Cape Town International Airport named world's best, achieving top recognition in AirHelp score
This top ranking places CTIA at the forefront of global airport service excellence, reaffirming its position as a world-class hub for travelers.
CTIA received an outstanding overall score of 8.57, with particularly impressive marks for on-time performance (8.6) and customer experience (8.7). This exceptional performance highlights the airport's commitment to operational excellence and delivering a seamless, top-tier experience for passengers.
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IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
Ethics in the grey zone: governing conflicts of interest with courage
Though the award process to Sizekhaya Holdings may have complied with legal requirements, the absence of visible and transparent disclosures around these relationships undermined trust. In governance, perception matters. Poor or absent disclosure damages legitimacy, even without legal fault. Image: Cape Argus By Nqobani Mzizi In governance, few terms provoke as much unease as "conflict of interest". It conjures images of overt corruption, self-dealing and backroom deals. Yet in many boardrooms, the more dangerous form is covert and subtle. It emerges not through criminality but convenience, not through law-breaking but ethical lapses that thrive in silence and passivity. These are the conflicts that live in the grey zone. We often associate conflicts of interest with clear-cut wrongdoing: a director awarding a tender to their own company, a regulator sitting on a board they're meant to oversee. But many conflicts are more nuanced. They live in assumptions we don't question, relationships we don't declare, and benefits we don't probe. Often, they hide in plain sight: in annual declaration forms submitted as routine or meeting registers listing interests without discussion or follow-up. These processes, meant to enable transparency, become hollow rituals without meaningful engagement and ethical reflection. Grey-zone conflicts are not always compliance failures; they are ethical blind spots where governance falters under silence, ambiguity, or convenience. They are technically compliant but ethically compromised. They flourish where disclosure is absent, recusal is performative, and boards look the other way, not because they condone wrongdoing, but because they've normalised ambiguity. It is here, in the comfort of procedure without principle, that governance erodes. King IV recognises this risk. South African law requires declaration of personal financial interests and sets fiduciary duties, but King IV Principles 1 and 5 go further, calling for ethical and effective leadership beyond legal minimalism. A director may comply with the law but betray governance's spirit by failing to disclose a relationship or by participating in decisions blurred by personal gain. When Sizekhaya Holdings was awarded the fourth National Lottery licence in 2025, public concern quickly surfaced over the perceived political connections of its leadership, including ties to relatives of senior government officials. Though the award process may have complied with legal requirements, the absence of visible and transparent disclosures around these relationships undermined trust. In governance, perception matters. Poor or absent disclosure damages legitimacy, even without legal fault. At the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), CEO Mpumi Mpofu came under fire for alleged misrepresentation of academic qualifications and awarding bonuses to executives during financial strain. With service providers unpaid and operational performance under scrutiny, the optics of bonuses raised ethical questions. Although no formal charges were brought, the board's failure to address these concerns reflected a worrying tolerance for ethical ambiguity: a grey zone where silence replaced scrutiny. The Steinhoff International scandal, known for accounting fraud, also revealed subtle but corrosive conflicts of interest. Executives linked to related-party transactions personally benefited from inflated financial results. Despite this, the board did not act urgently. It failed to question transactions, investigate relationships, or push for disclosure. The board's deference to executive authority, whether out of loyalty, deference, or inertia, allowed personal interest to override fiduciary duty, shifting oversight to complicity. These cases show governance failures need not involve overt misconduct. Sometimes, it is the cumulative effect of quiet compromises: undisclosed affiliations, soft recusal, where directors nominally step aside without meaningful disengagement, and silence under pressure that unravels institutional integrity. The Steinhoff scandal, like the cases of Sizekhaya and Acsa, reveals a pattern: grey-zone conflicts thrive where boards privilege process over principle. They are not isolated failures but systemic symptoms of a governance culture that rewards silence over scrutiny. To break this cycle, boards must reframe conflicts of interest as strategic governance moments, not bureaucratic disclosures to file away. They must take an uncompromising stance on ethical ambiguity, recognising that every potential conflict is an opportunity to demonstrate ethical clarity and transparent leadership. This mindset demands more than compliance; it requires courage. Disclosure practices must be strengthened. Too often, boards limit declarations to statutory interests or ownership stakes, ignoring broader context. Personal, familial, or political affiliations that may create perceived bias must be declared and discussed openly. Some argue excessive scrutiny risks paralysing decision-making. Yet the greater danger lies in inaction disguised as pragmatism. Boards that tolerate grey-zone conflicts to avoid 'overcomplication' ultimately erode the very currency of governance: trust. Boards must create environments where over-disclosure is encouraged, not penalised. Oversight mechanisms must be more robust and independent. 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IOL News
