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Crime, job prospects drive rich, skilled South Africans abroad

Concerns about crime, the future of their children and career prospects have driven more than 1-million rich and well-educated South Africans to emigrate, a new report shows.

Nearly half of the 1 500 South Africans living in 73 countries polled for the South African Diaspora Report 2026 by the University of Cape Town's Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing cited fears about insecurity and safety as their main reason for leaving.

The country has one of the world's highest homicide rates, with only one in 10 cases solved, according to the police. The World Bank estimates that crime erodes at least 10% of annual gross domestic product.

About 90% of respondents held at least one tertiary qualification and 60% a post-graduate degree or diploma. South Africa's diaspora includes a "substantial concentration of high-value individuals," the institute said.

About 60% of those canvassed live in households earning more than $100 000 and a further 20% more than $200 000, it said. The average annual household income in South Africa was R204 359 ($12 816) in 2023, latest statistics office data show.

Data from the United Nations and Statistics South Africa's mid-year population estimates suggest more than 1-million South Africans, equivalent to less than 2% of the country's population, live overseas, with the UK, Australia and US accounting for more than half of the diaspora, according to the survey. Less than a quarter plan to return, it said.

The report indicated that the emigration trend was likely to continue, citing a study by the Professional Provident Society, which found that 90% of South African students would like to work abroad.

"Among younger Black students in particular, the intention to seek opportunities overseas has surged — rising from 39% in 2021 to 90% in 2024 — driven largely by limited local job prospects and the belief that international markets offer better career pathways," the report said.

Local authorities stopped collecting data on self-declared emigrants in 2004.

Ramaphosa opens Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy for ex-offenders

On the thirty-sixth anniversary of former President Nelson Mandela's release from prison, President Cyril Ramaphosa gave the opening address at the launch of the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy, which he said is a "powerful affirmation" of Mandela's values.

The Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy was officially opened on Wednesday at the Drakenstein Correctional Facility, formerly known as Victor Verster Prison, in the Western Cape, the last place Mandela was imprisoned before his release.

The Academy is the first of its kind in Africa to focus exclusively on the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

It will serve as a centre for learning, research and shared knowledge, and help shape better correctional practices.

Ramaphosa said one cannot overcome crime in South Africa without having a "frank, honest" conversation about the rehabilitation of offenders, their re-integration into society, and prevention of re-offending.

He explained that the facility symbolised the humanisation of corrections, the elevation of dignity, and the global pursuit of justice rooted in humanity.

"Our people are fed up with crime, and at most times are inclined to the 'lock the door and throw away the key' mentality when it comes to offenders," he said.

He explained that offenders came from communities and families.

"They are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, daughters and sons. They are husbands, wives, partners, friends and colleagues. In as much as far too many in our country have been impacted by crime, there are also many families across the country from whence the offenders came, and they too have suffered," he said.

He highlighted that once offenders had served their sentences, ex-offenders were released back into the community.

It was, therefore, a priority to ensure that they were rehabilitated and provided with the necessary support to successfully reintegrate into society.

Ramaphosa said the academy would focus on providing education, skills training and support to inmates in line with the Nelson Mandela Rules – to provide opportunity to inmates in preparation for life outside prison, and for those serving long sentences, a chance to better themselves.

"I am told this is the first such facility of its kind on the African continent, so it will serve as a knowledge hub not only for South African officials, but also for the global corrections community," he stated.

Last year Minister of Correctional Services Dr Pieter Groenewald disclosed that over the past three years more than 18 000 ex-offenders out on parole re-offended, including for serious crimes.

Ex-offenders faced many challenges when they exited prison, particularly the stigma of having been behind bars.

"Many lack basic financial stability. Because they have a criminal record it is difficult, if not impossible to find work. Many ex-offenders leave prison with untreated mental health and substance abuse problems. Rebuilding trust with family members and friends is perhaps the hardest of all," Ramaphosa said.

