The South African Government’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 set a goal of 5.4% GDP growth. Instead of increasing economic growth, it plummeted to under 1%.

At the top of South Africa’s tallest building, The Leonardo, lies Alto234, a premium bar with extensive views of the nation’s richest area.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis’ plans to build a wall along the N2 to curb crime have split the city into “for” and “against” camps.

After years of calls for an investigation into Parliament Secretary Xolile George’s R4 million salary increase, the Public Protector has declared a conflict of interest in the case following allegations of a romantic relationship with George.

Two of the biggest parties in the council have declined positions in the Ekurhuleni Mayoral Committee, saying they won’t work with the ANC anymore.

Leader of the Freedom Front Plus, Corné Mulder, says that President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC have violated agreements with the Afrikaans community laid out in the Accord on Afrikaner Self-determination in 1994.

Efficient Group Chief Economist Dawie Roodt said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address signalled the beginning of the end for BEE.

These are the key developments happening in South Africa today, 19 February 2026.

Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town has been ranked among the top 150 schools in the world in the latest Carfax Education Schools Index for 2025/26.

The government has taken notable steps in its plans to vaccinate South African cattle against the rapidly spreading foot-and-mouth disease, though experts continue to voice their concerns regarding the pace of progress.

Many experts are warning that the Firearms Control Amendment Bill will take guns out of the hands of legal firearm owners while criminals are unaffected.

The Eastern Cape has been added to the list of areas where the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to fight violent crime and gang activity.

The recent murder case of an e-hailing driver has shined a light on the need for further legislation to protect both South African e-hailing drivers and passengers.

Commenting on the State of the Nation Address, Julius Malema says that the President is hiding his own failures by creating an abundance of task teams.

The Johannesburg mayoral race is heating up as ActionSA prepares to announce its candidate, with many speculating it will be the party’s leader, Herman Mashaba. He thinks he could easily take on the DA’s candidate, Helen Zille.

These are the key developments happening in South Africa today, 18 February 2026.

A collection of documents has been leaked that reveals a widespread disinformation network controlled by Russia that has been working to discredit the DA.

One of South Africa’s oldest and most important companies is at risk of collapse, threatening to destabilise an entire local value chain.

Treasury decries the South African Post Office’s R3.8 billion bailout as a myth.

Political analyst Frans Cronje outlines a potential negative chain of events for the Democratic Alliance (DA) that the party should avoid.

Former Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo was paid R9.8 million in the 2025 financial year, which included a bonus of R2.8 million.