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| PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ON UAE VISIT: ECONOMIC GROWTH AMBITIONS AND CLIMATE ACTION ARE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL |
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| A nation’s climate action goals and economic ambitions can work in tandem for greater prosperity. This, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who spoke during a fireside chat at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026. |
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“In fact, countries that have embarked on climate action strategies have found that those interventions do finally yield economic growth. So therefore, one needs to see climate action as a driver and an enabler for economic growth.
“The more we embrace clean energy, the more new technologies come about, new opportunities open up, and we find that there are new sub-sectors of the economy that are established, and where we might close certain sub-sectors, new ones open.
“Therefore, it’s not a binary question. It’s a mutually inclusive and reinforcing approach,” President Ramaphosa said.
He warned that focusing on one side could be detrimental to the other.
“If we focus on economic growth, to the detriment of taking climate action, you’ll find that in the long term, you have economic stagnation or reversal. If you focus on the other only, you’ll find that your economy may grow but it will not grow well.
“A dual approach, focusing on both, can actually drive the economy forward,” the President added.
Reflecting on South Africa’s drive to raise financing for the Just Energy Transition, President Ramaphosa noted that government went about setting its own climate plan and agenda.
“One of the advantages [to this] was that we were able to raise finance smartly; we were able to raise fairly good, blended finance initiatives, grants, and concessional financing, so the blended finance architecture was quite good and innovative.
“We were first from the starting blocks and we’re very pleased that a number of countries from the global south have followed in the wake of what South Africa did. We now have attracted, particularly in the Northern Cape, more than R110 billion in investments.
“That has happened because it was South African designed and we got the financiers to work with us. There was nothing imposed on us like it has happened in the past. In the past, financiers have focused on what they could get out and we have focused on cooperation. A cooperative process has now been followed and both of us are involved,” he explained.
Turning to Africa’s potential role as an exporter of green energy, President Ramaphosa highlighted the continent’s endowment of vast amounts of sun, wind power and hydropower as areas of opportunity for investment.
“A combination of all three, as well as our minerals, gives rise to great opportunities where we can generate energy.
“[Some] 600 million people on the African continent still lack electricity. That, in itself, rather than being a challenge, we see as an opportunity so that we can utilise all these endowments — our minerals — instead of exporting rock, soil and stones. We should now beneficiate and add value to our minerals so that they are properly utilised in the energy generation.
“Africa is the centre where green hydrogen can [also] be greatly utilised. We can use our solar and wind, and in doing so, Africa can become an exporter of energy. This is where we invite financiers and investors to come to the African continent.
“We’ve got great opportunities for generating energy and infrastructure development in Africa is going to explode by leaps and bounds and on the back of energy generation and good financing, we will be able to see higher levels of growth. I invite you to come to the African continent and invest there. That is where the future is,” President Ramaphosa concluded.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| SOUTH AFRICA CALLS FOR RESTRAINT AND DIALOGUE IN IRAN |
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| The South African government is following the developments in Iran with concern. |
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The reports of unrest and the subsequent loss of life are concerning, and South Africa urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint.
South Africa firmly believes that the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association are universal human rights that must be upheld without exception.
We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace.
Sustainable peace and stability can only be achieved through solutions that centre the agency of the Iranian people.
– Source: www.thepresidency.gov.za |
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| MINISTER LAMOLA LEADS AFRICAN UNION C5 VISIT TO SOUTH SUDAN |
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| Minister Ronald Lamola has arrived in Juba, leading a High-Level African Union Ad-hoc Committee of Five (C5) Visit to South Sudan from 14 to 15 January 2026. He is leading the delegation in his capacity as the Chairperson. |
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This visit is a follow-up to the previous C5 Ministerial Visit to Juba, which took place exactly a year ago.
The visit serves as a precursor to a Peace and Security Council (PSC) Meeting of the African Union (AU), scheduled for 19 January 2026, which will assess the situation in South Sudan. It also precedes the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the proposed C5 Plus Summit, which will convene on the margins of the AU Assembly from 14 to 15 February 2026.
The year 2026 marks a pivotal moment for South Sudan, as the country is earmarked to hold its first-ever elections since gaining independence from Sudan in July 2011. The role of the C5 is to oversee the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
South Sudan is currently led by a Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity, with elections expected to be held in December 2026.
– Source: www.dirco.gov.za |
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| DIRCO AND RUSTENBURG LOCAL MUNICIPALITY HOSTED A PUBLIC PARTICIPATION EVENT IN RUSTENBURG |
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| The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), in collaboration with the Rustenburg Local Municipality, hosted a public participation event on Friday, 9 January 2026, at the Civic Centre in Rustenburg under the theme “Advancing People-Centred Development”. |
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The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), in collaboration with the Rustenburg Local Municipality, hosted a public participation event on Friday, 9 January 2026, at the Civic Centre in Rustenburg under the theme Advancing People-Centred Development.
