Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) Advocates for Universal Health Coverage and Healthcare Transformation
The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) concluded its 2024 Annual Symposium under the theme, “Innovate, Integrate, Accelerate: A Universal Health Coverage Commitment.” The Symposium brought together thought leaders from healthcare, policy, and technology sectors, all united in their mission to address the barriers to healthcare access and accelerate South Africa’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The world’s top decision-makers gather in Davos
The South African delegation is led by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel. “Together with Brand SA and various private sector representatives from Old Mutual, SAB and Naspers, amongst others, the delegation includes ministers of key departments, with the Minister of Electricity and his drive to gauge the appetite for investment in the energy space being an important part of Team South Africa’s agenda.”
Africa’s natural resources: The key to becoming a global heavy industry player
In 2023, several economic sectors saw remarkable growth, fueled by increased global competition for African resources, as reported by the Economist Intelligence research firm.
Zinhle Thupana: Public Sector Leader of the Year
“There is a lot of negativity and there are a lot of wrong perceptions about public sector employees,” says Zinhle Thupana, Group Executive for Corporate Services at the Central Energy Fund (CEF).
The National Credit Act: Protecting consumers against reckless lending
“The National Credit Act has helped to counteract the threat of informal lending, but estimates say there may be as many as 40 000 illegal lenders still operating in South Africa.”
Unemployment Insurance Fund: Providing a safety net for South African workers
“More than 1.5 million companies in South Africa pay contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) on behalf of their workers, which gives employees a safety net should they lose their work or be unable to work due to certain provisions.”
The 2023 BRICS Summit: Looking at Africa’s future
The BRICS summit is a significant international event that brings together the leaders of five major emerging economies:
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Although the summit mainly focuses on the cooperation and collaboration
among these member countries, it also holds importance for Africa due to several reasons.
Cabinet leading the way in gender parity
The latest Gender Series report showed that Cabinet had reached parity, as 50% of the seats comprised women. Women’s seats in Parliament increased from 33% in 2004 to 46% in 2019.
Funding, skills development, and capacity building: The way forward for a just energy transition
The R1.5-trillion JET-IP was unveiled late last year and built on an $8.5-billion pledge from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany, France and the European Union to help South Africa transition to a low-carbon economy.
Fashion trends, sustainability and the environment: The time for blindly following fashion trends is over
Gen Z consumers have elevated the conversation to sustainable shopping across the generational landscape and worldwide active participation to reduce the environmental impact of fashion trends has skyrocketed.