Latest news with #R265
The South African
18 hours ago
- Business
- The South African
Tensions grow between SASSA and the National Treasury
SASSA and the National Treasury were at loggerheads this week in Parliament. New SASSA CEO Themba Matlou, who's barely been in the job permanently for two months, had to answer to the Parliament portfolio committee on social development. At the centre of tensions between SASSA and the National Treasury are conditions attached to the R265-billion budget allocation. On one hand, you have the High Court ruling back in January 2025 that said SASSA was being 'deliberately exclusionary.' And now you have the National Treasury wanting to see have SASSA is reviewing, suspending and cancelling grants to keep the budget in check … It's a little farfetched to expect SASSA SRD R370 applicants to have a smartphone and data for monthly verifications. Image: File Unfortunately, this puts the South African Social Security Agency in a highly compromised position. If it doesn't actively exclude grant recipients, the National Treasury will say conditions to its budget allocation are not being met. However, after the High Court ruling earlier this year, civil society is watching closely to see how the agency 'increases grant inclusivity.' As such, SASSA CEO Themba Matlou told the committee this week that its new review process for social grants will comply with the National Treasury's requirements. The first necessity is a quarterly report, due at the end of July, that proves the number of grants reviewed, suspended, cancelled and money saved by the agency. Meanwhile, it's the elderly who suffer and must travel to SASSA offices to have their identity verified. Image: File Key to the agreement between SASSA and the National Treasury is the agency must improve its income, biometric and governmental verification systems. Meanwhile, it's overtly clear that these new digital processes are impacting poor beneficiaries who don't have access to smartphones and data. Nevertheless, when the National Treasury allocated R265 billion budget to SASSA, it had the following provisos. 'SASSA must introduce bank income checks on grants. It must conduct large-scale database checks at least twice a year. It must finalise agreements with SARS and NSFAS to verify beneficiaries' income. And it must intensify biometric checks on suspicious applications,' reports GroundUp . SASSA's first report is due to the National Treasury next month. Image: File As a result, these reviews have already started being implemented. Specifically, Child Support, Old-Age, Disability and Care Dependency grants were flagged for undisclosed income and alternative forms of identification. Instead of the usual three-month review period, affected individuals had their grants withheld until they completed in-person verification at a SASSA office. However, Matlou and SASSA has come under fire over these latest verification policies. And he told Parliament he is aware of the frustration. 'Through beneficiary education, we emphasise that citizens have a responsibility to assist the government to save money. And beneficiaries need to notify SASSA when their financial circumstances have changed,' explained Matlou. Furthermore, the agency says it will start rolling out service kiosks at offices to help clients with remote biometric identity verification. 'The goal is to make biometrics compulsory for all SASSA applicants, whether you are trying to access the social assistance programme with or without identification,' concluded Matlou. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Droom Troue fined R250 000 for turning brides' wedding dreams into nightmares
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is — as these brides found out when they entered a 'competition' to win a R500 000 wedding. The National Consumer Tribunal has fined a trustee of Droom Troue, a reality television show, R250 000 for contravening the Consumer Protection Act and ordered her to refund a total of R265 550 to seven participants who filed complaints. The National Consumer Commission (NCC) referred the matter to the tribunal after receiving eleven complaints from consumers about Lana-Jane de Jager, a trustee of the Shabach Trust, trading as Droom Troue. Droom Troue was a reality television show that recruited participants through a competition where they were promised the chance to 'win a dream wedding' worth R500 000. The NCC says De Jager promoted this competition across various platforms, including bridal magazines and social media. Participants had to follow Bruidsgids on Instagram, like Droom Troue on Facebook and text 'Droom Troue' along with their names and e-mail addresses to 36996 at R5 per text message. ALSO READ: Tribunal fines car dealer and home renovator for not respecting consumers' rights Brides complained to the NCC about Droom Troue The NCC received complaints from dissatisfied participants about Doom Troue between August 2022 and April 2023. When the NCC investigated the matter, it found that after entering the competition, Droom Troue informed participants that they had won the prize. And this is where it became too good to be true: to claim the prize, participants were required to sign a memorandum of understanding and pay a non-refundable 'commitment' fee of between R25 000 and R60 000 to claim the prize of a wedding valued at R500 000. After paying up, the participants did not receive any further communication from De Jager. The NCC investigation concluded that by informing participants that they had won a competition while there was no competition, De Jager contravened section 36 (2)(a)(i) of the CPA. Section 36 (2)(a)(i) states that nobody is allowed to directly or indirectly inform someone that they have won a competition if no competition was held. ALSO READ: Tribunal fines used car dealer R100 000 for disregarding consumer's rights NCC case at tribunal about Droom Troue Referring the matter to the tribunal, the NCC asked it to order that De Jager and Droom Troue contravened section 36(2)(a)(ii), (iii) and (iv), section 36(3)(a) and section 36(5)(c) to (f), as well as an order for an interdict prohibiting them from engaging in the same conduct in future. The NCC also asked the tribunal to order that De Jager and Droom Troue refund the complainants the amounts they paid with interest as well as pay an administrative penalty of R1 million. While the tribunal found that there was no competition, Droom Troue's memorandum of understanding referred to the complainants as 'participants' participating in the competition or competition process. According to the tribunal, this gave consumers the impression that the competition they were entering existed. In addition, the tribunal determined that the CPA provides that 'if any provision of the CPA, read in its context, can reasonably be construed to have more than one meaning, the tribunal or court must prefer the meaning that best promotes the spirit and purposes of the CPA. 