HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Sat 17 October 2026:

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

◼️R10 billion petrol and diesel price relief on the cards: The government is working on a plan to provide temporary fuel price relief to South Africans as petrol and diesel prices continue to rise. Petrol and diesel prices rose to R30.28 and R33.29 per litre in October 2026, with further increases expected in November. “While oil continues to flow through the strait, persistent attacks on commercial vessels and the risk of a renewed escalation in the conflict have kept prices elevated,” Lisette Ijssel de Schepper said.
Read more here:
https://dailyinvestor.com/energy/160167/r10-billion-petrol-and-diesel-price-relief-on-the-cards-for-south-africa/

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◼️Big change to payments in SA: South Africa will open its payments system to non-bank operators, including telecoms firms, fintechs and retailers, from mid-2027, a Reserve Bank official said on Friday, as part of a major overhaul of the system. The change would end banks’ longstanding dominance of South Africa’s payments processing market. It will allow non-bank firms to connect directly to the national payments infrastructure, which clears and settles payments nationwide, rather than relying on banks as intermediaries.
Read more here:
https://newsday.co.za/business/29379/big-change-to-payments-in-south-africa/

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◼️New international mafia taking hold in SA: The report highlighted several incidents of drug-producing factories being uncovered by the South African Police Services (SAPS). Many of these incidents included the involvement of Mexican nationals. “The presence of Mexican nationals in all these major lab busts points heavily to Mexican cartel involvement, with the former head of Hawks, an elite crime investigative unit in SAPS, stating that he suspected many of these Mexicans had links with the Sinaloa cartel,” the report said.
Read more here:
https://businesstech.co.za/news/business-opinion/879428/new-international-mafia-taking-hold-in-south-africa/

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◼️ Eskom warns against placing election posters on electricity infrastructure: Eskom has observed an increase in election-related posters being attached to electricity poles, mini-substations, transformers and other electrical infrastructure during the current campaign period. While electioneering is an important part of South Africa’s democratic process, electricity infrastructure must not be used for advertising or promotional purposes due to the significant safety risks involved.
Read more here:
https://www.eskom.co.za/eskom-warns-against-placing-election-posters-on-electricity-infrastructure-as-this-poses-a-significant-safety-risk/

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◼️ Money worries are taking a toll on South Africans’ health, work and home lives: The findings show that 72% of respondents were experiencing financial stress, an increase on the previous year. Among those affected, 75% said it was taking a toll on their health, 76% on their work life and 92% on their home life. Brett Caminsky, director at Atlas Finance, says people can keep up with all their repayments while still spending much of their time worrying about the next bill or whether an unexpected expense will upset their household budget.
Read more here:
https://iol.co.za/business/2026-10-17-money-worries-are-taking-a-toll-on-south-africans-health-work-and-home-lives/

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