Category: Africa

A nation’s climate action goals and economic ambitions can work in tandem for greater prosperity. This, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who spoke during a fireside chat at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026, held in that country.

“In fact, countries that have embarked on climate action strategies, have found that those interventions do finally yield economic growth. So therefore, one needs to see climate action as a driver and an enabler for economic growth.

“The more we embrace clean energy, the more new technologies come about, new opportunities open up and we find that there are new sub-sectors of the economy that are established and where we might close certain sub-sectors, new ones open.

“Therefore, it’s not a binary question. It’s a mutually inclusive and reinforcing approach,” President Ramaphosa said.

He warned that focus on one side could be detrimental to the other. 

“If we focus on economic growth, to the detriment of climate taking climate action, you’ll find that in the long term, you have economic stagnation or reversal. If you focus on the other only, you’ll find that your economy may grow but it will not grow well.

“A dual approach, focusing on both, can actually drive the economy forward,” the President added.

Reflecting on South Africa’s drive to raise financing for the Just Energy Transition, President Ramaphosa noted that government went about setting its own climate plan and agenda.

“One of the advantages [to this] was, we were able to raise finance smartly, we were able to raise fairly good, blended finance initiatives, grants, concessional financing…so the blended finance architecture was quite good and innovative.

“We were first from the starting blocks and we’re very pleased that a number of countries from the global south have followed in the wake of what South Africa did. We now have attracted, particularly in the Northern Cape… more than R110 billion in investments.

“That has happened because it was South Africa designed and we got the financiers to work with us. There was nothing imposed on us like it has happened in the past. In the past, financiers have focused on what they could get out and we have focused on cooperation. A cooperative process has now been followed and both of us are involved,” he explained.

Turning to the Africa’s potential role as an exporter of green energy, President Ramaphosa highlighted the continent’s endowment of vast amounts of sun, wind power and hydropower as areas of opportunity for investment.

“A combination of all three, as well as our minerals, gives rise to great opportunities where we can generate energy.

“[Some] 600 million people on the African continent, still lack electricity. That, in itself, rather than being a challenge, we see it as an opportunity… that we can utilise all these endowments – our minerals – instead of exporting rock, soil and stones. We should now beneficiate, add value to our minerals so that they are properly utilised in the energy generation.

“Africa is the centre where green hydrogen can [also] be greatly utilised. We can use our solar, wind and in doing so, Africa can become an exporter of energy. This is where we invite financiers, investors to come to the African continent.

“We’ve got great opportunities for generating energy…and infrastructure development in Africa is going to explode by leaps and bounds and on the back of energy generation and good financing, we will be able to see higher levels of growth. I invite you… to come to the African continent and invest there. That is where the future is,” President Ramaphosa concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

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With the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results released, the 2025 class of Grade 12 is now turning focus towards the future.

In a ceremony on Wednesday evening, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube announced that some 88% of the more than 900 000 learners who wrote exams had passed – a record-breaking milestone for South Africa.

Earlier in the day, Gwarube hosted a breakfast for the country’s top 40 learners in Johannesburg.

At the breakfast, learners expressed joy at their achievements and revealed their ambitions for the future.

Angie Ntuli, a learner from Phumzile Secondary School in Mpumalanga, told SAnews that she was “beyond ecstatic” to be a top achiever.

“It has not been easy at all. My mom was always there for me. We would study together and I would even teach her some of the things that we were doing.

“I am planning on going to the University of Cape Town to study Accounting,” she said.

Another learner, Asanda Ndlela, said the toil of the past year was worth it.

“I am so happy to be part of the top achievers. In fact, I first thought my friends were pranking me but then my school principal called me and then I saw it was serious.

“It’s been a tough year for all of us. But we have managed to get through it and eventually pass. I’m going to be studying Mechanical Engineering at the [University of Johannesburg] this year,” he said.

Simesihle Khuzwayo from King Bhekuzulu College in KwaZulu-Natal said her journey was not easy as she was sick during the year.

The illness and the care she received from medical doctors has now shaped her future career.

“I fell ill a lot and spent most of my time in hospital and I saw that doctors can play a very huge role in improving lives. I also want to do that. I had the best doctors and I also want to be one of those who will help kids like me,” she said.

Khuzwayo shared a word of advice for the incoming matriculants: “Do not compare yourself to others and don’t listen to external pressures which might make you lose focus. Focus on yourself and set realistic goals which you can reach.”  – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Deputy President Paul Mashatile has urged matriculants to utilise government-supported opportunities designed to help young people transition into higher education, skills development and employment.

“The Deputy President reaffirmed government’s commitment to investing in young people and creating inclusive opportunities that enable them to participate meaningfully in the economy and society,” the Deputy President’s Office said in a statement.

Last night, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube announced the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results at the Mosaic Church in Randburg, Johannesburg.

The country’s Class of 2025 achieved the highest-ever pass rate of 88% – a 0 .7% increase from 2024.

The Minister emphasised the significance of this achievement, stating that these results represent not merely numbers but a testament to the collective efforts of educators, learners, and communities nationwide.

