JOBS NEWS

Unilever plans to create and improve more products from its new research and development (R&D) facility that opened at the Indonsa factory in Durban this week. read more

Confusion surrounds whether the Department of Labour has dropped proposed amendments to the laws that were set to tighten regulations around strikes and picketing.  read more

Parliament - Transnet will cover two-thirds of its R300bn infrastructure programme with "retained earnings", Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Tuesday. read more

Johannesburg - The South African economy is recovering, although at a very slow pace, according to the BankservAfrica Economic Transaction Index (Beti) released on Monday. read more

While an outright ban on labour broking is not on the cards in SA, and while some in the industry are embracing the proposed amendments to two labour laws, the amendments could signal an "indirect ban" for many in the industry, according to Anastasia Vatalidis, head of employment law at Werksmans Attorneys.  read more

South African consumers experienced a further improvement in their cash flow position in the first quarter of 2012, Unisa's Bureau of Market Research's (BMR) consumer financial vulnerability index released on Wednesday showed.  read more

In a tight-lipped scenario that has developed over the past few days, Business Report has exclusively established that Hugues Witvoet, the chief executive of Edgars Department Stores, has suddenly resigned from the Edcon Group. read more

Manufacturing output contracted unexpectedly in March, suggesting that the recession in Europe is already taking a toll on exports and signalling growth in the economy may be slowing more sharply than expected.  read more

Tokyo - Japanese electronics giant Sony on Thursday posted a record full-year loss of $5.7bn, but vowed it would swing back into the black this year as it embarks on a huge restructuring plan. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa lost R3.9bn worth of output last year to sick leave and absenteeism, recruitment company Adcorp said on Thursday. read more

US soybeans fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, while corn and wheat dropped amid wider weakness in financial markets, a stronger dollar and risk-aversion ahead of a key US government crop report on Thursday.  read more

Markets were disappointed by Walmart-controlled Massmart ’s sales update released yesterday, with its shares falling as much as 2,5% to reach their lowest level in almost a month. read more

Sprawling Chatsworth is set to have a new R150 million shopping centre by this time next year. read more

The future of global manufacturing is turning into a competition for global talent according to a new report. This a trend that is mirrored in SA, where a lack of skills is adding to the woes of a manufacturing sector that has grown by just over 2% in five years, according to Deloitte. read more

The number of credit active consumers has soared in the past few years despite net job losses, suggesting that credit is being extended to people without formal employment, according to a report released on Thursday.  read more

Human Resources departments at companies including PepsiCo, Pfizer, Red Hat, First Citizens Bank and Netflix have been trialling a social media tool designed to improve staff recruitment efficiency. read more

Johannesburg - Pick n Pay opened its second centralised distribution centre in Cape Town on Wednesday. read more

The Manufacturing Circle, the group representing SA's major manufacturers, says the Purchasing Managers' Index decline for a second consecutive month in April reflects "still quite challenging" conditions for local manufacturing. read more

Nyon, Switzerland, 27 April 2012: UNI Global Union welcomed the signing of an historic first collective agreement at Carrefour Colombia that it says should serve as a new model for labour relations in the country. Along with the gains for Carrefour Colombia the workers, the agreement is notable for the fair and secure organising collective bargaining process that created it.  read more

The R160 million once-off, share-based payment charge that came into effect after phase two of Pioneer Foods’ broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) transaction, could have an impact on the company’s interim results, which are scheduled for publication on May 21. The scheme was implemented in the third week of March read more

South African clothing workers have become more productive over the last few years, yet each year, they earn comparatively less per garment they produce, the Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) said on Monday.  read more

Brewer SABMiller said on Monday that Alan Clark, currently head of its European business, would become chief operating officer in July, preparing the ground for him to succeed Graham Mackay as CEO. read more

Johannesburg - There has been a significant decrease in the number of jobs lost in the clothing, textile and leather sectors, the SA Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) said on Friday. read more

Far higher real wholesale sales growth than real retail sales in February may herald a switch from consumer-dependent SA economic growth to a more business-dependent growth.  read more

Johannesburg - South Africa's headline inflation slowed in March to within the central bank's target range for the first time in four months, suggesting inflation may undercut the bank's forecasts and ease pressure for action in the form of an interest rate rise. read more

