South African banks' profits will wane
Subject Outlook for South Africa's banking sector. Significance Insurance firm Discovery announced on September 10 that it will launch a full-service bank to compete with Standard Bank, Nedbank, Barclays Africa Group and FirstRand -- the 'big four' that dominate the sector. Despite a weak economy, South African banks have seen strong profit growth, according to a new PwC report. Impacts If the new mines minister fails to break the wage negotiation impasse, probable strikes could push the economy into recession. Banks' labour costs, already 58% of overall costs, will rise due to additional technical skills needed to implement Basel III requirements. Poor performance by the country's higher education system means qualified graduates will demand premium salaries.