Latest news with #AirportsCompanySouthAfrica
News24
3 days ago
- Business
- News24
‘Operations remain normal': Contingency measures in place amid FlySafair strike, says ACSA
Airports Company South Africa said operations remain normal at all airports despite FlySafair's industrial action. Gallo Images/Volksblad/ Mlungisi Louw Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now
IOL News
15-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Ethics in the grey zone: governing conflicts of interest with courage
Though the award process to Sizekhaya Holdings may have complied with legal requirements, the absence of visible and transparent disclosures around these relationships undermined trust. In governance, perception matters. Poor or absent disclosure damages legitimacy, even without legal fault. Image: Cape Argus By Nqobani Mzizi In governance, few terms provoke as much unease as "conflict of interest". It conjures images of overt corruption, self-dealing and backroom deals. Yet in many boardrooms, the more dangerous form is covert and subtle. It emerges not through criminality but convenience, not through law-breaking but ethical lapses that thrive in silence and passivity. These are the conflicts that live in the grey zone. We often associate conflicts of interest with clear-cut wrongdoing: a director awarding a tender to their own company, a regulator sitting on a board they're meant to oversee. But many conflicts are more nuanced. They live in assumptions we don't question, relationships we don't declare, and benefits we don't probe. Often, they hide in plain sight: in annual declaration forms submitted as routine or meeting registers listing interests without discussion or follow-up. These processes, meant to enable transparency, become hollow rituals without meaningful engagement and ethical reflection. Grey-zone conflicts are not always compliance failures; they are ethical blind spots where governance falters under silence, ambiguity, or convenience. They are technically compliant but ethically compromised. They flourish where disclosure is absent, recusal is performative, and boards look the other way, not because they condone wrongdoing, but because they've normalised ambiguity. It is here, in the comfort of procedure without principle, that governance erodes. King IV recognises this risk. South African law requires declaration of personal financial interests and sets fiduciary duties, but King IV Principles 1 and 5 go further, calling for ethical and effective leadership beyond legal minimalism. A director may comply with the law but betray governance's spirit by failing to disclose a relationship or by participating in decisions blurred by personal gain. When Sizekhaya Holdings was awarded the fourth National Lottery licence in 2025, public concern quickly surfaced over the perceived political connections of its leadership, including ties to relatives of senior government officials. Though the award process may have complied with legal requirements, the absence of visible and transparent disclosures around these relationships undermined trust. In governance, perception matters. Poor or absent disclosure damages legitimacy, even without legal fault. At the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), CEO Mpumi Mpofu came under fire for alleged misrepresentation of academic qualifications and awarding bonuses to executives during financial strain. With service providers unpaid and operational performance under scrutiny, the optics of bonuses raised ethical questions. Although no formal charges were brought, the board's failure to address these concerns reflected a worrying tolerance for ethical ambiguity: a grey zone where silence replaced scrutiny. The Steinhoff International scandal, known for accounting fraud, also revealed subtle but corrosive conflicts of interest. Executives linked to related-party transactions personally benefited from inflated financial results. Despite this, the board did not act urgently. It failed to question transactions, investigate relationships, or push for disclosure. The board's deference to executive authority, whether out of loyalty, deference, or inertia, allowed personal interest to override fiduciary duty, shifting oversight to complicity. These cases show governance failures need not involve overt misconduct. Sometimes, it is the cumulative effect of quiet compromises: undisclosed affiliations, soft recusal, where directors nominally step aside without meaningful disengagement, and silence under pressure that unravels institutional integrity. The Steinhoff scandal, like the cases of Sizekhaya and Acsa, reveals a pattern: grey-zone conflicts thrive where boards privilege process over principle. They are not isolated failures but systemic symptoms of a governance culture that rewards silence over scrutiny. To break this cycle, boards must reframe conflicts of interest as strategic governance moments, not bureaucratic disclosures to file away. They must take an uncompromising stance on ethical ambiguity, recognising that every potential conflict is an opportunity to demonstrate ethical clarity and transparent leadership. This