We have been made aware of a sophisticated fraudulent video circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms. This video is a malicious "deepfake" — an artificial intelligence (AI) manipulation that completely fabricates a broadcast. The...
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Cabinet approves new visa and citizenship policies
Cabinet has approved the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection (CIRP), marking one of the most complex and consequential governance undertakings of South Africa’s democratic era. The policy is a significant move...
You can now use WhatsApp to check if you have unclaimed dividends
As we move into the second quarter of 2026, it’s a great moment to pause and reflect on the progress made on the goals that were set at the start of the year: review budgets, make adjustments where needed, and look for practical wins such as...
Great news for savers and SMEs, but don’t be fooled by inflation adjustments
There was a lot of good news in the 2026 Budget Speech for investors and savers, but our personal income taxes remain higher than they should be. Ahead of today’s Budget Speech, I was expecting changes to the tax limits and thresholds for our...
Constitutional Court rules on antenuptial contracts in customary marriages
There is a lot of confusion around when you are considered married under customary law in South Africa. This point has become crucial after a recent Constitutional Court ruling. Last year I spoke to divorce mediator and attorney Lerato Seroke about...
Inside South Africa’s immigration reset
The Department of Home Affairs is proposing significant changes to South Africa’s immigration policy, focusing on merit, skills needed, and direct contributions to the country’s economy. Demonstrating economic merit and contribution to South Africa...
MediCheck secures reversal of Discovery Health clawback
MediCheck intervention leads to estimated R130-170 million in disputed recoveries being written off. MediCheck, representing over 1 500 affected members, has welcomed Discovery Health's announcement that it will absorb the full cost of a claims...
Could that SARS letter of final demand be fake?
In recent weeks, a number of taxpayers have reported receiving “final demand” letters that appear to come from the South African Revenue Service (SARS). While some of these are legitimate notices requiring urgent attention, others are fraudulent...
How hackers used bitcoin to send a message
Wiehann Olivier, a Partner and FinTech & Digital Assets Lead for Forvis Mazars in South Africa, explains how a group of politically motivated hackers sent a message to Iran by essentially burning bitcoin worth $2 million. On 18 June 2025,...
The dark world of insurance fraud
Murder for insurance is not that common, but insurance fraud comes in many different forms. Anyone who doubts that insurance companies pay out on death claims, should read Killer Cop, the Rosemary Ndlovu story. Over a period of six years, she had...
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SA elections and property: buy now, sell later
This year, almost half of the world's inhabitants will head to the polls to elect their new governments, including eight of the world’s 10 most populous countries. “In South Africa, we can expect our own election to put the property market into a temporary holding...
Complaining made easier
The creation of the National Financial Ombud Scheme will make it much easier for consumers of various financial products to find redress. The financial industry has mechanisms for dispute resolution that consumers are often not aware of. These are the financial sector...
Life cover fraud on the rise
Life cover fraud has been in the spotlight following the harrowing case of former policewoman Rosemary Ndlovu, who was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murders of six family members between 2012 and 2018 to reap insurance payouts. While not all...
10 things you need to know about the Budget
How government will raise R36 billion in revenue: Spending will cost more Government has taken the step to increase the VAT rate from 14% to 15%, raising an additional R22.9bn to meet the fee-free higher education costs and reduce debt. This does not apply to 19 basic...
MTBPS paints bleak picture that will disappoint both market and ratings agencies
By Nazmeera Moola, co-Head of Fixed Income, Investec Asset Management The medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS), presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba on Wednesday 25 October, paints a bleak picture: the expenditure ceiling has been breached,...
Taxes that will hit your pocket
In his 2017 budget speech, finance minister Pravin Gordhan announced increased tax revenues of R28 billion, the bulk of which will come from increased personal income tax and higher dividend tax, avoiding the politically sensitive issue of an increase in VAT. 16.5bn...
FNB clarifies settlement issues after recent burglaries
FNB initiates settlement discussions to help all customers impacted by recent safety deposit burglaries. FNB has released the following statement from its CEO, Jacques Celliers, regarding the recent safety deposit burglaries at their Randburg, Parktown and Sunnypark...
Less SLOW Lounge for FNB customers
How many SLOW Lounge visits will you qualify for? My husband and I both travel frequently for work and the SLOW Lounge offers a little bit of respite from the general chaos and mayhem of airports, so we tend to maximise our usage most months. The FNB initiative with...
Medium-term budget: the upshot of the fees decision
No fee increases, higher taxes In the medium-term budget policy statement, government committed to absorbing the 8% increase in university fees for students from households earning R600 000 or less a year. That means the majority of university students will not see...
Brexit: investors, don’t be spooked
Take comfort – this is not the global financial crisis, writes Fred White, Head of Balanced Funds, Sanlam Investment Management On Friday morning the British Pound declined by 12% between a midnight high of $1.50/GBP (when a victory for the “Stay” campaign was seen as...