Poultry & Food Security: Aviagen South Africa has opened an expanded breeding facility at Schikfontein Farm in Heidelberg, boosting access to breeding stock, genetics and technical support for local customers as it targets more consistent poultry production. ICT Transformation: Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has sacked the chairperson of the B-BBEE ICT Sector Council, citing a collapse of trust and financial reporting failures after a probe. AI at Scale: Huawei South Africa Connect 2026 drew 2,900 leaders to push AI beyond pilots, with sessions spanning public services, energy, finance, telecoms and education. Mining & Jobs Pressure: Eastern Platinum’s Q2 loss widened to $6.1m as lower processing tonnages and higher costs hit results at its Crocodile River mine. Industrial Renewal: Dunlop Tyres completed a R1.7bn upgrade at its Ladysmith plant, adding new manufacturing technology to expand tyre output for local and African export markets. Energy & Transport Costs: Motorists face a likely September fuel price hike, with mid-month data pointing to petrol increases and diesel rising sharply. Unemployment Reality Check: South Africa’s official jobless rate climbed to 33.6% in Q2 2026, with youth unemployment also increasing. Regional Trade & Industry: SADC ministers’ meetings in Durban reiterated the push for deeper regional integration and trade. Climate & Water: A CSIR-STEPRI policy push calls for investment across the food value chain—transport, storage, processing and markets—to improve nutrition affordability.