Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-11-13 i Star

South African Reserve Bank defends lower inflation target as key to boosting real incomes and spending power The South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) Governor Lesetja Kganyago has defended the government’s decision to lower the inflation target, saying the move is aimed at protecting the value of money, enhancing consumer purchasing power, and improving fiscal efficiency. This comes as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday officially reduced South Africa's inflation target to 3% with a tolerance band of 1 percentage point on either side over the next two years in a bid to ease the elevated cost of living on consumers. This new target immediately replaces the previous target range of between 3 and 6% with a midpoint of 4.5%, which has been implemented since 2000. Over the past year, the…

Although Eskom reported an annual profit in 2024/25, for the first time in a decade, the improved financial performance remains at risk, partly due to escalating municipal debt arrears. In 2023/24, government initiated a debt-relief arrangement to strengthen Eskom's balance sheet, enabling it to restructure and undertake essential investments and maintenance required to ensure a stable electricity supply. As reported in the 2025 Budget Review, partly in response to Eskom's improved performance, the National Treasury revised the package, extending the support period to 2028/29 and reducing the total relief provided from R254 billion to R230bn. Legislation introduced in September 2025 provided for these measures. The fiscal risk associated with Eskom has eased, although continued implementation of operational and financial reforms is critical to sustain progress and ensure lasting stability. This…

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has collected more tax revenue than projected by the National Treasury in the budget tabled in May 2025. According to the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) presented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in the National Assembly, Sars collected just over R924 billion in the first half of the 2025/2026 financial year. “As indicated in the 2025 Budget, an additional R4 billion was allocated to the South African Revenue Service (Sars). This allocation was intended in part to strengthen debt collection, and thereby increase revenue collected, by between R20 and R50 billion per year. We will continue to monitor Sars’s revenue performance for the remainder of the year. "This assessment will inform whether the R20 billion in additional tax increases for the 2026 Budget, as…

Woolworths Holdings’ share price shot up 7.7% Wednesday morning after it said sales have increased in all its business segments in the 19 weeks to November 9, the higher-end retailer said Wednesday. The macro-economic environment is constrained across both South Africa and Australia, but the group managed to increase turnover and concession sales well above inflation at 6.2%, and by 6.8% on a constant currency basis, a trading statement to shareholders noted. The share price traded at R57.02 on Wednesday morning, while a year ago it was trading at R67 per share. A previously communicated share buyback programme started in September 2025, with 6.9 million shares repurchased to date, at an average share price of R51.22. The directors said in the update that Woolworths South Africa had delivered “very creditable…

Property group, economists and trade union have reacted positively to the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday. Samuel Seeff, the chairman of the Seeff Property Group, said that the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) will provide some comfort to investors. “In particular, I welcome the news around public debt stability, and the potential to end on a primary surplus with a significant narrowing of the overall budget deficit.” Seeff added that he welcomes the new initiatives aimed at targeting efficiency and waste reduction, and of course the grey list exit. “Also welcome is the commitment to direct more resources towards infrastructure investments which could boost property values and development in areas receiving funding. A 1.2% growth rate would be welcomed, although not…

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana yesterday said revenue collection in the first six months of 2025/26 has reached R924.7 billion. The amount collected is higher than the corresponding period last year and R17.5bn over the 2025 Budget estimates. Tabling the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, Godongwana said the gross tax revenue for 2025/26 has been revised up by R19.7bn. “The in-year revenue improvement was, in part, due to once off collections from corporations and higher household expenditure. The revenue overrun narrows the 2025/26 budget deficit and enables government to add funding for spending priorities and frontload capital investment,” he said. Godongwana said the R19.3bn revenue overrun and lower than expected borrowing costs will help to accommodate a proposed R15.8bn increase in non-interest spending while the budget deficit narrows by R8.2bn. Addressing the…

