·8 Feb 2026
South Africans are being warned about a fast-growing and highly dangerous form of digital fraud that is increasingly targeting people through their smartphones.
Known as RAT attacks, these scams are particularly effective because many victims have never heard of them and don’t realise what is happening until it is too late.
RAT stands for Remote Access Trojan, a type of malicious software that allows criminals to remotely control a person’s phone or computer.
RAT…
Data Journalism: Many South African publications are adopting data journalism
techniques to provide in-depth analysis and visual storytelling.
Blink
Fun South African Fact: The Cape Floral Kingdom is one of the world’s six floral kingdoms – and the only one which is wholly contained within a single country.
Miss Rum Punch
Van der Merwe is approached by SANRAL one day who want to build a new highway through his donkey farm. Van is really concerned with how his donkeys can get from one side of the farm to the other without having to cross the highway and risk being injured or killed. He is promised that they will build bridges the highway so that his donkeys can cross under the highway. Van agrees and gives them the go-ahead.
The highway is built and a year later the same rep goes to the farm to go see how Van and his donkeys are. He eventually finds Van under one of these bridges chipping away at the roof of the tunnel with a hammer and chisel.
\”Mnr Van de Merwe, what are you doing damaging the highway bridge?\”