Yeshiel Panchia

Johannesburg

Freelance Journalist at Freelance

Hack at Daily Maverick. Business, investigations, OSINT, (silent) cartography. My tweets are not the opinions of my employer. Email me at [email protected]

Articles

Export problems – South African vehicle sector is at a crossroads

2 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

While May brought a surge in local car sales according to the National Automobile Dealers Association’s latest reporting, a sharp contraction in exports and rising global tariff tensions have pushed South Africa’s automotive industry to a crossroads. South Africa’s automotive industry may have enjoyed a high-revving May in local markets, but the road ahead is looking increasingly precarious.
Small business, big problems — SA’s entrepreneurs strangled by red tape

2 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

PAPERWEIGHT PROGRESS From left: Neesa Moodley, editor, Business Maverick. | Joshua Kadish, co-founder, director and CEO of Sourcefin.
Mass vaccination of South African poultry launched, Biosecurity Council set up

3 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Ed Stoddard |Yeshiel Panchia

Getting a grip on these multiple threats to animal health and welfare and the agricultural economy is vital and the Department of Agriculture is clearly signalling that it is taking a proactive approach. The first mass vaccination of poultry in South Africa is being launched to contain avian flu as the agriculture sector also grapples with a spreading outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease infecting livestock that has been detected at the world’s largest feedlot, in Gauteng.
Running on empty - OECD, banks and business warn SA of stagnation

3 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

CANARY IN THE COALMINE Gantry cranes sit above a container ship in the terminal at the Port of Durban, operated by Transnet.
High court dismisses EFF bid to prevent fuel levy hike

3 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

The Western Cape High Court has dismissed the EFF’s urgent bid to block a controversial fuel levy hike—just as fuel prices dip. From midnight, levies rise by 16c (petrol) and 15c (diesel), despite constitutional questions. It’s a pump paradox: taxpayers pay more, but pump prices briefly fall. In a ruling handed down yesterday, Judge Nathan Erasmus found that the EFF’s application lacked urgency and did not meet the legal threshold for interim relief.
South Africa's overlooked cybersecurity crisis

3 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

CYBERSECURITY GAP South Africa is becoming globally notorious in a field that should really be avoided: cybersecurity failure. A recent report from Virtual Private Network provider Surfshark shows that South Africa ranks second on the continent for data breaches.
EFF's court challenge of fuel levy hike tests legality of fiscal decisions

3 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

The EFF has filed an urgent court bid to block Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s fuel levy hike, arguing it is irrational, economically harmful and unlawfully implemented. This is not just the EFF showing commitment to its stance against the increase, but a relatively novel legal precedent that could have far-reaching implications.
No, there is no change to the retirement age

1 month ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

National Treasury has dismissed the claims contained in an article gaining traction through WhatsApp forwards and Facebook reposts. South Africa’s retirement age has not been changed. Some online articles, including one published on Zerode.co.za, have said South Africa is implementing sweeping pension reforms – most notably a uniform retirement age of 65 for all citizens regardless of gender or employment sector, and effective from 30 May 2025.
The fuel levy increase vs VAT hike explained

1 month ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

While South Africans breathed a sigh of relief at the passing of the 2025 National Budget – and the relegation of the proposed VAT increase – one announcement of note was an increase in the fuel levy. While far less politically contentious than a VAT hike, debate has emerged over whether the fuel levy increase is, in fact, a ‘stealth VAT’. It’s a shift that raises valid questions about regressivity, affordability, and who will bear the brunt of the cost.
SA's third fiscal offering for 2025 is a stopgap, not a solution

1 month ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Yeshiel Panchia

After months of political brinkmanship, a VAT revolt, and two failed attempts, South Africa’s third fiscal offering for 2025 has passed — not with vision, but with just enough duct tape to hold the economy together. Budget 3.0 isn’t a blueprint for growth — it’s a ceasefire between warring coalition partners, a lifeline for markets and a Band-Aid for a battered economy. Whether it holds, or builds, remains to be seen. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana opened his address in Parliament on Wednesday.