Users in South Africa may experience sudden loss of connection, for instance, late on a Tuesday evening, without the operator providing any notification regarding the cause or expected restoration time. After restarting equipment and checking the application, nothing changes. Contacting the call center only results in receiving a ticket number and a promise of a callback that never materializes. Two days later, the service is restored as quietly as it disappeared.
Although network failures are inevitable in a country with uneven power supply, the failure itself is not an indicator of the operator's quality. However, silence during such outages can become a decisive factor for the customer. The problem lies not in management ignoring the situation, but in the structural characteristics of the operators themselves, which impede timely communication.
The first deficiency relates to call centers. The industry has long sought to minimize costs associated with customer interaction by outsourcing this function. Outsourced centers are oriented towards contract metrics that encourage processing speed, contact cost, and call closure, rather than problem resolution. Consequently, the agent merely logs the failure, provides a number, and closes the ticket, creating the impression that the customer was processed rather than helped.
The second structural barrier is the organizational structure. Specialists who know about a tower malfunction and employees who interact with customers are in different departments, report to different managers, and use different systems. Network maintenance operations are evaluated based on uptime, whereas customer communications (under marketing or care) are assessed based on campaigns and sentiment. Failures occur at the intersection of these two spheres, and no one is responsible for informing customers about the breakdown and its expected resolution time.
The third factor is the technical infrastructure. Even operators striving to provide proactive updates often cannot do so because the fault detection systems were not initially integrated with customer communication systems. Fault management platforms notify technicians and track repairs, but they are not designed for mass messaging to all affected users. Integrating these systems competes for budget with projects that yield more obvious revenue. Thus, scalable communication during an outage is absent for most operators.
The combination of these factors transforms silence from a sign of negligence into a predictable consequence of the architecture: a call center built for cost savings, no owner for the customer problem, and no pathway from logging a failure to informing the user. This system reliably generates silence, regardless of management's sincere claims about customer care.
There is a way to test this hypothesis: if complaints accounted for network quality, the operator with the most negative network interaction would have the lowest measured network quality. However, the situation is the opposite. According to Opensignal's 2025 report on South Africa, based on billions of phone measurements, MTN won 11 out of 15 awards, including all overall experience awards. Rain received recognition only in the voice communication category. Ookla recorded MTN's median mobile download speed at 74.76 Mbps, the highest figure in the country, and Icasa registered national 4G population coverage at 99.5%. This indicates that the bottleneck is not the network itself, and MTN maintains leadership across various benchmarks.
However, when compared to customer perception, the picture changes drastically. The operational customer experience score from DataEQ is almost directly opposed to network quality ratings. Rain, which ranks last in network quality, shows the highest sentiment among operators—+16%. MTN, leading in the network, shows a score of -17%. The better-measured network lags behind the worst in how its customers feel. Cell C also has a positive score of +11%, and here the comparison is cleanest: Cell C does not own its own network but uses MTN and Vodacom networks, so its customers primarily use MTN towers.
When the same towers yield opposite results depending on the name on the bill, it means the measured metric does not reflect the towers themselves. This gap needs careful examination, as the two datasets measure different things. Benchmarks assess speed and coverage via devices, while DataEQ measures user feedback, which includes billing, pricing, fixed-line services, and repair difficulties.
Therefore, customer sentiment reflects not the network itself, but all the surrounding factors. The report indicates exactly which aspects are causing damage: network coverage is rated at -27%, which is poor but tolerable, while customer service is -85%, account administration is -80%, and the call center is the worst channel in the industry with a rating of -84%, with only 39% of urgent messages receiving any response.
The network is not the reason for decreased satisfaction; it is the service surrounding it. It should be noted that Cell C's score could have been inflated by a coverage campaign, which is narrative control, not service improvement. Rain demonstrates a clearer signal, as its rating is based on the ability of agents to resolve issues the same day. Customers value the entire network interaction experience: getting a response, being informed, and having the issue resolved.
Solving this problem turns out to be cheaper than it seems. If the system generates silence, the system itself must be changed, not just the messages: a single communication owner must be assigned during an outage with authority over all operations and service areas; the contact function metrics must be changed from focusing on throughput to focusing on resolution; and the failure systems must be integrated with customer systems so that status updates happen automatically, rather than requiring heroic effort. None of this requires new spectrum or a complete network overhaul. Communication during an outage must be viewed as an integral part of the product. Operators who continue to view this as a secondary issue do not lack goodwill; they lack ownership, incentive, and necessary connectivity.
