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Johannesburg, 8 October 2026 — Elias Monage, the newly elected President of the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), called on the organistion to be an authoritative voice for industry, especially as a new wage agreement will need to be negotiated in 2027, when the current ones expires. He told the SEIFSA

Collective bargaining does not take place in a vacuum; it is woven into the very fabric of our broader socio-economic reality. As we prepare for the 2027 Main Agreement Wage Negotiations, we must confront a sobering truth: South Africa’s manufacturing sector is sliding deeper into crisis. Industrial operations are currently buckling under severe policy uncertainty,

Fear is a powerful motivator. It attracts attention, shapes perceptions and, if repeated often enough, becomes accepted as fact. Read enough of NEASA’s newsletters and one quickly begins to recognise a familiar pattern. The subject may change, but the conclusion almost never does. Whether the issue is collective bargaining, employment costs, bargaining council agreements or

President Cyril Ramaphosa has proclaimed 1 July 2026 as the official commencement date for the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Amendment Act in 62 designated municipalities. This reform shifts traffic violations from a criminal to an administrative system, impacting corporate fleet compliance and fine management. For further information please see below: AARTO Amendment

Management will be aware, from various media reports, that the 30 June intended mass action is being driven primarily by March and March’s demands that government take immediate action against undocumented foreigners, including stricter border enforcement and the deportation of foreign nationals. For further information please see Management Brief below: Management Brief 30 June March

  Members will be aware that the MEIBC Pension and Provident Fund Collective Agreements were re-gazetted on 18 May 2026 for a further twelve-month period. Accordingly, all terms, including the schedule of employer contribution rate increases remain legally binding for the duration of this extension period. Please see below for further information: Increase in Contributions

SEIFSA invites you to a high-level business breakfast convening government and industry leadership for a focused discussion on South Africa’s industrial outlook through the lens of industrial policy, macroeconomic conditions, and trade dynamics. The session will feature a keynote address by the Honourable Zuko Godlimpi, Deputy Minister of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition

SEIFSA is pleased to confirm that the Honourable Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity and Energy, will join the Powering Industrialisation Conference taking place this Thursday, 11 June 2026, at Emperors Palace. The Minister joins an already distinguished line-up of leaders from government, the National Transmission Company South Africa, the Independent Power Producers Office, the Department