More bad news for flyers at OR Tambo, and trouble for schools in Gauteng

Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:

• OR Tambo delays: The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) warned on Monday (16 December) of longer queues at passport control points at OR Tambo International Airport due to a border management system failure. [BusinessTech]

• Trouble for schools in Gauteng: Gauteng education authorities have experienced a significant increase in applications for entry-level students for the 2025 academic year. There are over 160,000 applications for Grade One learners and more than 170,000 for Grade Eight pupils. This rise in applications is likely to put significant pressure on the province’s schools. [Primedia Plus]

• Deadline for spaza shops: Spaza shop owners have less than 24 hours to register their businesses. Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa set a 21-day deadline for spaza shop registrations, ending on Tuesday (17 December 2024). [EWN]

• Extortion mafia problem: Extortion is a significant issue in South Africa, affecting many industries and individuals, often with fatal consequences. In Cape Town’s city centre, a large area has been embroiled in extortion and accusations for years, revealing the depth of the “protection fee” problem. [Daily Maverick]

• Markets: South Africa’s rand slipped against the dollar on Friday after the central bank released its quarterly bulletin. The SARB said the country recorded foreign direct investment outflows of R3.2 billion in the third quarter, compared to inflows of R16.6 billion in the second. On Tuesday (17 December), the rand was trading at R17.86 to the dollar, R22.64 to the pound, and R18.77 to the euro. Oil is trading at $73.85 a barrel. [Reuters]