A consumer’s gripe with the dealership where she had bought her car has nothing to do with the financial arrangements she had entered into with a credit provider; thus, she cannot simply refuse to pay her monthly instalments, the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, ruled. It was found in favour of Absa, which financed the vehicle under an agreement between it and the purchaser, only identified as Ms Baloyi. The bank wanted to obtain summary judgment against Baloyi for the return of the vehicle and the cancellation of her credit agreement. Baloyi, on the other hand, argued that she was protected by the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). But it was found that the CPA excludes credit agreements under the National Credit Act. Absa financed the vehicle Baloyi had bought from the…

In response to recent allegations made by US President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, that Afrikaners are being “killed and slaughtered” and that their land and farms are being “illegally confiscated,” the FW de Klerk Foundation has urged South Africans to band together. In a statement, the foundation’s Executive Director, Christo van der Rheede, said it was now very important for all South Africans to come together and reject such statements. “It is now very important for all South African citizens to unite and refute the statements by President Donald Trump, his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio and others, that Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. This is simply not true!” Van der Rheede said rejecting the…

Omoda has released the details of their new C7 SUV to be launched this month that slots in between the C5 X Series and the range-topping C9. There are three variants of the C7, starting with the Luxury then the Elegance and the SHS plug-in hybrid tops off the range. Exterior The exterior is defined by an X-shaped frameless grille combined with slim LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights. Omoda has always been defined by its flowing designs, and in the C7, the lines from front to back give it an athletic stance, combined with 19 and 20-inch alloys with red brake calipers depending on the model. Interior With a 2.720mm wheelbase, there should be plenty of legroom for front and rear passengers, with 614 litres of boot space…

The Chinese Embassy in South Africa offers warm congratulations on the publication of the book, Xi Jinping and the Global South, and express my sincere thanks to everyone from different sectors who have long cared about and supported China–South Africa relations. In few days, the G20 Summit will open in Johannesburg. This will be the first G20 Summit held on the African continent. China firmly supports South Africa’s G20 Presidency, and we look forward to this Summit sending out a strong voice of the Global South on global governance. Today, we are gathered with friends from South Africa’s policy, academic and media communities to discuss a major question: Where is the Global South headed, and how can China and the Global South move forward together? This is a timely topic.…

The Premier League is never short of drama, and 11 games into the 2025/26 season, early predictions have already been blown out of the water, with new narratives emerging almost weekly. After a quarter of the campaign, the title race is shaping into a two-horse affair, while surprise performers continue to make waves in the tight scramble for European places, and promoted teams stubbornly refuse to follow the familiar up-and-down script. Arsenal have grabbed the headlines, capitalising on a meltdown by early pacesetters Liverpool to surge four points clear. Eight wins, two draws, and a single loss leave Mikel Arteta’s side top of the table with 26 points and a healthy +15 goal difference, propelled by their unmatched defensive record and depth of quality. With the top teams separated by…

KEVIN Lerena’s boxing career is still very much alive and looks set to reach even greater heights, yet South Africa’s fistic darling is already making a seamless transition into the promotional space. The WBC bridgerweight champion and his Aquilla Boxing Promotions (ABP) have enjoyed a stellar rookie year, hosting four hugely successful tournaments. In a world where athletes often face uncertainty at the end of their careers, Lerena has already taken steps to ensure he will not join those statistics. Fondly referred to as ‘Two Guns’ for his explosive punching power, Lerena is not only securing his own future but providing a platform for both established and rising fighters, increasing opportunities for competition through regular events. He has spoken openly about his ambition to raise the standard of boxing…

India is home to one of the largest film industries in the world. Bollywood yields figures in the region of $1.5 billion (about R25.7bn) – second only to Hollywood and China. It produces close to 2 000 movies annually. But tomorrow, the biggest showstopper in the land will feature at Eden Gardens in Kolkata when the world Test champion Proteas face up against their hosts India in the series premiere. It’s the hottest ticket in town with reports emanating from India that the 65 000-seater stadium is already sold out. There may be multiple languages spoken in India, but cricket is the universal mother tongue. The thousands waiting outside the iconic Eden Gardens – despite the presence of heavily armed security – just for a glimpse of their heroes arriving…

