Top news headlines in South Africa for today, Monday, December 1, 2025

 

 

Here are some of the top news headlines in South Africa for today, Monday, December 1, 2025

 Key National News

• Festive Season Road Safety Drive Launched: The Department of Transport has launched its festive season road safety strategy, deploying hundreds of national traffic police to high-risk provinces to manage traffic and raise public awareness.
• Jacob Zuma's Legal Fees Appeal: Former President Jacob Zuma is set to launch a virtual appeal against a High Court ruling that ordered him to repay R28.9 million in state-funded legal fees.
• Jagersfontein Mine Controversy: The Department of Water and Sanitation has allowed the Jagersfontein mine to continue operating despite a damning report into the 2022 dam wall collapse that found safety risks were likely known to management.
• Resignation Amid Recruitment Allegations: Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of Jacob Zuma, has resigned as an MP and stepped back from public roles while cooperating with a police investigation into claims that she tricked South African men into fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

💰 Economy and Finance

• Hope for Lower Interest Rates: Analysts suggest that South Africa's period of high interest rates might be ending, with inflation reportedly driven down to the Reserve Bank's new target of 3%. This could pave the way for structurally lower rates and faster economic growth.
• SARS vs. Major Bank: It's reported that the South African Revenue Service (SARS) is pursuing a major bank for R5 billion.
• Eskom's Electricity Price Warning: Eskom is reportedly warning of a double-digit electricity price increase.

🌍 International Relations

• G20 Summit Aftermath: Following the successful hosting of the G20 Leaders' Summit in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has hit back at remarks by President Donald Trump, who threatened to bar South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit in the US over widely debunked "white genocide" claims.