HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Thu 07 May 2026:

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

◼️ South Africans are not a xenophobic people: “You also have the reality that the issue of immigration is a pressure point, not only here in South Africa but throughout the world where protests are held on these issues. “What is important from our perspective is obviously, respecting the rights of everybody that is within our borders and, when we protest, to do so peacefully without causing harm to anybody,” he explained.
https://independentpress.cc/south-africans-are-not-a-xenophobic-people-presidential-spokesperson/2026/05/07/

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◼️ SA to head joint bid to host 2028 Afcon: “We are making a bid for the 2028 Afcon. We are doing it with Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Mozambique,” Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie said. If the bid is successful, it will be the third time South Africa hosts the continental showpiece, having done so in 1996 and 2013.
https://www.news24.com/sport/soccer/south-africa-to-head-joint-bid-to-host-2028-afcon-with-neighbour-countries-20260507-0490

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◼️ Big changes to BEE in SA proposed: Dubbed the Economic Inclusion for All Bill, the DA plans to repeal all race-based preferences for procurement and create a new system that offers incentives for tangible development outcomes. This is likely to be fiercely opposed by the ANC, the architects of the current BEE framework, who have repeatedly said that BEE is going nowhere.
https://dailyinvestor.com/south-africa/132998/big-changes-to-bee-in-south-africa-proposed/

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◼️ Joburg wants households to pay 66% more to receive water: Currently, domestic users pay R65.08 (excluding Vat) monthly before they open a tap, regardless of whether they are on conventional (postpaid) meters or prepaid ones. In its proposed tariffs for the 2026/27 financial year, it wants to increase this to R107.74 per month.
https://www.citizen.co.za/business/joburg-wants-households-to-pay-66-more-to-receive-water/

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◼️ How SA plans to crackdown on illicit tobacco trade: Authorities are scrambling to combat smuggling and rein in the illicit economy, which the National Treasury has said is worth as much as R700bn a year, or 10% of GDP. “The focus of the tracking and tracing system will mainly be those products with the highest incidents of illicit trade, particularly tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, food and consumer appliances, which pose a serious risk to South African consumers and the economy,” Ntaba said.
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-05-07-south-africa-to-launch-track-and-trace-system-to-stamp-out-smuggling/

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