First Take SA

Business rights group, Sakeliga, says it is opposed to mandatory Covid-19 vaccine policies, saying several organisations are against so-called social monitoring systems. Africa's largest wireless carrier, the MTN Group went a step further yesterday announced that it is prepared to fire employees who don't comply with its mandatory vaccine policy unless they qualify for an exemption. National Emplo...

Iconic award winning South African poet, author, wordsmith, journalist, public speaker, anti-apartheid activist, peace crusader and raconteur Dr. Donato Francisco Mattera, better known as Bra "Don" Mattera has been hospitalized at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The Don Mattera Legacy Foundation has called on South Africans to keep Don and his family in their prayers. Don's son and Deputy Cha...

Victor Kgomoesoana, author of  "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back" gives us this Tuesday edition of Africa's top economic stories

The 12 truck drivers arrested on the N3 toll route near Van Reenen's Pass after blocking the major highway on Friday will appear in the Ladysmith Magistrate's Court in KwaZulu Natal. According to police, the drivers blocked the freeway and stopped other drivers forcing them to park their vehicles on the road and confiscating their keys. The important travel and trade route was only re-opened on Sa...

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy says calls for a change in the country's fuel pricing system are premature. This comes as motorists were up on arms this week following a hike in the price of fuel at midnight on Tuesday which initially placed petrol at over R20 per litre. In a statement, the department argued that the current pricing system had passed through the lower crude oil pric...

The African Transformation Movement says it welcomes the decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal for the new speaker of Parliament, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to have a fresh look on the decision to use a secret ballot in the vote of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa. The ATM approached the SCA after the Western Cape High Court ruled in favour of then Speaker Thandi Modise's decision to...

Fifteen ANC councillors from Nkomazi Municipality in Malelane, Mpumalanga, have until the end of business today to explain why they should not be suspended from the party. This after the councillors, nominated and voted in Johan Mkhatshwa for the position of mayor and also placed forward their own candidate for the position of speaker. Councillors from two other municipalities in the province are...

Victor Kgomoesoana, DIirector & Author of " AFRICA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS" takes a look at this week's top African economic stories. * Ethiopian Airlines participates in re-launching of Zambia Airways  * United Bank for Africa (UBA) Wins 'African Bank of the Year Award * Russian Investors Targets Nigeria Agriculture, Oil & Gas Sectors

The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools  - FEDSAS - has expressed disappointment and concern at what it calls a late extension of the placement deadline of learners at Gauteng schools. The Gauteng education department yesterday announced an extension of online applications for placement for next year to December the 10th. This is as more than 121-thousand learners remains...

The focus on the spread of coronavirus is disrupting HIV/AIDS programs in Limpopo. This is according to several home-based and life care centers in the province. Scientists have sounded the alarm over thousands of young African girls who continue to bear the brunt of the AIDS and HIV scourge.  New research shows that over 4-thousand people are infected daily with 25% of them being young Afric...

The South African National Blood Services has appealed to blood donors to come forward as blood stocks are running critically low. This as only less than one percent of the South African population are active donors despite the fact that each unit of blood donated can save a minimum of three lives. SANBS notes that it needs Group B+ and AB- including O+ donors to come forward urgently. The need fo...

The Road Freight Association of South Africa has warned that consumers will bear the brunt of the latest fuel price hike. This comes as motorists face yet another big jump in the petrol price with authorities confirming an 81 cent increase from midnight tonight. This means that petrol will cost more than R20 a litre inland. The petrol price has been hiked by over R2 a litre in just two months. The...

The University of the Free State says its vaccine exemption committee will sit every week to consider the applications of staff and students who want to be exempted on health and religious grounds. The University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Francis Petersen says this will ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in the processing of applications. The University's vaccination policy comes into...

Gauteng Police have called on anyone with information relating to the discovery of seven bodies at the Makause Informal settlement in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, to come forward. The deceased which include a child, were found not far away from each other on Monday morning. Police Spokesperson Kay Makhubele says while details remain sketchy, the circumstances surrounding the crimes are being i...

Victor Kgomoesoana, author of  "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back" brings us this Tuesday edition of Africa Brief  

While President Cyril Ramaphosa kept South Africa at Alert Level 1 for now, the tourism industry is hardest hit as countries suspend flights to and from Southern African countries. Ramaphosa updated the nation about the Omicron variant, which is largely behind the latest increase in positive Covid-19 infections. Tourism Business Council CEO, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa discusses the implications of a ha...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has left the trading of liquor at normal trading hours temporarily as he warned of an increase in positive covid-19 infections. Ramaphosa has urged people to get their jabs as soon as possible. Spokesperson of the National Liquor Traders Association, Lucky Mtimane on their call for the industry to not be prohibited from trading  

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the 4th wave of new COVID-19 infections is expected to hit the country by early December. He was updating the nation last night about the Omicron variant which is largely behind the latest increase in positive covid-19 infections. Ramaphosa urged people who qualify for vaccinations to get their jabs as soon as possible. For some reaction to these latest de...

South African consumers have been warned to pay close attention to black Friday deals and avoid falling prey to clever advertising gimmicks offered by retailers. Thousands of South Africans are likely to flood shopping malls and supermarkets from today, aiming to get a slice of the black Friday pie. However, as experts warn - many deals being offered by retailers have been strategically packaged u...

Time to take a look at current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoesoana, author of  "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back". Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo........    

The ANC has retained control of the eThekwini metro with the help of a number of small parties with one or 2 seats each in the council. This after the city emerged from this month's municipal elections with a hung council. The ANC received only 42 percent of the vote and 96 of the 222 seats in the council. Four established opposition parties - the DA, EFF, IFP, and the ACDP - tried unsuccessfully...

The number of new Covid-19 cases in the country has been on the rise for the past few days with some parts of the Tshwane Metro displaying signs of hotspot areas. Daily new infections across the country are now around a thousand a day as the health department has added the rapid antigen tests to the latest rounds of COVID-19 statistics. The sharp rise in new infections has led to more concerns tha...

The National Credit Regulator has called on South Africans not to burn their pockets while taking advantage of Black Friday deals. This comes after the regulator revealed that just over 16 million of the 26 million credit active consumers, are in good standing, while the rest of the 10 million have impaired records. It has been a hard year for consumers and things seem not likely to ease after the...

NPO, Good Governance Africa, has published a paper calling for what it calls super coalitions among the leading political parties in the country. The NPO says such partnerships have benefited countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. Author and Editor at Good Governance  Africa Governance, Richard  Jurgens

The newly elected City of Tshwane executive mayor Randall Williams says political parties should put their differences aside to adequately render services to the citizens. DA's Williams has retained his position as the executive mayor of the City of Tshwane. He was elected unopposed. The ANC did not submit any candidate for the mayoral position. Head of Elections from the Freedom Front Plus, Woute...