War on the economy – Sacci warns of global fallout. New broadband rollout policy raises alarm. And Ramaphosa’s R155bn property plan targets idle state assets.

Before she was a master of the reefs, Silindile “Mama Sli” Mbuyazi was a young girl terrified of the ocean, certain she would never enter the water. Her journey from profound fear to deep-seated love for the sea is the heartbeat of “Indoni Yamanzi”, a landmark film currently in post-production that captures her transformation from a grieving sister to a guardian of the deep.

As South Africa awaits the national budget, concerns are growing that a widening “student funding gap” is preventing thousands of qualified young people from accessing higher education, with potential long-term consequences for economic growth and social stability.

As Finance Minister prepares to table the 2026 national budget, some organisations have urged government to review the income thresholds that determine South Africa’s “missing-middle” students.

At the recent 17th Alternative Mining Indaba delegates were given food for thought when they heard about some faith-rooted community-led alternatives to extractive development.

After years of neglect, one of the Mother City's busiest transport hubs, the Golden Acre, is getting a much-needed facelift. The Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill Lewis, led a guided walkthrough of the Golden Acre Precinct, marking an important milestone in the ongoing redevelopment of one of the city’s most significant commuter and retail hubs.

The R1.2-billlion project to redevelop Cape Town’s well-known Golden Acre is gathering steam, with construction work in full swing to convert the 110-m-high, 24-storey office tower, located in the central business district (CBD), into rental accommodation.

Golden Acre is a shopping mall on the corner of Adderley and Strand Streets in the central business district of Cape Town, South Africa.[3] The building is set to be redeveloped into a mixed-use development, featuring affordable housing and retail space. Construction of the new building is scheduled for October 2025, and it is planned to open in 2027.[4]

Construction has officially started on the residential component of the R780 million Golden Acre redevelopment, which will convert the 24-storey tower into over 400 inner-city rental units.

The redeveloped Golden Acre will welcome its first tenants as early as October, a key project stakeholders said this week.

The residential development at the Golden Acre Precinct in the CBD is scheduled for completion on December 1, when tenants are expected to begin moving in.

Proceedings began with establishing that the City of Cape Town is the responsible owner of the Skybridge that leads from the Prasa station deck to the Golden Acre. (Photo: City of Cape Town)

Free SA has responded to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the fourth quarter of 2025, warning that the latest employment figures offer little relief to a labour market that remains structurally fragile and deeply concerning.

When President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the 2026 State of the Nation Address, he moved beyond general acknowledgement of the housing crisis and outlined a series of more concrete interventions. These included accelerating the release of well-located public land, expanding social and affordable housing, unblocking stalled housing projects, reforming infrastructure financing, and strengthening coordination through the human settlements framework. These commitments signal an awareness that housing lies at the heart of South Africa’s inequality crisis. The question now is whether they will shift the structural conditions that continue to reproduce spatial exclusion.

AS South Africa awaits the State of the Nation Address (Sona) by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality (Free SA) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to move beyond rhetoric and present a bold, measurable plan to restore economic growth, rein in the unsustainable public wage bill, and rebuild South Africa’s credibility on the global stage.

ISFAP Welcomes Students as Universities Open, Reaffirming Support for the “Missing Middle” as Income Gaps Widen

As South Africans digest the latest matric results and look ahead to tomorrow’s state of the nation address (Sona) and the budget speech, a familiar concern resurfaces: how do we deploy our education spend to deliver real, internationally comparable outcomes?

Free SA has expressed serious concern over the content of and the approach taken by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in its proposed amendments to the Use of Official Languages Act, which entrench top-down, centralised control over language policy, at the expense of South Africa’s vibrant and diverse linguistic heritage.

Steenhuisen’s dip and the battle for the DA’s soul. Beyond the interest rate pause, 2026 marks a turning point for SA property. And alarm over hate speech legislation overreach.

Free SA, the Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality, has raised alarm over the draft regulations issued under the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act, 2023, warning that the proposed implementation framework threatens to undermine certain core values embedded in South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

A R1.2 billion redevelopment of the iconic Golden Acre precinct in Cape Town’s CBD is set to bring 415 affordable rental housing units into the heart of the city, targeting young professionals who spend hours commuting each day.

Cape Town executive mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis on Tuesday led a guided walkthrough of the Golden Acre Precinct in the CBD, marking a key milestone in the redevelopment of the city’s central commuter and retail hub, a project aimed at revitalising the inner city through improved safety, affordable housing and upgraded public spaces.

In a media statement, The Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality (Free SA) has launched a national campaign calling on South Africans to speak out against the draft regulations under the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act, 2023.

The Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality, Free SA, has issued a strong caution against the National Minimum Wage Commission’s proposed wage hike for 2026, calling it a “policy of exclusion” that risks deepening South Africa’s already catastrophic unemployment crisis. In its submission, authored by Free SA Director Paul Maritz, it argues that in a country with low productivity and fragile small businesses, raising the wage floor further is economically irresponsible and socially damaging.

MANZI Water is proud to announce a new brand partnership with Danél Louw, one of South Africa’s leading female HYROX athletes and a rising force on the global hybrid fitness stage.

The Give Back 100 campaign is a transformative bursary initiative by the institute that aims to remove the financial and practical barriers preventing South Africans from accessing higher education. The close of applications marks a key milestone in a nationwide effort to support 100 students with funded bursaries for the 2026 academic year.

