HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Sat 09 August 2025:

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

◼️ National dialogue in peril: In a joint statement released on Friday, 8 August, the foundations—including those of Steve Biko, Thabo Mbeki, Chief Albert Luthuli, Desmond and Leah Tutu, FW de Klerk, and Oliver and Adelaide Tambo—announced their immediate withdrawal from the event’s Preparatory Task Team (PTT). They cited fundamental violations of the core principles that were meant to guide the process.
https://independentpress.cc/national-dialogue-in-peril-as-key-foundations-withdraw-support/2025/08/09/

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◼️ Bela Act public comment participation: The second set of regulations, titled “Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Capacity of Ordinary Public Schools”, provides formulas and standards for determining how many pupils a school can admit. These are designed to “maximise the use of learning spaces in ordinary public schools and ensure all classrooms in schools are used effectively and thus safeguard against overcrowding”.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2025-08-07-bela-act-public-comment-participation-commences/

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◼️ Truecaller under investigation in SA: This comes after several companies and individuals lobbied the regulator to crack down on Truecaller in South Africa. Businesses complained that Truecaller had harmed their companies by flagging their numbers on the platform and charging them a fee to be whitelisted.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/605621-truecaller-under-investigation-in-south-africa.html

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◼️ 43% of South Africans buy food on credit: South Africans are living in a credit crunch, with 43% buying food on credit, considered a sure sign of a struggling consumer economy. It is common knowledge that too many South Africans cannot make ends meet and rely on credit for basics such as transport, groceries and other essentials.
https://www.citizen.co.za/business/personal-finance/43-of-consumers-buying-food-on-credit-evidence-of-credit-crunch/

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◼️ South Africans who order takeaways: Standard Bank has warned that South Africans are overspending on takeaways and fast food, with many burning through cash and having no emergency savings. The bank’s data also showed that customers spend an average of R775 monthly on takeaways and food delivery, excluding groceries and supermarket meals.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/finance/833521/big-problem-for-south-africans-who-order-takeaways/

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