Sunday Tribune 2025-09-28

South African consumers are feeling the pinch as food prices eased only slightly in September, while petrol prices face upward pressure and the Reserve Bank kept interest rates steady. Despite small reprieves, families continue to struggle to make ends meet. The September 2025 Household Affordability Index showed that the average cost of a basic food basket for a family of four was R3 689.64, a figure still well above what many households can afford. While prices for some items fell slightly, essentials such as chicken gizzards, beef liver, bananas and butternut increased, leaving families juggling tight budgets. At the same time, motorists were warned to prepare for modest increases in petrol prices next week as global oil fluctuations continue to affect the local market. Tando Ngibe, Senior Manager at Budget…

While the shift toward cashless payments is gathering pace globally, with just 16% of in-store transaction value being made in cash in 2023, the picture in South Africa remains noticeably different. Despite high levels of bank account penetration, many South Africans still rely heavily on cash. For this reason, we should be creating a ‘cash-smart’ society that caters for those who want to use money, while also promoting the development of cost-effective and widely accessible digital alternatives. Let’s face it, the use of cash isn’t just a habit, but a deeply practical choice for millions of South African consumers, many of whom put more trust in physical money that is both tangible and familiar. Currency is immediate; there is no specific account, device or password or internet connection needed for…

When Shirley Phiri joined her first group tour at the age of 20, she was the youngest traveler in the group. That experience planted a seed that would later grow into Travel Generation, a company she founded to make travel more affordable and accessible for young people. “I remember thinking to myself, I want to start a company that doesn’t just encourage travel, but makes it affordable and accessible for other young people like me,” Phiri said. “I wanted my age to be a weapon, not a disadvantage. I dreamed of creating a company that would grow alongside me, and I’ve been seeing that growth over the past four years.” Her own journeys shaped the foundation of Travel Generation. Volunteering in Zambia taught her that travel was less about the…

There’s a new show coming to Mzansi Magic that might just turn your ideas about love and relationships upside down. Ngicel’iVisa takes a daring look at relationships, inviting couples to test old flames and new feelings. Starting next month, the show will take viewers on a rollercoaster ride as partners dive back into their past relationships to see if they still have any lingering feelings for an ex or a crush. If you don’t know, “I-visa” comes from South African slang that means asking for permission to “step out” of a relationship temporarily. Why would anyone want to do this? It seems to be for various reasons. “It could be a marriage proposal, with one partner feeling they might still have unresolved feelings for an ex, or it could be…

It’s always fascinating to see real-life stories, especially those involving high-profile individuals or subjects, adapted into a screenplay. And Swipe is definitely up there with Steve Jobs, Blackberry and The Social Network. I was curious about the Disney+ film because it centres on a formidable girlboss, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and, in the same breath, delves into sexual harassment and toxic workplace culture. Seriously, we need more empowering offerings. For those unfamiliar with the name or history, this is an excellent introduction to Wolfe Herd, co-founder of Tinder and founder/CEO of Bumble. Co-written by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, who also directs, Bill Parker and Kim Caramele, the script does a surface-level run-through of her background and trailblazing exploits as the world’s youngest female billionaire. I do feel it could have been so…

Am I alone in finding it absurd to wait a full week for a new episode to land on a streaming platform? This is precisely the pattern we abandoned when Covid-19 arrived in 2020. Moving on, High Potential is back for a second instalment on Disney+. Now I’m a sucker for unusual partnerships. It’s probably why I enjoyed shows like Castle, Bones, The Mentalist, Psych, iZombie, Lucifer and Elementary. And this show has a compelling hook: Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson), a cleaner with an IQ of 160, unwittingly helps provide vital clues on a complex case at the Los Angeles Major Crimes Division. Her knack for spotting useful details doesn’t go unnoticed with the unit head, Selena Soto (Judy Reyes), who offers her a consulting gig. The single mother of…