HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Tue 17 March 2026:

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

◼️ SA to stay on prolonged rate hold: Surging oil prices triggered by the Middle East conflict are likely to push South African inflation higher and see policymakers keep interest rates unchanged for months, according to Morgan Stanley. Based on an outlook that oil prices will remain between $90 and $100 per barrel for several months, Morgan Stanley sees South African inflation accelerating temporarily and growth taking a hit this year.
https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/economy/morgan-stanley-says-south-africa-to-stay-on-prolonged-rate-hold/

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◼️ US intervention escalates SA’s genocide case against Israel: Independent political analyst Goodenough Mashego said the US and Israel had hoped that by now South Africa would have withdrawn the case as a result of pressure from Washington. The Trump administration, in an 11-page document, strongly stated the allegations of genocide against Israel are “false” and that Israel lacked “specific intent” to commit genocide as required to establish genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/us-intervention-escalates-sas-genocide-case-against-israel/

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◼️ Why schoolchildren are turning to cough syrup and Xanax: According to Pillay, the effects are evident in schools. Pupils under the influence often struggle with concentration, memory and motivation, while teachers report increased absenteeism, behavioural disruptions and declining academic performance. He added that the problem extends beyond health concerns.
https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-03-17-why-schoolchildren-are-turning-to-cough-syrup-and-xanax/

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◼️ How fraudsters are evolving: To define it, social engineering is a method of cyber-attack that exploits human psychology and behavioural vulnerabilities rather than technical system weaknesses. Relying on manipulative tactics like impersonation, false authority, or manufactured urgency, it deceives people into giving up sensitive information, granting unauthorised access, or taking actions that compromise security.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/industrynews/633491-understanding-social-engineering-how-fraudsters-are-evolving.html

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◼️ This is how much you more you will be paying: South Africans are in for a big shock and will have to dig very much deeper into their pockets after Eskom announced that it will be implementing an 8.76% tariff hike for customers supplied directly by the utility. South African households’ budgets are already bursting at the seams, and with the US and Israel’s war in Iran likely to spike petrol prices in April, South Africans will face more pressure to find the money to pay for higher electricity bills.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/power-shock-eskom-slap-customers-tariff-hike-how-much/

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