To stay ahead, every firm needs to invest for the future.  This investment can take the form of skills, research, premises or machinery and equipment, which essentially represents a choice between capital and labour.   It also does not have to be one or the other but can involve both. 

Almost two and a half months into 2026, and commodity markets have already experienced a significant amount of volatility and uncertainty. This is especially the case during times of disrupted supply chains, geopolitical friction, wars and socio-economic turmoil. Adverse events such as these may include strikes at major mines and

It seems like South African recyclers may have had a mixed 2025. A slightly stronger economy from 2025 Q2 onwards might have begun to be felt by recyclers, but it depends on which part of the industry is focused on. As the table below shows, non-ferrous metal prices mostly rose,

The Cobalt Institute expects global demand for cobalt to rise by 6% in 2026, amidst supply restrictions from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the world’s largest producer of cobalt. The DRC suspended cobalt exports in February 2025 to put a floor under falling cobalt prices caused by a