Friday, 7 August 2026

Agri SA told Parliament South Africa is losing export ground because trade talks are too slow, tariffs remain high, and the state’s “last mile” diplomacy is under-resourced against competitors with preferential deals.

The Eskom board says it was caught off guard by President Ramaphosa’s plan to remove the National Transmission Company of SA from Eskom, with concern centred on asset values, debt security and the utility’s balance sheet.

Energy expert Jose Moleche said the transmission unit carries major revenue and assets tied to Eskom debt, and that separating it without proper consultation could undermine the whole reform process and independent power trading.

South Africa’s cinemas are seeing a strong bounce from spectacle releases, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day setting a local opening-weekend record and The Odyssey helping pull audiences back to the big screen.

Consumer ombud Lee Zobati said online shopping complaints remain the biggest category, driven by e-commerce growth, but the system is still fairly balanced with 64% of cases decided in consumers’ favour.