Facing social stigma, an unwelcoming environment and social isolation, far too many returned to a life of crime, Ramaphosa pointed out.

Last year, work commenced on refurbishing the Drakenstein Management Area Training Center into this new facility.

Ramaphosa noted that the furniture that filled the academy had also been produced by offenders within correctional system.

"…every table, every chair, every crafted piece speaks to the power of skills development, meaningful work and desire for change.

"Today we open a repurposed, renovated and expanded facility, transformed into a modern training academy. One cannot help but marvel at the quality of workmanship. It fills me with pride to appreciate work of such high standard being produced by local hands, by men and women within our correctional system," he said.

He highlighted that w...

DA threatens to sue over Gauteng water crisis

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday accused African National Congress-led municipalities and Rand Water of collapsing the Gauteng water system, threatening to take legal action against Johannesburg Water and Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina.

This follows weeks of dry taps around the province, exacerbated by infrastructure failure, supply throttling and recent labour issues at Joburg Water.

The party is demanding that Majodina immediately instruct Rand Water to regularly and timeously communicate directly with the public and not through metros.

"Municipalities carry the primary responsibility. The scale of water leaks we see in Gauteng is the predictable result of political choices, budgets that do not prioritise maintenance, no matter what mayors say, weak consequence management where people are failing and do not suffer consequences, and a culture of reacting after failure rather than preventing it," said DA Water and Sanitation spokesperson Stephen Moore.

He accused Rand Water of repeatedly failing to communicate directly, clearly and timeously with residents during major incidents.

"They have a policy of only communicating via municipalities saying it is not their policy to communicate to residents."

He said this caused harm, fueled rumours, and left families guessing.

"…this makes the Minister's role unavoidable. The Minister is the executive authority, she is empowered to instruct water boards like Rand Water to communicate properly, and she can demand aligned, honest communication from municipalities. If she does not act, we will consider legal steps to compel lawful transparency and decisive intervention. This is her moment to show she puts the republic first and it is also a moment of truth for the water task team chaired by the Deputy President [Paul Mashatile], that the structure exists not only for speeches but for urgent action," he said.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said residents could not be blamed for the "incompetency and lack of proper planning" experienced.

He highlighted that from a provincial perspective, government's response was to introduce integrated intergovernmental relations, which would see collaboration with municipalities.

The party said it wanted concrete steps to stabilise the system while repairs were implemented.

Moore said his party was demanding that national and provincial government activate the emergency and disaster funding instruments that were available.

"…but we also need to be clear on the rules. This cannot be a blank check or an avenue for corruption, it cannot be a bailout for general municipal cash flow. Any support must be ring-fenced for stabilisation and non-revenue water reduction, with strict reporting and measurable outputs. Leak repair capacity, pressure management and pipe replacement are the key things…," he said.

The party also wants Majodina to relax water licence restrictions for Rand Water to aid Gauteng, and fix failing infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Majodina has previously said her department is not entirely to blame, stating that the department provides bulk water while reticulation (distribution) is the responsibility of local municipalities.

Operation Vulindlela represents incomplete reforms until lived experiences improve – Bernstein

While South Africa has made progress since forming the Government of National Unity (GNU) in 2024, particularly in electricity and logistics reform, these incomplete achievements fall short of building the deep credibility needed to convince investors and businesses that the future will be meaningfully better, says public policy think tank Centre for Development and Enterprise executive director Ann Bernstein.

There are some areas of progress and the GNU deserves credit, but the question is not whether some things are better than they were, but whether the country genuinely believes it is on a trajectory that will lift investment, growth and employment; none of which has improved meaningfully.

"The economy is driven by what people expect to happen in the future. Confidence in the future derives from much deeper issues of policy and political credibility. Having been subjected to decades of misgovernance, deep suspicions about the quality of current and future governance are hard to turn around," she says.

Operation Vulindlela is the most frequently cited evidence of the progress of reform, but listing achievements is not enough to persuade businesses and households that the future will be materially better than the present.

