News

HARARE – The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission is in talks with South Africa’s Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka. It comes as foreign nationals, including Zimbabwean nationals, are being barred from accessing healthcare. Operation Dudula and March and March say they are putting a strain on limited services. They are vowing to intensify their campaign to include …

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that negotiations with the United States will continue over the next week in a move signalling the South African government’s commitment to safeguarding its trade interests.  This announcement comes in the wake of a decision by the Trump administration to modify the Harmonized Tariff Schedule affecting the tariffs on goods …

Staff members at the SABC and eMedia have fallen victim to business email compromises, which resulted in phishing emails being sent to their contact lists. The attack had been circulating around the SABC since at least Monday, when the address of a stakeholder relationships and partnerships manager sent a phishing email to contacts outside the …

Malcolm Libera  ·2 Aug 2025 Renowned economist Dawie Roodt says that 30% of US tariffs on South African goods is really bad news for an already fragile economy and warned that this is only the beginning. However, while he acknowledged that many people will feel the impact of Trump’s trade and international policies, he believes …

Malcolm Libera  ·2 Aug 2025 High-net-worth South Africans are increasingly buying real estate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which was ranked one of the most peaceful countries in the Middle East in 2025.  Property experts have noted that these wealthy South Africans are drawn by its stability and lifestyle appeal. With South Africa grappling …

The BMA dismissed claims about new penalty structures or arrest policies. The Border Management Authority (BMA) on Thursday dismissed viral claims suggesting new citizenship laws came into effect in May 2025. The authority says no such legislation exists. Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato addressed widespread misinformation circulating on social media. The false messages claimed all South …

More than half South Africa’s small businesses don’t expect to survive for more than a year, a survey backed by lender Absa Group found. Some 53% of the 1 600 entities canvassed for the inaugural Small Business Growth Index said they were contracting, trading with difficulty or at risk of closure, with costs of some …

Gwede Mantashe, mines and petroleum resources minister, South Africa STATS SA’s first quarter 2025 GDP data quietly confirms South Africa’s ongoing collapse as a global exploration destination. Real capital formation in mineral exploration in 2024 was R779.5m – the lowest in the dataset going back to 1993, and less than half the figure when Minister …

Margaret Maritz has peacefully passed away at 118; a life truly well-lived. She was one of South Africa’s and the world’s oldest citizens! Touws River (01 August 2025) – A quiet light has gone out in the small town of Touws River, as tributes pour in for Margaret Maritz, affectionately known as ‘Grandma Hundred’, after …

A WhatsApp message received from a union member purportedly detailed some of the near-final settlement between the parties. The FlySafair pilot lockout and strike may be nearing their end. Labour and management are set to meet today to finalise an agreement. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the pilot group will resume duties on Sunday, 3 August, …

G20 senior fellow at SAIIA, Professor Daniel Bradlow, speaks to Daily Maverick about the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s announcement of “urgent interventions” in response to the imminent 30% tariff hike on South African exports to the US. Social Issues: Many publications focus on social issues such as poverty, inequality, and human rights, raising awareness and …

Malcolm Libera  ·1 Aug 2025 The rand remained at its weakest levels since May 15, reflecting investor uncertainty ahead of trade negotiations with the United States.  It traded at 18.13 against the US dollar. Meanwhile, the central bank cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 7.00%, a decision that was unanimously supported …

Today National Treasury releases two documents on enhancing South Africa’s approach to disaster risk insurance by better using private sector participation: (i) a disaster risk strategy; and (ii) a survey of municipalities’ experience of managing disaster risk. Summaries of these documents appeared in the 2025 Budget Review. South Africa has the largest and most mature …

Gauteng’s bridges and roads are under threat of collapse as illegal mining continues to erode the province’s infrastructure. This illegal mining specifically targets trace gold left over in the many abandoned mine systems originally dug by legitimate companies. These abandoned mines undercut huge sections of Gauteng, adding further instability to the area’s inherently unstable dolomite …

The August wave of LEGO sets is now available. More than 70 new sets have arrived in South Africa. Certain stores are running specials during this period. A new month usually means new LEGO sets but August is a bumper month with dozens of new options available all around the world, including South Africa. Judging …

The proliferation of smartphones and increased Internet access have severely impacted conventional voice service revenues in South Africa over the past five years. Although traditional voice calls are still popular among cellular network subscribers, their contributions to total service revenues have shrunk. Regular mobile voice calls are routed over a network operator’s towers using radio …

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) and Kaizer Chiefs Football Club have announced that they have visited the Ethelbert Child and Youth Care Centre in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of the Toyota Cup match that took place at Moses Mabhida on Saturday, 26 July. Building on the momentum that began on Mandela Day in 2023, this collaborative initiative …

South African mobile network users should be aware of the various tools and settings available to block premium content services and prevent their airtime from being stolen by dodgy players in the space. These services are operated by wireless application service providers (Wasps) and have been around since the early days of the cellular industry. …

After weeks of relative resilience in the face of a looming 30% tariff threat from the United States, the rand and the JSE fell sharply on Friday morning as the tariffs became a reality. Although the official implementation takes effect seven days after today’s 1 August deadline, markets have already reacted to the confirmation that …

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) condemns in the strongest possible terms the unilateral decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose a punitive 30% tariff on South African exports. This reckless act of economic aggression is designed to protect U.S. corporations at the expense of workers, communities, and industries in the Global …

Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), a state-owned company, said on Friday that there had been a “systems failure” at OR Tambo International Airport that disrupting flights. OR Tambo is South Africa’s busiest airport, and a hub for the Southern African region. ATNS said the system failure on Friday — a busy day for the …

CAPE TOWN – South Africa has made history at the 2025 International Mathematics Olympiad in Australia.   The young mathletes achieved the best results for South Africa in 25 years.   A learner attending Reddam House in Durbanville achieved a silver medal.   While pupils from different schools across the city achieved bronze medals, one …

A TSCM fabrication plant in Taiwan The apparent threat by Taiwanese officials to impose microchip export restrictions on South Africa is likely unenforceable. Most of the electronic equipment sold in South Africa featuring Taiwanese-made chips is imported from other jurisdictions, and not directly from Taiwan. According to Axiz CEO Craig Brunsden, there are regional supply …

BYD has officially confirmed that it will launch a new electric hatchback in South Africa this September. Earlier this year, it was discovered that BYD had filed a trademark application for the name “BYD Seagull,” which is one of its smallest and most affordable cars. The Chinese automaker has slowly been building up its arsenal …