Construction of the new residential tower in the Golden Acre Precinct has begun. The redevelopment of the Golden Acre Precinct, which sits at the centre of Cape Town's largest public transport interchange, has formally begun in recent weeks, marking a major step toward revitalising the heart of the city with the commercial office tower being converted to residential apartments housing, upgraded retail, and a safer, better-connected pedestrian environment.

Construction of the new residential tower in the Golden Acre Precinct has begun. The redevelopment of the Golden Acre Precinct, which sits at the centre of Cape Town's largest public transport interchange, has formally begun in recent weeks, marking a major step toward revitalising the heart of the city with the commercial office tower being converted to residential apartments housing, upgraded retail, and a safer, better-connected pedestrian environment.

Civil society organisation Free SA has submitted a formal submission in response to the Department of Basic Education opposing key aspects of the newly proposed BELA Regulations on school admissions and capacity.

The redevelopment of the Golden Acre Precinct in Cape Town CBD has begun with the commercial office tower being converted into residential apartments with upgraded retail and a safer, better-connected pedestrian environment.

Franchising could be SA’s fastest route to recovery, says new Fasa CEO. Global money is chasing AI health tech. Will SA catch up in 2026? And the world wants SA creatives. 100 AI-era jobs made available to local talent.

South African commentator and NewsFlash host Joe Emilio has released a new exposé on what he calls a “municipal ransom scheme” after a Tshwane homeowner was hit with a sudden R70,000 municipal bill, despite the City ignoring him for four consecutive years.

Fish Hoek Athletics Club, organisers of the 48th Timbercity Red Hill Marathon, in partnership with MANZI Water, has announced a major milestone for the 2026 edition of the race.

South African commentator and NewsFlash host Joe Emilio has released exclusive, never-before-seen footage of a taxi boss assassination carried out in broad daylight on the R300, calling it “proof that South Africa is now living in the Wild West.” The video, sent anonymously to Emilio, shows masked men dressed as construction workers opening fire with what appears to be an automatic weapon, killing a 32-year-old taxi owner and injuring his security detail.

Free SA has launched a national campaign calling for the full repeal of South Africa’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act and related legislation, following government’s announcement that it will merely “review” the existing system. The campaign follows recent comments by Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, signalling a review of race-based empowerment laws without a clear timeline or objective.

The news is full of reports of babies found abandoned throughout South Africa – it seems this sad situation is on the rise. For every one baby found alive (and often traumatized from being outside in the heat or cold, starving or bitten by rats, etc.) two babies are found dead. And many are never found.

The news is full of reports of babies found abandoned throughout South Africa – it seems this sad situation is on the rise. For every one baby found alive (and often traumatized from being outside in the heat or cold, starving or bitten by rats, etc.) two babies are found dead. And many are never found.

The news is full of reports of babies found abandoned throughout South Africa – it seems this sad situation is on the rise. For every one baby found alive (and often traumatized from being outside in the heat or cold, starving or bitten by rats, etc.) two babies are found dead. And many are never found.

The iconic Golden Acre building in Cape Town is set to undergo a major transformation, with developers planning to convert the commercial tower into a modern residential complex aimed at young professionals.

With Construction set to begin in October, following its successful acquisition of the Golden Acre complex, local property developers Gary Moore and Roelof Delport, Putirex (Pty) Ltd, has embarked on a monumental redevelopment project.

Lesego Majatladi of Gracht Asset Managers says the target market for future tenants is young professionals to keep the heart of Cape Town thriving beyond business hours.

The next phase in the revitalisation of the Golden Acre complex - in the heart of Cape Town’s Central Business District - is now underway.

The iconic Golden Acre complex in Cape Town’s Central Business District has officially entered a new era. Following a lengthy three-year negotiation process, Putirex (Pty) Ltd—a joint venture between local property developers Gary Moore and Roelof Delport—secured the site at a price of R781.5 million. The deal, approved earlier this year by the Competition Commission, is one of the largest property transactions in Cape Town in recent years.

The iconic Golden Acre Shopping Centre, a fixture in Cape Town’s urban landscape since the 1970s, is set to undergo a dramatic transformation after being sold for R781 million.

Cape Town’s iconic Golden Acre complex is set for a bold revival, with developers confirming that construction on a multi-billion-rand redevelopment will begin in October.

The purchasers of the Golden Acre Complex in Cape Town’s CBD have revealed the next phase in the revitalisation of the iconic landmark – 414 affordable, semi-serviced, residential rental units with approximately 300 studios, 1-bed and 2-bed units reserved for long-term tenants set for completion by early 2027.

Following the historic acquisition of the Golden Acre complex, Putirex (Pty) Ltd, a joint venture between Cape Town-based property developers, led by Gary Moore and Roelof Delport, is excited to announce the next phase in the revitalisation of this iconic landmark in the heart of Cape Town’s Central Business District.

A strategic collaboration between Krones Southern Africa and the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme Foundation (ISFAP) is delivering tangible results, with 29 students funded to date, and a steadily growing commitment to expanding access to university qualifications in South Africa.

There’s righteous indignation about the impact of the Expropriation Act’s enfeeblement of property rights in SA, but far more damaging is the Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act from and Unlawful Occupation of Land (Pie) Act, initially introduced in 1998 to prevent the kind of eviction abuses so prevalent under apartheid.