Much more potent is the lived experience of businesses and households. This has improved, as loadshedding has declined and as ports have become more efficient. However, people must believe that progress is being made on vital issues, like crime and corruption, school quality and local governments' performance, Bernstein notes.

"Operation Vulindlela has made progress in some domains, although deep challenges in others will continue to hold back growth. Additionally, the roots of Operation Vulindlela's successes are not nearly as deep and healthy as they need to be," she adds.

For example, in terms of the liberalisation of generation, the erosion of State-owned Eskom's monopoly and the entry of private power producers marks a decisive break with the past. Loadshedding has receded and investment in renewable generation has surged.

"While these are real reforms, the electricity market is still incomplete and prices continue to rise rapidly. Grid capacity constraints remain binding, wheeling rules are unresolved and the wholesale market has not begun to operate.

"Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is also reportedly walking back vital commitments to make the transmission company independent of Eskom," she points out.

South Africa has moved from crisis management to reform, but does not yet have a fully functioning, competitive electricity system. Execution risk remains high amid pushback on some reforms by industry players, including Eskom, Bernstein says.

Another frequently cited example of Operation Vulindlela's success is the opening of rail access to private operators and improvements in port performance, which represent meaningful progress after years of decline. Reduced vessel waiting times and increased private-sector participation are important achievements.

However, State-owned Transnet remains financially fragile and operational monopolies in key sectors persist. Concessions and private participation are only beginning and the infrastructure backlog is enormous.

Exporters cannot yet rely on rail and ports with confidence, and investment decisions presumably reflect that reality, she points out.

Further, while the GNU is making some progress, the risk of destabilising policy changes in the medium and long term is real. It is also not really clear whether that risk is rising or falling.

Crime, corruption, government failure, infrastructure decay and weak execution capacity continue to exist and undermine confidence, she emphasises.

Many reforms are vulnerable to delay, dilution or reversal – whether now or if a new President is elected – while others depend on institutions that have yet to...

Goldman expects wave of South Africa deals fuelled by commodities

Goldman Sachs Group expects a busy year of deals for South Africa as the continent's largest economy starts to benefit from structural reforms and rides a commodities-boom wave.

"We expect activity across the board and our pipeline has broadened across sectors," said Simon Denny, chief executive officer of the South Africa business. "Mining will continue to be a big theme this year and there are growing benefits to scale."

Platinum prices have more than doubled in the past 12 months, while gold is up about 73%, spurring deals such as the merger of Anglo American and Teck Resources and the spinoff of Valterra Platinum from Anglo. South Africa is a key producer of both metals.

"We are in the late stage of a commodity boom, with gold spiking and platinum prices rebounding strongly — that should also be a needed windfall for the South African government," Denny said.

South Africa's economy has failed to grow by more than 1% annually for the past decade as corruption and dilapidated infrastructure deterred investors. Reforms to end crippling power shortages and improve the performance of the freight-rail network — including opening it up to private investors — are contributing to improved sentiment.

The central bank sees the economy expanding 1.4% this year and 1.9% next, a slight improvement from current rates, but well below the global average of 3.3% for 2026 and 3.2% for 2027 forecast in January by the International Monetary Fund.

"It remains fragile, and maybe still not moving at the pace we would want it to, but it is happening," Denny said of the improvement in growth rates.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has outlined plans to turn South Africa into a vast construction site to modernise infrastructure and raise economic growth to as much as 3.5% by 2030. He estimates the country will need about R1.6-trillion in public-sector infrastructure spending and an additional R3.2-trillion from private investors to meet that target.

"There are trillions that needs to be spent, and the South African government will need to continue to crowd in the private sector on transmission, railway, ports and terminals infrastructure investment," Denny said. "The more economic activity, the more companies and CEOs will feel confident to invest and do M&A."

Denny expects the financial services and property sectors to continue to be active, while the areas of mobile, digital infrastructure and industrials could see consolidation.

