By Lerato Mutlanyane
Hailing from Bloemfontein, the City of Roses, Palesa “Lisa S” Sentso is stepping into her own spotlight — and bringing a sound that refuses to be boxed in. First known as part of the duo Harmonic Squared, which made waves on the Bloem music scene in 2018, Lisa S has since evol...
Fake booze volumes are growing faster than what smugglers are bringing into the country, although the value of sales in the illicit market are not gaining pace as fast as the legal one, with the cost of legal alcohol having been pushed up by price increases.
This is according to the latest research from Euromonitor International in conjunction with the Drinks Federation of South Africa (DF-SA). It found that the market for illicit alcohol accounts for a fifth of total alcohol sales in South Africa.
“The drivers of illicit alcohol have changed over the last four years, with counterfeiting growing at the expense of smuggling. Since 2017, the market share for counterfeiting alone has grown from 24% to 31%. Its category value has almost doubled from R4.9 billion in 2017 to R9.8bn 2024,” their report said.
In the report, they attributed this to the fact that demand has tapered off since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown that saw sales of alcohol and cigarettes banned, leading to people turning to buying these items from providers who sourced them from over the border.
Smuggling has dropped from one in three purchases to one in every five, the research found. “However, counterfeit and illicit brands have grown substantially since the pandemic, becoming the largest illicit category by volume in 2024,” it said.
Richard Rivett-Carnac, South African Breweries CEO and chairman of DF-SA said that the sale of illegal booze is “not just a public health concern, but a direct threat to fiscal revenues and formal businesses that contribute significantly to the economy and job creation”.
The legal alcohol sector supports around one in 31 jobs and generates over R100bn in tax revenue annually, said Rivett-Carnac. “When illicit traders avoid tax, undercut the market, and exploit vulnerable consumers, we all lose, he said.
Illegal booze cost the economy R16.5 billion last year, up from R11.3bn four years previously, when South Africa was in lockdown. The bulk of this amount came from illegal sales of spirits.
When Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana presented Budget 3.0 in May, he was faced with a revenue hole of R75bn.
The report stated that enforcement continues to be a challenge as both the South African Revenue Service and the South African Police Service “have reported capacity and resource constraints, especially the illicit trade task team which deals with all illicit goods, not only alcohol”.
However, it said that trade sources indicate that the greater involvement by industry in identifying culprits and working together with law enforcement agencies has resulted in positive outcomes.
This is a historic moment as it marks the first time an Austrian head of state visits the country.
Federal President of the Republic of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, has arrived in South Africa for a four-day working visit.
This is a historic moment as it marks the first time an Austrian head of state visits the country.
Van der Bellen will be welcomed by President Cyril Ramaphosa later on Friday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where they will host a joint media briefing.
Trade relations between South Africa and Austria have been described as "mutually beneficial" by both nations.
In 2024, South Africa exported €617 million worth of goods to Austria, while Austria imported €661 million worth of goods from South Africa.
The Presidency said the working visit would focus on improving the bilateral and economic ties between the two countries.
This includes sectors like the arts, agriculture and energy.
The Austrian delegation will be part of a business forum on Friday afternoon with the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau.
*This article was first published by Eye Witness News
Hundreds of people marched to the Department of Home Affairs’ head office in Pretoria on Thursday to demand that their identity documents be unblocked. Some say they have been able to use their IDs for nearly two decades.
The march was organised by the civic group Soil of Africa. Many of the protesters travelled overnight by bus from other provinces and slept outside the department’s offices.
The protesters said their identity documents were blocked without notice or reason. Without IDs, they are unable to access social grants, the health system, employment, and other services.
The department has said that they block ID numbers to prevent identity fraud and irregular migration. But the Gauteng High Court in 2024 declared it unconstitutional for the department to block IDs without notice, timeous investigation and appeal processes. About 700,000 people are affected by blocked IDs.
Protesters say that despite the court order, their IDs are still blocked.
“This is inhumane, unconstitutional and unlawful,” reads a memorandum handed over to the department on Thursday.
Samuel Shirindza said he was unable to get a job because his ID had been blocked. He was told by Home Affairs to get proof from his former primary school that he had gone there. He did this, but his ID is still blocked.
Another protester, Sam Sibiya, said his ID was blocked in 1998, and he was unable to register the births of his two children.
The department’s head of communications, Paseka Mokhethea, told the crowd, “The department is busy with the process of verification of the blocked IDs.”
“If we can unblock them without properly checking them, we may end up with people who are not supposed to receive them, especially those who are illegally in the country.”
Mokhethea said that verifying blocked IDs takes time, and the department needs to ensure no one gets an ID fraudulently. A response to the memorandum is expected within seven days.
*This article was first published by Eye Witness News
Anywhere between 5% and 30% of gold in South Africa – once the world’s top producer – is mined illegally, laundered, and shipped as legitimately mined precious metal.
However, it’s impossible to really quantify the extent of the damage to the economy caused because of these illegal shipments, according to a new report from SWISSAID, an NGO based in Switzerland. Although gold output is declining, it still contributes billions to South Africa’s economy.
SWISSAID’s report stated that, because South Africa is clinging to an opaque gold trade reporting system dating back to apartheid, there is no quantifiable way of completely and accurately determining total imports and exports, as well as the origin, of the yellow metal.
As a result, it states, this “opacity makes the identification and calculation of illicit gold flows almost impossible”.
However, through data provided by industry players as well as Rand Refinery, Africa’s largest precious metals refinery, SWISSAID said it was able to circumvent deficiencies in gold trade statistics and arrive at “what is arguably the most realistic picture of the South African gold trade to date”.