The event was hosted by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, and was supported by Deputy Minister Alvin Botes. The event formed part of DIRCO’s nationwide public participation efforts linked to South Africa’s Group of 20 (G20) Presidency and the historic G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted in November 2025.
The event further served as a follow-up to the G20 Townhall Engagement hosted in Rustenburg on 30 October 2025, themed Inclusive Economic Growth and Just Transition for Sustainable Societal Development.
The engagement provided stakeholders with an opportunity to engage on key outcomes of the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the G20 Social Summit, as well as to explore opportunities in the mining sector and other emerging sectors such as agriculture and tourism.
– Source: www.dirco.gov.za |
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| GOVERNMENT WELCOMES REMOVAL OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM EU HIGH-RISK LIST |
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| The National Treasury has welcomed the removal of South Africa from the European Union’s (EU) list of High-Risk Third Country Jurisdictions. |
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This follows the delisting of South Africa from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist or “list of countries under increased monitoring” and the United Kingdom’s list of countries in which there is a high risk for money laundering and terror financing, both of which happened on 13 October 2025.
“National Treasury notes that removal from the FATF and EU lists of high-risk jurisdictions does not mean that all South Africa’s challenges in implementing its Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) system have been resolved, and recognises that much work still needs to be done to strengthen deficiencies in the prevention, identification, investigation and prosecution of money laundering and terrorism financing,” the National Treasury said on Tuesday, 13 January 2025.
The European Union acknowledged the efforts made by South Africa and the other five African countries in strengthening their AML/CFT systems, noting: |
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“Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania have strengthened the effectiveness of their AML/CFT regimes and addressed technical deficiencies to meet the commitments in their action plans on the strategic deficiencies identified by the FATF. The Commission therefore considers that Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania no longer have strategic deficiencies in their AML/CFT regimes.”
South Africa was added to the EU List in August 2023 as an automatic consequence of its greylisting by the FATF in February 2023.
The EU listing was in terms of its Article 9(1) of Directive (EU) 2015/849, which requires that third-country jurisdictions having strategic deficiencies in their systems for combating money laundering and terrorism financing (high-risk third countries) must be identified to protect the proper functioning of the EU’s internal market.
“This EU law requires that financial institutions in the EU must apply a higher level of scrutiny to transactions involving parties in countries deemed to be high-risk (enhanced due diligence), resulting in more rigorous and intrusive checks, increased documentation requirements, continuous monitoring and senior management approval for transactions,” the National Treasury said.
These requirements add friction to financial transactions and flows, affecting trade, payments and investment.
It should be noted that the removal of legislative obligations on EU financial institutions to conduct enhanced due diligence on South African-related transactions does not compel any financial institutions to rescind their risk assessment policies towards South Africa but allows willing EU financial institutions to adjust their risk assessment policies as they see fit.
South Africa will be entering a new round of evaluation by FATF in the coming months, with a final report scheduled to be presented to the FATF plenary in October 2027.
Preparation has begun in earnest, incorporating the lessons learnt and experience gained during the process to exit FATF greylisting.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| SOUTH AFRICAN HOSPITAL EARNS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR PIONEERING HEART CARE IN CANCER TREATMENT |
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| At Netcare uMhlanga Hospital on KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast, a specialised team is changing what cancer care can look like when it’s built to protect not only lives but hearts too. And the world is taking notice. |
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Africa’s first and only Cardio-Oncology Centre of Excellence at Netcare uMhlanga Hospital has once again been recognised by the International Cardio-Oncology Society (IC-OS), with its certification renewed for a further three years. It’s a major international nod to South African excellence in one of healthcare’s most important and fast-growing fields. The centre was established in 2019 by cardiologist and certified cardio-oncologist Dr YT (Trishun) Singh to meet the urgent need for a multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment, where cardio-oncologists work alongside oncologists and haematologists to achieve the best outcomes for patients.
“We congratulate Dr YT Singh on this major achievement that underlines the importance of evidence-based, data-driven interventions for protecting the heart health of people during cancer therapies,” says Dr Erich Bock, managing director of Netcare’s hospital division.
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He also credited Dr Singh with growing skills and strengthening local knowledge in this emerging speciality.
“Dr Singh has been instrumental in upskilling our local clinicians and building South African expertise in the field, emphasising heart health within cancer care, which is essential for the best and safest standards of health and care aligned with international guidelines,” says Dr Bock.
