British American Tobacco has announced that it will close its Heidelberg, Gauteng, factory by the end of 2026, marking the end of cigarette manufacturing in South Africa after 70 years. BAT said the decision was driven by the rapid growth of the illicit cigarette trade, which now makes up about three-quarters of the local market. Johnny Moloto, head of corporate and regulatory affairs at BAT Sub-Saharan Africa, said it was not an easy
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has announced a 5% reduction in both road fatalities and crashes during the 2025/26 festive season, compared to the same period last year. Creecy released the preliminary 2025/26 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign statistics during a media briefing on Thursday morning. According to the data, a total of 1 427 fatalities were recorded from 1 172 crashes over the festive period. The minister noted that this was the
The public spat between the former Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, and DA Leader John Steenhuisen has now led to George resigning from the party and as MP, citing an “intolerable” situation and alleging he was pushed out of the party. In an exclusive interview with eNCA earlier today, George accused DA leader John Steenhuisen of abusing his position, being financially compromised, and allowing the party to be “captured” by
The City of Cape Town said it will continue its efforts to relocate residents from the SST and Lansdowne Road (LR) informal settlements in Khayelitsha despite challenges that are delaying the repair of sewer infrastructure. In November 2025, SmileFM reported that sinkholes began to form under the homes of residents in the SST section of Khayelitsha. Their families living there had built informal structures directly above a sewer line. READ MORE: Illegal Structures
A new record in air travel for the festive season has been set in Cape Town and the Western Cape. According to WESGRO, for December 2025 specifically, 1.12 million two-way passengers were recorded at Cape Town International Airport. This reflected an 8% year-on-year increase. According to WESGRO, this represents another record-breaking December for the province. A new record in air travel for the festive season has been set in Cape Town and
