Boardroom Talk: Meet James Martin, the government agent solving loadshedding crisis for KZN business

Being a glass-half-full person can be challenging when you live in my homeland. But every now and then we are provided a reminder that employing hope as a strategy is not as foolish as cynics would have us believe. Because we are not alone. There are many others hard at work, sacrificing much in the belief that they can make a difference..Like James Martin, buddy of Kasinomics author GG Alcock, who runs Economic Recovery for the uMgungunglovu district (PMB, Howick, Mooi River etc). We last engaged during the KZN Riots in July 2021 when my sleep deprived interviewee explained how intervention by taxi owners turned back a destructive wave that threatened to engulf KZN..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.My chat with him yesterday was equally uplifting. Martin told me his agency has facilitated the creation of massive battery plants, powered by IPPs, which within a year will be supplying electricity to business hubs during blackouts. Let that sink in. By December 2023, businesses in the major KZN Midlands hubs will be served by a collective solution delivered by a State agency. S'trues Bob. .Red tape coupled with political ideology would have made it impossible just months ago. But today even the most propagandized idealogue cannot argue against the socio-economic threat of loadshedding-stimulating unemployment. Especially in a region where memories of last year's Riots are fresh, with reminders of their consequences all around..The wise ones tell us to never waste a good crisis. James Martin hasn't. And, in the process, has created a template that can now be applied elsewhere in South Africa. It opens up the potential for widespread adoption of a home-grown solution to the existential crisis that electricity supply has become. Hope springs..More for you to read: .* Why Jeremy Siegel is cautiously optimistic about 2023. Jeremy Siegel, Wharton professor emeritus of finance, believes that the worst is over – forecasting with cautious optimism..* Who is Bernard Arnault, the world's richest person? The world's richest person according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index is Bernard Arnault – a French tycoon behind luxury-goods powerhouse LVMH..* Understanding the outrage in Ukraine. Protestors flood the streets of Ukraine as the disenfranchisement rapidly escalates with the ruling political party and its chosen actions..* Tesla stock has never been this cheap — and it could still drop further. Tesla Inc. shares are currently at one of their lowest prices as the electric car company deals with an array of challenges..* ICYMI: BizNews share portfolio December update: Switch to SA stocks pays off. This year has seen one of the most brutal market declines in history, thankfully the share portfolio has performed relatively well thanks to a recent move to SA stocks.

Boardroom Talk: Meet James Martin, the government agent solving loadshedding crisis for KZN business

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