Retirees in South Africa are facing a staggering R213,000 annual tax bill due to a single tax mistake, with many unknowingly drawing their retirement income from the wrong source. This oversight can quickly add up, highlighting the importance of having a solid emergency fund in place, such as six months' worth of living expenses, to avoid such costly errors. By considering their entire tax position and investing in a tax-free savings account, retirees can mitigate such mistakes and protect their retirement savings.
Meta's official South African launch of its smart glasses later this year has raised concerns about potential criminal liability, as the country's strict data protection laws - including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the Cybercrimes Act - may not be fully aligned with the glasses' features, such as discreet recording capabilities. The glasses, which include the latest Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 model, will be available with full warranties or better pricing, but locals are advised to be cautious when purchasing.
South Africa has introduced new rules for gambling on phones, with Communications Minister Solly Malatsi announcing a regulatory framework to govern the industry. The move comes as the National Gambling Board works to finalize regulations on gambling advertising, building on the existing National Gambling Act and provincial legislation that provide the regulatory and licensing framework for the sector. The new rules aim to protect consumers and ensure a level playing field for operators.
The South African government has announced a surprise cut to petrol prices, reducing the general fuel levy by R3 per litre, effective immediately. This move, backed by the Automobile Association of South Africa, comes after six years of relatively stable levies, with the only recent increase being a 7-cent hike in 2026/27. The AA has called for the scrapping of the RAF levy, currently at R2.25 per litre, and for the government to explore alternative funding methods to support the fund.
New direct flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg will begin on 4 December 2026, marking a significant expansion of air travel options for passengers in the region. The airline, Airlink, will operate the flights using an Embraer E190 aircraft, accommodating 98 passengers at a time, with a unique seating arrangement featuring only window and aisle seats. With increased frequencies to four daily return flights, effective from 27 March 2027, travelers will enjoy more convenient and flexible travel options.
Nedbank ranked 26th globally, up from 49th in 2025, as one of the best companies in the world
The Forbes World’s Best Employers index ranks hundreds of international businesses to identify the best places to work, with 12 South African companies listed, including Nedbank, Standard Bank, Absa, FirstRand, Investec, and Sanlam
Sanlam was previously listed as the best South African employer in a Time magazine list, ranking 388th globally out of 1,000 businesses
Mtubatuba remains the cheapest municipality among South Africa's major metros and towns for groceries.
The PMBEJD report found that while 24 of the 44 tracked food items became cheaper or showed no year-on-year increases, the other 20 experienced price hikes, with eight items seeing double-digit inflation.
Mtubatuba had the lowest basket cost at R5,232.34 in September 2026, which is R255.72 below the national average.
Alpheus Mangale has resigned as an independent non-executive director to the Absa Group Board, effective 8 October 2026, due to personal reasons and future commitments.
The executive joined the Absa Group board in 2023. His resignation from the Absa board follows his placement on special leave from his role as CEO of Seacom, a submarine cable company, pending an investigation.
Mangale has served as Seacom’s CEO since 2023 and held several executive positions prior to his appointment.
The South African government has clarified that refugees and asylum seekers will not automatically enjoy the same labour market privileges as citizens, contrary to social media claims. The proposed Employment Services Amendment Bill, introduced in May 2026, aims to strengthen the domestic labour market and protect employment opportunities for vulnerable job seekers and youth, not to grant automatic citizenship rights. The clarification aims to restore public confidence in the government's intentions.
The 2026 Peugeot Landtrek has been updated with a new 2.2D turbodiesel, priced from R666 900 for the Allure variant and R759 900 for the 4Action. This engine upgrade brings improved fuel efficiency and performance, making the Landtrek a more attractive option for those seeking a reliable work vehicle. With features like a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a comprehensive five-year service plan, the updated Landtrek is now more appealing than ever, with prices that offer great value for its capabilities.
Cabinet approved the appointment of an interim board on 26 February 2025, tasked with stabilising the agency and appointing permanent executive leadership.
The agency improved from a qualified audit opinion in 2024/25 to an unqualified opinion for 2025/26, and delivered 117 e-Services through 35 digital products to more than 30 government departments and public entities.
Magatho Mello promised that he and his leadership team can turn SITA around within 2 years.
South Africa has dropped in the Fraser Institute’s 2026 economic freedom rankings, now ranking 87th among 165 global economies.
The institute’s Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) ranking assesses the extent to which people can make their own economic choices in a country, with the categories including government spending and regulation.
The Free Market Foundation flagged inflation and currency depreciation as two areas threatening South Africa’s economic outlook, with the country’s inflation reaching its highest point in 2026 in June, at 5%.
