It's been several weeks since the coup that wasn't in Lesotho, yet there's been little progress in unravelling the tense political stand-off there. This comes despite the best efforts of President Zuma and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, who have both invested plenty of time and diplomatic capital in efforts to find a solution. SA's influence only stretches so far, apparently.

China's largest steel maker Hebei Iron & Steel Group is planning to set up ahigh-volume joint venture in South Africa.  The first phase of the project with a three-million-ton capacity will start construction in 2015and be put into use in 2017. The second phase with two million tons of capacity will startproduction in 2019. The project is expecting a total annual capacity of five million tons upon completion.

For the leaders of the Brics countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, andSouth Africa), the announcement in July of their agreement to establish a "New Development Bank" (NDB) and a "Contingent Reserve Arrangement" (CRA) was a public-relations coup.

When one looks at our top national brands with their domestic and international presence, it is befitting that South Africa continues to rank as a top destination not only for tourism but also inward investment. In this regard, the recent AT Kearney FDI Confidence Index ranks South Africa 13th globally, the only African country to be in the top 25 in the world while the EY Africa Attractiveness Survey attests to South Africa’s standing as the top destination for FDI projects on the continent.

President Barack Obama said the U.S. is expanding an initiative to develop and train political and economic leaders in Africa.  Obama is expanding a U.S.-based program for young African leaders, and the U.S. Agency for International Development is providing $38 million to create leadership centers in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Senegal.

Brand SA and Brand Finance will tomorrow announce the country’s top 50 commercial brands.  Why does this announcement matter to our overall nation brand, competitiveness and reputation?  These brands contribute to strong and positive associations of SA across the globe.

Social cohesion and economic transformation are at the heart of the Arts and Culture Ministry. Briefing media ahead of his Budget Vote Speech on Thursday, Minister Nathi Mthethwa briefly outlined the role of arts, culture and heritage in the economic and social transformation of the country. He said his speech will be rooted in the National Development Plan (NDP), particularly on issues of economic and social transformation.