Resolve Communications @ResolveComms

RESPONSE TO DAILY MAVERICK ARTICLE Strip away the framing of today’s Daily Maverick piece and here's what the story actually says: a person who once worked at Resolve a number of years ago, who knows RICA and SIM-card fraud well, went on to raise it in Parliament and in the media of her own volition, after she left. That's it. That's the whole story. Despite this, Rebecca Davis of the Daily Maverick decided to build a whole story based around an inference built on the fact that someone once worked for Resolve. If that's the standard, no MP with real-world expertise could ever legislate in their own field: not a doctor, not a lawyer, not a trade unionist, not an accountant. Expertise from a past career is usually an asset for a lawmaker, yet here, conveniently, it's been recast as evidence of something strangely sinister. SIM-card fraud and weak RICA enforcement fuel real violent crime in this country. An MP who understands that and pursues it hard should be welcomed, not smeared. Turning that into a “gotcha” moment isn't journalism, it's a hatchet job.

This week in South Africa: Stats SA's May manufacturing data lands on Thursday, a key test of how industry is weathering the recent oil-price shock ahead of the Reserve Bank's rate decision next week. The PSC releases its long-awaited SITA investigation report, while the Madlanga Commission resumes corruption hearings, and an EMPD officer arrested on the back of its testimony appears in court. Cape Town hosts the Board of Healthcare Funders conference on NHI and affordability; Pretoria hosts a public economics conference on youth unemployment amid 60.9% joblessness among 15-24-year-olds; and Sandton hosts a summit on the future of broadcasting. SAMWU marches on Pretoria over municipal funding and unpaid salaries, and the SARB's Prudential Authority briefs media on its annual report. 🔗 Read more here: resolvecommunications.co.za/resolve-rundow…

Statement by Tony Leon, Executive Chairman of Resolve Communications 30 June 2026

This week in South Africa: Johannesburg's fiscal crisis escalates as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana issues a Tuesday deadline for accountability on irregular expenditure and a R10.3 billion wage deal, threatening a Section 216(2) intervention that would halt all transfers to the city. Anti-immigration marches planned across South Africa on Tuesday, set under March and March's 30 June deadline, raise acute humanitarian and security concerns given previous violence and displacement, prompting warnings from civil society and the South African Human Rights Commission. Meanwhile, parliament enters its constituency period as the legislative pipeline slows, and the Land Reform Minister hands over R50m in farming support. Economic indicators dominate the week: the trade balance, manufacturing and private-sector PMIs, vehicle sales, and new municipal tariffs will provide fresh snapshots of cost pressures, demand constraints, and the emerging contraction in business activity. 🔗 Read more here: resolvecommunications.co.za/resolve-rundow…

Silence is not always golden When a crisis hits, saying nothing feels safe. In this week's Resolve Insight's piece, Katharine Child argues it rarely is: silence hands the narrative to someone else, and in a fast-moving media cycle with a permanent digital record, that's a cost most can't afford. 🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: resolvecommunications.co.za/silence-is-not…

This week in South Africa: The Electoral Commission briefs Parliament on voter registration ahead of November local elections, while economic signals weaken, with consumer confidence expected to fall and producer inflation set to rise sharply as fuel and transport costs bite. Simultaneously, South Africa deepens its engagement with strategic partners through the SA–EU Cooperation Council and the Deputy President's working visit to China, while Parliament tackles the Phala Phala impeachment process and municipal financial accountability comes under the Auditor-General's scrutiny. Regional trade discussions also continue through customs union meetings in Cape Town. 🔗 Read more here: resolvecommunications.co.za/resolve-rundow…

When comradeship is in short supply, stay on message The Comrades Marathon has endured for 105 years, while other campaigns that rely on division dominate the headlines only to disappear. In this week's Resolve Insight, Gerhard Mulder argues that messages built on shared goals compound quietly over time, and the most powerful communications strategy is simply pointing at what's already earned people's trust. 🔗 Read the full article: resolvecommunications.co.za/when-comradesh…

This week in South Africa: Voter registration for the 2026 local government elections opens this weekend, setting the stage for November's municipal polls and shaping campaign momentum. Youth Day commemoration marks 50 years since the 1976 uprisings, while the Mineral Resources Department unveils a new cadastral system to improve mining sector transparency. The Phala Phala court application heads for hearing as consumer inflation accelerates and retail sales weaken under fuel and household pressure. Ministers headline an empowerment conference focused on economic transformation, while by-elections in Buffalo City will test political support ahead of the local government elections. 🔗 Read more here: resolvecommunications.co.za/resolve-rundow…