The country's consumer sector is facing threats including the impact of online gambling and low-cost competitors such as China's Shein and PDD Holdings's Temu.

"There could be both offensive and defensive M&A activity in that sector," Denny said.

Anti-corruption efforts stagnate in SA, CW urges renewed political leadership

Non-profit organisation Corruption Watch (CW) on Tuesday called for renewed political leadership on anti-corruption; the protection of civic spaces with an end to attacks on journalists, whistleblowers and non-governmental organisations; and the closure of secrecy loopholes that allow corrupt money to move across borders.

Anti-corruption movement Transparency International released its 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, highlighting worsening corruption and a decline in global leadership.

CW executive director Lebogang Ramafoko noted that the picture in South Africa was discouraging, with little to no progress shown in the last three years.

"South Africa's anti-corruption efforts, as reflected in this year's index, are still found wanting as the country stagnates with a score of 41, the same as in 2024, and still below the global average, despite a general decline globally for the first time in more than a decade to just 42 out of 100," she said.

Denmark tops the overall scores on the index with a score of 89, followed by Finland with 88 and Singapore with 84.

However, encouragingly, she noting South Africa's removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list last year.

Ramafoko also pointed to South Africa's successful hosting of the G20 Summit, and the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and the Parliamentary Ad Hoc committee investigating corruption allegations within the criminal justice system.

"These developments relate to the important point that the CPI measures perceptions of corruption, not actual reports from the public, which means that sometimes recent developments are not always reflected in the report," she said.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

South Africa ranks 12 on the regional table, having fallen out of the top 10 a few years back.

The Seychelles is the region's highest scorer with 68, followed by Cabo Verde with 62, Botswana with 58, Rwanda with 58 and Mauritius with 48. The lowest scorers include Sudan with 14, Eritrea with 13, Somalia with 9 and South Sudan with 9.

Countries classified as full democracies average 71 on the CPI, while flawed democracies average 47 and authoritarian regimes average 32.

Ramafoko noted that governments' inability to act against corruption by introducing new laws or strengthening existing ones to combat it, impacted civil society organisations and whistleblowers speaking out against corruption freely and safely.

"…when corrupt officials and politicians continue to abuse their power, the frequent result is poor quality services and fiscal crises, as public funds are mismanaged, contributing to enduring poverty, rising inequality and worsening living standards for millions of people," she explained.

Ramafoko pointed out that corruption pervaded public life, from parliaments and courtrooms to newsrooms, hospitals and schools.

"When public and elected officials act corruptly, they enable an environment that determines who receives justice, whose voices shape policy, which stories get told and who accesses basic services. When money or personal connections influence decisions, the State becomes a system to navigate rather than a guarantor of rights," she said.

Corruption's consequences spread across society and interact with other governance pressures to multiply risks and erode public trust, she warned.

Its effects are especially damaging in justice and the rule of law, democracy and political integrity, civic space and media freedom and public services and inequality.

"In each domain, corruption reshapes incentives and widens power imbalances. It is time for governments and leaders to take decisive action to turn the tide against corruption," she said.

Parly committee to deliberate on intergovernmental Bills

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) will on Tuesday receive a briefing on the Independent Municipal Demarcation Authority (IMDA) Bill and the Intergovernmental, Monitoring, Support and Interventions (IMSI) Bill.

The committee will receive a briefing on the amendments made by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to the IMDA Bill, which seeks to repeal and replace the current Municipal Demarcation Act of 1998.

Tabled in the National Assembly in June 2022, the Bill proposes the establishment of the Independent Demarcations Appeal Authority, which will replace the Municipal Demarcation Board.

Parliament explained that the main function of the IMDA is to determine municipal boundaries and delimit wards for all municipalities that qualify.

Meanwhile, the committee will also discuss the report on the summary of submissions on the IMSI Bill.

Introduced in Parliament in April 2025, this Bill aims to tighten laws on national and provincial government support and interventions in municipalities.

