The world economy has proven more resilient than expected despite acute strains from multiple shocks, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday, forecasting only a slight slowing of global growth this year and in 2026. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the US economy had dodged a recession feared by many experts just six months ago. The US economy and many others had held up, given better policies, a more adaptable private sector, less severe import tariffs than feared - at least for now - and supportive financial conditions, according to a text of her remarks to an event at the Milken Institute in Washington.

Growth of the mining industry and the transformation of the economy are inextricably intertwined but need a stable, predictable regulatory environment that promotes both together, Minerals Council South Africa president Paul Dunne told the Joburg Indaba audience on Wednesday. A mining industry that attracts local and international capital for the development of new mines and the expansion of existing operations would, he said, create more employment opportunities, attract new entrants, and multiply all the benefits that the mining industry delivers for the country.

Norway-based independent risk management and assurance group DNV reports, in the ninth edition of its “Energy Transition Outlook”, that the policy reversals in the US regarding clean energy are having an insignificant impact on the global energy transition. Everywhere else, and especially in China, the momentum of the transition continues to accelerate. “It is more important than ever to evaluate the energy transition from a global perspective,” highlighted DNV Group president and CEO Remi Eriksen. “The global energy transition is not stalling – it is evolving, with momentum shifting to regions that are doubling down on clean technologies. Security has become the dominant driver of energy policy, and as our forecast shows, this is in sum accelerating the shift to renewables.”

South African defence acquisitions (and disposals and research and development agency) Armscor reported on Wednesday that it had recently led a South African defence industry delegation to Japan, for the inaugural bilateral Defence Industry Seminar. This was held at the South African Ambassador’s residence in Tokyo, and was the result of discussions held during the Defence and Security Equipment International Japan 2025 exhibition, in May. “This seminar comes at a time when global conflicts and geopolitical tensions are on the rise, threatening the stability of nations and regions,” pointed out Armscor Investment and Deal-Making Committee chairperson Zane Cleophas. “Such a context calls for robust partnerships and trusted allies to foster collaboration and resilience. At Armscor, we believe that dialogue and cooperation remain the most effective tools to address shared challenges and to advance global security.”

Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) this month celebrated assembling its three-millionth vehicle – a grey Polo Vivo – at its Kariega plant. Production at the Eastern Cape facility started in 1948.