This enabled the NGO to determine that, while the South African industrial gold sector is declining, illegal/informal gold production is on the rise and that South Africa plays a key role as a transit hub in the gold trade, including for smuggled gold.
“Artisanal and small-scale gold mining in South Africa takes place mainly in abandoned or unused industrial mines. The activity is illegal, largely controlled by syndicates, and involves mainly undocumented migrants from neighbouring countries,” it stated.
Estimates of gold production from artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) vary widely, ranging from 5% to 30% of total production, it said. Moreover, this illegally mined gold is “laundered into formal supply chains through local refineries and may be exported legally”.
South Africa is a known destination for smuggled ASM gold from neighbouring countries, particularly Zimbabwe, the report stated. That gold is also laundered locally before export.
“Consequently, there is a high risk that reprocessed, unprocessed, melted or scrap gold from South Africa may in reality contain in freshly mined ASM gold associated with smuggling, money laundering or human rights violations,” the report found.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says South Africa's policing system is undergoing a strategic overhaul aimed at improving crime prevention, restoring public trust, and modernising police operations.
Tabling the Budget Vote for the 2025/26 financial year in Parliament, Mchunu laid out a R120.89 billion allocation for the South African Police Service (SAPS), Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
''While we welcome and appreciate the allocation, we are under no illusion about the scale of the task ahead. Crime is adaptive, dynamic, and, in many cases, well-financed — and so must our response be.”
Mchunu outlined nine key crime-fighting priorities, including reducing the murder rate, fighting gender-based violence, tackling illegal firearms and drugs, and rooting out corruption within the SAPS.
"Our commitment is to lead a police service that protects the vulnerable, disrupts criminality, and restores trust," he said.
Mchunu noted that four provinces, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape, remain the primary focus due to high crime levels.
''It is clear that identified high crime zones in all four provinces require intelligence-led targeted deployment of specialised units to combat criminality.” He also confirmed that 225 hotspot police stations have been identified for synchronised interventions.
Mchunu said visible Policing will receive over 53% of the total budget, while Detective Services will account for nearly 20%. Compensation of employees remains the largest cost driver, making up more than 80% of the budget.
He also confirmed that 5,500 new police trainees will be enlisted in January 2026 to maintain the personnel complement of 188,000.
A total of R219.2 million has been allocated for securing the G20 conference in November 2025, R400 million for the 2026 Local Government Elections, and R34.8 million for costs related to the appointment of an additional Deputy Minister. Furthermore, R150 million is being shifted to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) to support its anti-corruption partnerships.
Community policing is also getting a boost, with R28 million allocated to Community Policing Forums and R8.5 million for public awareness campaigns, he said.
To address Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV+F), a total of R1.6 billion will be spent, including R1.5 billion for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Units. Mchunu said, “The country is gripped and aggrieved by GBV+F, as its prevalence has reached distressing levels.”
Moreover, Mchunu said to modernise operations, R670 million will be invested in building and upgrading police stations, while R20 million will fund mobile Community Service Centres. and R45 million on police station maintenance.
Mchunu highlighted the role of partnerships with the private sector, particularly with Business Against Crime South Africa. Projects include piloting automated police stations, expanding forensic labs, and integrating SAPS systems with private sector technologies.
SAPS will also roll out drones, body-worn cameras, and digital tools to enhance public safety and investigative capacity, he said.
Mchunu highlighted the role of partnerships with the private sector, particularly with Business Against Crime South Africa. Projects include piloting automated police stations, expanding forensic labs, and integrating SAPS systems with private sector technologies.
"The SAPS continues to advance its modernisation agenda through the deployment of strategic technology solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency, situational awareness, and public safety," Mchunu said.
Addressing corruption within police ranks, Mchunu confirmed, “We have taken a defined stance against corruption within the SAPS and we unequivocally state that there is no tolerance for corruption.” This includes recent arrests of senior officials in Crime Intelligence.
Human resources are being restructured, with new recruitment strategies, leadership development, and incentives. A new Detective Critical Skills Allowance of R1,000 per month will be introduced from October 2025 to retain skilled investigators. Additionally, 200 former detectives will be re-enlisted and more contract appointments made, said Mchunu.
Furthermore, the DPCI will ramp up efforts against corruption, cybercrime, and unresolved Truth and Reconciliation Commission cases.
Mchunu said, “The DPCI plays a pivotal role in safeguarding justice and upholding the integrity of democratic institutions.” The directorate plans to hire 300 experienced detectives internally and bring in 250 police trainees with specialist qualifications. Another 260 posts are open to attract forensic, legal, and financial investigation expertise.
Mchunu acknowledged the dedication of SAPS members and called on all South Africans to play their part in creating safer communities.
“A safer South Africa is possible. But it will not be achieved by the police alone. It requires partnerships, unity of purpose, and the unwavering commitment of everyone in this House and every citizen outside of it,” he said.
He reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to transforming the SAPS into “a service that is effective, efficient, responsive, and professional , a service that inspires public trust and delivers safety and justice to all South Africans.”
A doctor escaped with injuries after he was shot while travelling to work on Friday morning.
The doctor, believed to be a gastroenterologist, came under fire while on his way to work in the Westville area.
According to KZN police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, a case of attempted murder has been opened.
"This follows an incident in which a 65-year-old man was attacked by unknown men while on his way to work.
"He was able to escape but suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The motive of the attack is unknown."
In another shooting incident, a man was killed in Avoca, north of Durban, on Thursday.
The victim had been exiting his driveway in his vehicle when gunmen travelling in a white Toyota Etios stopped and an armed suspect opened fire on him.
The man died on the scene. Police said a hunt was underway for the suspects.
