- Legal changes for renters and landlords in South Africa: Recent updates to the Rental Housing Act have introduced important changes affecting both property owners and tenants.
- South Africa stopping parcel deliveries to the United States indefinitely: South Africa’s state-owned postal company halted some services to the US indefinitely after President Donald Trump revoked duty-free access for international parcels.
- Where South Africa’s billionaires live: Cape Town and the Winelands have overtaken Joburg as South Africa’s main billionaire hub, reflecting a broader trend of the country’s wealthiest relocating from the northern interior to coastal regions.
- The company taking over South African shopping malls: Tech company admyt is taking over malls across South Africa by automating parking payments and giving visitors a ticketless shopping experience.
- The best medical aid in South Africa that you can’t join: Members of Parliament no longer want to be forced to use arguably the best and most comprehensive medical aid plan in the country, Parmed, and will table a new bill to break their chains to the scheme.
- Criminal syndicates plunge people in South Africa’s richest city into darkness: City Power says it will track down criminal syndicates stealing and vandalising electrical infrastructure in Johannesburg, whose members could include the utility’s staff and contractors.
- From a bank robber to inmate to businessman to South African minister: Gayton McKenzie, president of the Patriotic Alliance political party, has come a long way from a career in crime to becoming a minister in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet.
- Last chance for South African state-owned bank: The Reserve Bank has granted Postbank a final 15-month extension to meet certain conditions, warning that failure to do so could see its clearing role, including processing SASSA grants, moved to another bank.
- The latest round of retrenchments at Ford South Africa cuts deep into families like mine, where the company’s fortunes have been intertwined with livelihoods for generations.
- Trump Says He Will Issue Executive Order to Require Voter ID.
- Chicago Mayor Signs Order to Block Possible Troop Deployment.
- Half of American Schools Require ‘Equitable’ Grading and Most Teachers Are Opposed: Survey.
- The ‘Fortress Belt’: Ukraine’s Last Line of Defense.
- Lawsuit Blames ChatGPT for California Teen’s Death.
- South Africans with car loans face a serious problem: South African car buyers are increasingly opting for longer-term financing contracts, with nearly 90% of 2025 deals spanning six years or more – resulting in them paying more in the long-term.
- South Africa surfing the Trump tsunami: South Africa faces growing pressure from US tariffs and policy shifts, but with exports to America making up only 8% of its total, the direct impact on GDP is minimal, though a major risk remains if tariffs weaken its trading partners.
- MultiChoice’s top five opportunities: MultiChoice is actively pursuing five opportunities, including enhancing its DStv Internet fixed-wireless LTE offering.
- Shutdown of 110-year-old South African company leaves a big hole: 110-year-old company Johnson Tiles has ceased operations in South Africa, which has placed JSE-listed Italtile and the larger South African tile industry under pressure.
- South African billionaire buying South African private school giant for R7.2 billion: South African billionaire Jannie Mouton is purchasing private school giant Curro for roughly R7.2 billion.
- Disaster for South Africa falls flat: The market response to the US tariff disaster that hit South Africa this month has left analysts confounded and scratching their heads, with the rand barely showing a blip.
- Nedbank and Standard Bank send warning to customers: South Africa is seeing a rise in impersonation fraud, with Nedbank and Standard Bank warning customers not to trust caller ID.
- Over 95,000 South Africans have moved to the top country in the world for work-life balance: Over 95,000 South Africans now live in New Zealand, making it one of the most popular destinations for those leaving the country.
- Warning for married couples in South Africa: With South Africa heading for changes to laws regulating marriages in the country, property and legal experts have warned happy couples of all kinds to have another look at their administrative affairs.
- New bank taking on Capitec officially launches in South Africa: South Africa officially has a new bank, with OM Bank set to operate in the mass market segment, which Capitec dominates.
- The three sisters running some of South Africa’s most influential companies: Tsakani, Basani and Refilwe Maluleke are three sisters who occupy senior positions at some of South Africa’s largest institutions.
- South Africans warned to think twice before buying a home in a sectional title or estate: Buying a home in a sectional title complex, gated estate, or managed residential scheme is a popular option in South Africa.
- Goodbye cash – Reserve Bank wants a big chunk of South Africa’s instant payment system: The Reserve Bank is going all-in on its ambitions to make South Africa a cashless society, moving to acquire 50% of PayShap developer and processor, BankservAfrica.
