JOHANNESBURG – A row centring on the South African central bank – the Reserve Bank – exposed deep divisions in the governing ANC party on Wednesday, as a faction loyal to President Cyril Ramaphosa opposed calls from a rival group for the bank to do more to boost employment and growth. The dispute between a […]

At a press conference in South Africa yesterday, in which AfriForum released its latest farm attack statistics for SA, a farm attack survivor (who prefers to remain anonymous) also shared the horrific details of an attack she endured, in which she was shot and raped. This is her letter from which she read… My great-grandfather, […]

Taxpayers with an annual income not exceeding R500 000 will no longer be required to submit tax returns. The announcement was made by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner Edward Kieswetter during the launch of the 2019 tax season on Tuesday. This year’s tax season will begin on 1 July for submissions on digital […]

South Africa’s economy saw its sharpest contraction in a decade in the first quarter of 2019 as the dreaded power cuts – nicknamed loadshedding locally – hurt key sectors like manufacturing and mining, another sign that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s growth drive is struggling to gain traction. Data on Tuesday showed the economy was 3.2% smaller […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa‘s subdued economic growth could be reignited if the implementation of structural reforms, including at troubled state power utility Eskom, is accelerated, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday. The fund said following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s re-election last month, a focus on policy actions to remove long-standing constraints to growth and accelerate […]

Dozens of patients hoping to get medical attention were turned away from Ikhwezi Clinic in Nomzamo township in Strand, Cape Town, South Africa on Friday. This clinic burnt during the night and appears to have been deliberately torched. The remains of petrol bombs could be seen in some of the rooms. Strand has been the […]

South Africa cannot afford any more mistakes at the World Cup and will need to win almost all their remaining seven games if they hope to qualify for the semi-finals, former all-rounder Jacques Kallis has said. South Africa lost their tournament opener to England by 104 runs before they suffered an upset 21-run defeat against […]

Scottish racing driver David Coulthard treated a big South African crowd to three runs and doughnuts on the streets of Cape Town yesterday… as well as to the most unique rendition of the South African anthem we’ve ever heard! (Watch at bottom of page.) The noise reverberated off the walls of the Castle and Mutual […]

South African student Emilé Coetzee made her family, university and country proud last week as she was crowned the winner of Future Leaders Forum at the World Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events (IMEX) in Frankfurt, Germany. The North West University student beat five other international finalists to scoop the prize – a scholarship […]

CAPE TOWN – Cape Town plans to add routes to Australia and South America after last month reaching a deal with United Airlines for its first direct flight to the United States, the head of air access for South Africa’s top tourist city said. This’ll be good news for Western Cape expats in those regions, […]

Last Thursday evening Sibusiso Vumase was entertaining guests when he heard a loud knock on his front door. When he opened the door, a group of people carrying crowbars and hammers were standing outside demanding that he immediately evacuate his RDP house and find another place to live. On Friday morning Vumase was folding and […]

JOHANNESBURG – FirstRand is to become the latest South African lender to slash prices on its retail banking products, as the arrival of a host of new, cheaper rivals sparks a scramble for customers among South African banks. FirstRand’s move, announced on Thursday, to cut fees and up rewards on its current accounts from July […]

There is a lot of misinformation circling in the South African expatriate community about the amended expatriate tax law taking effect on 1 March 2020 and the process of Financial Emigration… writes Melanie Browne. We often have clients approach us where they have been subjected to scaremongering or solicited by “one-man” bands promoting their own […]

Botswana has reinstated trophy hunting after a 5-year moratorium on the practice. In the wake of evidently declining wildlife numbers, former president Ian Khama imposed the ban in early 2014. Elephant numbers had plummeted by 15% in the preceding decade. The hunting industry had been granted a total quota of between 420 and 800 elephants […]

South Africa’s central bank kept its benchmark repo rate unchanged at 6.75 % on Thursday, saying while the medium-term inflation forecast had moderated, economic growth was set to contract in the first quarter and continue to weaken. “Recent monthly inflation outcomes have remained around the mid-point of the inflation target range, in part due to […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africans were offered low-fee, digital accounts by two “traditional” banks this week in a sign of how competition from a new breed of cheaper, online-only rivals is driving change in the $30 billion market. Young, tech-savvy and cost-conscious South Africans are being targeted by low-cost, digital-only newcomers such as Discovery, ThymeBank and […]

LONDON – British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s restaurant chain went into administration on Tuesday, leaving 1,000 people without jobs as the majority of branches ceased trading immediately in the latest blow for Britain’s high street. Oliver, 43, a well-known figure in Britain and beyond for his popular TV shows and top-selling cookery books, founded his […]

With South Africans who live or work abroad facing the imminent introduction of “expat tax”, there has been a lot of scaremongering and confusion. Recently the expert tax team at Tax Consulting South Africa kindly offered to answer SAPeople members’ questions. Here you will find a selection of the questions submitted and answers by Jerry […]

Ford’s expert witness John David Loud (an American engineer) today testified in the Western Cape High Court in the judicial inquest into the death of Reshall Jimmy. According to Loud, there could have been numerous causes for the fire in the Ford Kuga in which Jimmy burned to death in 2015. Loud’s testimony will continue […]

The ever-growing number of South African expats living in Thailand are about to get a major taste of home, with a new SA-flavoured restaurant in Bangkok due to open its doors to the public within a fortnight! The restaurant – Shebeen – is billed as the first fully-fledged South African restaurant to open in Bangkok. […]

Starving, infected with various diseases and some eating their own faeces, over 25 horses have had to be put down after being in the ‘care’ of the South African Army Special Infantry Capability Unit at the SANDF’s Potchefstroom base last year. In addition to those 25, a further 22 horses rescued from the base also […]

As has been discussed over the years, Formula One definitely wants to return to Africa… but it’s not only South Africa’s Kyalami circuit that’s keen to host the race. Commercial managing director Sean Bratches said on Thursday that Kyalami and the Moroccan city of Marrakesh have expressed interest in fan festivals on their territory. Rwanda […]

Fruit and vegetable vendor Norris Phaswana started earning money from trading when he was 15. Today, Phaswana, 44, sells fruits and vegetables from his old Toyota Hilux bakkie, in Kruger Street, Louis Trichardt. He supports a wife and eight children from his business. He comes from Nzhelele, about 30 km from Louis Trichardt. The family […]

There’s welcome news for South African expats in Poland and South African retailer SPAR Group Ltd announced on Wednesday that it is in the final stages of talks to buy a controlling stake in Polish retail chain Piotr i Pawel group. Spar is seeking to boost its European operations, said Reuters. “The SPAR group has […]

PRETORIA – South Africa’s unemployment rate inched up to 27.6% in the first quarter, official data showed on Tuesday, underscoring the scale of the economic challenge faced by President Cyril Ramaphosa after his ANC party won re-election. Ramaphosa is trying to revive the South African economy after a decade of slow growth and rising joblessness. […]