The smart meters enable two-way visibility into electricity consumption. Eskom doesn’t know how much its 6.2 million smart meter rollout will cost, doesn’t have all the meters in stock, and hasn’t finalised procurement – yet insists it will meet its March 2026 target of 577 000 installations. During a presentation to the portfolio committee on…
The United Nations faces a “race to bankruptcy” unless Member States pay their dues in full and on time, Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday, presenting a sharply reduced $3.238 billion regular budget for 2026. The revised proposal marks a significant drop from his original ask for next year of $3.715 billion and is 15.1…
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves speaks on stage during the Labour Party conference on Sept. 29, 2025, in Liverpool, England. Ian Forsyth | Getty Images U.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has reiterated her commitment to the government’s self-imposed fiscal rules, but said it must “be honest” with the public about the challenges the country…
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has survived two confidence motions, just days after he appointed his new government in time to submit a draft budget to parliament in a bid to end the political turmoil that has gripped the country for months. A motion sponsored by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and its allies…
The United Nations has finalised the revised estimates for its 2026 proposed programme budget, outlining more than $500 million in reductions, while also introducing the first measures of the UN80 Initiative – a wider effort to make the Organisation more effective and resilient as it marks its 80th anniversary. The revised estimates, communicated on Monday…
The General Assembly on Monday approved a $5.38 billion budget for UN peacekeeping operations for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, down slightly from the previous year, as delegates wrapped up weeks of negotiations amid warnings about persistent funding challenges. Acting on the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the Assembly endorsed the budgets for…
Herman Young, group CISO of Investec; Ritasha Kalidas, group head of cyber security at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa; and TV personality Leanne Manas. South African chief security information officers (CISOs) have seen “marginal” increases to their budgets in the past year. This is one of the biggest takeaways from the preliminary results of the 2025 edition…
TLDR The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) saw GDP grow by 3% in 2024, led by Cameroon and Chad But growth is expected to slow to 2.4% in 2025 due to declining oil prices and weaker global trade The World Bank warns that without reforms in governance, tax systems, education, and competitiveness, CEMAC…