Guns and butter: defence can help grow SA South Africa’s defence industry should be creating jobs, driving innovation and expanding the country’s global influence. Instead, regulatory paralysis and policy neglect are pushing billions in investment and opportunity elsewhere. In this week’s Resolve Insight, Loftus Marais argues that South Africa is allowing one of its most advanced industries to quietly collapse. 🔗 Read full article: resolvecommunications.co.za/guns-and-butte…

This week in South Africa: Bafana Bafana opens its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Mexico as South Africa returns to football’s biggest stage, with the tournament carrying sporting, reputational and economic significance amid disrupted preparations caused by visa delays. At the same time, attention turns to weak GDP growth as the country returns to football’s biggest stage, with the tournament carrying sporting, reputational, and economic significance amid disrupted preparations due to the outbreak, mining and manufacturing output, and the Reserve Bank’s latest financial stability assessments as investors gauge the country’s economic trajectory. Parliament also intensifies scrutiny of municipal finances and the Phala Phala matter, while preparations for the 2026 local government elections accelerate through IEC briefings, by-elections, and early mayoral positioning. 🔗 Read more here: resolvecommunications.co.za/resolve-rundow…

The Regulatory State vs Innovation: Why South Africa is becoming harder to invest in South Africa is desperate for investment, yet increasingly hostile to the certainty investors require. In this week’s Resolve Insight, Paul Boughey argues that regulatory drift, policy instability and bureaucratic inertia are making South Africa harder to invest in at exactly the moment growth, jobs and innovation are needed most. 🔗 Read full article: resolvecommunications.co.za/the-regulatory…

Celebrating 13 years of Resolve Communications 🎊 13 years of wins, growth, and change. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey - from our clients to our colleagues, current and former. We look forward to all that is to come 🥂

This week in South Africa: Parliament’s newly formed Phala Phala impeachment committee begins its work amid renewed scrutiny of executive accountability, while key economic indicators, including manufacturing activity, vehicle sales, fuel prices, business confidence and electricity production, provide a fresh snapshot of pressure points across the economy. Oversight of municipal governance also sharpens as SCOPA reviews Johannesburg’s deteriorating financial position, while South Africa hosts Kenyan President William Ruto for a state visit focused on trade, investment and regional economic cooperation. Against this backdrop, investors and policymakers will be watching closely for signals on reform momentum, fiscal stability and broader business confidence. 🔗 Read more here: resolvecommunications.co.za/resolve-rundow…

When the lights stay on everywhere else South Africa may have stabilised load-shedding nationally, but Johannesburg’s electricity crisis is increasingly playing out at municipal level through failing substations, ageing infrastructure and chronic outages. The economic costs remain significant — even if they are now easier to ignore. 🔗 Read full article: resolvecommunications.co.za/when-the-light…

This week in South Africa: Political attention turns to Parliament’s Phala Phala impeachment committee process and a series of by-elections that could offer fresh signals ahead of the 2026 local government elections. Economically, markets will closely watch the Reserve Bank’s interest rate decision, producer inflation data and private sector credit figures as higher fuel costs continue to place pressure on inflation and borrowing conditions. At the same time, Parliament will debate key issues ranging from AI policy and immigration backlogs to defence spending and labour protections, while South Africa deepens international engagement through EU diplomatic talks and industrial investment initiatives. 🔗 Read more: resolvecommunications.co.za/resolve-rundow…

A warning against the state war on expertise and evidence When policymaking drifts away from evidence and technical expertise, the risks extend far beyond politics. Decisions made without proper economic assessment can weaken competitiveness, delay delivery and deepen instability at exactly the moment resilience is needed most. 🔗 Read full article: resolvecommunications.co.za/a-warning-agai…

This week in South Africa: The aviation sector takes centre stage as SAA hosts continental industry leaders to map the future of African air travel, while government participation in the World Urban Forum highlights ongoing debates around housing, urbanisation and sustainable cities. Domestically, attention turns to economic pressures with inflation, retail sales and broader consumer trends under scrutiny, alongside key parliamentary activity ranging from water legislation and communications policy to SAPS strategy and municipal financial oversight. Politically, preparations for the 2026 local government elections continue to gather pace, with mayoral candidacies emerging and regional by-elections reflecting shifting voter sentiment, all against the backdrop of rising global geopolitical uncertainty. 🔗 Read more: resolvecommunications.co.za/resolve-rundow…