Many people don’t realise that nearly all classes of chemotherapy and radiation to the chest may cause cardiovascular complications, known as cardiotoxicity, which can increase a patient’s long-term risk of heart problems.
“Cardiotoxicity does not just involve the heart muscle, but may also include heart rhythm disturbances, arteries and veins, heart valves, pericardium, and conduction system,” explains Dr Singh, founder of the Cardio-Oncology Society of Southern Africa (Cososa), who leads the Centre of Excellence.
Cardiotoxicity risk is often increased when patients already have underlying cardiac disease or comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking history and obesity.
“Anyone due to have potentially cardiotoxic cancer therapy should therefore have a baseline cardio-oncology assessment by an appropriately skilled cardiologist with cardio-oncology training,” Dr Singh says.
In line with international guidelines, ongoing assessment during cancer therapy and post-therapy surveillance is considered essential.
“The earlier people undergoing cancer treatment are identified as being potentially at risk for cardiotoxicity, the sooner we can begin interventions to help prevent or minimise damage to the heart,” says Dr Singh.
He adds that radiation therapy may also lead to heart-related damage that only becomes visible years later, which is why long-term monitoring matters so much.
Thea Janse van Rensburg, general manager of Netcare uMhlanga Hospital, praised Dr Singh and the team for maintaining consistent excellence in such a specialised medical field.
“This achievement is testament to the expertise, hard work and dedication of the team in upholding consistency of care in this highly specialised field of medicine,” she says.
And perhaps that’s the biggest win in all of this: global recognition for a homegrown centre that is leading the way in protecting cancer patients, not only through treatment, but long after it.
– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com |
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| WILDSCHUTT AND XABA LEAD SOUTH AFRICAN CHARGE AT WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE US |
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| Adriaan Wildschutt achieved the best result by a South African in the senior men's race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday, 10 January 2026, but his time of 29:32 in the 10km was only good enough for 13th place. |
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Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo crossed the line in 28:18 to become the fourth man in history to win three consecutive world cross-country titles.
Wildschutt’s achievement improved on the 15th-place finishes by Shadrack Hoff in the senior men's race in Stellenbosch in 1996 and Stephen Mokoka in Punta Umbria, Spain, in 2011.
Wildschutt, who is based in the US and previously competed for Florida State University, led the SA men’s squad to ninth position in the men's team competition.
“It was a nice race; it went out really fast. I knew it was going to start fast, but it relaxed for about two to four kilometres, and then they picked it up again. Really nice to be back here competing really hard,” he said. "I would have loved a top 10, but as we all know, it's really tough out here.
“I'm really excited for the new year. I'm probably going to take it down for a week, travel back to South Africa, get my visa sorted and then probably do a camp somewhere in South Africa. I have a couple of races coming up, but for now I'll just be recovering and then looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Sanele Masondo was the second South African man to cross the finish line, his time of 30:13 good enough for 33rd place.
“Overall I think it was a good performance. I think I executed the race really well. I just put myself in it and fought to the finish. It was really tough, but that’s how cross country is. I’m thrilled with the result,” he said.
Glenrose Xaba was the best of the South African finishers in the women’s senior race in 34th place with a time of 34:51, which was 3:23 behind Kenya’s race winner, Agnes Jebet. The SA women matched the men’s finish in the team competition, finishing in ninth.
"I'm very happy about my position. I did my best but the course was very tough," Xaba said. "I'm just excited that we did very well and I finished the course with my teammates.”
– Source: www.iol.co.za |
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| SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM TIGHTEN GRIP ON CANADA SERIES WITH 2-0 WIN IN THIRD TEST |
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| The South African women’s hockey team claimed a 2-0 victory over Canada in the third Test at HS Menlopark in Pretoria on Sunday, 11 January 2026, reasserting control of the five-match series after a comfortable 5-0 opening win and goalless draw in the second match. |
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The match marked a special occasion for goalkeeper Jana Marie Botha, who made her senior international debut between the posts for South Africa.
From the opening whistle, the game was played at a high tempo with chances at both ends. South Africa enjoyed sustained pressure and earned more than 10 penalty corners over the course of the match but were unable to fully capitalise, thanks in large part to an outstanding goalkeeping display from Canada. |
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The breakthrough eventually came through a moment of individual brilliance. Ntsopa Mokoena surged into the circle and shifted the ball onto her reverse stick before firing home superbly to give South Africa a deserved lead.
