Author name: webmaster

The Australian Business Chamber of Commerce (Southern Africa), along with the GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science), hosted a highly anticipated Africa-Australia Skills and Education Event, where a panel discussion was had on Artificial Intelligence, its rapid development, and the impacts on education, industry, and governments. A big thank-you to our panelists – Manoj Chiba (PhD), Nico Eleftheriades, Christabel Phiri, Alude Xuba for candidly sharing their perspectives and sparking our thoughts and discussion and the Australian High Commission, South Africa and H.E. Tegan Brink for their support on this very important topic. A big thank-you to our MC, Ms Leigh Joy Mansel-Pleydell, for facilitating the event. Thank you to everyone that attended, and we look forward to seeing you all at our next event.

The Australian Business Chamber of Commerce (Southern Africa), along with the GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science), hosted a highly anticipated Africa-Australia Skills and Education Event, where a panel discussion was had on Artificial Intelligence, its rapid development, and the impacts on education, industry, and governments. A big thank-you to our panelists – Manoj Chiba (PhD), Nico Eleftheriades, Christabel Phiri, Alude Xuba for candidly sharing their perspectives and sparking our thoughts and discussion and the Australian High Commission, South Africa and H.E. Tegan Brink for their support on this very important topic. A big thank-you to our MC, Ms Leigh Joy Mansel-Pleydell, for facilitating the event. Thank you to everyone that attended, and we look forward to seeing you all at our next event.

On 5 September 2025, the Australian Business Chamber of Commerce Southern Africa had the privilege of being part of honouring Dr. Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs for South Africa, to The Bryanston Country Club for a pivotal session titled Unlocking Foreign Direct Investment. This initiative was led by the British Chamber of Business in Southern Africa, in close collaboration with fellow European Chambers and strategic partners. The Minister provided an update on reform initiatives designed to lower obstacles and stimulate economic progress, highlighting the critical role of collaboration among government, the private sector, and civil society. Unlocking FDI Potential Amid Visa Policy Challenges Breakfast Event

ABCSA would like to thank everyone that attended our social networking event hosted at “Truffles on the Park” in Sandton on 19 June 2025. The event was well attended and supported our drive to strengthen the collaboration between our members. It was a great evening, sharing stories, laughs and bites and we look forward to seeing you all at our next event.

Auto & General Insurance has been announced as the overall winner in the short-term insurance category in the 2022/2023 Ask Afrika Orange Index® awards. Auto & General Wins The 2022/2023 Short-Term Insurance Ask Afrika Orange Index Award Background The Ask Afrika Orange Index® has been at the forefront of service benchmarking and is the broadest, independent, and most widely referenced service excellence benchmark in South Africa. The benchmark has been tracking customer experience, and the changing trends and expectations since 2001. “We are thrilled to receive this prestigious accolade and would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers and Broker partners for their ongoing trust, support and much-appreciated vote of confidence,” says Ricardo Coetzee, Head of Auto & General Insurance. Auto & General’s commitment to service excellence is backed by decades of experience as well as a Service Promise, which offers its customers the right to exceptional service. If, for whatever reason, Auto & General are unable to keep a promise they have made, they’ll pay a self-imposed penalty fee. “Customer-centricity, excellence and service-reliability is at the heart of what we do, and this recognition proves that we are on the right track. Our promise to you is that in an uncertain world, we’ll continue to provide certainty,” says Coetzee. News

In the recently reported judgment of BNS Nominees (RF) Proprietary Limited and Another v Arrowhead Properties Limited and Others 2023 (1) SA 478 (GJ), the Johannesburg High Court provided clarity regarding certain provisions of section 164 of the Companies Act No. 71 of 2008 (“Companies Act”) relating to the appraisal rights of shareholders and the determination of “fair value”. Fair Value Frenzy Background Appraisal rights are rights granted to a shareholder who has voted against the implementation of certain proposed corporate actions. Such shareholders are typically regarded as “dissenting shareholders”. Section 164 entitles a dissenting shareholder to sell its shares to the company for fair value. If the dissenting shareholder is of the view that the offer from the company does not constitute fair value, then it can bring an application for the court to determine that value or to appoint one or more appraisers to assist it in that task. To read the entire article, please click on the link. News

In the workplace there is a temptation to label alleged misconduct, either because we consider doing so makes the misconduct appear more serious, or we consider it necessary to do so as part of a formal disciplinary process. Labelling misconduct – a source of clarity or confusion Background Contrary to that instinct, the Labour Appeal Court recently confirmed the principle that employers do not have to and should avoid seeking to label or compartmentalise the misconduct they are charging an employee with, such as assault or theft. Rather, it is best to simply describe the conduct which is being complained of and explain why it constitutes misconduct. In the case of Engen Petroleum (Pty) Ltd v CEPPWAWU and others an employee was charged with assault. The employee pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault. The Labour Appeal Court found that the plea of not guilty was based on the employee’s understanding from a layman’s perspective of what assault entailed. In this case the Court concluded that it was clear that in aggressively pulling and grabbing another employee by their shirt the employee was guilty of assault in the legal sense of the term ‘assault’. However, in pleading not guilty to the charge of assault, the employee did not appreciate that the legal definition of assault extends beyond physical injurious conduct and includes the mere threat of physical harm. To read the entire article, please click on the link. News

A pactum de non petendo (“pactum”) is an agreement between parties whereby one party agrees not to institute legal proceedings against the other party, either temporarily or permanently. A pactum usually suspends the enforcement of a commercial contract for a specific period or until the occurrence of some contingency. Enforcement of an agreement not to sue Background In the recent decision in Coral Lagoon Investments 194 (Pty) Ltd and another v Capitec Bank Holdings Limited[1] (“Coral Lagoon”) the Supreme Court of Appeal (“SCA”) grappled with the interpretation of a consent agreement entered into between the parties to the dispute, and the question as to whether a pactum in perpetuity was contrary to public policy. In Coral Lagoon, Ash Brook Investments 15 (Pty) Ltd and Coral Lagoon Investments 194 (Pty) Ltd (“Coral”) (together, the “Appellants”) and Capitec Bank Holdings Limited (“Capitec”) concluded a subscription and shareholders’ agreement (the “Subscription Agreement”) in terms of which Capitec allotted and issued shares to one of the Appellants, Coral, who subscribed for shares in Capitec. In terms of the Subscription Agreement, the Appellants were subject to certain selling restrictions which later became the source of contention between the parties. It was the parties’ understanding that those restrictions contained in the Subscription Agreement meant that Capitec’s consent was required for the sale of Coral’s share in Capitec. To read the entire article, please click on the link. News