Johannesburg - Growth in South Africa’s retail sales jumped to 7.2% on an annual basis at constant prices in February from a revised 4.2% in January, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. read more

Durban - Durban International Airport is set to be dug out and converted into the city's second sea port following approval from the Competition Tribunal, the Mercury newspaper reported on Monday read more

A shock draft bill from the Department of Health that totally prohibits the advertising and promotion of alcoholic products is being reworked behind closed doors by an interdepartmental government task team.  read more

Ignorance about career opportunities in the wholesale and retail sector deprives the youth of chances in one of the fastest growing sectors.  read more

Treasury Director General Lungisa Fuzile is optimistic on SA's real gross domestic product growth prospects for this year, but the Treasury will wait until October to revise its current 2.7% GDP growth forecast.  read more

SA’s biggest drug manufacturer, Aspen Pharmacare, on Friday welcomed the announcement by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies that the pharmaceuticals sector had been designated as one in which the government would purchase selected products exclusively from domestic manufacturers. read more

SA’s oldest packaging company, EH Walton, is fighting to reopen its doors this week after a liquidation application by its creditors forced it to close this month, leaving 450 workers without jobs.  read more

Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) yesterday revealed plans to clamp down on human rights abuse in its supply chain. read more

Johannesburg - Trade conditions continued to improve in March after moving into positive territory in February, as reflected in the Trade Activity Index (TAI) released by the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) on Wednesday. read more

Johannesburg - Growth in South Africa’s manufacturing output outpaced expectations in February, adding to signs that domestic demand is recovering and backing the case for higher interest rates.  read more

A ruling by the Competition Appeals Court ordering retailer Massmart to reinstate 503 retrenched workers could cost the company R80-million to R100-million in lost wages. read more

National Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers complains of being sidelined by the government in search for domestic drug makers read more

Tokyo - Sony will cut 10 000 jobs worldwide this year as it attempts to carry out sweeping reforms aimed at reviving the iconic but loss-making Japanese electronics giant, the Nikkei business daily said on Monday.  read more

Comments by Department of Energy Officials that the mechanism for calculating the basic fuel price should be reviewed have been welcomed by the Democratic Alliance and the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  read more

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has committed capital expenditure of R33 billion over the next seven years for expansion projects to meet growing demand. read more

SA’s biggest challenge is the food price volatility and anticompetitive behaviour in the agriculture sector that affects food security and planning for hunger reduction programmes, according to Langa Zita, director-general in the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. read more

Beauty company Coty said on Monday it offered to buy Avon Products for $10bn, but the bid was rejected by the cosmetics direct seller, which is grappling with sliding sales in key markets and a bribery probe. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa plans to spend R5.8bn over the next three years to help manufacturers affected by the global economic downturn upgrade their factories, improve products and train workers, the trade minister said on Monday.  read more

Taking a taxi to go shopping some distance away from their homes will be a thing of the past for the community of Protea Glen, as a huge new mall with almost all major retailers is to open on 27 September.  read more

Newcastle Mall regional shopping centre, located in KwaZulu-Natal,was a hive of activity ahead of ahead of its opening on 29 March 2012.  read more

South African fruit growers are at risk unless export supply chain services and costs improve, warns a key industry body in the run-up to the Cool Logistics Africa conference. read more

Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Elizabeth Thabethe is leading a delegation of South African companies to India next week, she said on Friday, to promote trade and investment between the two countries. read more

Durban - Additional port facilities are to be built in Durban at a cost of R400m, Transnet said on Tuesday. read more

The joint venture partnership between one of Nigeria’s long standing conglomerates, Chellarams Plc, and Woolworths of South Africa, after a thorough assessment of the Nigerian market, has resulted in the establishment of Woolworths biggest retail outlet in Ikeja, Lagos worth over N200 million. read more

At a beer industry summit last month, Ed McBrien, distribution chief for MillerCoors, compared himself to a typewriter salesman in an iPad age. read more

The 22nd of March 2012 marks a momentous milestone for fashion and FAIRTRADE in South Africa as PUMA launched its first clothing range made with Fairtrade cotton. The PUMA Wilderness Collection is available in all Due South stores across the country. It is inspired by the landscape and climate of Africa, and is made in Africa using FAIRTRADE cotton.  read more

Trade union Solidarity and employers in the Grain Bargaining Council will hold another wage dispute meeting on Wednesday in an attempt to avert a strike. read more

