The National Briefing

Quality assurance body Umalusi has approved the release of the 2025 matric results across all assessment bodies, while confirming that the results of pupils implicated in a major examination paper leak will be withheld. The decision follows an investigation into leaked mathematics, physical sciences and English home language exam papers, which implicated 40 pupils and two education officials.   Gu...

Energy producer IMPOWER Solar is calling on South Africans to make their voices heard as the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) considers a proposed R76 billion tariff hike for Eskom. The proposed increase follows a major calculation error by the regulator and could result in electricity prices rising by around 10% for consumers.     Guest: Professor Vally P...

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Rio tinto confirms glencore takeover talks 2. Unions raise concerns over job cuts at Motus 3. Markets

Johann Kotze, CEO of AgriS has now said that it’s no use simply giving farms to black farmers without having a business plan in place Guest: Johann Kotze: CEO of AgriSA   

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter  

President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged that South Africans are losing faith in the ANC due to failures in governance, weak service delivery and persistent unemployment. Delivering the party’s January 8 Statement at Moruleng Stadium in the North West to mark the ANC’s 114th anniversary, Ramaphosa admitted that these shortcomings have demoralised many ci...

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Fed chair Jerome Powell faces criminal investigation  2. The US labour market ends 2025 on a weaker footing 3. Markets  

Protesters across Iran have defied an escalating government crackdown, taking to the streets despite reports of mass arrests, lethal force, and a near-total internet shutdown. What began as demonstrations over soaring inflation has rapidly evolved into a nationwide movement calling for the end of Iran’s clerical rule, drawing sharp threats from Tehran and increasingly confrontational rh...

Africa Update Report with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa 12 January 2026 1.    Uganda – Kampala Uganda decides 2026 in three days.  The African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) announce the arriv...

ActionSA can reveal that Ministers serving in South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) have spent nearly R450 million on travel and accommodation in just their first 18 months in office—a figure expected to exceed R500 million once all outstanding parliamentary replies are finalised. Guest: Alan Beesley: ActionSA Member of Parliament (MP) 

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in KwaZulu Natal has been inundated with panic calls from some school principals who are worried by the poor state of readiness for schools reopening. Schools are re-opening on the 14th of January 2026 and are expected to deliver the first lesson in all subjects for all grades in the school. Guest: Nomarashiya Caluza: Provincial...

How important is public participation in the Draft Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection? Guest: Princy Mthombeni: Co-founder of South Africans for Constitutional Reform (SACR) 

The long-running divorce dispute between actress Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa and international DJ Black Coffee is heading to the Supreme Court of Appeal, marking one of the most significant family-law cases in recent South African history. What is the biggest lesson couples can learn about customary marriages from this case? Guest: Mary-Jane Mphahlele: Founder of Mary-Jane Mphahlele Inc. 

A large wildfire is currently burning in a remote section of the Garden Route National Park in the Eastern Cape, prompting an extensive multi-agency firefighting response as authorities work to contain the blaze and protect surrounding communities and infrastructure.     Guest: Len du Plessis: SANParks Senior Manager: Environmental Planning, garden route national park

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Lewis cleared to intervene in Pepkor-Shoprite furniture acquisition 2. Implats faces pressure over mine accident probe as NUM demands report be made public 3. Markets

The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) rejects the notion that the ANC can speak on behalf of all South Africans on matters of foreign policy, particularly regarding Venezuela. The ANC’s ideologically driven, anti-Western stance does not reflect the views of all citizens or parties within South Africa’s democratic framework. The VF Plus therefore distances itself from the ANC&rsquo...

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has publicly endorsed Provincial Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for a second term, a move that carries significant political and institutional weight amid ongoing national probes into alleged corruption and interference within South Africa’s security and justice systems.     Guest: Andy Mashaile: Security Strategist   

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Sentiment in the manufacturing sector sours in December  2. Government presses on with search for buyer for ArcelorMittal’s long steel business 3. Markets  

Africa Update Report with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa 9 January 2026 1.    Benin- Cotonou Benin decides 2026  Dual legislative and local elections, first act of a crucial election year Beninese voters are called to the polls on Sunday, January 11 for legislative and local elections. They are ta...

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Chinese inflation ticks higher in December  2. HCI dumps its stake in Western Cape based mall, Whale Coast Village  3. Markets  

Iran has entered its 11th consecutive day of nationwide unrest, with violent clashes reported between anti-government protesters and security forces across multiple cities. What began as demonstrations over economic hardship has escalated into a broader political movement, marked by deadly confrontations, mass arrests, and increasingly direct challenges to Iran’s leadership.     Gu...

As South Africa’s unified school calendar begins on Wednesday, 14 January, new data show that the cost of sending a child to public high school is rising far faster than inflation, deepening financial pressure on households already struggling with the high cost of living.     Guest: Taryn Jankes: Chief Marketing Officer, Teneo 

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter From rates to geopolitics, the forces set to move markets in 2026 2. Nestle’s baby formula recall widens, with African countries added to the list 3. Markets

More than 60 cases of child abandonment and sexual abuse were recorded in the Eastern Cape during December, exposing a deeply troubling crisis affecting the province’s most vulnerable citizens. Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development, Bukiwe Fanta, has condemned these acts in the strongest terms, warning that those responsible will face severe legal consequences.     Guest: Aaron Motsoa...

According to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD), South African workers earning the national minimum wage are being forced to drastically underspend on food, leaving families unable to afford even a basic nutritious diet.  Guest: Trudi Broekmann: Consumer Expert    Expert