The Gauteng Provincial Government has begun the process to digitise applications for transport operating licences.
The Gauteng public transport regulatory information system was launched to digitise the processing of operating licences, and the amended National Land Transport Act introduced new safety and compliance requirements for the e-hailing industry.
The digital platform is expected to modernise the operating licence system, improve regulatory compliance, and process applications faster, and e-hailing drivers are being encouraged to come forward and apply for their licences.
SA Canegrowers has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to scrap South Africa’s Health Promotion Levy (HPL) as a 'burden on the sugar industry' that the South African government could lift immediately by scrapping it.
The sugar industry lost 250,000 tons of sugar sales in the first year of the tax alone, while two mills in KwaZulu-Natal have since shut down due to the HPL. A study commissioned by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) found that 16,000 jobs had been lost across sugarcane farming and milling by 2019.
SA Canegrowers questioned the purpose of maintaining a levy which imposes substantial costs on the sugar industry while its proceeds are not directed towards health objectives.
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) paid out R25 billion every month while receiving only R4 billion in return, resulting in a loss of R21 billion every month.
The RAF is paying R21 billion more than it receives every month, and would not recover from this financial situation. The entity plans to reduce its dependence on the fuel levy, especially given the rise of electric vehicles.
The RAF has announced plans to increase the tax by 33%, blaming reduced fuel sales for impacting its current funding model and plans to increase the current R2.25-per-litre levy on petrol and diesel sold in South Africa to R3 per litre.
Seacom CEO Alpheus Mangale has been placed on special leave pending an investigation into complaints about how the submarine cable company was being run.
Remgro executive Pieter Uys confirmed the development to MyBroadband and said it sounded worse than it was, Remgro holds a 30% stake in Seacom, and the company announced the development of a new submarine cable system, Seacom 2.0, in 2025.
Uys expressed confidence in Mangale’s abilities, saying he had known him for decades and that he had already done good work at Seacom, and Remgro’s guiding principles were to ensure a fair, objective, and independent process.
Woolworths has announced that all regulatory processes for its acquisition of In2Foods are complete.
The deal, which would see Woolworths purchase one of its longtime suppliers, was first announced in March 2026. In2Foods generates approximately R5 billion in annual revenue. The large merger classification was due to In2Foods being a major company in South Africa's food industry.
The Commission recommended that the deal be approved, with conditions, at the start of September.
Coca-Cola and water sector leaders in South Africa have partnered to invest R500 million in municipal water infrastructure to stop service delivery from collapsing.
The public-private agreement includes funding from five public and development entities and two private sector entities, including the Coca-Cola system, which includes Coca-Cola Beverages Africa and Coca-Cola HBC, as well as the Glocal Water Challenge.
The project aims to serve as a repeatable model for attracting private funding for municipal infrastructure, aligning with the National Water Action Plan, and improving the long-term financial stability of local municipalities.
LekkeSlaap has been acquired by a consortium of leading local investors, with its co-founders exiting the business.
The platform started as a garage-based travel tech startup in 2009 and ultimately grew into one of South Africa’s most recognisable online travel brands.
LekkeSlaap will continue to be led by CEO Frans Joubert and the existing executive team, ensuring continuity.
Cayley Mountain Resort has been named South Africa's Leading Lifestyle Resort for 2026 at the World Travel Awards.
The Beekman Group operates almost 40 destinations across five countries and serves more than 80,000 vacation ownership members and guests.
The group's attention to detail is what makes their resorts memorable long after guests have gone home, according to Wayne Beekman, Director at The Beekman Group.
The Pretoria High Court set aside new prescribed racial quotas introduced for the local legal sector.
The court reviewed and set aside Trade Minister Parks Tau's decision to promulgate the Legal Sector Code of Good Practice under the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act.
The court ordered Tau to pay the applicants' costs and remitted the matter to the minister for reconsideration.
South Africa's economic growth forecast has been slashed from 1.8% to a mere 1% due to surging oil prices and a weakened rand, a stark reversal of fortunes for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. This unexpected turn of events comes as the government prepares to release its Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), a test of credibility for the administration, which had previously celebrated a successful Budget in February. The MTBPS will now be a resilience test, with Godongwana set to provide an update on government spending and revenue amidst the economic uncertainty.
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has launched the National Opt-Out Registry to give every South African consumer a free, government-administered way to stop unwanted direct marketing calls, SMSes and other electronic communications.
The opt-out system will require direct marketers to register with the new system and check its lists monthly before conducting any marketing activities, and the system will be implemented in two stages, starting by allowing direct marketers time to register on the system.
The new system is intended to be fully operational from May 2027, allowing consumers to block unwanted direct marketing.