mindset demands more than compliance; it requires courage. Disclosure practices must be strengthened. Too often, boards limit declarations to statutory interests or ownership stakes, ignoring broader context. Personal, familial, or political affiliations that may create perceived bias must be declared and discussed openly. Some argue excessive scrutiny risks paralysing decision-making. Yet the greater danger lies in inaction disguised as pragmatism. Boards that tolerate grey-zone conflicts to avoid 'overcomplication' ultimately erode the very currency of governance: trust. Boards must create environments where over-disclosure is encouraged, not penalised. Oversight mechanisms must be more robust and independent. Conflict reviews should not be managed by internal structures reporting to those under scrutiny. Independent ethics committees with external expertise can depoliticise assessments. But structures alone are insufficient without cultural change. Boards must adopt zero tolerance toward grey-zone conflicts, where even perceived compromised judgment triggers recusal, not just legal violations. Ethical behaviour must be incentivised, not incidental. Executive performance metrics often focus on profitability, growth, or shareholder value. But ethical governance should be tied to performance evaluations and bonus structures. Stakeholder trust, reputational stewardship and ethical conduct must carry weight in boardroom remuneration decisions. Finally, governance culture must prioritise values over vagueness. It is not enough to have conflict of interest policies on paper. Boards must actively pose ethical questions, encourage critical reflection and normalise discomfort. A culture that rewards candour, curiosity and dissent is one that builds long-term resilience and trust. Ethical governance lives in the gap between law and leadership. Conflict of interest is not merely a legal risk; it is a test of character. It demands more than checklists and compliance registers. It demands boards and executives who are willing to declare their interests fully, recuse themselves meaningfully and interrogate decisions with integrity. As directors, we must ask ourselves: Are we fostering a boardroom culture that prioritises disclosure over defensiveness? Are we willing to challenge colleagues when grey-zone decisions arise? Do we understand the reputational cost of passive complicity? Are we prepared to act with courage when conflict surfaces, or will we hide behind process? In an era of rising public scrutiny and stakeholder activism, governance legitimacy will not be earned by technical compliance. It will be earned by ethical clarity. And that clarity is forged in the grey zones, where the law is silent, but leadership must speak. Nqobani Mzizi is a Professional Accountant (SA), (IoDSA) and an Academic. Image: Supplied * Nqobani Mzizi is a Professional Accountant (SA), (IoDSA) and an Academic. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. BUSINESS REPORT
Time Out
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Cape Town International crowned #1 airport in the world
Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) has officially clinched the world's best airport title in the newly released AirHelp Score 2025. The airport has outperformed 249 other global hubs with an exceptional overall score of 8.57, including an on-time performance rating of 8.6 and a customer experience score of 8.7. According to Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), the airport handled a total of 10.49 million two-way passengers in 2024, a 7% increase compared to 2023. However, this figure is still lower than record numbers between 2018 and 2019, when passenger numbers averaged close to 11 million. Domestic traffic grew by 6%, while air cargo volumes saw a notable 27% growth in the first 10 months of last year. As AirHelp's emphasis on real‑time data and passenger-sourced sentiment grows, CTIA's #1 global ranking spotlights South Africa's emerging status as a world-class aviation hub. The AirHelp Score gauges performance across: • On-time punctuality (60%) • Customer sentiment (20%) • Quality of food and shops (20%) Notably, this assessment spans 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, and incorporates feedback from 13,500 travellers across 58 countries.
IOL News
12-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Cape Town International Airport named world's best, achieving top recognition in AirHelp score
Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) on Friday announced a significant achievement, with Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) securing the number one spot in the prestigious AirHelp Score 2025. This top ranking places CTIA at the forefront of global airport service excellence, reaffirming its position as a world-class hub for travelers. CTIA received an outstanding overall score of 8.57, with particularly impressive marks for on-time performance (8.6) and customer experience (8.7). This exceptional performance highlights the airport's commitment to operational excellence and delivering a seamless, top-tier experience for passengers.
