HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Mon 25 May 2026:

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

◼️ Africa Day 2026: Sixty-three years later, as the continent marks Africa Day 2026, questions over what liberation really means still linger. What was once defined by flags and anthems is now increasingly seen through debates about who controls wealth, technology and global influence, and how that control shapes everyday life across the continent. For the older generation, Africa Day remains a deeply emotional milestone, a reminder of a hard-won victory against colonial rule and political oppression that reshaped the continent’s history.
https://independentpress.cc/africa-day-2026-has-the-continent-achieved-true-liberation/2026/05/25/

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◼️ SA pushes for 15-year Agoa extension amid US scrutiny: The Trump administration recently renewed Agoa, which gives South Africa duty-free access for a broad range of exports, including vehicle, agricultural and textile products, for a year. The extended agreement is set to lapse at the end of the year. The department, which is custodian of South Africa’s trade and industrial policy, flagged the deep trade and economic ties between South Africa and the US. Its submission stated that about 22 South African companies have invested in the US, employing about 6,900 people, while South Africa hosts more than 600 US companies, employing about 134,600 people.
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-05-25-sa-pushes-for-15-year-agoa-extension-amid-us-scrutiny/

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◼️ SA to use facial scans at airports and borders: “The rollout of the ETA and the new EMCS 2.0 is currently underway after a successful piloting at OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, and Lanseria International Airport,” he said. The Department of Home Affairs tested several new visa schemes for travellers entering the country for specific purposes last year. These included the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), which gave verified tour group operators access to an online platform to submit clients’ visa details.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/government/649343-new-home-affairs-system-will-scan-faces-at-south-african-airports-and-borders.html

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◼️ Bad news for medical aid members in SA: He warned that medical aid contributions have historically increased above inflation, making coverage steadily less affordable for middle-income households. Discovery highlighted that annual medical inflation for the last 10 years amounted to CPI plus six percentage points. “If you continue to increase premiums at around about 10%, whereas their salaries are growing at inflation, 3%, 4%, then it becomes increasingly unaffordable for them to maintain a medical aid scheme and as a result, they will drop out.”
https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/860864/really-bad-news-for-medical-aid-members-in-south-africa-2/

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◼️ ANC accused of stalling impeachment committee to shield Ramaphosa: According to well‑placed sources in both the ANC and Parliament, the party missed Speaker Thoko Didiza’s 22 May deadline as chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli and secretary‑general Fikile Mbalula clashed over representation, the Sunday Times reported over the weekend. The ANC holds nine seats on the 31‑member committee, but is the only party to have missed the deadline.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/eff-accuses-anc-stalling-impeachment-committee-shield-ramaphosa/

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