Author: Agency
Some 23 suspected members of an alleged R1 billion international scam syndicate have appeared in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court on charges of contravention of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS Act). The suspects were arrested in Gauteng this week, in a multi-agency operation, led by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks. “The arrests were the culmination of prosecutorial, internationally coordinated investigations conducted by the DPCI, the South African Police Service Crime Intelligence, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the United Kingdom National Crime Agency, the United States Department of Homeland Security Service, Australian…
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has issued a record 4 002 964 smart ID cards in the 2025 calendar year — the highest rate of delivery in the history of the department. This milestone represents a 17% increase on the 3 427 468 Smart IDs issued during 2024, which was itself a new record at the time. The 2025 performance is about 1.3 million more than the number of Smart IDs issued during the 2023 and 2022 calendar years. This historic breakthrough represents the latest milestone under the department’s vision to deliver Home Affairs @ home through the pursuit…
South Africa has had over 200 days free of interrupted power supply, indicating that Eskom’s power system remains stable. “South Africa has now experienced 231 consecutive days without an interrupted supply, with only 26 hours of load shedding recorded in April and May during this financial year,” the power utility said in a recent statement. The power utility on Friday said it continues to meet electricity demand, supported by sustained and measurable improvements in generation performance, despite the heavy rainfall experienced in December 2025. “The Generation Recovery Plan is delivering clear results, and together with the intensive planned maintenance carried…
With just several days into the new year, consumers will breathe a sigh of relief as the price of all grades of petrol is set to come down by between 62 and 66 cents this week. As of Wednesday, 7 January 2026, a litre of Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP) will decrease by 62 cents a litre and Petrol 95 (ULP &LRP) will decrease by 66 cents a litre. The decrease in price means that a litre of 95, which currently costs R21.41 cents a litre, will now cost R20.75 in Gauteng. In the coast, a litre of 95 will…
The South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 7%, with the prime lending rate to also remain at 10.5%. This was announced by SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago following a meeting of the bank’s MPC. “Four members preferred to keep rates on hold, while two favoured a cut of 25 basis points. Since September last year, we have reduced rates by 125 basis points, and we want to see how this is affecting the economy, how expectations evolve, and how inflation risks are resolved. “The forecast has rates easing gradually, as…
Fresh off the introduction of its first electric vehicle (EV) fleet, Eskom has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with BYD Auto South Africa to support South Africa’s growing EV ecosystem. The MoC – dubbed a “Bold step in South Africa’s move toward cleaner mobility” by Eskom – will pave way for the support of the BYD Dolphin Surf Electric Vehicle and expand charging infrastructure for all South Africans. “Having successfully rolled out EVs within our fleet on 9 September 2025, we are ready to enable wider adoption by bringing practical and accessible charging infrastructure to South Africans. “Eskom is…
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has signed a landmark agreement with leading e-commerce business, Takealot Group, to expand youth skills development, bridge education-to-employment gaps, and support workforce growth in South Africa. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, at Takealot Group’s Distribution Centre in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, seeks to bridge the gap between education and employment by offering industry-relevant skills training and e-commerce business opportunities to young people through the Takealot Township Economy Initiative. Speaking at the signing ceremony on Wednesday, Gondwe welcomed the partnership, describing it as…
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has allocated R82 million for the procurement and implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system for South African football. “This initiative aims to enhance the integrity, fairness, and overall quality of domestic competitions by addressing ongoing concerns over refereeing decisions that have led to fan dissatisfaction and which stand to impact South Africa’s future standing among footballing nations if VAR is not adopted,” the department said on Thursday. This project is being implemented by the department, in close collaboration with the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the Premier Soccer League…
Transnet has welcomed the arrest of five suspects for allegedly being in possession of copper cable worth approximately R3 million at an unregistered scrapyard in Gauteng. The arrest followed an intelligence-driven operation by a multidisciplinary team, which led them to a scrapyard in De Deur. The team discovered large quantities of copper cable and seized homemade stoves, reportedly used to burn the copper. Preliminary investigations further established that the copper cable belonged to Transnet. The five suspects will soon appear before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of stolen infrastructure, dealing with second hand goods without a license…