HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY |WEDNESDAY

Wed 18 February 2026:

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

◼️ How much money flows from South Africa to SADC countries? Supported by the Sarb, the FinMark Trust (FMT) recently released a report on remittances to and from SADC countries. Outflowing remittances from South Africa have increased from R6 billion in 2016 to R19.3 billion in 2024, with Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi accounting for 90% of all payments.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/how-much-money-transferred-out-south-africa-into-sadc-countries/

————-
◼️ SA’s film industry founders as state withholds support: SOUTH AFRICA’s once-thriving film industry says it’s on the verge of collapse because the government has withheld financial support for the past two years, leaving thousands of actors, producers, writers and support staff struggling to find work.
https://iol.co.za/sunday-tribune/news/2026-02-18-south-africas-film-industry-founders-as-state-withholds-support/

————-
◼️ Gold fever hits South Africa: A resident in a poor neighbourhood of the former mining town of Springs claimed to have found several nuggets while digging at an outdoor enclosure used for cattle. Dozens of people have now descended on the area and have been digging up the fenced area where the cows were once penned in, hoping to strike it rich. Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he would deploy the army to help the police fight criminal gangs and illegal mining in the country.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dne6z4p9qo

————-
◼️ Mashaba says it will be ‘very easy’ to win Joburg against Zille: He said Zille underestimates him. “When she looks at me, she doesn’t see a 66-year-old man; she sees a boy, which is an advantage for me.” “When she engages with me, she engages on a basis of superiority,” he said. He views this as a strategic advantage. He added that he left the DA because the party was against him providing services to poor black communities during his tenure as mayor.
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/17902/mashaba-says-it-will-be-very-easy-to-win-joburg-against-zille/

————-
◼️ Warning to people who gamble online in SA: The Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) has warned South Africans against using online casinos and sports betting platforms that aren’t licensed in the country. The organisation says the platforms set the odds heavily against players, and banks in South Africa are legally obligated to confiscate any winnings.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/629533-warning-to-people-who-gamble-online-in-south-africa.htm

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22