
The South African retail giant quietly taking on Capitec
South African discount retailer Pepkor reported a 12.9% rise in first-quarter revenue to R29.9 billion on Monday, as its financial services revenue surged by 47.6%.
SATURDAY, 07 FEBRUARY 2026, 14:58

South African discount retailer Pepkor reported a 12.9% rise in first-quarter revenue to R29.9 billion on Monday, as its financial services revenue surged by 47.6%.

Over the past week, South Africa’s rand went from a four-year high to weakening against the US dollar and other major currencies.

Parties within the GNU say that they were not consulted before the Department of International Relations and Cooperation declared the Israeli Charge d’Affaires persona non grata, a move they say will have economic and geopolitical consequences.

Sentiment among South African manufacturers climbed to a three-month high in January, driven by improving local demand.

South Africa’s highest-denomination banknote is the R200 note, which has not changed since 1992.

Minister John Steenhuisen said that a court case over the state’s monopoly of the Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines would derail the urgent procurement and rollout of FMD vaccines, a claim dismissed by some agricultural interest groups.

South Africa’s tax-to-GDP ratio increased from 20.2% in 1994 to 25.1% in 2024, which means citizens have the highest tax burden in history.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept reserved for science fiction. It has happening now.

Shoprite is expected to report another strong set of half-year results as the retail giant continues to go from strength to strength.

These are the key developments happening in South Africa today, 2 February 2026.

Sonskynhoekie, a white informal settlement on the outskirts of Pretoria, is characterised by extreme poverty and the absence of electricity or running water.

Anglo American is struggling to sell its majority stake in De Beers amid collapsing natural diamond demand due to the rise of lab-grown alternatives.

Vereeniging in Gauteng is under severe pressure, with the city set to lose one of its biggest employers, putting thousands of livelihoods on the line.
South African pop star Tyla won her second Grammy on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, has clarified rumours that the country is set to step in as host nation for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Billionaire investor Ray Dalio said the world is witnessing the beginning of the end of the monetary system as we know it.