The National Treasury has revised South Africa’s economic growth forecast for 2025 downward, citing weaker global and domestic conditions, but remains optimistic that ongoing structural reforms in energy and logistics will help the economy gain traction in the coming years. In its the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) tabled on Wednesday, Treasury said it now expects real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 1.2% in 2025, down from 1.4% projected in February. The revision follows weaker-than-expected performance in the first half of the year, subdued consumer and business confidence, and a fragile global recovery. Despite the downgrade, the 2025 forecast still marks a recovery from the 0.5% growth recorded in 2024, with Treasury projecting an improvement to 1.8% on average between 2026 and 2028 as reform momentum builds and infrastructure…

Although Transnet has not yet met its own targets, the Medium- Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) notes that progress has been made. In particular, the Treasury said that Transnet's freight rail volumes increased in 2024/25 and port volumes have stabilised. “Reforms in freight logistics focus on upgrading poorly maintained infrastructure and introducing private-sector participation in rail and ports. A rail infrastructure manager was established as a separate division of Transnet in April 2025 and has opened slots on the freight rail network to 11 private rail companies,” the MTBPS said. Transnet is addressing a financial and operational decline as rail volumes have declined from 226.3 million tonnes in 2017/18 to 151.7 million tonnes in 2023/24 due to derailments, inefficiency and infrastructure damage. In 2023/24, Transnet reported a net loss of…

BMW South Africa has reaffirmed its commitment to driving the country’s automotive sector into an electrified future — even as policy uncertainty threatens to slow down momentum across the industry. In an exclusive interview with Business Report on Tuesday, BMW South Africa CEO Peter van Binsbergen said the government’s delay in finalising and implementing the White Paper on New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) was holding back investment decisions for local automakers, warning that time is running out for South Africa to align with global trends. South Africa's NEV White Paper, released in December 2023, outlines a 10-year strategy for the automotive industry to transition to electric vehicles (EVs). It outlines a roadmap for the local EV production ecosystem, developing charging infrastructure and battery value-chain development, and stimulating market demand through phased…

2025’s Medium–Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) saw debt ratios slightly higher, similar ratios for the fiscal deficit and an upwards revision to revenue projections for two years vs. May, and a lowering of the inflation target. Revised gross revenue projections now show 2025/26 at R2.005 trillion, from the previous estimate of R1.986 trillion, and a near R20 billion (R19.7bn) over-run as expected, due to higher VAT, corporate and dividend tax receipts. However, additional expenditure of R15.8bn is now proposed, and so the budget deficit only narrowed to -4.7% of GDP for this year (2025/26), versus -4.8% projected in May’s Budget, and the -4.5% of the Bloomberg consensus (all as a % of GDP). The fiscal deficit projection remained at -3.8% of GDP for 2026/27 with an estimated revenue overrun of…

In his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) speech Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana detailed the promises kept over the past few years. The focus now is on how to grow the economy faster and attract the investment needed to create jobs and improve the life of all South Africans. “Two years ago, we committed to stabilising public debt in the current year and then begin reduce it. Despite a challenging environment of persistently low economic growth, we are on track to achieve this goal. “We also committed to remove South Africa from the Financial Action Task Force grey list. We have delivered on this commitment in just two and a half years. This is thanks to collaboration across government departments, law enforcement agencies and the private sector. Exiting the grey list…

Michael Jackson fans have shown up in the millions online to support the late King of Pop. Lionsgate recently released the trailer of Jackson’s biopic, Michael, and within the first 24 hours, it had shattered records, amassing over 116.2 million views worldwide. The film stars Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, who takes on the iconic role. The teaser showcases Jaafar performing some of Michael’s legendary dance moves, including the famous moonwalk. It also offers a sneak peek into the unforgettable Thriller music video. “The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world,”…

A fleet of vehicles purportedly donated to the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) by CAT Security Protection Services linked to businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala lacked proper council approval to legitimise their existence. The vehicles identified as a BMW X5, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class, a BMW 3-Series, and a VW Golf were, however, registered under the municipality and fitted with blue lights. Xolani Nciza, former divisional head of employee relations at the City of Ekurhuleni, revealed shocking details during his testimony at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry yesterday. Nciza implicated suspended EMPD acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi in the blue-light convoy scandal, alleging he facilitated vehicle registration through a fleet corporate proxy managed by Chris Steyn. He testified that the donation was flawed as there was no legal agreement with the municipality,…

