The National Assembly has adopted a resolution to dissolve the Fifth Parliament, whose five-year term ends on 10 May. This is in line with section 50 of the Constitution, which deals specifically with the “dissolution of National Assembly before the expiry of its term”. By law, elections cannot be held during the term of office of […]

In his maiden budget speech, South Africa’s Finance Minister Tito Mboweni confirmed the depth of the financial crisis at South Africa’s power utility Eskom. He also underscored the serious risks this poses to economic recovery in the country. Mboweni allocated R23bn a year over the next three years to Eskom, to be extended over the […]

The desperate search for an escaped lion in the Karoo National Park outside Beaufort West in the Western Cape continued into its sixth day. According to Park Manager, Nico van der Walt, the trackers started with the spoor where they left off the previous night. “As they were tracking in a very deep gorge they […]

Rating agency Moody’s said on Thursday that it did not believe that South Africa’s decision in its 2019 budget to raise the expenditure ceiling by around R16 billion ($1.14 billion) over three years would weaken fiscal policy credibility. Moody’s, the last of the big three rating agencies to rate South Africa in investment grade, is […]

South Africa’s support plan for struggling state-owned electricity firm Eskom will put further strain on the country’s finances, rating agency S & P Global said on Thursday, although it should be offset to a degree by easing external pressures. In his maiden budget speech on Wednesday Finance Minister Tito Mboweni outlined a 69 billion rand […]

Vulnerable communities have lost their land to the state and mining companies in the past decade. In 2018, the political stage was dominated by the question of whether government has or should have the power to expropriate property without compensation – and use it. Some hailed this as the silver bullet that would lift millions […]

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat first in the second and final test against Sri Lanka at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Thursday. The home side have handed a debut to all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, 21, who comes in for the injured Vernon Philander in the only […]

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is intensifying its effort to identify and bring to book tax dodgers. This comes after revelation that the revenue collector is launching units aimed at tackling the illicit tobacco industry and big business. The illicit economics unit was launched late last year, while the large business unit is expected […]

Deutsche Bank is hiring 26 people in South Africa, a spokesman said on Wednesday, less than a year after scaling back the operation in a broad restructuring of its investment bank. The spokesman said the lender had appointed a new head of corporate finance coverage in South Africa and the remaining hires would mostly be […]

The Department of Women has lauded government’s efforts to support South Africa’s star athlete Caster Semenya through her legal challenge of the International Association of Athletics Federation’s ruling. The department said it is appalled at the IAAF ruling, which expects certain athletes to reduce natural testosterone levels through artificial chemical processes. The federation wants women […]

Tuesday marked the fifth day since a lion escape in the Karoo National Park outside Beaufort West, Western Cape. This is according to Nico van der Walt, Park Manager at Karoo National Park who said the search party consisting of 14 Rangers and about six volunteers from neighbouring farms breathed a sigh of relief late […]

An intelligence driven operation on Monday in Touwsriver, in the Western Cape landed two suspects behind bars for being in possession of a truck load of abalone with an estimated street value of R28 million. After receiving information about a truck allegedly transporting abalone to Gauteng on the N1 freeway, SAPS pursued the vehicle which […]

There will not be a host and Sunday’s Oscars ceremony will not open with the traditional monologue in which celebrities and politicians are skewered. Yet, with the rock band, Queen, pop superstar Lady Gaga and two musicals in the race for best picture, the highest honours in the movie industry will have an unusually strong […]

Ministers have widely welcomed Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s 2019 Budget, saying he had done well in the largely unstable economic climate. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Zweli Mkhize said Mboweni had a difficult budget amid rising debt and stunted economic growth. “The Minister has tried everything that can be done. It’s a very […]

Princess Charlene of Monaco has shared a video compilation of photos taken on her children’s first safari trip to Africa. The former South African Olympic swimmer posted the video to her Instagram page early this week, with a simple message: “First African Experience.” Movingly, the soundtrack to the video is Johnny Clegg’s ‘Great Heart’. The […]

South Africa is supposed to be a secular state, but one can perhaps forgive Tito Mboweni, the Minister of Finance, for quoting numerous biblical verses in his 2019 Budget Speech. After all, South Africa’s fiscal situation is enough to make many people hope for divine intervention. The 2019 budget numbers show that the past year […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah has been selected to be one of the presenters at the Academy Awards on Sunday in the USA. The Oscars® production team made the announcement on Wednesday… a great surprise birthday present for Trevor who turns 35 today! The comedian, who grew up in Soweto, is already becoming a household […]

CAPE TOWN – South Africa will bail out state utility Eskom with R69 billion ($4.9 billion) over three years, the centrepiece of a budget on Wednesday that exposed the limited room President Cyril Ramaphosa has to fix the economy ahead of an election in May. Ramaphosa, who is fighting rifts within his own party ahead […]

Showmax is the home of the best proudly South African content. Here are some of our favourite series that are currently streaming. Dwaalster S1 Take a journey down a long, dusty road to Maanhaarsdrif in the Karoo, a small town packed with fascinating characters. A city girl seeks refuge in her hometown and is soon […]

Government’s Infrastructure Fund is set to receive a R100 billion over the next decade as the state steps up its infrastructure programme by partnering with the private sector. “Government is stepping up its infrastructure build programme by partnering with the private sector, development finance institutions and multilateral development banks to create an infrastructure fund,” said […]

In the 2019/20 financial year Government will AGAIN increase excise duties on alcohol and tobacco in an effort to raise much-needed revenue for the national fiscus, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said on Wednesday. According to the National Treasury’s 2019 Budget Review report, the adjustments will lead to an excise burden slightly above the targeted levels. […]

South Africa will inject 23 billion rand ($1.63 billion) a year over the next three years into state power utility Eskom but will NOT take on 100 billion rand of debt as requested by the struggling firm, the national budget showed on Wednesday. The Treasury said the first step in a plan announced by President […]

Tabling a difficult budget that required him to weigh priorities against a need for fiscal consolidation, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni kicked off his speech by saying that by doing things right, the country can return to “plum” times. A part-time farmer himself, Mboweni told the nation on Wednesday afternoon that it is time for the […]

A rescue package for Eskom, South Africa’s most important state firm, is expected to dominate Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s budget speech on Wednesday, with the struggling power utility at risk of collapse without a large bailout. Eskom supplies 90 percent of South Africa’s electricity but is drowning in 420 billion rand ($30 billion) of debt […]

Budding South African designer Thebe Magugu has been crowned the winner of the International Fashion Showcase (IFS) 2019 at London Fashion Week. The judges said Thebe had created a “striking visual impact but with real clarity” and called him “a leader of his generation”. In his winning presentation titled Dawning, Magugu used motifs from Africa’s […]