In 2025, more than 900 000 candidates wrote at about 6 000 centres, with the largest share of candidates being 18 years old.

“Over 656 000 learners passed the National Senior Certificate. That figure carries the effort of every teacher, every learner, families in every corner of our country,” the Minister said.

Gwarube noted that the percentage of learners unable to sit for any of their exam papers has significantly decreased, from approximately 17% in 2017 to around 2% today. 

She also emphasised the importance of the quality of passes, as this is crucial for shaping post-school opportunities.

“Here we look at passes that open doors to Bachelor’s studies, Diploma studies and Higher Certificate studies.”

The national percentage of candidates achieving Bachelor passes decreased slightly, from approximately 48% to 46%. 

However, the total number of candidates who received Bachelor passes increased by 8 700, reaching over 345 000 learners. 

In addition, 28% of candidates achieved Diploma passes, while 13.5% obtained Higher Certificate passes.

The Deputy President extended his heartfelt congratulations to the matric Class of 2025, following the release of the NSC results.

“The Deputy President commends the matriculants for their resilience, discipline, and determination in reaching this important milestone, noting that their achievement represents both personal success and a critical contribution to the country’s future development.”

In September of last year, during a session in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), the Deputy President stated that government is currently implementing a range of collaborative initiatives aimed at addressing youth unemployment. 

These initiatives focus on enhancing the functioning of the labour market through skills training, work experience opportunities, support for entrepreneurship, and wage subsidies.

“The rate of unemployment in our country is indeed a concern to all of us,” the Deputy President told Members of Parliament (MPs).

To this end, Cabinet approved Phase V of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in February 2024, aiming to create five million work opportunities between April 2024 and March 2029, with an estimated five-year budget of R178 billion.

“This programme intends to address youth unemployment by providing young people access to jobs in mass projects such as road maintenance, inclusive of pothole repairs, public infrastructure development, public space beautification, waste management, and social services,” he said last year.

Furthermore, Deputy President Mashatile stated that the government collaborates with social partners, the private sector, and educational institutions through the National Skills Development Plan and the National Skills Fund. 

The aim is to equip young people and marginalised groups with market-relevant skills to enhance job creation initiatives.

Through the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), chaired by Deputy President Mashatile, the State collaborates with social partners such as business, labour, and civil society to develop and implement a joint response to youth unemployment.

In addition, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, in collaboration with the Department of Defence, has conceptualised the South African National Defence Force-led National Youth Service Programme.

The programme aims to empower women, youth, and persons with disabilities to become emerging industrialists in agriculture, energy security, aerospace, maritime, the digital economy, and defence sectors.

“As government, we are committed to moving from fragmented efforts to an integrated national programme that encompasses skills development, economic opportunity, workplace experience, entrepreneurship support, soft skills, and civic education to foster resilience and adaptability,” Deputy President Mashatile added. 

For more programmes for youth in South Africa, please look at the following:

1. National Youth Service Programme (NYSP): A national initiative that engages young people in community service and skills-building activities, promoting patriotism, social cohesion, and employability. https://nydawebsite.azurewebsites.net/Products-Services/National-Youth-Services-Programme.html

2. Youth Employment Service (YES): A government-supported programme, in partnership with private employers, gives youth (18–35) paid work experience for about 12 months to build skills and improve job prospects. https://www.yes4youth.co.za/

3. Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI): Led by the Presidency, this initiative provides short-term work opportunities (e.g., school or community roles) and skills development through the SAYouth.mobi portal. 

4. Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP): Creates temporary paid work opportunities for youth age 18-35 in areas like road work, waste management, infrastructure and environmental projects, plus on-the-job training. http://www.epwp.gov.za/

5. National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Programmes: NYDA supports young people with training, entrepreneurship support, mentorship and small business grants to start or grow youth-led ventures. 

6. Young Creatives Programme (TYCP): Focused on arts and culture, this programme empowers young artists with training, mentoring and platforms to grow their creative careers. https://www.gcis.gov.za/the-young-creatives-programme

7. SETAs (Sector Education and Training Authorities) – offer learnerships and skills training with stipends in key industries.

8. TVET colleges and skills funds – support technical and vocational training that leads to qualifications and better job prospects. 

– SAnews.gov.za

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The National Treasury has welcomed the removal of South Africa from the European Union’s list of High-risk Third Country Jurisdictions (EU List). 

This follows the delisting of South Africa from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist or “list of countries under increased monitoring” and the United Kingdom’s list of countries in which there is a high risk for money laundering and terror financing, both of which happened on 13 October 2025.

“National Treasury notes that removal from the FATF and EU lists of high-risk jurisdictions does not mean that all South Africa’s challenges in implementing its Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) system have been resolved, and recognises that much work still needs to be done to strengthen deficiencies in the prevention, identification, investigation and prosecution of money laundering and terrorism financing,” the National Treasury said on Tuesday.