Delays in the prosecution of the high-profile Senzo Meyiwa murder case have been firmly attributed to internal police conflicts, according to National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) advocate Shamila Batohi. Batohi was speaking on Tuesday during the Parliament Ad Hoc committee established in October amid rising concerns about the “capture” and infiltration of the criminal justice system by criminals allegedly collaborating with prosecutors, police officers, and other officials. She emphasised that competing investigative teams within the police force significantly hampered progress towards justice. Batohi’s comments came during a response to criticism from David Skosana, a member of the Ad Hoc Committee, who blamed her office for the case’s prolonged delays. The Meyiwa case, centered on the 2014 killing of the beloved South African national football team captain, has experienced repeated…

The G20 Summit scheduled to take place on 22nd-23rd November in Johannesburg is the high point of the yearlong presidency of South Africa of the group of nineteen countries and two continental unions, namely the African Union and European Union. South Africa’s presidency has been special, as it is the last in the series of the 4 countries of the Global South that have held the presidency in succession. This has been a unique opportunity. Indonesia, India, Brazil, and South Africa have used their presidencies to bring the issues of the Global South to the forefront of the G20 agenda, thus making a big contribution in shaping the future direction of the grouping. President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the launch of the South African G20 Presidency, rightly said: “We will use…

Limpopo musician Lehlogonolo Katlego Chauke, well-known as Shebeshxt, was arrested yesterday morning on two counts of attempted murder following a shooting incident in Polokwane last month, police confirmed. According to Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the arrest took place at about 9:30am. He was nabbed during an intelligence-driven operation in the upmarket suburb of Bendor, outside Polokwane. “The arrest was executed through a joint operation between the Provincial Investigation Unit and the Provincial Tracking Team, following the issuance of a warrant of arrest linked to a case of two counts of attempted murder registered at Westernburg SAPS,” Ledwaba said. He added that the arrest of the Ambulance hitmaker stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, October 19, along Witklip Street in Ladanna, outside…

Crime continues to be a national scourge, and recently released statistics reveal that business-owned vehicles are a higher risk to crime than personally-owned vehicles. Business-owned vehicles range from cargo trucks with trailers to courier vehicles delivering items ordered online. Crime targeting these vehicles proves highly lucrative, with criminals acquiring the vehicle, the goods being transported, and the driver’s personal belongings, such as a mobile phone. Higher risk Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for January to June 2025 show that business-owned vehicles are 48% more likely to be targeted than personally-owned vehicles. This trend is largely driven by hijackings, with notable shifts in both timing and location. Mpumalanga has emerged as a new hotspot, and incidents are increasingly occurring during the week rather than over weekends. Gauteng leads The Tracker Vehicle Crime…

I would like to convey my profound gratitude to my family who inspired and encouraged me during the development of my book, Xi Jinping and The Global South. It is dedicated to the memory of my late brother, Mashudu Eddie Edward Monyae. I'm also grateful to my colleagues at the Centre for Africa–China Studies (CACS) at the University of Johannesburg. My thanks also goes to the Chinese Embassy for its facilitation of scholarly collaboration with colleagues in China. This book invites us all to rethink international relations from the critical perspective of the Global South, a lens that reveals both the challenges and opportunities shaping our shared world. Understanding international relations is far more than an academic pursuit; it is essential for grappling with the complex dynamics, from conflicts…

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad believes his inexperienced Test side will not be overawed by the occasion of facing India at the cauldron of Eden Gardens in the first Test tomorrow due to their involvement in the IPL. Eight members of the Proteas Test squad - just over half - have never played a Test in India before. However, five of the aforementioned lot, namely Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Dewald Brevis and Corbin Bosch, have all sampled the IPL with their respective franchises over the last few years. Conrad, who has only been to India once previously with the Cape Cobras for the inaugural T20 Champions League back in 2009, believes the IPL experience will benefit his players both on and off the field. “I think previously you come…

