The National Pulse

Tuesday, 3 November 2026

Election-day tensions and the US move to drop South Africa from AGOA duty-free benefits dominated the afternoon, with citrus growers and exporters voicing serious worries about the impact.

1. 15:37

   The US has moved to remove South Africa from AGOA duty-free benefits from next year. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the decision followed practices inconsistent with the act's eligibility criteria.

2. 15:40

   Without AGOA, South African exports face tariffs rising from about 12.5% to roughly 15.5% to 15.9%, according to Wandile Sihlobo, though he says market access to the US is not lost outright.

3. 15:01

   Special-vote disruptions were reported, including two women arrested in the Eastern Cape for allegedly trying to steal election material, and a candidate who stormed a voting station in Mpumalanga and has been arrested.

4. 16:21

   The Council for Medical Schemes Appeals Committee overturned a registrar's ruling and ordered Key Health to fund in full life-saving treatment for a 15-year-old boy with a rare blood disorder.

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