News as at
July 16, 2026, 12:45 am
What If A Shingles Jab Could Also Protect Your Brain?
- [Bhekisisa] Could a vaccine that protects you against one of the most painful diseases of older age also help keep your brain healthy? South Africa has finally launched Shingrix, a new shingles vaccine that studies suggest may lower the risk of dementia too. We unpack what the evidence really shows -- and whether the hefty price tag is worth it.
Gvt Pledges Fresh Start for Returning Citizens
- [263Chat] Government says it is putting measures in place to help returnees from South Africa find their feet again by identifying their skills, connecting them with jobs and offering support to those who need a fresh start.
R9,462 Rent, R6,500 Income, the Maths That Doesn't Add Up
- [Scrolla] The PayProp Rental Index puts South Africa's average monthly rent at R9,462, based on formal rental transactions nationally. In Khayelitsha, one of the country's biggest townships, almost 60% of households earn less than R6,500 a month, before rent.
Unisa Stops Data Allowance and Leaves Students Stranded
- [Scrolla] Unisa student Luyanda Dlamini spent R150 on data to write an assignment after losing her monthly data allowance from the university. More than 93,000 Unisa students also missed their July Personal Care Allowance on time due to a payment system delay.
Cat Matlala's Ninth Life? Madlanga Gives Key Witness One Last Chance
- [Daily Maverick] Commission chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga was visibly annoyed by Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala's postponement application on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, asking why he could not answer questions that did not relate to his criminal trial.
Farmworkers Fear Eviction From Paarl Wine Estate
- [GroundUp] Fourteen families are at risk of losing the homes they have lived in for decades
'My Kids Will Never Struggle Like I Did' - How One Doctor's Vision Opened Doors for Hundreds of Rural Healthcare Workers
- [spotlight] Dr Andrew Ross's idea of sponsoring rural students to study for careers in healthcare has succeeded beyond his dreams. Sue Segar sat down with him and chatted to the four students who bagged the initial fully funded scholarships and who went on to land senior roles in public health.
Nearly 100,000 Zimbabweans Repatriated From South Africa Since May, Government Says
- [New Zimbabwe] THE government says it has repatriated 99,418 citizens from South Africa in just over six weeks, with women and children accounting for more than 70% of those who have returned.
Union and Hostel Residents Quarrel Over R3-Million Electricity Bill
- [GroundUp] Food and Allied Workers' Union claims its hostel was "hijacked", but residents say they are descendants of bread factory workers who lived there
Cat Matlala's Madlanga Testimony Pushed to September After a Fierce Back and Forth
- [Scrolla] Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala's testimony before the Madlanga Commission has been postponed to 1 September, after heated exchanges in court. His lawyer says he cannot testify now because his attempted murder trial, over the 2023 shooting of his former girlfriend, begins Monday.
South Africa On Ebola Alert As Hospitals Prepare for Outbreak
- [Scrolla] Funda ngesiZuluBy Palesa Matlala
NNPC, African Oil Chiefs Meet in Cape Town Over Refining, Energy Bank, Regional Trade
- [Vanguard] Forum to push African financing, gas development, local refining and cross-border petroleum market
Two Giant Data Centres Secure Initial Green Light From Cape Town Municipal Tribunal
- [Daily Maverick] The building of two massive water-hungry and energy-hungry data centres next to Cape Town International Airport has cleared the first regulatory hurdle.
Minister Mckenzie's R31 Million FIFA World Cup 2026 Spending Spree
- [DA] Over the past two months, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has repeatedly requested that Minister McKenzie disclose the exact expenses for the Minister's delegation to the FIFA World Cup 2026. In response to the DA's most recent written question about the delegation's expenditure, the Minister disclosed an estimated expenditure of R31 million in South African taxpayer money. These are merely estimates, and the Minister's evasiveness about specifics suggests something troubling.
SA Courts Buckle As Judicial Independence Remains Unfinished Business, Warns Chief Justice Maya
- [Daily Maverick] Chief Justice Mandisa Maya says chronic under-resourcing and incomplete judicial independence are slowing justice and undermining public confidence in the courts.
Buthelezi Axed As Zulu Prime Minister After Ingonyama Trust Row
- [Scrolla] King Misuzulu kaZwelithini fired Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi as Traditional Prime Minister on Tuesday, accusing him of misrepresenting the King's position on the Ingonyama Trust to Parliament. Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, who has served as deputy Traditional Prime Minister since late 2024, has been appointed to the role with immediate effect.
Buses Turned Away, Reports of Hunger At Lindela Repatriation Centre As Migrants Flee SA
- [Daily Maverick] The Lindela Repatriation Centre is reportedly struggling to accommodate growing numbers of people seeking to return home. Last week, two buses carrying Malawian nationals were turned away after the facility allegedly reached capacity. This came amid emerging reports of poor living conditions.
All of Africa Today - July 14, 2026
- [allAfrica]
Gus Mills - - Practical Conservation Has Lost a Wild Soul and Rigorous Scientist
- [Daily Maverick] Dr Michael "Gus" Mills, one of Africa's most respected carnivore scientists and one of the great field naturalists of his generation, died on 12 July after suffering from cancer. His death removes from the continent a rare combination of rigorous scientist, patient observer, practical conservationist and gifted storyteller.
South Africa to More Than Double Its Electricity Generation - Ramokgopa
- [Daily Maverick] Addressing the 13th Manufacturing Indaba in Johannesburg, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa also highlighted the Transmission Development Plan, under which South Africa intends to build about 14,500km of new transmission lines over the next decade.
Investigator Denies Knowledge of Political Interference in Idac or a 'Feroz Khan Cabal'
- [Daily Maverick] Brian Padayachee, an investigator at the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption, testifies that he has no knowledge of a cabal involving Feroz Khan or any political interference in his work.
Social Grant Payments Will Continue Uninterrupted, Pule Assures
- [SAnews.gov.za] Newly appointed Minister of Social Development Dina Pule has assured the millions of vulnerable South Africans who are dependent on social grants that their monthly payments will continue uninterrupted.
Giant Data Centres Get the First Green Light From Cape Town Tribunal
- [GroundUp] Two massive water-hungry and energy-hungry data centres are proposed next to the airport
'We Are Confident,' Says Impeachment Chair Ahead of Ramaphosa's Bid to Stop Inquiry
- [Scrolla] Impeachment committee chairperson Makashule Gana will attend the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday and Thursday, 15 and 16 July. President Cyril Ramaphosa wants the committee's work stopped until a separate court review of the report behind the inquiry is finished.
South Africa, Namibia Urged to Accelerate Energy, Mining Cooperation to Drive Regional Growth
- [SAnews.gov.za] South Africa and Namibia have been urged to accelerate cooperation in the energy and mining sectors to unlock the economic potential of recent oil and gas discoveries and deepen regional integration.
Labour Court Rules Against Racist Owner of a Dog Called 'Hitler'
- [GroundUp] Cape Town court finds that his comments justified dismissal
Will El Niño Drought Hit Food Prices in South Africa? Earlier Rains and Grain Stocks Offer Hope
- [The Conversation Africa] The likely impact of the expected El Niño on South Africa's agriculture and food prices in 2027 is a major point of discussion among analysts and economists in the country.
