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It’s that time of year again… celebration, festivity, and relaxation for most. With many in South Africa about to shut up shop and only roll up the shutters in mid-January, those critical last-minute tasks are being ticked off, and the sparks around the braai are hotting up.

This year, the festive break is well deserved. It has been an extremely challenging and difficult year for many businesses. Even those that have performed well have had to grind out results. While the pandemic seems like a distant memory, its legacy lives on and companies are still faced with the uncertainty cooked up during that period today.

The JSE performed reasonably well, and the other African exchanges were also reasonable and relatively stable. Tourism has rebounded well – we get the best insight from BIDTravel CFO Vivian van Wyk. Liquid fuels have been important for the region as the green transition remains slow. Reef Tankers Managing Director, Vic Ferreira tells us more about moving product around southern Africa. The automotive space has been challenged with much confusion around the global shift to electric powered transport. Passenger cars should be ready to make the switch, but many are not ready from an infrastructure and cost point of view. Add in constant port issues around the South African coast, and it makes for a bleak outlook. But if you manufacture locally, like UD Trucks, then you have a clear advantage. MD Filip Van Den Heede tells us that the business is enjoying a prosperous time while others sit all at sea.

For these businesses, there has been no luck this year. It has been all about grafting and fighting to hang on to market share, and growth through innovation and forward thinking.

If you have done remarkably well this year and are expecting good things in 2025, get in touch and let us know the secret. Equally, if you’re ready for a break after a strenuous 12 months, tell us more about what has made it so hard. We’re always online at LinkedIn.

Enjoy any break you might have, and we’ll be back with you in 2025 for more success, more entrepreneurialism, and more uniquely African innovation.