According to a new study by the Bureau of Economic Research (BER), the difficulties faced by South African municipalities are due to weak governance and inefficient financial management, rather than a lack of funds. The report asserts that significant reforms at the municipal level are necessary to achieve faster economic growth.
BER found that municipalities continue to receive about 75% of their operating income from their own tax bases, but they are increasingly unable to collect funds owed by residents and businesses. By December 2025, municipalities were owed R234.7 billion in unpaid consumer debt. Furthermore, municipalities had debts to Eskom amounting to R70.1 billion and to water utilities amounting to R25.9 billion, creating serious pressure on cash flow and hindering infrastructure investment.
This report was published two weeks after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana suspended national government transfers to 69 municipalities due to governance and financial administration failures, signaling a tougher stance from the National Treasury. BER welcomed Godongwana's decision to freeze transfers to underperforming municipalities, noting that it demonstrates the National Treasury's willingness to use its constitutional powers to improve governance, despite political tensions ahead of next year's local government elections.
The report also supported reforms within Operation Vukhelindela 2.0 and the current review of the White Paper on Local Government, but warned of risks associated with attempting to implement too many changes simultaneously, deeming that 'a shorter, clearly prioritized list of high-impact changes is likely better than a long list.'
Key recommendations from BER include strengthening intervention powers under Section 139 of the Constitution, as current interventions have become a 'revolving door rather than a recovery mechanism.' It also suggests granting appointed administrators greater authority, including the ability to assume the functions of municipal managers and financial directors, to revive non-functioning municipalities. BER called for isolating municipal electricity and water services within financially sustainable models, professionalizing the appointment of senior municipal officials, reviewing the local government funding model, and completely overhauling the municipality classification system.
The report noted that nearly 70% of municipalities in the Free State, including Mangaung, faced transfer delays, followed by 57% of municipalities in the North West, while only three municipalities in the Western Cape were affected. BER concluded that South African municipalities are 'too important to fail,' as this is where economic growth occurs and where citizens interact most closely with the state, but warned that without clear reform priorities and stronger governance, implementation could be undermined by its own ambition.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Ather Energy announced on Tuesday that it has successfully raised ₹1300 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP). This placement was launched on July 15 as part of a larger capital infusion plan amounting to ₹2500 crore.
The offering received a positive response from both foreign and domestic institutional investors. Leading Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) participating included ADIA, White Oak, and William Blair. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) involved were HDFC Mutual Fund, Axis Mutual Fund, and Edelweiss Mutual Fund, the company reported.
Ather Energy completed the closure of the ₹1300 crore QIP by issuing 1.08 crore shares at a price of ₹1202 per share. This outcome indicates high investor confidence in the company. The company specified that the raised capital will be directed towards supporting Ather's growth initiatives, including production expansion and new product development, as well as strengthening institutional investor trust in the company's long-term development strategy.
The QIP deal, which closed on Monday, was oversubscribed eight times, and the transaction occurred at a premium to the trading price. This phenomenon demonstrates immense faith from shareholders and investors in the company. Co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy, Tarun Mehta, noted this in an X post on Tuesday. Mehta added that he, along with many existing company partners, including co-founder Swapnil, is also investing in a larger funding round at this stage of Ather's development.
US President Donald Trump has proposed a phased plan to introduce tariffs on imported generic drugs, which could reach 200% by 2028, aiming to stimulate American production. This move is significant for the Indian pharmaceutical industry and bilateral trade.
Under the proposal, generic medicines imported into the US will be subject to zero tariffs for two years, starting August 1st. After this, the zero-tariff period will be extended for another year, after which the rate will increase to 100%, eventually reaching 200% in August 2029. This phased structure is intended to give pharmaceutical companies time to relocate manufacturing capacity to the US before punitive duties take effect.
Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that this measure aims at 'bringing generic drug manufacturing back to America,' penalizing companies that fail to build factories and equipment within the specified period.
