Thursday, 3 September 2026

Spring Day celebrations escalated into non-consensual assaults, with people drenched in cars, security guards targeted, delivery workers pulled from scooters, and electronic devices—including a hearing aid—damaged.

Listeners and the presenter linked the behaviour to eroding respect, poor parental supervision and water scarcity, while calling for safer, supervised celebrations rather than an outright ban.

South Africa’s online retail market is forecast to reach R159 billion in 2026; six in ten shoppers use smartphones, while 61% of abandoned baskets follow declined card payments.

Consumer journalist Wendy Nola warned that online sale items still carry a seven-day cooling-off right under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, with refunds due when goods are returned.

Nola said mobile providers must warn customers 40–80 days before contracts end, including any price increase; verbal cancellations are difficult to prove, so written records are essential.