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has assured the markets that South Africa is on track to restore fiscal sustainability, stabilise public debt, and improve spending efficiency, even in a challenging low-growth environment. Delivering the 2025 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday, Godongwana said government remains committed to meeting the fiscal targets set out in the February Budget. This is despite the public debt now expected to peak at 77.9% of GDP in the current fiscal year, slightly higher than the 77.4% estimated in May. “I am pleased to inform the House and the country that we are on track to restore fiscal sustainability. Government debt will stabilise in 2025/26, at 77.9% of GDP,” Godongwana said. “This is the first time since the 2008 financial crisis that public debt will not…

The South African Post Office (Sapo) was not mentioned in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), so I had to ask the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in his media briefing why that was so. He answered that this was because the Treasury and the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies had not yet finalised what the Post Office of the Future would look like in the digital age. Sapo was placed in business rescue on July 10, 2023. In 2023/24, Sapo reduced costs and met some operational targets, yet it remains financially stressed due to high net losses and low revenue. Sapo used the R2.4 billion allocated in 2022/23 to implement a business rescue plan. As part of this plan, it closed 354 branches and retained 657 branches. The Treasury…

Dipula Properties delivered a strong 5% increase in distributable earnings for the year to end-August and might even beat its guidance for the next financial year of 7% growth, CEO Iszak Petersen said on Wednesday. Full-year distributable earnings per share came to 57.26 cents. Petersen noted that although there was not much acquisition activity in the diversified retail, industrial, and residential REIT this past year - Dipula focuses on township and rural areas for its retail properties in particular - “there is a bit of a pipeline of potential acquisitions; we are excited about it,” he said in a briefing. He stated that the results reflected prudent capital allocation, “rigorous asset management, financial and operational discipline, and the reignition of acquisitive growth.” Dipula had finalised five acquisition agreements in August…

The government will launch a R15 billion infrastructure bond soon to help fund badly needed infrastructure projects, which, in turn, should provide a stimulus for faster economic growth and job creation in the economy. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said in the MTBPS that the government will also contribute R2bn to capitalise a Credit Guarantee Vehicle. Initially, this vehicle will support electricity transmission expansion - South Africa’s renewable energy rollout is being stymied by a shortage of thousands of kilometres of transmission lines, such as between the Northern Cape, where many new renewable energy operations are based, and other parts of the country. “This heralds a new era in PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships), where private investment in high-voltage transmission lines is enabled,” he said. South Africa has, for at least two decades,…

I love the holiday season and, as cringy as they can be, I enjoy getting into the festivities by watching holiday movies. From Home Alone to Love Actually and local favourites like How to Ruin Christmas and Yoh! Christmas, these films bring the nostalgia, comfort, and festive cheer that the season calls for. But Tyler Perry’s Finding Joy, the brand-new Amazon Prime Video release, evoked nothing more than boredom. The holiday romance, written and directed by the renowned American film-maker, is packed with worn-out clichés and a lacklustre cast that spends most of the film being completely forgettable. It fails miserably at captivating with its opposites-attract storyline. The film introduces us to Joy (played by Shannon Thornton) during a New York fashion show. Through her friends Ashley (Brittany S. Hall)…

Mzansi Wethu is cooking up something special for music lovers, closing off the year with a bang. The channel has announced a new original show titled Man & The Mic, set to premiere in December. The series promises an intimate look at the lives and stories of some of South Africa’s most celebrated male artists, blending music and emotion as well as personal reflection powerfully. Man & The Mic is not your usual music show; it’s set to be a space where artists strip back the spotlight to reveal the real person behind the fame. Through raw conversations with friends and family, personal stories, and unique performances, viewers will get to experience how music becomes a tool for healing, growth and expression. The show’s first season will feature a line-up…

