Alerts

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) and its affiliate, the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU), on Thursday 29 January briefed the media on the deepening national crisis of factory closures, retrenchments and deindustrialisation following our engagement with BritishAmerican Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) regarding the proposed closure of its Heidelberg manufacturing plant. This closure …

WASHINGTON – A South African man has been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) for multiple counts. In a post shared on its official X account, ICE described Jacob Lodevickus Jasne Van Rensburg as a “criminal illegal alien from South Africa.” His picture was posted alongside those of other offenders arrested by …

On the 13th of July 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System. This followed serious allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi about the existence and operation of a sophisticated criminal syndicate that has allegedly infiltrated the criminal justice …

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has formally commenced a process to rebuild and stabilise the governance of basketball in South Africa. This follows the de-recognition of Basketball South Africa due to prolonged governance and administrative failures that undermined the development of the sport. The intervention is being undertaken in partnership with the …

South Africa is nearing the start of a R100 billion ($6.3 billion) state-linked fund to promote Black-economic empowerment that companies will bankroll. Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau proposed changes to so-called codes of good practice on BEE that will support the creation of a Transformation Fund to pool money that the state plans …

Malcolm Libera  ·29 Jan 2026 South Africa’s motor industry is warning that government plans to potentially double import duties on vehicles from China and India could have far-reaching and unintended consequences.  This is the message from BMW SA CEO Peter van Binsbergen and other stakeholders in the motor industry, who noted that it could hurt …

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 30 January 2026 receive the FIFA World Cup™️ Original Trophy during the FIFA World Cup™️ Trophy Tour at the Union Buildings, Pretoria. The FIFA World Cup™️ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola is bringing the most coveted prize in football to South Africa. South Africa’s football story is rooted in defining …

Staff Writer  ·29 Jan 2026 The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says it issued a record 4 million Smart ID cards in South Africa in 2025, with an accelerated rollout of digital services set to end the fraud-prone green ID book. According to the DHA, it issued 4,002,964 Smart ID Cards in the 2025 calendar …

The Chinese carmaker Lepas is set to launch in South Africa in the first quarter of 2026, with a second brand, iCaur, to follow soon after. Lepas and iCaur are two new brands under the Chery Holding Group, marking the next major expansion for one of South Africa’s fastest growing automakers. Chery relaunched in our …

Entrepreneurship, according to economist Israel Kirzner, is a “tendency for profit opportunities to be discovered and grasped by routine-resisting entrepreneurial market participants”. Kirzner, an alumnus of the University of Cape Town and emeritus professor at New York University, is celebrated for his work defining entrepreneurship. The successful market actor, he says, is always “spontaneously on …

A human rights organisation in Lesotho has petitioned South Africa’s Parliament to remove passport requirements between the two countries. Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi A human rights organisation in Lesotho has petitioned South Africa’s Parliament to remove passport requirements between the two countries, saying it is “an apartheid-era control mechanism [that] continues to regulate the daily lives …

People in many jurisdictions abroad who were looking to invest their retirement savings were fleeced by alleged bogus investment scams operating from Johannesburg and Cape Town. Six suspects were arrested in Johannesburg on Tuesday during a takedown operation by the Hawks working with Interpol and other entities. They were found in an office with 25 …

DUT, HONOR SA AND AFRICA INSPIRED FOUNDATION LAUNCH SECOND TOWNSHIP CYBERSECURITY LAB TO EMPOWER YOUTH Durban University of Technology (DUT) is taking digital learning to the next level. On 22 January 2026, the university, in partnership with HONOR South Africa and the Africa Inspired Foundation, supported the launch of a second Cybersecurity Lab at Umdlamfe Secondary School in …

South Africa’s domestic institutional investor base — incorporating public & private pension funds, unit trusts and insurance — is the largest in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EEMEA), in absolute terms, as well as in percentage of GDP. Data from Bank of America showed assets under management (AUM) by institutional investors exceeded $1-trillion …

South Africa is considering imposing tariffs of as much as 50% on vehicles from China and India as it moves to protect its automotive industry from a flood of imports. An internal review is being conducted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to assess potential measures to stem inbound shipments, which policymakers say …

The iCAUR V23 New energy vehicle brand iCAUR will enter the South African market with an initial network of 20 dealerships, aiming to establish a national footprint from day one as it prepares to launch its first models in the coming months. The dealership roll-out, announced ahead of the brand’s official market entry, will see …

Statement on the future of basketball in South Africa The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has formally commenced a process to rebuild and stabilise the governance of basketball in South Africa, following the de-recognition of Basketball South Africa due to prolonged governance and administrative failures that undermined the development of the sport. The …

Malcolm Libera  ·28 Jan 2026 East London is reportedly set to be renamed KuGompo City, while the historic town of Graaff-Reinet is to become Robert Sobukwe Town. This comes after reports that Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie approved 21 geographical name changes across South Africa.  Speaking to Daily Dispatch, South African Geographical Names …

‘I think this industry is horrific,” says Nina Jackel “It’s incredibly cruel, completely needless and driven purely by human entertainment and profit. There is absolutely no justification for the suffering inflicted on these animals. None.” We’re flipping through photographs from a research expedition into cub petting in South Africa. They were taken during an undercover …

South Africa is Germany’s largest trading partner in Africa. This reflects decades of industrial integration, deep institutional ties and sustained private-sector investment. It also reflects the fact that Germany continues to bet on South Africa. But the conditions underpinning that bet are shifting rapidly. If South Africa is to retain its position as Germany’s prmary …

As South Africa’s short-term insurance landscape continued to evolve in 2025, PSG Insure observed several persistent and emerging risks affecting local businesses, says Ryno de Kock, Head of Distribution at PSG Insure. By reviewing some of these risks, we can extract valuable lessons to guide risk-mitigation strategies in the year ahead. 1. FiresFires remained one …

Six alleged bogus investment scammers, together with 25 call-centre agents, were arrested on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, for contravening the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act. The suspects, aged between 38 and 61, were arrested in Johannesburg, Gauteng, during a multi-agency joint takedown operation. Interpol, the Hawks, the South African Revenue Service Forensic Investigation team, …

You will need to earn at least R57,545 per month to afford a Toyota Hilux double cab on a finance plan in South Africa in 2026, according to a calculation by TopAuto. Bakkies have always been a firm favourite with motorists, and so it comes as little surprise that the legendary Hilux is the best-selling vehicle in …

Recent figures show about 31 people are shot dead every day in South Africa, reflecting a 35% increase in gun-related murders. Firearm-related crimes remain heavily concentrated in the Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. According to reports from the SAPS and local media, South Africa saw a sharp spike in gun-related violence during …