May 2025

30 May 2025 – South African poultry producers have the capacity to make up for the loss of Brazilian chicken meat imports owing to an outbreak of avian influenza, or bird flu, in that country, says South African Poultry Association (SAPA) Broiler Organisation CEO Izaak Breitenbach. The local industry is currently producing about 21.5-million chickens […]

28 May 2025 – As many as 43% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMMEs) that halted imports in April are now expediting shipments, creating a compressed early peak season likely to cause congestion over the summer, ocean cargo analysis platform Freightos reports. A survey, conducted between May 14 and 17 among more than 100 US

27 May 2025 – The commercial maize crop is now expected to reach 14,664 million tons, an increase of 0,72% (105 200t) from the previous forecast. This also represents a 14,12% increase year-on-year, highlighting a considerable rebound from last season’s drought-reduced output. White maize production is estimated at 7,757 million tons (up 0,80% from the

26 May 2025 – Transnet’s port system is not the only one in the world that is failing to keep up with demand. European ports experiencing congestion include Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Le Havre, while in Asia, Shanghai, Singapore and Port Klang also have delays, according to Metro Global. There are also delays reported in

22 May 2025 – Forecasts for the global container shipping outlook for the rest of the year have been downgraded by both Drewry and Linerlytica, citing heightened uncertainty due to disruptive US trade policies and trade tension related to tariff reciprocity. This has also been confirmed by the latest Cargo Movement Update (CMU) compiled by

21 May 2025 – In response to an increasingly volatile economic landscape, South African businesses are turning to trade credit insurance as a strategic tool to safeguard their operations against the risk of non-payment and insolvency. This surge in uptake reflects a growing recognition of trade credit insurance’s critical role in enhancing cash flow management,

20 May 2025 – Liquidations of companies in South Africa are steadily declining, with a drop in the number of entities that have gone bankrupt down 8% year-over-year as of March. Statistics South Africa’s latest figures showed that less close corporations – or generally smaller entities- were liquidated than larger businesses. Liquidations of close corporations decreased by 21 cases,

16 May 2025 – The improved trade conditions in the first two months of this year were extended into March, but retreated somewhat in April, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) says. Sacci’s Trade Conditions Survey for March and April also shows some resilience despite subdued overall economic circumstances. Of the respondents,

15 May 2025 – The United States and China have reached an agreement to significantly reduce tariffs on each other’s goods for an initial period of 90 days. This development follows extensive trade negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, involving officials from both nations. The joint statement released highlights the “substantial progress” made during these discussions and

14 May 2025 – The African Continental Free Trade Area could be used as a strategic response to US President Donald Trump’s tariff war as it is a $3.4-trillion market that could potentially be tapped without the need to pay tariffs. This was the suggestion of Naamsa (The Automotive Business Council) chief economist Paulina Mamogobo