HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Mon 13 July 2026:

Here’s what’s happening in South Africa today: 👇🏼

◼️ SA plans first strategic oil boost since apartheid era: The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy proposed that 60 days of demand be covered by reserves, of which about two-thirds will be crude and the remainder oil products, according to a draft policy document published July 9 for public consultation. The conflict in the Middle East triggered a surge in global fuel prices and a search for alternative suppliers. Some African governments cut taxes and dipped into their budgets to help cap prices.
Read more here:
https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/markets/south-africa-plans-first-strategic-oil-boost-since-apartheid-era/
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◼️ Handheld mobile devices to scan for illegal foreign nationals: He explained that in the near future, these handheld devices would enable department officials to access Home Affairs’ systems remotely to determine a person’s immigration status. “This will increase the arrests on those found to be illegal in the country, as there will be an immediate response on status for contravention with the departmental legislations,” said Schreiber.
Read more here:
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/government/657608-handheld-mobile-devices-to-scan-for-illegal-foreign-nationals-are-coming-to-south-africa.html
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◼️ South Africans could soon have their driving licences taken away and forced to redo the test: Once it takes effect, every driver will begin with zero demerit points. Traffic infringements will attract between 1 and 6 points, depending on their seriousness, with points accumulating as motorists commit offences. Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) spokesperson Monde Mkalipi said the system is designed to hold individual drivers accountable for their own behaviour on the road.
*Read more here:*
https://businesstech.co.za/news/motoring/866034/south-africans-could-soon-have-their-driving-licences-taken-away-and-forced-to-redo-the-test/

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◼️ Employers and landlords feel impact as foreign nationals leave: He is one of the few ginger farmers in South Africa and produces about 30% of the country’s ginger. “I had to halt all work on the farm because buses and groups of people kept showing up to intimidate and even threaten us with death. The police did a good job of managing the situation but failed to stop the unrest or make any arrests, and the next day, it simply continued,” Latsky said.
Read more here:
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/employers-and-landlords-feel-impact-as-foreign-nationals-leave/

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◼️ Fatherhood in crisis: The 2025 General Household Survey paints a similarly stark picture. Only 31.4% of South African children live with both parents, while 45.5% are raised solely by their mothers and 18.8% live without either parent. Meanwhile, the US-based Institute for Family Studies reports that South Africa is the only one of 43 countries it examined where fewer than half of all children live with both biological parents. Overall, only 36% of children, and just 31% of black children, live with their biological fathers, a decline of around 10 percentage points since the mid-1990s.
Read more here:
https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-07-12-fatherhood-in-crisis-south-african-men-speak-out-on-access-issues/

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