Parliament said the Bill must also remedy the challenges often experienced during interventions, when one sphere of government cannot fulfil its executive obligations.

The parliamentary legal advisors will brief the committee on the processing of the IMSI Bill.

Paul O'Sullivan to physically testify before Parly Saps committee

Forensic analyst Paul O'Sullivan will on Tuesday physically appear to testify before the Ad Hoc Committee established to investigate allegations made by the South African Police Service's (Saps's) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

This after National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza refused to issue subpoenas for O'Sullivan and businessman Brown Mogotsi, urging for continued engagements.

O'Sullivan offered to testify from a South African embassy but refused to appear in person, citing alleged death threats, while Mogotsi refused to appear unless Parliament funded a private security detail of his choice.

This after other witnesses testifying in the parallel Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Alleged Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System were assassinated or had attempts made on their lives.

Last week, Didiza requested that the committee properly engage with the reasons given by both witnesses to testify remotely and show how those concerns were considered and addressed.

The Speaker wanted evidence of whether O'Sullivan's application to appear virtually was formally tabled, and whether members considered his reasons, including his location abroad and security concerns.

She also wanted to know if a reasoned and legally justifiable decision was reached and properly recorded; whether Mogotsi's security concerns were formally tabled and considered; whether the nature and credibility of the risks he raised were assessed; if the reasonableness of proposed security measures was evaluated; and whether any threat or risk assessments were considered.

On Monday, Didiza welcomes the Ad Hoc Committee's continued engagement with Mogotsi and O'Sullivan, following her guidance that further substantive engagement be pursued before resorting to the issuing of summonses.

She reiterated that her guidance to the Committee to continue engaging substantively with the witnesses was aimed at ensuring that the Committee's work proceeds in a manner that is "lawful, procedurally fair, and capable of withstanding constitutional and judicial scrutiny."

Didiza affirmed that the Ad Hoc Committee's decision to pursue further engagement with the witnesses—without immediately resorting to summonses—was correct and consistent with constitutional and procedural requirements.

She highlighted that a summons issued without meeting the necessary legal threshold would not have withstood judicial scrutiny and could have weakened, rather than strengthened, the Committee's work.

Engagements are continuing with Mogotsi and should they not yield the necessary outcome, the Speaker will be advised by the Ad Hoc Committee so that the issuing of a summons may be considered.

Sars the 'standard-bearer for capable State' – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday applauded the turnaround of the South African Revenue Service (Sars), saying its rebuilding illustrates the value of commissions of inquiry.

Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to the nation that the commission of inquiry into Sars unearthed wrongdoing and proposed steps to ensure that there was no recurrence.

Last week, Ramaphosa visited the Sars National Command Centre in Tshwane to commend and congratulate its staff and leadership on their work.

In 2018, Ramaphosa appointed a commission of inquiry into Sars headed by Judge Robert Nugent.

He highlighted that when the commission began with its work, Sars was crippled by "political interference, leadership purges were commonplace, and specialist enforcement capacity had been substantially dismantled".

Ramaphosa gave credit to Sars' leadership and staff for diligently implementing the commission's recommendations.

He pointed out that in the last financial year, Sars achieved the highest revenue collection in the tax authority's history, collecting R2.3-trillion.

"These revenues collected into the fiscus return to our citizens as lifeblood. Basic services are delivered, social grants are paid out to society's most vulnerable, public infrastructure is built and maintained, and the machinery of government is kept running," he stated.

Sars' turnaround had shown what is possible with a "clear mission, committed leadership and capable people", he added.

He said in many ways Sars was a standard-bearer for a capable State.

"It has been a trailblazer in the use of technology to construct a citizen-friendly ecosystem, making it easier for taxpayers to meet their obligations. It is little wonder that Sars is regarded as one of the best tax authorities in the world," he said.

Seven years since the Nugent Commission issued its recommendations, nearly all the recommendations had been implemented, Ramaphosa said.

