by Kelebogile Matlou G20 finance ministers and central bank governors wrapped up the third finance track meeting, issuing a communique that highlights the complex challenges the world faces, brought about by the heightened uncertainty as a result of geopolitical and trade wars. They have pledged to strengthen multilateral cooperation to address existing and emerging risks…
by Kelebogile Matlou Minister Gwarube Increases Early Childhood Development Grant to R1.7Billion. The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, has announced an increase in theEarly Childhood Development (ECD) conditional grant of R1.7 billion for the 2025/26financial year. The announcement was made during the department’s budget votepresentation in Parliament.Gwarube said the increased funding is aimed at…
By: Kelebogile Matlou United States President Donald Trump has issued a sharp warning to countries aligning with the BRICS bloc, vowing to impose an additional 10% tariff on them. Posting on his Truth Social platform on Monday, 7 July,“Any country aligning itself with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an additional 10% Tariff….
By: Kelebogile Matlou South Africa’s 2025 Tax Season officially launched on Monday, 7 July, when the South African Revenue Service (SARS) began rolling out auto assessments to eligible taxpayers. These assessments will be sent out in batches from 7 to 20 July. From 21 July, individual taxpayers both provisional and non-provisional as well as trusts…
by Kelebogile Matlou Sun International has withdrawn its plan to buy Peermont Holdings, the company that owns Emperors Palace, in a deal worth around R7 billion. On Wednesday, 2 July 2025, Sun International said that it and Peermont had mutually agreed to cancel the deal. This happened because the Competition Commission said in October 2024…
by Mathipa Phishego On Wednesday, July 2, fuel prices went up and consumers are preparing for yet another financial setback. The price increases for petrol and diesel by R1.18 and R0.92 per litre were confirmed by the Department of Energy. In turn, this is the fourth hike in a row this year. During the past year,…
by Kelebogile Matlou Low-income households across South Africa are facing a worsening housing shortage, highlighted during the Department of Human Settlements budget vote delivered by Minister Thembi Simelane. The country continues to experience a serious shortfall in affordable, formal housing options for working-class families. The limited housing supply, combined with stagnant income levels, has pushed…
by Kelebogile Matlou Nearly R730 million has now been clawed back from the wreckage of VBS Mutual Bank, the South African Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority (PA) said in its latest annual report. The amount, confirmed by VBS Mutual Bank liquidator Anoosh Rooplal, represents almost a third of the approximately R2.3 billion looted through fraud and…
by Kelebogile Matlou On Friday, 27 June 2025, Eskom announced that its power system remains stable, successfully managing rising electricity demand as South Africa experiences a cold snap. Through the strategic use of emergency reserves, Eskom has managed to meet critical morning and evening peak demands despite occasional system constraints. As part of its Generation…
by Kelebogile Matlou The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed an urgent court case brought by Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo. He wanted the court to cancel his suspension and allow him to return to work, but the judge ruled against him. Letsoalo was suspended on 3 June 2025 by the RAF board…