The race for the ANC presidency in 2027 is rapidly gaining momentum, with influential lobbyists reportedly approaching former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, along with billionaire Patrice Motsepe, to contest the leadership. According to ANC insiders, the intense lobbying drive is framed as an attempt to arrest the party’s clear decline and restore its battered image ahead of next year’s local elections and the party’s elective conference in 2027. The internal campaigning is intensifying ahead of the ANC’s national general council in December, where potential contenders for the 2027 leadership race are expected to begin testing their support and forming slates. Mbeki, who was recalled from the state presidency in 2008, is reportedly at the centre of the succession battle, with lobbyists urging him to return to the top…

The racism storm that has hit the Pretoria High School for Girls has now turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, with the school’s governing body lodging an application in a bid to force the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to provide the report on the results of a commissioned investigation into the allegations. The department in November last year revealed some details of its mandated investigation by Mdladlamba Attorneys to probe allegations of a culture of racism at the school. However, it did not share a copy of the report with the school’s governing body. When asked for a copy, the department directed the school to the provisions of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). This Act affords a requester the right of access to records held…

Argentina’s President Javier Milei will not attend the G20 leaders’ summit scheduled for later this month in Johannesburg, aligning with a boycott of the key meeting backed by United States President Donald Trump. According to reports in Argentine media, Milei will instead send Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno to represent the country, along with G20 negotiator Federico Pinedo. The decision marks a show of solidarity with Trump, who announced that the United States would not participate in the G20 summit in South Africa, citing alleged human-rights abuses against Afrikaner farmers in the country. Argentina’s government has not issued an official statement on the withdrawal, but presidential aides quoted in local outlets said the move was “in line with Washington’s position”. Milei’s decision is viewed as a diplomatic setback for South Africa,…

More details have emerged following the official reveal of the new Toyota Hilux in Thailand, and no doubt South Africans will be champing at the bit to continue its status as the country’s favourite bakkie. We know that the new Hilux will also be built at the Prospecton plant in Durban, but at this stage, we know only that it will be released sometime in 2026, with models and specifications still under wraps. Powertrains According to the official Australian press release, all grades of the new Hilux will be powered by the company’s 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, producing 150kW and 500Nm of torque paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Variants fitted with a six-speed manual transmission develop 420Nm of torque. At this stage, there is no official word on whether…

If there was a South African team that made a mockery of “North African hostility” in continental football last season, it was Orlando Pirates. In four visits to the northern hemisphere of the continent — Algeria and Egypt twice each — Pirates returned home with three wins (two in the group stage and one in the quarter-final) and just one loss in the semi-final. Sure, it may be argued that they lost the most important tie — the 3-2 aggregate defeat to Pyramids in Cairo — but the Buccaneers certainly held their own, almost proving that the days when southern teams feared their northern counterparts are long gone. So, as Kaizer Chiefs return to continental group-stage football via the CAF Confederation Cup — for the first time since reaching the…

The Springbok midfield set to take the field against Italy on Saturday offers an exciting glimpse into the future — and don’t discount the man tasked with directing play at flyhalf in Turin. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed in a television interview ahead of the clash with France that he intended to recall Handre Pollard at flyhalf, while testing a youthful midfield pairing of Ethan Hooker and Canan Moodie. Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg will also get an opportunity to showcase his skills. With Erasmus able to plan without recourse to panic selections following the positive result in Paris, Pollard will marshal a backline featuring Hooker and Moodie in the midfield, and a daring back three of Edwill van der Merwe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Damian Willemse. For rugby fans, this…

Almost two months into the new 2025/26 domestic season and having played eight matches across two different formats, the Titans will be looking to save what is shaping up to be the team’s most dismal campaign yet. In the South African domestic cricket scene, Titans cricket – and Northerns cricket at large – are synonymous with excellence. Over the years, the Centurion-based side has been the dominant force, winning multiple trophies across all three formats. As a result, the team has produced and continues to produce numerous Proteas players. However, this season, the Titans have looked a shadow of the powerhouse the country has grown accustomed to. The new era under coach Rivash Gobind has yet to spark into life. Since taking charge, Gobind’s team has managed just one victory…