- Consumers to bear the brunt as Nersa bungles push up Eskom tariffs: A blunder by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa in approving Eskom’s multi-year electricity increases means consumers will now have to brace themselves for tariff increases even higher than those announced earlier this year.
- Two men were arrested after police in Nelson Mandela Bay found perlemoen worth about R340,000 in a shipping container in Greenfields, Kwazakhele. Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said officers swooped on Friday after spotting people fleeing the container. Two suspects, aged 31 and 35, were caught inside along with 20 bags of abalone. They face charges under the Marine Living Resources Act, illegal possession of abalone, and contravening the Immigration Act. They will appear in the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court today.
- Afghanistan – At least 250 people were dead and hundreds more injured in a magnitude 6 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. The quake was centred 27km north-east of the city of Jalalabad.
- Israel-Gaza war – Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least 18 people in and around Gaza City, local health authorities said, as Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet prepared to discuss plans to seize the city.
- Conservatives – Doubts have surfaced over Kemi Badenoch’s claim to have been offered a place at a prestigious US medical school at 16, with admissions staff unable to recall the proposal and the university not providing the course.
- UK news – A police officer was allegedly punched in the face and four people were arrested at an anti-immigration protest march in London on Sunday.
- Heart disease – Doctors have found a drug that is better than aspirin at preventing heart attacks and strokes, in a discovery that could transform health guidelines worldwide.
- Labour did not head into summer recess from a position of strength. The party was forced into a humiliating retreat over its welfare reform bill after a dramatic backbench rebellion. After weeks of bruising infighting, many in Labour felt the summer break offered a chance to cool tempers and rethink. They may come to regret that.
- Recent polling makes for an uncomfortable read for Labour supporters. The party enjoyed little in the way of a honeymoon period, with figures showing its ratings have fallen further in the first 10 months of government than those of any other party in modern history.
- Bad news for motorists who need a new licence in South Africa: The Department of Transport says it can clear the driving licence card production backlog by December 2025. However, it will take until around April 2026 at the current rate.
- André de Ruyter under fire: Eskom board chair Mteto Nyati has alleged that if André de Ruyter were still CEO of the power utility, he would be getting more credit for its turnaround than current CEO Dan Marokane is receiving.
- DStv channel change in South Africa: MultiChoice will replace a popular reality TV and entertainment industry channel with Bravo Africa in October 2025.
- Banking fraud storm to hit South Africa: Sabric warns that South Africans can expect to see more realistic AI-generated deepfake audio and video scams in 2025.
- Great news for people who need smart ID cards, passports, and visas in South Africa: Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber is not playing around when it comes to fixing the department’s infamous “system is offline” headaches.
- Major South African bank launches mobile network with unlimited calls and 3GB data for R169: The new MVNO appears to have quietly gone live earlier this week and is available exclusively to the bank’s customers.
- Payback time for Eskom: If Nersa were doing its job correctly, it would be requiring Eskom to cut electricity tariffs, not increase them.
- Brits have been eating Jaffa Cakes wrong as expert confirms correct way.
- Haribo fans just learn what Tangfastics ‘key’ shape is actually supposed to be.
- Dog ‘taught to communicate by owners’ asks Amazon Alexa for sweet request.
- Ferrari’s famous prancing horse logo doesn’t mean what you think it does.
- The next ‘Big One’ on the San Andreas fault might not be the earthquake we expect, researchers say.
- Border Patrol agents stage show of force at Newsom’s ‘big beautiful press conference’.
- Trump names himself chair of L.A. Olympics task force, sees role for military during Games.
- Rudy Giuliani Injured in Car Crash.
- US Still Negotiating Trade Deals Despite Court Ruling on Tariffs: The Trump administration is still engaged in negotiations with trading partners despite an appeals court ruling that determined most of the president’s tariffs are illegal.
- Oval Invincibles won the Men’s Hundred, & the Northern Superchargers won the Women’s Hundred.
- Ramaphosa, Cachalia rebuke SAPS’ Masemola: More contention among South Africa’s leaders is emerging. This time, President Cyril Ramaphosa and acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia are worried about police boss Fannie Masemola’s actions relating to a political killings investigative team and its case dockets.