The European Union acknowledged the efforts made by South Africa and the other five African countries, in strengthening their AML/CFT systems, noting: 

“Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania have strengthened the effectiveness of their AML/CFT regimes and addressed technical deficiencies to meet the commitments in their action plans on the strategic deficiencies identified by the FATF. The Commission therefore considers that Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania no longer have strategic deficiencies in their AML/CFT regimes…”

South Africa was added to the EU List in August 2023 as an automatic consequence of its greylisting by the FATF in February 2023. 

The EU listing was in terms of its Article 9(1) of Directive (EU) 2015/849, which requires that third-country jurisdictions having strategic deficiencies in their systems for combating money laundering and terrorism financing (high-risk third countries) must be identified to protect the proper functioning of the EU’s internal market.

“This EU law requires that financial institutions in the EU must apply a higher level of scrutiny to transactions involving parties in countries deemed to be high-risk (enhanced due diligence), resulting in more rigorous and intrusive checks, increased documentation requirements, continuous monitoring and senior management approval for transactions,” the National Treasury said.

These requirements add friction to financial transactions and flows, affecting trade, payments and investment.

It should be noted that the removal of legislative obligations on EU financial institutions to conduct enhanced due diligence on South African-related transactions does not compel any financial institutions to rescind their risk assessment policies towards South Africa but allows willing EU financial institutions to adjust their risk assessment policies as they see fit.

South Africa will be entering a new round of evaluation by FATF in the coming months, with a final report scheduled to be presented to the FATF plenary in October 2027. 

Preparation has begun in earnest, incorporating the lessons learnt and experience gained during the process to exit FATF greylisting. – SAnews.gov.za

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Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has assured the Class of 2025 that not passing the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations does not mark the end of their journey, emphasising that multiple support mechanisms and alternative pathways remain available. 

Addressing learners at the release of the matric results on Monday, the Minister stressed the importance of hope, resilience and seeking support. 

“And to every learner who did not get the result you hoped for: you are not a failure, and your story is not over. There are pathways to improve your results – through rewrites, support programmes and second-chance opportunities. What matters now is that you take the next step, with support, and without shame,” Gwarube said. 

As part of these interventions, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) continues to roll out the Second Chance Matric Programme, which provides structured academic and psychosocial support to learners who wish to rewrite subjects or complete outstanding requirements. 

The programme assists candidates to meet the requirements of either the National Senior Certificate (NSC) or the Senior Certificate (SC), enabling them to obtain a recognised Grade 12 qualification.

Support is offered through a combination of face-to-face classes at centres across the country, as well as online learning platforms, television lessons and radio broadcasts, ensuring access for learners in different circumstances. 

Learners who qualify for the programme may rewrite through the following examination opportunities: 

• NSC supplementary examinations in March. 

• NSC progressed learner examinations in June, for candidates who previously did not sit for all six subjects. 

• Part-time NSC examinations in November, for learners who attempted the NSC after 2015. 

The DBE has reiterated that the Second Chance Matric Programme is provided free of charge, warning learners and parents to be cautious of private or commercial services that charge fees while claiming affiliation with the programme. 

Eligible candidates may register to rewrite or add subjects in line with departmental policies for the May/June examination cycle, without making any payment.  

Registration for the programme opened on 1 October 2025 and will close on 6 February 2026. 

“The department does not endorse any private or commercial services that require payment for participation in the Second Chance Programme,” the DBE said, urging learners to rely only on official platforms for accurate information.

Re-mark or Re-check

In addition, the DBE provides an online service for (NSC) candidates to request a re-mark or re-check of examination scripts. 

In order to request a re-mark or re-check service, candidates must first register on the e-Gov portal at www.eservices.gov.za to create a personal account. This account will allow the candidate to login using their password and usernames to access the service. 

“Registration can be done at either the school or district office in the province or online,” the DBE said.

The opening date for applications for re-marking and re-checking is 13 January 2026 with the closing date set for 27 January 2026 for both manual applications and online applications. 

The fee for re-mark is R120 per subject and re-checking is R30 per subject. The viewing of scripts may only be done after a re-mark or re-check of results. The closing date for applications is 7 days after release of re-mark or re-check results. The fee for viewing is R230. 

Results of remarking will be released from 13 March 2026 and will be available at the school/exam centre where the candidate sat for their 2025 examinations.

The Second Chance programme targets key gateway subjects, including Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Accounting, Business Studies, Economics, Geography, History, English First Additional Language and Agricultural Sciences. 

Beyond academic support, the initiative also forms part of government’s broader efforts to improve learner retention, align with the National Development Plan, and expose candidates to bursary and further-study opportunities. 

The department has encouraged learners who feel overwhelmed or discouraged by their results to seek guidance from teachers, parents and support services, reminding them that mental wellbeing is a critical part of navigating post-matric options. 

For verified information and registration details, learners are advised to contact the Department of Basic Education directly or visit its official platforms. Learners can use the following contacts: 

• Email: SecondChance@dbe.gov.za 

• SMS/Calls: +27 63 696 7246 (Enquiries) 

• WozaMatrics WhatsApp: 061 505 3023 (Subject-related queries)

– SAnews.gov.za

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