FRIDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2026, 14:11
When President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his State of the Nation Address, his most important task will be to link the recent good economic news with the lived experience of so many in South Africa.
Foreign policy, by its nature, must speak with one voice. Parallel channels of engagement, however informal or well-meaning, weaken that voice and invite accusations of hypocrisy. The recent controversy surrounding the AbaThembu monarchy’s reported acceptance of donations linked to Israel – outside formal state and fiscal protocols – has brought this tension into sharp and unavoidable focus.
Swimming South Africa claims the near-apocalyptic state of the Franschhoek High Performance Centre is due to external factors. The facts don’t support this position and has led to many more questions.
A year after bold promises, Cyril Ramaphosa’s weak spots are clear: taps and safety. The rest of the Cabinet tells a better story.
KwaZulu-Natal South Coast residents are calling for a permanent resolution to the ‘Vula/Vala’ tap water crisis plaguing nearly 200,000 people between Port Edward and Southbroom. (In isiZulu, vula is open and vala is closed).
After months of warnings that South Africa would be punished by the United States over its foreign policy, Washington has taken a different course. President Donald Trump has signed a short extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through 31 December 2026, applied retroactively. In this episode, Redi Tlhabi and chief economist, author and a member of President Cyril...
After two weeks of disruption that left thousands of learners stranded or walking dangerous routes, the Gauteng Department of Education and bus operators have reached an agreement. Services will resume in phases starting on 12 February following the settlement of overdue invoices, though officials warn that budget constraints remain a challenge.
From the limited roll-out of a new HIV prevention jab, to new weight-loss medicines, to high-stakes court cases relating to National Health Insurance (NHI), 2026 is set to be another tumultuous year in healthcare. Here are nine stories that Spotlight will keep a close eye on.
Errant employers who fail to pay over retirement fund contributions to retirement funds will now face the full brunt of the law, thanks to the January withdrawal of an exemption that previously shielded them.
It makes sense to extract more value from coal and minerals that are actually green. This in turn can attract additional investment to South Africa’s mining sector and provide the country with new minerals for export or domestic use.
Robots will be an extension of mechanisation trends which have already delivered huge advances in mine health, safety and productivity. Machines have already replaced human rock-drill operators in many shafts, removing humans from a potentially lethal danger zone.
Iran’s president vowed on Wednesday that the Islamic republic would not bow to outside aggression, as it marked the anniversary of the 1979 revolution with events overshadowed by the looming threat of US military action.
Moving, tragic, surprising, inspiring, terrifying, shocking… This is a selection of images from our planet, over the past seven days.
Afriforum said Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and his department have committed treason against South African livestock farmers and consumers.
Despite ending load-shedding, Eskom faces a growing threat in the form of record private investment in solar and wind, which is steadily eroding demand from its biggest customers.