
Top Stories
End of Eskom’s 102-year reign
South Africa’s electricity reforms are dismantling Eskom’s century-old monopoly to create a competitive market led by a new grid operator and private investment, despite resistance from the utility.
SUNDAY, 08 FEBRUARY 2026, 16:01

Top Stories
South Africa’s electricity reforms are dismantling Eskom’s century-old monopoly to create a competitive market led by a new grid operator and private investment, despite resistance from the utility.
Top Stories
Last week in this column, I wrote about the retailers and the Real Estate Investment Trusts as a great example of a value chain on display on the JSE. I particularly enjoy reading updates from companies at different points in the chain and seeing what the top-down and bottom-up views look like. This week, I’m looking at a different (but closely related) value chain: food retail and food producers.

Top Stories
Police are investigating whether a criminal syndicate may be systematically eliminating individuals connected to the 2022 murder of Emmanuel Mbense after a series of deaths involving key people of interest.

Top Stories
England fight from the brink to avoid a major shock and beat an inspired Nepal by four runs in their opening match of the T20 World Cup in Mumbai.
South Africa
Morolong to address Brand SA Mining Indaba reception
Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Kenny Morolong, will this evening deliver an address at the Brand South Africa Mining Indaba Welcome Reception in Cape Town.The Deputy Minister’s address will focus on strategic minerals, integrated infrastructure, and continental policy.The session will take place at the Capital 15 on Orange...

South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver SONA on Thursday.

South Africa
Wiandre Pretorius to take his own life at a filling station in Brakpan on Saturday.

South Africa
MEC, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela says the high turnout made it impossible to proceed safely

World
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the U.S. is planning to do business with Russia just as President Trump is pushing the two countries to reach a peace deal.

World
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney garnered international acclaim for his admired Davos speech, but at home rising prices and a slim parliamentary majority are hurdles.

World
NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe speaks with journalist Widlore Merancourt in Port-au-Prince about what’s ahead for Haiti, as its transition government dissolves this weekend.

World
Reports say Wiandre Pretorius, who last week said he survived an assassination attempt, shot himself.

Africa
Eritrea has previously denied accusations that its soldiers are in Ethiopia supporting rebels.

Africa
The crisis is compounded by a critical shortage of affordable, properly stored antivenom.

Africa
President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu will be guests at Windsor Castle from 18 to 19 March.

Africa
Some Zambians outraged Ghanaians by describing the outfit worn by their president as a “blouse”.

Business
Best Before has launched nationwide courier delivery, expanding beyond its previously Gauteng-only online service.

Business
This is a comparison of South Africa’s military strength to that of other countries in 2026.

Business
The Events Permit Office of the City of Cape Town approved a total of 1,064 events from January 1 to December 31, 2025 — with 15 of these events generating over R2.5 billion.

Business
Friends of Di’s Kitchen provides hundreds of meals each week in Wolverhampton.

Politics
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the State of the Nation Address on February 12

Politics
The party held its Extended Provincial Executive Committee lekgotla in Klerksdorp.

Politics
Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul has called on the ANC to unite ahead of elections.

Politics
ANC Chairperson Nono Maloyi says improving service delivery and creating jobs will be a priority

Sport
Norway’s Johannes Hosflot Klaebo wins the first of a potential six golds at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in the 10km+10km skiathlon.

Sport
Will Jacks’ late flurry of 39 runs off 18 balls proved to be key as England narrowly avoid a shocking upset against minnows Nepal, winning by four runs in their opening game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Sport
In spite of appeals, a family in Ireland with standout schoolboy rugby talent is facing deportation to South Africa.

Sport
Who are the four athletes from Ireland at the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milan-Cortina, and when are they in action?
Education
He caused an uproar by challenging the heroic status of Robert Falcon Scott, the Briton who led a doomed quest to the South Pole in 1912.
Education
What if the valedictorians in our schools were the cool kids?
Education
Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants to make classes smaller across the largest U.S. school system. Like other parts of his agenda, it’s a costly task.
Education
Mr. Hegseth’s order appeared to target his alma mater, Harvard’s Kennedy School for public policy.

Lifestyle
What lies beyond SASSA Old-Age Grants in March 2026 is still up in the air, with annual increases expected to be approved in the coming days …

Lifestyle
Actress Charlize Theron recited Nelson Mandela’s words in a special appearance at the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Lifestyle
EFF leader Julius Malema has urged South Africans to boycott the FIFA World Cup, citing safety concerns for sports fans…

Lifestyle
Nathan Smith was the 27 years old son of rapper Lil Jon.

Entertainment
Gauteng Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela on Sunday confirmed that just over 1 000 scholar transport applications were still pending.

Entertainment
Jack Bloom says patients wait in casualty wards on stretchers and in chairs for days before getting a bed.

Entertainment
The Bulls have made it clear they are determined to keep Kriel, viewing his contract extension as a serious priority.

Entertainment
Shivambu alleges that there is more to King Dalindyebo’s visit to Israel than meets the eye.

Science/Tech
As cryptocurrency markets develop, traders are focusing more on results and less on specific chains. Execution quality, capital efficiency and access, now matter more than where a trade originates. This shift is particularly visible in perpetual futures trading, where volatility and leverage magnify even small inefficiencies. We explore why cross-chain perpetual trading is accelerating and […]

Science/Tech
Institutional Bitcoin hedging is becoming more visible on-chain, which is a sign of a significant change in the manner in which market participants are approaching risk management. Instead of depending solely on exchanges, institutions are now opting to use decentralized perpetual futures. This is a sign of the increased confidence in the infrastructure, depth, and […]

Science/Tech
The crypto market just shed nearly half a trillion dollars in under a week. Bitcoin briefly touched $72,877 on February 4, 2026, its lowest level since Donald Trump’s re-election in November 2024. According to Bloomberg and CNBC, the pullback has exposed the brutal reality of leveraged positions, with over $6.6 billion in liquidations since January […]

Science/Tech
Bithumb accidentally gave away $44-billion worth of bitcoin to customers as promotional rewards.

Motoring
Big changes are on the cards for South Africa’s used car dealers.

Motoring
VW stated that it needs urgent government support if it is to have any hope of building a new bakkie in South Africa.

Motoring
Many South Africans remain sceptical of Chinese car brands, but this perception is changing rapidly.
Motoring
Health
Federal officials had warned that the new product from the online provider of weight loss drugs might be illegal.
Health
Dr. Christopher M. Palmer said in an interview that the keto diet, while promising, did not “cure” schizophrenia as the health secretary had claimed.

Health
Sanju Pal wins an employment appeal tribunal that could affect how employers can treat staff with endometriosis.
Health
People may be able to pay less for prescriptions with their insurance rather than via the new government website. The Trump drugstore is meant to help people buy medications using their own money.