken van positiewe sakevertroue in Noordwes-stad
Sakevertroue in Potchefstroom, Noordwes, is positief, soos blyk uit die plaaslike sakekamer se besige kalender en verskeie inisiatiewe. Potchefstroom Sakekamer-voorsitter, Nicholaas van den Berg, sê aan die OFM Besigheidsuur dat nuwe besighede steeds oopmaak, ten spyte van ekonomiese onsekerheid op nasionale en globale skaal. Hy het met OFM se Rigardt…
Welkom Business Forum long flagged controversial cargo airport project
The Welkom Business Forum says there were several warning signs that the Welkom Cargo Airport project was not what it appeared to be. Chairperson of the Welkom Business Chamber, Jakes Jooste, told the OFM Business Hour that they attended meetings with the team from Sébastien Investment et Logistique – a…
South Africa's business rescue landscape explained
South Africa’s approach to financially distressed companies has shifted significantly. Where business rescue was once seen as just a detour on the road to liquidation, today the mantra in many boardrooms is ‘rescue first, liquidate later.’ Gareth Cremen, a Partner in the Business Restructuring, Rescue & Insolvency team at Cox…
UFS reminds women to Be Better, BE-LIEVE
The University of the Free State’s women’s breakfast is taking place on 22 August under the theme “Be Better, Be-Lieve. Burneline Kaars, Head of the Division of Organisational Development within the Department of Human Resources at the UFS, says the event aims to empower women. When asked about work-life balance,…
Vrystaatse toerismebesighede gedwing om in silo’s te funksioneer om te oorleef
Vrystaatse toerisme en gasvryheidsbesighede word gedwing om in silo’s te funksioneer weens vervallende openbare infrastruktuur en swak dienslewering. Bianca de Klerk, die departementshoof van Toerisme en Geleentheidsbestuur aan die Sentrale Universiteit van Tegnologie, sê aan die OFM Sake-uur dat die regering se onvoltooide beloftes oor die verbetering van sleutelpaaie en…
Maersk pulls plug on SA/US direct shipping: why timing couldn’t be worse
The OFM Business Hour looks at the implications of Maersk’s announcement that it will discontinue its direct shipping service from South Africa to the United States starting this October. According to Dr Ernest van Biljon from the IMM Graduate School, the decision comes at a particularly challenging time for local…
Standard Bank backs Best of Bloem for third year in a row
For the third consecutive year Standard Bank is sponsoring the Best of Bloem, Bloemfontein Courant’s Readers’ Choice Awards gala event. Kevin de Beer, Standard Bank’s Head of Client Coverage, Business Banking for the Free State and Northern Cape, told the OFM Business Hour that what drew them to the awards…
Best of Bloem – rooted in Bloem and voted by you
The 2025 edition of the Best of Bloem, Bloemfontein Courant’s Readers Choice Awards is here and it promises to be bigger and better. Under the theme rooted in Bloem and voted by you, the awards continue to celebrate local establishments and their excellent service. Bloemfontein Courant Editor, Sazly Moses, tells…
BUSA calls for coordinated response to US tariffs and AGOA uncertainty
With time ticking fast and panic setting in regarding the United States’ imminent 30% tariffs on South African exports, calls are increasing for a coordinated response to the crisis. Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) CEO Khulekani Mathe says the delay in finalising a framework agreement between the South African government…
Shell's Northern Cape oil and gas project cleared for drilling, local pushback mounts
Concern has been raised regarding the recent approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Shell’s proposed Northern Cape Ultra Deep (NCUD) oil and gas exploration project. Advocacy organisations like the Green Connection and small-scale fishers like Deborah Deewee from Doringbaai argue that the approval disregards the livelihoods of coastal…
MTN’s Shesh@ continues enabling families through connectivity
MTN has long played a role in keeping families connected and now they’re taking it a step further with their Shesh@ 5G promotion. Bertus Van der Vyver, MTN SA’s General Manager for Residential and Postpaid, tells the OFM Business Hour that the Shesh@ 5G Home Internet plans are designed to…
Applications for NWU Business School's MBA and PGDip in management open
Simoné van Tonder shares how the North-West University (NWU) Business School's Postgraduate Diploma in Management and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes develop ethical leaders ready to create impact in Africa and beyond. Applications for 2026 are open until 30 September.
Is die braaibroodjie ’n beter aanwyser van voedselinflasie?
Na die jongste inflasie-opdatering delf ons saam met Johann Biermann in die Braaibroodjie-indeks. Kan hierdie stukkie kulinêre trooskos, ’n knapperige kaas-en-tamatiebraaibroodjie, dalk meer oor voedselprysveranderinge verklap as amptelike statistiek? Ons gesels oor wat hierdie braaigunsteling ons leer oor die werklike koste van kos.
Woolworths triumphs over SARS on VAT issue
Woolworths recently emerged triumphant over SARS in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein where the parties battled it out over input VAT. It is a landmark and significant victory for Woolworths and Micaela Paschini, Team Lead: Tax Legal at Tax Consulting SA, unpacked it for the OFM Business Hour.
Closure of R708: MEC reacts to protest; community gives feedback
Free State MEC for Roads and Transport, Jabu Mbalula, has committed to meet with the community of Clocolan in the Eastern Free State. After numerous delays to repairs on the pot-hole riddled R708, the Clocolan Farmers’ Association, local taxi association, and other stakeholders closed the road in protest on Thursday…
Consumer Commission concerned about rise in SA vehicle recalls
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has received recall notifications from three major leading automakers in SA for thousands of vehicles. NCC spokesperson, Pheto Ntaba unpacked the Volkswagen, Volvo and Toyota South Africa recalls on the OFM Business Hour. Further, noting that there appears to be a rise in the number…
Impact of tariffs on SA economy will be significant
The 90-day freeze on sweeping U.S. tariffs is set to expire on July 9, sowing economic uncertainty as the Trump administration works to revamp the terms of global trade. Frederick Mitchell, Chief Economist at Aluma Capital touched on the impact of tariffs on the South African economy.
U Go Girl founder shares the beauty and challenges of entrepreneurship in Central SA
Somaya Marais, founder of U Go Girl Driving Academy, a women-focused driving school that began in Bloemfontein and now operates in the Western Cape shares her journey of entrepreneurship. Following a panel discussion on the financial constraints facing SMMEs in the city, Marais unpacks the unique challenges of running a…