"Among the key recommendations were restoring capable independent leadership and governance, restoring compliance and enforcement capabilities, modernising systems, and improving efficiency and services to taxpayers," he said.

As a consequence, the tax authority had achieved a turnaround that had exceeded expectations, he noted.

Five years ago, public trust in Sars stood at 48%, currently it was around 75%, he said, with attitudes towards tax compliance continuing to improve.

Ramaphosa noted Sars' role in South Africa's exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FAFT) grey list and in the sovereign credit ratings upgrade from S&P last year.

"Certainty in tax policy and honesty and efficiency in tax administration is a key consideration for investors looking to bring their business to our country. It sends a strong signal that South Africa is serious about institutional integrity and regulatory certainty. This is confidence that is hard to price, but easy to feel when a core institution like Sars regains public and investor trust," he said.

Ramaphosa pointed out that for citizens, an efficient tax administration translated into a more "reliable" revenue stream for grants, infrastructure and basic services.

For businesses, he said this meant fairness and predictability.

"As we continue in our efforts to build an ethical, capable State and prevent a recurrence of that dark period in our nation's history, we will look to Sars as an example of what can be done when institutional integrity is restored. Just as State capture took place over a prolonged period of time, the work of rebuilding will not happen overnight," he said.

Cape Town goes private to boost electricity and water supply

Cape Town will call for tenders to implement several major projects that aim at cutting electricity costs and bolstering water security in South Africa's second-biggest city and main tourist hub.

The municipality will this month begin the process of engaging an electricity trading company to provide it with additional power, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said. Later in the year, it will ask private companies to bid on multibillion-rand desalination and water re-usage plants, he added.

The steps come as Cape Town, South Africa's only major metropolitan area to be ruled solely by the Democratic Alliance political party, tries to boost its attractiveness to businesses and cater for a rapidly expanding population. The city of about 5-million people has been the first to seek to break the monopoly held by power utility Eskom, and is pushing to take over commuter-rail services from a national state company.

The appointment of an electricity trading company will mark a change in approach, as it will effectively outsource the task of securing power to a private company that can buy it from a range of providers. To date, the municipality has entered into separate supply agreements with companies that would then build the required generation capacity.

"We've learned a lot of hard lessons. Negotiating contract by contract is excruciating. The market has moved on," Hill-Lewis, 39, said in an interview in the stands of Cape Town's 55 000 seat DHL stadium this week. "We don't have to negotiate with individual providers. We can just buy from a trading platform."

Cape Town has so far agreed to buy in about 300 megawatts of power — in addition to what it gets from Eskom — and is building 60 megawatts of generation capacity itself. South Africa experienced years of rolling blackouts because state-owned Eskom was unable to meet demand from its old and poorly maintained plants, although outages have ceased over the last eight months.

The power procured under the new tender, which will be published on February 13, will likely be cheaper than that supplied by Eskom as it will mostly come from renewable sources as opposed to coal-fired power plants that the state utility relies on. Electricity costs have risen more than 600% in South Africa over the last two decades, and recent changes to legislation have allowed the private construction of large power plants, many of which utilise the country's abundant solar and wind resources.

The water-provision tenders will be for a desalination plant capable of providing 130-million liters a day and a re-usage facility of the same size, Hill-Lewis said. Construction is expected to begin by about September next year, with completion seen by 2030.

Given the scale of the projects, they will be structured as public-private partnerships, Hill-Lewis said, with developers funding the upfront capital costs in exchange for 20-year water purchase agreements.

The city is also directly funding four aquifer projects that are currently in the process of being drilled and will provide about 80-million litres of water in total. Cape Town uses more than 1-billion liters of water a day and taps almost ran dry in 2018 during the worst drought on record.

The dams that supply the city are currently 60% full after below-average winter rainfalls, and have been dropping by about 2% a week. While there is no immediate concern about water security, the city has been urging residents to cut back on their usage to safeguard against future shortages.