Smallholder farming continues to be on the agricultural development agenda as the government seeks to stimulate the agro-processing sector to kick-start its job creation drive. read more

Johannesburg - South African supermarket chain Shoprite Holdings [JSE:SHP] said it will raise up to $1bn by issuing new shares and convertible bonds to strengthen its balance sheet and help fund potential acquisitions. read more

Beaverton - Nike says its third-quarter net income rose seven percent as price increases and high demand for its sneakers and athletic gear compensated for rising costs.  read more

Pioneer Foods had partially implemented phase two of its share issue to strategic black economic empowerment (BEE) partners worth more than R1 billion, the food producer said this week. It had issued more than 18 million shares at R58.72 each, which were listed on Monday. read more

Impala looks much like the other clear beers on the market and to the untrained palate it tastes a lot like a traditional beer. On the nose it has a slight difference to it, something one cannot put a finger on. read more

Pretora - Spending growth in South Africa’s economy quickened in the fourth quarter of 2011, helped by increased spending by both households and the government, the central bank said on Monday. read more

Output at Tongaat Hulett’s Mafambisse sugar mill in Mozambique continued to perform above expectations as the mill produced 19 000 tons more sugar towards the end of the current year than in 2010/11. read more

Bloemfontein will soon boast an exciting new shopping experience when the first Makro store in the Free State province opens its doors in October 2012. read more

Purple Cow Communications, a leading Internet marketing company in South Africa has been chosen by TFG (The Foschini Group) to monitor, measure and manage the online reputation of the retail giant’s 16 retail brands, namely: @home, @homelivingspace, American Swiss, donna-claire, Duesouth, exact!, Fabiani, Fashion Express, Foschini, Luella, Markham, Matrix, sportscene, Sterns and Totalsports.  read more

The Manufacturing Circle, on Monday welcomed the Competition Appeal Court's approval of the Wal-Mart/Massmart merger, and in particular, the condition regarding a study which is to be compiled on how local small- and medium-sized suppliers will participate in the US giant's global value chain and ensure that benefits from the merger flowed into this sector of the economy. read more

Soon the trouble of having to commute to town for basic necessities will be a thing of the past for the Duncan Village community, as a new shopping centre will be opening in their township in a few weeks. read more

Ghana's cocoa production this season will rival last year's record 1 million-tonne crop due to improved weather and farming techniques, the West African country's cocoa regulator has told Reuters.  read more

Diamond Foods Inc. (DMND) retained Dean Bradley Osborne Partners LLC as financial adviser to strengthen its balance sheet as a planned earnings restatement threatens to violate some of its debt agreements.  read more

Johannesburg - Job growth slowed in February to an annual rate of 1.5% - or 24 000 jobs created, according to the Adcorp Employment Index released on Monday. read more

Johannesburg - The merger conditions for Massmart Holdings [JSE:MSM] and international retail giant Walmart International (Walmart) could cost the retail groups more than they currently anticipate. Moreover, they have to wait a couple of months for final approval of the conditions of the transaction. read more

Johannesburg - Shoprite Holdings [JSE:SHP] chairperson Christo Wiese has sold his wine estate Lanzerac outside Stellenbosch to a foreign buyer for an undisclosed amount. read more

The SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers' Union (Saccawu) is not happy with the Competition Appeal Court's “conservative” judgment on a merger between US retail giant Walmart and local company Massmart. read more

HL Motors in Brakpan, officially opened its doors to a spectacular new Freshstop on Thursday, 8 March 2012 with a wonderful fresh offering that was displayed throughout the store. read more

Johannesburg - The Competition Appeal Court will release its judgment today on the review of the Walmart-Massmart merger. read more

Johannesburg - Two leaders of South African family businesses have made an international list of the top 50 leading family-led companies, according to a report on Wednesday. read more

Massmart-Walmart were yesterday advised by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Namibia that the merger has been approved in Namibia subject to the following three conditions: read more

India's farm ministry wants a ban on cotton exports to be revoked as the curbs will hurt farmers in the world’s second-biggest producer, minister Sharad Pawar said. Futures surged for a second day to the highest level in more than two weeks.  read more

Johannesburg - The size of clothing is to be standardised, the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) said on Tuesday. read more