This announcement is part of Trump's broader strategy to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the US and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains. According to Trump, the policy's goal is to protect US citizens, while policies regarding patented, branded, and innovative drugs will remain unchanged.
Trump has repeatedly argued that the US pays significantly more for medications than many other countries and has sought to address accessibility issues by reforming the pharmaceutical sector. This issue has gained political importance ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections. Previously, in April 2025, his administration initiated an investigation under national oversight of pharmaceutical imports according to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. In April of this year, Trump signed an executive order tightening tariffs to 100% on imported branded pharmaceutical products, provided manufacturers agree to government price agreements or commit to producing in the US.
The immediate impact on Indian pharmaceutical exports is likely to be limited due to the proposed two-year tariff-free period. This transition period allows Indian manufacturers to review their supply chains, export strategies, and potential investments in US production. However, the projected increase to 100% and ultimately 200% tariffs could eventually affect Indian exporters who do not establish a local manufacturing base.
India is one of the largest suppliers of generic drugs to the US. Pharmaceuticals account for one of India's top three exports to the United States, amounting to $10.5 billion in 2024-25, according to government data. Indian generics constitute nearly 40% of volume prescriptions in the US market, making the sector particularly vulnerable to sharp tariff increases.
India is also a leading supplier of finished generic dosage forms to the American market. Analyses based on data from the US Food and Drug Administration and trade data estimate that Indian manufacturers provide about 40-50% of total generic prescriptions in the United States. Thus, the proposed tariffs could significantly affect India's pharmaceutical exports if companies do not localize production.
According to Bloomberg, it remains unclear what portion of Trump's proposed tariff burden Indian pharmaceutical companies will ultimately face. Drug tariffs could negatively impact over 40% of India's exports to the US. Previous threats by Trump also jeopardized several commonly prescribed drugs from India, including contraceptives and medications for hypertension and depression. Regarding birth control pills, Bloomberg reported that approximately 65% of prescriptions filled in the US in 2024 were produced by two Indian manufacturers—Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Lupin.
The pharmaceutical sector is also facing broader trade uncertainty. Jamieson Green, a representative of the US Chamber of Commerce, indicated that the Trump administration may soon introduce new trade measures against about 60 economies, including India, on allegations related to forced labor imports. Washington has proposed an additional 12.5% tariff on imports from India as part of this investigation, although a final decision has not been announced.
Beyond pharmaceuticals, Trump's tariff measures have put pressure on several export-oriented sectors in India. Labor-intensive industries such as textiles and apparel, precious metals and jewelry, leather and footwear, chemicals, engineering goods, and auto components remain most vulnerable due to their reliance on the US market.
According to a Times of India report, although exporters noted increased demand from American buyers in recent weeks, uncertainty regarding potential US tariff measures has delayed the signing of firm orders. Buyers have postponed purchases pending greater clarity on Washington's trade policy. It is reported that sectors including chemicals, textiles, carpets, and leather have attracted greater interest from US buyers, though this has not yet resulted in significant contracts.
Government data showed that India's exports to the US decreased by 1.21% year-on-year to $8.17 billion in June, while imports rose by 33.86% to $5.5 billion.
India and the US have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement for several months as both countries seek to deepen trade and investment ties. These negotiations have gained more significance amid expectations of new US tariff announcements at the end of this month.
The government recently informed Parliament that it is closely monitoring all developments and continuing engagement with the US administration. India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, held high-level meetings with US Chamber of Commerce representative Jamieson Greer regarding a comprehensive trade agreement. Although Goyal dismissed reports that India was waiting for better terms, he emphasized that India and the US are actively negotiating, and New Delhi will not concede on its core interests in any trade pact.
In February, Trump announced a temporary trade agreement with India that eased tariff tensions by lowering US rates on Indian goods from an effective 50% to 18%. The agreement also suspended a proposed additional 25% tariff related to India's purchases of Russian oil and reduced mutual tariff rates from 25% to 18%. In return, India agreed to lower or eliminate tariffs on a range of American industrial, agricultural, and consumer goods, with both sides committing to continue negotiations on a broader bilateral trade agreement.
Later, the mutual tariffs ceased to apply following a US Supreme Court ruling on February 20th, which invalidated them. Nevertheless, a 10% tariff remains in place on certain goods from all countries under Section 122 of the US Trade Act of 1974.
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