5 days ago
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Airports Company of South Africa's leadership shake-up follows significant security breach fine
The Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) has remained mum over reports that it has been fined R1.5 million by the SA Civil Aviation Authority for security-related breaches. Image: File Image While the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) has remained mum over the alleged R1.5 million fine imposed by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), the authority has confirmed having recently imposed an undisclosed fine against Acsa for alleged security-related breaches. The fine comes as Acsa confirmed that it has placed its group executive for enterprise security and compliance, Lieutenant General Mzwandile Petros, on precautionary suspension as investigations commence into troubling allegations of operational irregularities. On Saturday, in a statement, Acsa revealed that Petros has been replaced by Mary Ann Joubert, who has been appointed to act in the post. "Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) has placed the Group Executive: Enterprise Security and Compliance (GE: ESC), Lt General, Mzwandile Petros, on precautionary suspension pending the outcome of an independent investigation into allegations of operational irregularities. The decision to place the GE: ESC on precautionary suspension is a crucial measure to protect the integrity of the investigative process and any current and subsequent processes," Acsa said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The airports company said Petros' suspension will not hamper its day-to-day operations, with Acsa emphasising that the suspension is precautionary and does not imply guilt, but allows for a fair and unbiased investigation. Reacting to the fine, SACCA spokesperson, Sisa Majola, stated that the aviation authority had acted in the best interest, security, and safety of the public and passengers when it imposed this penalty against Acsa. "Consistent with the SACAA mandate of regulating aviation safety and security, the Regulator confirms that enforcement action, including a fine, was meted out against Acsa on security-related matters. The regulations allow operators to make representations, which, upon submission, are evaluated. The enforcement processes allow operators to appeal against an enforcement decision; hence, the matter is still in progress as guided by the regulatory processes," Majola said. While Acsa assured the public that airport operations, including security and compliance, remain uninterrupted, some affected parties have disagreed, saying this is not the case following recent reports of delays and long lines in some of the affected airports. According to a source, the alleged R1.5 million fine forced Acsa to beg Fidelity Security to assist in covering the King Shaka International Airport, even though the company's contract had lapsed on June 30, 2025, following Acsa's decision to insource its security screening personnel across its nine airports in the country. "Ironically, Acsa had retrenched many of its security screening personnel in 2021, citing cost-cutting measures, with many experienced aviation safety officers taking voluntary severance packages. Fast Forward 2025, the same Acsa management has terminated contract security agreements in favour of insourcing personnel. Even after they were warned on the ballooning cost effect of such a move," the source said. Attempts to get a comment from Acsa were unsuccessful at the time of going to print, following numerous requests for comment last week.
The South African
6 days ago
- The South African
Cape Town International Airport named best in the WORLD
In a landmark moment for South Africa's tourism and aviation sectors, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) has been ranked the best airport in the world, according to the newly released AirHelp Score 2025. The prestigious ranking, which evaluates airports on on-time performance, customer experience, and quality of service, awarded CTIA an overall score of 8.57 – placing it ahead of some of the globe's most renowned airports. Cape Town scored 8.6 for punctuality and an impressive 8.7 for passenger experience, highlighting the airport's commitment to operational excellence and warm hospitality. 'This one hits different,' commented one traveller, echoing the sentiments of many who described their CTIA arrival as friendly, smooth, and stress-free. CTIA outperformed major international hubs, including: Hamad International Airport (Qatar) (Qatar) Riyadh King Khaled International Airport (Saudi Arabia) (Saudi Arabia) Brasília International Airport (Brazil) (Brazil) Muscat International Airport (Oman) (Oman) Salt Lake City International Airport (USA) While many global airports have struggled with efficiency and service consistency, Cape Town International has distinguished itself through timely operations, clean facilities, and a welcoming atmosphere – offering travellers an ideal start or end to their journeys. Framed by Table Mountain, close to vineyards and penguin-lined beaches, CTIA is more than an airport – it's the gateway to one of the world's most iconic destinations. The win comes as a boost for South Africa's tourism industry, reinforcing its global appeal and positioning Cape Town as a top-tier travel hub in 2025. The AirHelp Score is one of the most comprehensive global rankings of airports, based on data from passengers and independent metrics. It reflects how airports perform under pressure while delivering a superior experience. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