Massmart would put up an investment of R15 million to attract more than 1 500 black farmers to its supply chain within the next five years, the retailer said yesterday.  read more

Retail trading densities for South Africa’s largest shopping centres increased by 10.2 percent in the last quarter of 2011, despite people making fewer visits to the malls, the Investment Property Databank (IPD) said yesterday. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) jumped to a two-year high of 57.9 in February from 53.2 in January, sponsors Kagiso Asset Management said on Thursday. read more

Johannesburg - The Competition Appeal Court will release its judgment next Friday on the review of the Walmart-Massmart merger. read more

New orders for long-lasting US manufactured goods fell in January by the most in three years as demand slumped across the board, suggesting the economy started the year on weaker footing than expected.  read more

Johannesburg - Business conditions in manufacturing improved slightly in the fourth quarter of 2011 but the sector remains under pressure, the Manufacturing Circle said on Wednesday. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa’s economic growth is likely to have accelerated in the fourth quarter of last year, driven mainly by higher consumer demand boosted by lower interest rates, a Reuters poll showed on Monday. read more

In an innovative joint venture Atterbury Properties and Pick n Pay will create a R160 million flagship 10,000sqm next-generation ‘green’ store for the leading retailer. read more

Some experts believe that tough times are ahead for the agriculture industry. The sector faces thousands of job losses as the number of commercial farmers continues to decline, putting a lot of strain on agricultural insurance businesses. read more

Since the 2009 recession, grape and wine consumers have opted to buy cheaper, leaving producers in a cost-price squeeze with income failing to keep up with rises in production costs, according to a recent study by wine producers’ body Vinpro. read more

Technology giants Hewlett-Packard and Dell are keeping a close eye on rising wages amongst their Chinese suppliers with both unsure where these costs will be absorbed. read more

SA’s biggest clothing retailer, Edcon, will accelerate space growth this year, chief financial officer Steve Binnie said yesterday, ending a conservative two or three years for the retailer. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa's biggest listed clothes retailer Truworths International [JSE:TRU] reported a 14% increase in first-half profit, lifted by higher prices and new stores. read more

Johannesburg - Nigeria has the potential to become as big a retail market for Shoprite Holdings [JSE:SHP] as its home base, the head of the supermarket chain said on Tuesday, playing down concerns of rising poverty in Africa's most populous country. read more

Investec Private Banking has provided funding for the 23,000m² development of Nicolway Bryanston Shopping centre in Johannesburg on behalf of The Rodrigues Group. read more

Cape Town - South Africa plans to invest R2bn to build an ethanol plant and help a nascent biofuels sector that could reduce the country’s reliance on imported fuel, an industry player said on Monday. read more

Cape Town-based Pick n Pay announced the appointment of Rod Salmon, who will take the position of Divisional Manager, General Merchandise at the retailer from 1 March 2012. read more

Pick n Pay Stores Ltd.’s Ackerman family should loosen its hold over South Africa’s second-largest supermarket chain if a new chief executive officer is to ward off competition from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), analysts and fund managers said. read more

Agribusiness firm Senwes, along with an international partner, Bunge, on Friday announced plans to investigate the viability of an oilseed crushing plant — a move that would create an alternative higher value market for farmers. read more

Johannesburg - Whether Walmart ultimately succeeds in buying a controlling share of major South African chain Massmart Holdings [JSE:MSM] could affect whether other Americans come to do business on the continent, a US Chamber of Commerce official said Thursday.  read more

High-end retailer Woolworths will be opening 10 new bigger-format supermarkets in the medium term, CEO Ian Moir said yesterday, the first of which will be on William Nicol Drive in Bryanston, Johannesburg, the street where competitor Pick n Pay has set up its premium offering. read more

New Sony chief executive officer has warned that cost-cutting is a priority in the company’s TV business and supply chain as the company counts the cost of a fourth consecutive annual loss. read more

Less than two years after Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Moolman Group started the construction of its most ambitious R500 million retail project to date, the eagerly awaited Middelburg Mall will open its doors to shoppers on 19 April 2012. read more

Johannesburg - Around 80 000 new jobs were created in January, according to the Adcorp Employment Index released on Monday. read more

Companies looking to trade within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) need deep pockets, plenty of patience and excellent organising skills to keep track of all the required paperwork. read more