IOL News
07-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Creecy unveils six key targets to enhance South Africa's transport capabilities
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy speaking at the 2025 Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) in Pretoria on Monday. Image: Supplied Banele Ginidza Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has unveiled a bold strategy aimed at improving South Africa's transport sector's freights and goods handling capacity and to transform the passenger, freight, and aviation sectors over the next four years. Speaking at the 2025 Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) in Pretoria on Monday, Creecy said the first target was to increase freight volume on the Transnet network to 250 million tons annually by 2029, a move that is expected to strengthen the backbone of South Africa's logistics framework. Addressing port efficiency, Creecy also said South Africa aimed to achieve an international operational benchmark of 30 gross crane movements per hour when loading and unloading vessels, a standard necessary for remaining competitive in global markets. 'We need to achieve this standard to remain globally competitive,' Creecy noted. Passenger transport also features prominently in Creecy's strategy, with a commitment to ensure that the passenger rail system provides safe, reliable, and affordable transport. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The goal is to achieve 600 million passenger journeys per annum by 2030, underpinned by an extensive revitalisation of the rail network. By the end of May 2025, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) aims to reopen 35 out of 40 passenger corridors, resulting in an expected increase in journeys from 77 million last year to 116 million by 2025/26. The aviation sector is also poised for significant enhancements with a projected increase to 42 million passengers annually moving through the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) network by the end of Creecy's current political term. To facilitate this growth, Creecy announced that R21.7 billion has been allocated to the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) for infrastructure development, which includes modernising passenger facilities and constructing a new freight terminal at OR Tambo International Airport. Highlighting the economic role of South African Airways (SAA), Creecy said a recent Oxford Economics Africa study confirmed SAA contributed R9.1bn to the GDP in 2023/24, with projections rising to R32.6bn by 2029/30. Creecy said SAA was set to support 86 700 jobs by the end of this term, up from 25 000 at present. To solidify South Africa's standing in regional and international trade, a target of 1.2 million tons of airfreight per annum through Acsa airports has also been set. This initiative positions the country as a vital player in the logistics landscape. The sixth – and most critical – target is to reduce road fatalities by 45% by 2029, in line with the United Nations (UN) goal of halving road deaths by 2030. Creecy praised the progress made so far, reporting a consistent 9% annual decline in accidents and fatalities, but emphasised the need to intensify efforts to reduce pedestrian deaths, which account for 44% of fatalities. With a keen focus on the rail industry, Creecy reiterated the department's commitment to rejuvenating rail transport as a primary means of moving people and goods. She reaffirmed that rail is poised to be a central pillar of the transport infrastructure, urging the need for increased private sector investment as state resources are limited. 'To guide private sector investment in our five priority rail and port corridors, we have just concluded a Request for Information process,' she said. Creecy also confirmed the establishment of the Private Sector Participation Unit at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), which will help direct private investment into rail and port infrastructure. On road infrastructure, Creecy acknowledged public concerns, noting that the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) has taken over 3 099 kilometres of provincial roads at the request of premiers and has reprioritised funding to ensure these roads are maintained. However, she cautioned that Sanral cannot take on further upgrades without overburdening its budget. To strengthen oversight, Creecy announced that R94 million has been allocated to provide technical support to provincial road departments. She also revealed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the South African Local Government Association (Salga) to monitor spending on the Municipal Infrastructure Grant. On the taxi industry, which transports more than 85% of commuters, Minister Creecy emphasised the need for formalisation and the elimination of criminality. 'We are working with banks and vehicle manufacturers to de-risk financing and develop a Standard Operating Procedure for issuing operating licences,' she said. 'A fully integrated transport system lies at the heart of any nation's development. It is the artery through which progress flows, connecting communities, facilitating trade, and enabling access to opportunities. Our responsibility – as role players in the transport sector – is immense.' BUSINESS REPORT