- European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has announced that Europe is planning a multinational military presence in Ukraine in the event of an end to hostilities with Russia. The move could see tens of thousands of European-led troops in Ukraine.
- The Washington Post reported on a 38-page report floating about the Trump administration, in which a post-war Gaza is administered by the US. Lasting at least a decade, the entire population of Gaza would be hypothetically relocated and the region converted into a tourist resort.
- Former Trump legal adviser Rudy Giuliani was hospitalised late on Saturday evening following a car crash in New Hampshire. Giuliani suffered a fractured vertebrae, but was currently in “great spirits”.
- Houthi rebels raided the Yemeni UN offices in Sanaa on Sunday, and detained 11 people. This was in addition to 23 other UN staff already detained by Houthis since 2021.
- A blunder by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa in approving Eskom’s multi-year electricity increases means consumers will now have to brace themselves for tariff increases even higher than those announced earlier this year.
- Asian markets started the week in the red after a court ruling threw another wrench into US tariff policy and investors braced for a reading on US jobs that could determine the course of rate cuts there.
- Gold benefitted from the dollar’s decline and the outlook for lower rates and rose 2.2% last week.
- Oil prices traded in a tight range as worries about rising output and the impact of US tariffs on demand offset supply disruptions.
- Washington’s revocation of export authorisations for US chipmaking equipment hit South Korean tech giants hard, with Samsung and SK Hynix shares falling. The move threatens a third of Samsung’s DRAM output and up to 40% of Hynix’s China-based production.
- India’s gaming crackdown claimed its first big scalp: Mobile Premier League will axe 60% of staff after Narendra Modi’s ban on paid online games. Once a R63.5-billion ($3.6-billion) dream backed by Tiger Global, the fantasy-cricket darling now pivots to freebies and the US market.
- A US appeals court ruled Trump’s tariffs illegal, but his trade team insists talks roll on. With markets rattled, allies cautious and Trump vowing a Supreme Court fight, Washington readies backup tariff powers.
- South Africa heading for another disaster: A new bill from the US could lead to South Africa losing access to the SWIFT payment system, which would significantly weaken the rand, fuel inflation, and potentially trigger stagflation.
- Big VAT reporting changes coming to South Africa: The National Treasury and SARS have proposed introducing an e-reporting framework into the VAT Act as part of the VAT Modernisation Project, aiming to enable real-time reporting, improve compliance, and digitise tax administration.
- Major South African city’s plan to dump Eskom comes at a cost: While municipalities reducing their reliance on Eskom can bring benefits like cheaper electricity for their residents, it could also force the utility to raise prices for poorer municipalities that cannot generate their own power.
- Hidden tax eating away at South African salaries: Bracket creep is creating a hidden tax that reduces employees’ take-home pay, pressures employers, and boosts government revenue without raising official tax rates.
- Education inflation looks tame, but parents’ budgets say otherwise: People might say school costs went down in 2025, but most families feel the pinch when you add up uniforms, transport, sports, and tutoring.
- The property trend turning one of South Africa’s coastlines into the ‘new Monaco’: South Africa’s richest coastline is becoming the new Monaco, with demand far exceeding supply—pushing property prices to record highs.
- Truth about new traffic laws blocking car sales: A prominent driving skills and road safety expert has rubbished claims that Aarto will prevent people with unpaid fines from selling their cars.
- Ramaphosa broke his promise to cut the cabinet: Despite public outcry and exorbitant costs, Ramaphosa has failed to bring down the size of his bloated cabinet.
- Banking fraud warning for South Africans: SABRIC warned that AI-driven scams, deepfakes, and social engineering are rapidly emerging as the biggest threats to South Africa’s banking sector.
- South Africans are snapping up these homes: Multi-generational living is a growing trend in South Africa, with families increasingly buying larger homes or converting properties to accommodate elderly parents or adult children.
- Andre de Ruyter crushed Eskom’s staff: Eskom’s turnaround has been driven by improved staff morale, productivity, and leadership stability, in stark contrast to the previous CEO’s tenure.
- Companies coming for South Africa’s biggest banks: The South African Reserve Bank aims to complete proposals to give non-banks access to the national payments system in the first half of next year, ending commercial lenders’ monopoly hold.
- Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (Manufacturing) (Pty) Ltd (FMCSA) has commenced with several product recall notices, affecting different models and production batches.
