The Roundup — Monday, 27 July 2026
The business day in five minutes — Monday, 27 July 2026.
Christian Maidman
Intel just posted its best growth in over 15 years, powered by AI
Second-quarter revenue jumped 25% as demand for AI chips surged, though the market still wants proof the turnaround can last.
Editor’s pick
South Africans now gamble a fifth of the economy, and the damage is mounting
New reporting by GroundUp and data group The Outlier shows online betting has exploded past R1 trillion a year, while calls to the gambling helpline have jumped more than fifteenfold.
The old phone company is now a data business, and it is paying shareholders more
Telkom lifted its dividend by two-thirds after a year in which data revenue climbed to nearly 60% of the total and cash flow strengthened.
Why pork just got a lot cheaper at the till
A feared shortage turned into a glut, and wholesale pork has slid from about R40 a kilo back down to R30. Here is what happened.
Mr Price's German bet is paying off, just as local shoppers run out of room
A 45% jump in sales looks stellar, until you strip out the new German chain and see how hard South African consumers are being squeezed.
The fund guarding civil servants' pensions just lost most of its board
In a single week, six directors quit the Public Investment Corporation, the chair resigned and the finance minister stepped in. At the centre: a fight over top investment jobs and a R411 million payment.
Big story
Why the Reserve Bank left your loan repayments exactly where they are
Most economists bet on a rate hike this week. The Reserve Bank held steady instead, the rand tumbled, and even the governor admits he might be proven wrong.
South Africa wants to build electric-car batteries, not just dig up what goes in them
A five-year, UN-backed programme aims to give the country the labs, skills and recycling to claim a place in the electric-vehicle battery chain.
Forbes just put South Africa's most expensive homes in a global shop window
The invitation-only Forbes Global Properties network has launched locally, aiming to sell Atlantic Seaboard and Winelands trophy homes to foreign buyers.
Big story
Pepkor is betting R21 billion on banking South Africa's cash economy
The retailer behind Pep and Ackermans is merging Flash and Shop2Shop into a payments business aimed at the country's R1 trillion informal market.
South Africa's weight-loss jab market is about to get a lot more crowded
The country's medicine regulator is weighing a dozen generic copies of the drug behind Ozempic and Wegovy, and cheaper prices should follow.