News 11:00

BULLETIN 13 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Sanral plans to issue 70 tenders in the next couple of weeks
# Cricket: Fans will be treated to three SA20 matches this weekend
# And, a survey reveals over 50% of consumers fail to save for back-to-school costs

# The South African National Roads Agency plans to release a minimum of 70 tenders in the coming weeks. Thirty-percent of the contracts are designated for smaller black-owned construction companies. Sanral CEO Reginald Demana has announced the initiative will result in approximately 28-billion-rand’s worth of tenders advertised for the current financial year. Demana says the goal is to have these tenders actively contributing to the nationwide market by March, fostering growth and diversity in the construction sector.

# The Western Cape Education Department is actively constructing ten new schools and three replacement schools for the 2024 academic year. Education MEC David Maynier announced the progress of new junior high schools in Belhar in Cape Town, Fisherhaven in Hermanus and Kwanokuthula in Plettenberg Bay through the Rapid School Build programme. A foundation has been laid for a new primary and high school in Blueridge, Cape Town, to serve the Wallacedene community. Maynier says construction at Lwandle Primary School in Somerset West is back on track after disruptions:

# The World Bank’s ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report has revealed a projection of a third consecutive year of slowing global growth, reaching 2.4-percent in 2024, down from 2.6-percent last year. The report underscores the need for developing countries to secure a substantial increase in investment, around 44-trillion-rand annually, to meet climate goals by 2030. Despite the requirement for a robust policy package, the report notes challenges such as slowing growth, sluggish global trade, and tight financial conditions impacting developing economies.

# Cricket: Fans will be entertained by three SA20 matches this weekend. Today’s double-header gets going with the encounter between Joburg Super Kings and M-I Cape Town at the Wanderers at 1.30 this afternoon. At 5.30, defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape hope to get their campaign going against Durban’s Super Giants in Gqeberha after their match against Joburg on the opening day was abandoned due to rain. Tomorrow, Pretoria Capitals and Paarl Royals will do battle in Centurion from 5.30 in the afternoon.

# And to end with: As the festive season concludes, a 1Life survey reveals that over 50-percent of consumers fail to save for back-to-school costs. Nearly 90-percent of respondents anticipate cutting back on expenses to meet these financial demands. The majority resort to using their January salaries to cover these obligations. 1Life’s advisor, Hayley Parry, discussed these findings with eNCA, shedding light on the financial challenges faced by many consumers during the back-to-school period:

Stay tuned for more news………….