- New COVID Variant Spreads Across US: It comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last Wednesday approved updated COVID-19 shots but limited their use for many Americans. The FDA also removed one of the two vaccines that were made available for young children.
- Noem Says DHS Sending ICE Resources to Chicago for Immigration Enforcement.
- US Government Makes It Harder for Samsung, SK Hynix to Make Chips in China.
- Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease.
- International Tourists to the US Register Record Spending.
- Labour has pledged to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote across the UK – but it’s not law yet.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping urged leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit to leverage their “mega-scale market”, while Russian President Vladimir Putin showed support for Xi’s ambition for a new global security and economic order that poses a challenge to the United States.
- One of Afghanistan’s worst earthquakes killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800, authorities said, as helicopters ferried the wounded to hospital after they were plucked from the rubble of homes being combed for survivors.
- Hundreds of students gathered in major Indonesian cities, defying fears of a crackdown on protests after deadly riots on the weekend left eight dead in the worst violence in the Southeast Asian nation in over two decades. Gibran Peshimam joins today’s Reuters World News podcast to dicuss where the turmoil is headed.
- The biggest party in Thailand’s parliament is due to meet to decide whom it will back to form the next government, as two rival camps jostled for its votes following the sacking of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister last week.
- More than two million people have been affected in Pakistan’s Punjab and more than 2,000 villages inundated, by what officials are calling the worst flood in decades. Farmers and exporters have warned that the impact on agriculture will be staggering.
- Israel pushed tanks deeper into Gaza City and detonated explosives-laden vehicles in one suburb as airstrikes killed at least 19 people, Palestinian officials and witnesses said.
- The GPS system of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane was jammed by suspected Russian interference while en route to Bulgaria, an EU spokesperson said, confirming earlier media reports.
- Prime Minister Francois Bayrou will kick off a series of talks with France’s political parties, seeking to stave off the collapse of his government in a confidence vote next week that opposition leaders said is bound to fail.
- Brazil’s Supreme Court goes into final deliberations in its trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro this week. Read our story on Justice Alexandre de Moraes’s pursuit which has led Trump to impose a 50% trade tariff on Brazil, visa restrictions and individual financial sanctions.
- Euro zone factory activity expanded for the first time since mid-2022 as domestic demand offset the impact from US tariffs while the Asian manufacturing sector saw shrinkage, private surveys showed.
- The Trump administration is continuing its talks with trading partners despite a US appeals court ruling that most of Trump’s tariffs are illegal, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.
- Shares in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics dropped after Washington revoked authorisations that allowed them to secure US semiconductor manufacturing equipment for their chip plants in China.
- India plans to cut consumption tax by at least 10 percentage points on nearly 175 products ranging from shampoos and hybrid cars to consumer electronics, said two sources, revealing new details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s major tax overhaul.
- Tesla’s sales rout in some European markets extended to an eighth month in August amid mounting competition, as well as a backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s courting of far-right parties.The company lowered the price for its Model 3 rear-wheel drive version in China by 3.7% to $36,278.99, its website showed.
- Eric Trump took the stage in Tokyo to throw his support behind Japanese bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet, as the US president’s family expands its crypto ventures internationally.
- An Australian government-commissioned report said selfie-based age guessing software could enforce a teen social media ban, but noted that some groups experienced “unacceptable” levels of inaccuracy, raising concerns about the December rollout.
- The hiking trails in the Silvermine Nature Reserve in Cape Town have reopened after 2,800 hectares were damaged by a blaze in April.
- The Clermont and KwaDabeka Taxi Owners Association has denied any involvement in a shooting incident with e-hailing drivers in Durban, which the organisation claims was an isolated incident.
- Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide, according to a new resolution backed by 86% of voters at the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the leading association in the field.
- A catastrophic earthquake in Afghanistan has killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800. Helicopters are ferrying survivors to hospitals, while rescuers comb the rubble of collapsed homes in the hope of finding more survivors.
- Noem Says DHS Sending ICE Resources to Chicago for Immigration Enforcement.
- New vehicle sales in South Africa surpassed the 50,000-unit volume for the second consecutive month during August, making the significant volume more than a mere spike as has been the case in recent times. Volumes of more than 50,000 have previously been single month spikes, making August sales a strong indicator of substantial stability returning to the market.
World News – 1 September 2025
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