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In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth interviews Charles de Wet, a Tax Executive at ENS. Charles has more than three decades of experience advising local and international clients across multiple industries. Notably, he was part of the team at the South African Revenue Service that implemented VAT in 1991. As such, a key question in the interview is whether VAT could again become a barrier after the significant delays last year. De Wet also explores why a wealth tax should be off the table, how smaller businesses could face less red tape, and why excise duties should, in an ideal world, be tempered.

In the first edition of Business Law Focus for 2026, host Evan Pickworth interviews Johan Steyn, a human-centred AI advocate, thought leader, and founder of AIforBusiness.net. While there is plenty of bluster and bravado about AI, there is also genuine concern, especially for lawyers who use it as a shortcut rather than a support tool and do not verify outputs. There are also clear use cases that simply cannot be ignored in 2026. While a National AI Policy Framework is being finalised, there is a need for stricter controls and a better understanding of accepted practical benefits today.

In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth interviews Avishkar Harriparsad, Partner, PKF Durban, about a new era of tariff turbulence, what businesses can expect, and how to navigate the choppy waters.

On 5 September 2025, the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) released a media statement reminding social media influencers of their obligation “to declare income earned from brand collaboration, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing, whether they have been paid in cash, products, or services.” In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth interviews Megan Landers, Senior Manager, at specialist tax firm AJM, to unpack what this means for those getting paid to post.

When introduced in 2009, the R1 million VAT threshold was generous. But inflation has eroded its real value. In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth speaks to tax expert from AJM, Leonard Willemse, about why the threshold should change and what the ideal level could be.

Employment equity targets published by employment & labour minister Nomakhosazana Meth in April are facing a legal showdown in court. In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth interviews labour expert from Baker McKenzie, Johan Botes, on what the changes may mean for business once implemented, key timelines and arguments for and against the changes.

Milton Cheng, the Global Chair of Baker McKenzie, joins host Evan Pickworth to discuss how geopolitical dynamics and resilience influence legal approaches in today’s interconnected world.

In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth interviews Ntebaleng Sekabate and Charles de Wet, Executives in ENS's tax practice, to unpack themes and trends to expect ahead of the Budget speech on February 19.

Many South Africans have experienced the frustration of receiving countless spam calls or unsolicited e-mails and text messages urging them to buy products or take up credit offers. To address these unwanted marketing intrusions, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has published proposed amendments to the regulations under the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 and calls for public comments by 15 January 2025. In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth is joined by Ashlin Perumall, Partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions department at Baker McKenzie South Africa, to discuss how these proposed amendments aim to enhance consumer privacy and provide stronger protection against unsolicited direct marketing practices, especially direct marketing by means of unsolicited electronic communications.

In the latest edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth interviews Michael Hewson, founder and director of Graphene Economics. They discuss key trends for big business on the transfer pricing front and unpack the recently introduced Global Minimum Tax Bill.

South Africa was added to the dreaded "grey list" in February 2023 for weaknesses in its anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) measures. While some notable progress has been made, especially in getting the private sector to update its reporting processes and being penalized if they do not, terrorist financing and money laundering remain lingering worries. One area under the microscope is nonprofit organisations, which are seen as vulnerable to terrorist financing abuse and money laundering. SARS has, therefore, undertaken to carefully oversee tax-exempt institutions to prevent their use for illegal activities.

This year’s theme for World Mental Health day is ‘Mental health at work’. In this edition of Business Law Focus host Evan Pickworth labour law expert at ENS, Lauren Salt. They discuss the obligations of employers to promote mental well-being and what needs to happen as the future of work evolves rapidly.

In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth interviews Jocelyn Katz, an Executive at ENS and Head in the Competition / Anti-Trust practice. They discuss a significant milestone in SA law – the 25th anniversary of the country’s competition law framework. They look at the highs, lows and what lies next, including the impact of new areas like AI.

Fashion can be a taxing business and in this edition of Business Law Focus host Evan Pickworth interviews Carlyn Frittelli Davies and Mansoor Parker from ENS on the industry’s battle between profit, people and planet.

In this edition of Business Law Focus, host Evan Pickworth interviews Liézal Mostert from ENS’s Intellectual Property team. They discuss the role of IP in empowering women in business, as well as how to get more women involved in the fast-developing IP practice area.