South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs is aiming to reduce Smart ID application times to as little as three minutes by 2026, according to Minister Leon Schreiber. Addressing Parliament during the 2026 State of the Nation Address debate, Schreiber said processing times for Smart IDs and passports were cut by 66.7% in 2025. He attributed…
A woman from Cape Town has spoken publicly about her alleged experiences involving the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, following the recent release of millions of documents by the US Department of Justice related to his case. Juliette Bryant told Sky News that she was 20 years old in 2002 when she was approached with what…
Leo Brent Bozell III, the nominee selected by US President Donald Trump to serve as ambassador to South Africa, has arrived in Pretoria to assume his duties at a time of continued tension between the two governments. Bozell III was sworn in as ambassador-designate in January 2026. The US Embassy confirmed his arrival, stating that…
South Africa’s central bank has launched a formal consultation on plans to discontinue the long-standing prime lending rate and instead anchor loan pricing directly to its benchmark policy rate. In a statement released on Monday, the South African Reserve Bank said linking financial contracts to the repo rate would strengthen the transmission of monetary policy…
Water supply disruptions in Johannesburg are intensifying, prompting warnings from experts that South Africa’s largest economic hub could face a national disaster if urgent action is not taken. Concerns about the country’s water infrastructure are not new. In 2008, water specialist Anthony Turton cautioned that South Africa faced a deepening governance and capacity gap in…
A partial solar eclipse will be visible across much of South Africa on Tuesday, offering skywatchers a brief opportunity to observe the celestial event during the afternoon. According to the South African National Space Agency (Sansa), the eclipse will begin at 14:01 South African Standard Time, reach its maximum phase at 14:23, and conclude at…
Cape Town’s annual Pride season officially begins this week, running from 5 February to 1 March 2026. The three-week festival will feature numerous events across the city. One of the highlights on the calendar is the LEGACY Love Pride Ball, scheduled for Saturday, 7 February. The event celebrates Ballroom culture, an LGBTQIA+ subculture that originated…
cape town prepares for annual a cappella music festival Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre Centre will host the annual A Cappella Music Festival this Saturday, 21 February 2026. The event, organised by the Rainbow Arts Organisation, runs from 13:00 to 18:00 with intervals throughout the afternoon. Tickets range from R150 to R350 and are available through…
The South African rand is holding its position as one of the continent’s stronger currencies, ranking eighth in Africa as of January 2026. Data shows the rand trading at 16.50 against the US dollar, its strongest level since 2022. It remains the most actively traded currency in Africa. The Tunisian dinar is the strongest on…
Africa Bitcoin Corporation (ABC), the continent’s first listed bitcoin treasury firm, has increased its cryptocurrency reserves with the purchase of 1.35 bitcoin, lifting its total holdings to 4.55 BTC, valued at approximately R4.7 million at current prices. The latest acquisition was completed at an average cost of R1.14 million per coin, slightly above the prevailing…
