March 2026

Investing for the future is the talking point this month. How do you do so effectively when everything around is changing so fast? AI, digitisation, interest rates, labour relations, politics, geopolitical environments, international trading relations – the new reality is that there is seemingly that there is no stability and entrepreneurs must calculate risk and invest, despite being more exposed to external shocks than ever before.

Committing resources to any sort of expansion is tough enough when you know the likely course of the future, but in today’s environment a big-ticket spend seems like a whole different prospect. That is why we have talked to a range of companies across different industries to get a feeling for the appetite for investment and the challenges therein.

43 Air School, based at Port Alfred, is the perfect starting point. A globally recognised institution, the company is at capacity. CEO Attie Niemann tells us that the business will invest in its fleet and in its capability, even though air travel, especially in southern Africa, is a difficult and quickly-changing industry. How can he justify such an outlay? Personal experience of riding the ups and downs, and the clear signals from customers.

At Mondi, one of the largest manufacturers in South Africa, new infrastructure is being installed onsite with the goal of improving efficiency, enhancing sustainability credentials, and saving money in the longer-term. A new industrial boiler will be put in place to achieve these much-desired outcomes. But again, this is a capex intensive project. What gives the company confidence? Transformation Director, Sandile Ngcobo, says that ongoing strength of performance buffers the company in the medium-term.

For Allweld, the nuclear specialist in welding, investing in new people is not a simple task. The company only employs the best in the world and has to certify employees to global standards as it looks to expand in new markets, including the UK. CEO Mervyn Fischer tells us that his excitement around growth stems from an untapped market. There are few others on the African continent that can deliver the level of service that Allweld provides, and this reinforces his bullishness about the company’s future.

What investments is your business making? And do you see them as a risk? How do you justify spending in such a volatile environment? Get online and talk to us. We’re always available at LinkedIn.