South

Every year since 2013, Africa Check has fact-checked South Africa's State of the Nation Address (SONA) — the speech President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers to mark the start of the political calendar, officially open Parliament, recap the year gone by and outline the government's aims for the year ahead. After more than a decade of scrutiny, the organisation's researchers say they can often guess what the president is going to say before he opens his mouth. That observation, simple on its face, raises deeper questions about…

Johannesburg residents are embroiled in a worsening water crisis that is triggering community conflict and stretching relief efforts, while authorities in the Western Cape urge conservation as municipalities confront failing infrastructure, according to local reports. In Johannesburg, shortages have forced people to queue for hours at water tankers only for supplies to run out. The breakdown is reportedly driving arguments and physical fights as some residents collect far more water than others. Some neighbourhoods remain…

Cape Town — An African-led effort to develop an HIV vaccine has launched a clinical trial at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Cape Town, organizers announced, with the first participant already enrolled. The study, called BRILLIANT 011 and led by The BRILLIANT Consortium, is being conducted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and is designed to target the strains of HIV that are circulating in Southern Africa. "The trial is...marking a major milestone in African-led HIV vaccine research. BRILLIANT…

John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance since 2019, has stepped aside from the party’s leadership race and will devote his attention to managing a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that has drawn heavy criticism of his handling of the crisis, the party and his office said Friday. Steenhuisen — who, according to party sources, also served as agriculture minister — had been expected to run unopposed for another term but withdrew amid internal disputes and lingering controversies that party…

South Africa has today officially acceded to the Establishment Agreement of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), marking the formal entry of one of the continent’s largest economies into the bank’s membership and signaling a potential shift in the region’s financial architecture. The move brings South Africa into the fold of Africa’s leading multilateral financial institution, which was created to finance and promote intra-African and extra-African trade. Membership gives Johannesburg formal access to a…

South African singer Tyla has won her second Grammy, taking the Best African Music Performance award for "Push-to-Start," a track from her debut album, the Recording Academy announced Monday. The victory makes Tyla the first artist to win the category twice after her 2024 win for the global hit "Water." The award caps a rapid rise for the Johannesburg-born performer, whose blend of pop, R&B and South African township sounds has found a wide international audience. The Recording Academy recognized "Push-to-Start" amid a…

South Africa’s government says it has logged formal violations by Israel after what it described as a series of public affronts against President Cyril Ramaphosa and failures in diplomatic protocol. In a government statement released Tuesday, officials said the violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch “insulting attacks” against Ramaphosa and a “deliberate failure” to inform the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of purported visits by senior Israeli…

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s government accused Israel on Tuesday of multiple diplomatic violations, alleging that official Israeli channels launched “insulting attacks” against President Cyril Ramaphosa and that Israeli officials failed to inform the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) about visits by senior Israeli representatives. The allegations were set out in a government statement that cited two specific breaches: the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to attack…

Major cinema chains in South Africa have pulled a documentary about Melania Trump just before its scheduled release, citing concerns over "the current climate," the exhibitors said Friday. The film, which follows Melania Trump in the weeks leading up to her husband Donald Trump's second inauguration, was withdrawn from listings by multiple theatres only days before it was to premiere, according to distribution notices and exhibitor statements. Organisers did not provide further detail on specific security or diplomatic…

South Africa announced Monday that it will temporarily withdraw from G-20 engagements while the United States holds the presidency, a move that South African officials called a pause rather than a permanent exit and that analysts say could dent Africa’s voice in the world’s most powerful economic forum. The withdrawal follows a sharp deterioration in ties after U.S. President Donald Trump declined to attend the 2025 G-20 summit in South Africa and publicly accused Pretoria of pursuing policies hostile to American interests.…