The second goal was a product of excellent teamwork and intensity. A high press forced a turnover deep in Canadian territory, allowing Thati Zulu and Mokoena to combine calmly before slipping the ball past the advancing goalkeeper for Laiken Brisset to finish. It was the young indoor star's second outdoor international goal after making her long-awaited debut in the series.
South Africa created several further quality chances and will feel frustrated not to have added to their tally. However, the hosts will take confidence from a disciplined defensive performance.
“I think it was a good game, especially after a frustrating performance yesterday. This is about buildup for a World Cup, so it’s important that we keep seeing progress this year. The support really helped us today and fuels the fire,” Zulu said after the match.
The series is the first action of the new year for the African champions and acts as a crucial warmup for the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands later this year.
"We actually have a little bit of that energy that says we want to do something special this year," head coach Inky Zondi said.
The last two matches in the series will take place on Friday and Saturday at the same Pretoria venue.
– Source: www.iol.co.za |
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| FIVE MAJOR SPORT EVENTS COMING TO SOUTH AFRICA IN 2026 |
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| South African sports fans can look forward to world-class golf, iconic cycling routes, international rugby tours and fight nights, as 2026 shapes up to be a standout year for sport in South Africa. |
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South Africa’s sporting calendar for 2026 is shaping up to be a big one, with global events and major rivalries all heading to local shores. From combat sports and cycling to golf, rugby and lifesaving, here are five events South Africans can look forward to this year.
EFC Knox Legacy Series – 26 February 2026 |
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The South African MMA calendar gets underway in style with the launch of the EFC Knox Legacy Series on 26 February at the GrandWest Grand Arena in Cape Town. The event is backed by Knox Hydrate, co-founded by reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, whose involvement adds serious global credibility to the series. The event is designed to shine a spotlight on local talent and is expected to become a pathway for rising South African fighters.
Cape Town Cycle Tour – 8 March 2026
Thousands of cyclists will take to the streets of Cape Town for the 48th edition of the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday, 8 March. Riders can choose between the iconic 109 km route or the shorter 42 km option, all while soaking in some of the country’s most scenic views. In 2026, the event reaches a new milestone by joining the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, giving participants a chance to qualify for the World Championships later in the year.
LIV Golf South Africa – 19 to 22 March 2026
World-class golf meets live entertainment when LIV Golf returns to Steyn City from 19 to 22 March. The four-day event blends elite competition with a strong music line-up, featuring international stars and top local acts. With performances from the likes of Black Coffee and a festival-style atmosphere, LIV Golf continues to offer a fresh, high-energy take on the traditional golf experience.
New Zealand Rugby Tour to South Africa – August and September 2026
One of rugby’s greatest rivalries returns as New Zealand tours South Africa for the first time in 30 years. Taking place in August and September, the tour includes matches against local franchises and a four-Test series against the Springboks. Games are set for Cape Town and Johannesburg, with the All Blacks facing the country’s top teams before the headline Tests, making this one of the most anticipated rugby moments of the year.
Lifesaving World Championships – 25 November to 13 December 2026
The year closes with a global showcase of skill and safety as the Lifesaving World Championships head to Nelson Mandela Bay from 25 November to 13 December. Thousands of athletes from around the world will compete across beach and ocean events, celebrating both high-performance sport and water safety.
With global events landing on home soil and local stars sharing the stage with international names, fans will have plenty to look forward to in the months ahead.
– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com |
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| FATIMA SCHOOL CELEBRATES TWO RISING STARS AT AFRICAN YOUTH GAMES |
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| Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School is celebrating the outstanding achievements of two of its students who recently represented South Africa at the African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola. |
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Jenna-Lee Atkinson, the youngest competitor in her karate division, impressed with a silver medal in the team kata event and a fifth-place finish in the individual kata. Meanwhile, Saskya Kistnasami swam up an age group, competing in three events. She reached the finals in both the 50 m and 100 m breaststroke, finishing seventh fifth, respectively, and helped her team secure gold in the 4 x 100 m freestyle relay. The school highlighted the dedication and talent of both athletes.
“Congratulations to Jenna-Lee and Saskya on these remarkable achievements.”
Team South Africa sent a squad of 91 athletes across 12 sporting codes to the fourth edition of the African Youth Games, which took place during the festive season. These Games serve not only as a showcase of young talent but also as crucial preparation for the 2026 Youth Olympics in Senegal.
Historically, South Africa has performed strongly at these Games, finishing second on the medals table in 2014 with 83 medals, including 41 golds, and sixth in 2018 with 33 medals, including 15 golds. In the most recent Games, the performances of athletes like Jenna-Lee and Saskya continue to demonstrate the depth and promise of the country’s next generation of sporting stars.
– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com |
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