'In this context, the tribunal found that the definition of a participant includes an instance such as this. The fact that no competition took place does not mean the complainants cannot be viewed as participants, since they still participated in the competition process, which we now know was just a ruse.' ALSO READ: Braai Block restaurant chain slapped with R1m fine for 'ripping off consumers' Tribunal finds Droom Troue intentionally misled brides Section 4(5)(b) of the CPA states that in any dealings with the consumer in the ordinary course of business, nobody is allowed to engage in any conduct that is unconscionable, misleading, deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive. The tribunal found that the conduct of De Jager and Droom Troue was intended to intentionally mislead and deceive multiple consumers, displaying little or no regard for the spirit and purpose of the CPA. Therefore, the tribunal ruled that De Jager and Droom Troue contravened sections 4(5)(b) and 36(2)(a)(i) of the CPA and found their actions unconscionable and declared the conduct prohibited. The tribunal imposed an administrative fine of R250 000 on De Jager and ordered her to refund the affected seven complainants a sum of R265 550. ALSO READ: Consumer Tribunal fines Cell C R500k for unfair, unreasonable and unjust conditions Droom Troue's submission to tribunal De Jager opposed the matter and denied that she contravened the provisions of the CPA. She submitted that Droom Troue is a reality television show and that the complainants were carefully selected to participate in it, not chosen by lot or chance. She also submitted that Droom Troue is not a promotional competition as defined in the CPA, but instead is a reality television show conceptualised in 2018 and which ended in 2024. The complainants were selected to be participants in the show and not a promotional competition. She also said she and Droom Troue did not enter into any agreement with the complainants to supply goods or services in exchange for money. De Jager also submitted that Droom Troue does not sell any goods or render any services for money and is therefore not a business as defined in section 36. In addition, she said participants were not selected by 'lot or chance', as almost all participants won the prize after a careful selection process. The relationship between De Jager was purely contractual and not subject to the provisions of section 36 of the CPA. ALSO READ: Consumer Tribunal finds another three used car dealers guilty of prohibited conduct Brides knew about 'commitment fee' to be part of Droom Troue – De Jager De Jager also submitted that the participants were always aware of the commitment fee that had to be paid to secure the potential bride and groom's commitment to follow through with the wedding. She said the commitment fee was introduced to curb wasted costs, effort and time to ensure that the wedding would take place and could be aired on television. She did not believe that the payments were consideration or payment as defined in the CPA, while the so-called goods or services were bequests gifted to the couple. Clause 27 of the MOU clearly stipulates that the commitment fee is a nonrefundable payment to ensure the participants are committed to following through with the wedding, she said. Although the tribunal accepted that it was not a competition, it noted in its judgement that none of the advertisements included in the case record indicate that participants were being recruited to participate in a reality show. The tribunal also said the fact that no competition took place does not mean the complainants cannot be viewed as participants since they still participated in the competition process, which 'we now know was just a ruse'. ALSO READ: Tribunal fines car repairer R100 000 for being 'dishonest and contemptuous' Droom Troue and De Jager deceived consumers making them think it is a competition In addition, the Tribunal found that De Jager and Droom Troue, through their conduct in recruiting potential participants for their television show, intentionally set out to mislead and deceive consumers into thinking that they were entering a competition to win a prize and signed an MOU to that effect. 'By their conduct, De Jager and Droom Troue set out to intentionally mislead and deceive multiple consumers and displayed little or no regard for the spirit and purpose of the CPA. The tribunal finds their conduct unconscionable.' The tribunal declared the conduct of De Jager and Droom Troue prohibited and granted an interdict prohibiting De Jager from engaging in the same or similar prohibited conduct in the future. De Jager must also refund the seven consumers the amounts between R25 000 and R46 400 that they paid. Hardin Ratshisusu, acting commissioner of the NCC, welcomed the tribunal's judgement. 'Consumers should be careful when participating in schemes with a promise of winning money or other benefits. 'In this case, consumers were deceived and promised a dream wedding and robbed of their hard-earned cash. Importantly, this case affirms the role of the CPA in guarding against misleading schemes disguised as promotions targeted at consumers.'
IOL News
07-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
South Africa's Innovation Fund pilot phase shows promise amid challenges
THE Department of Science, Technology and Innovation recently briefed Parliament on the results of its five-year Innovation Fund pilot phase, revealing that 96 startups had been supported since 2020. Image: AI Ron THE Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) recently briefed Parliament on the results of its five-year Innovation Fund pilot phase, revealing that 96 startups had been supported since 2020 — but with glaring disparities in provincial representation and private-sector hesitancy threatening its scalability. Acting director-general Gugulethu Zwane, leading the DSTI delegation, framed the Innovation Fund as a response to the White Paper on Science, Technology, and Innovation, implemented through the Decadal Plan. Mlungisi Cele, the newly appointed director-general and former chief executive of the National Advisory Council on Innovation (Naci), emphasised the Fund's role in commercialising innovation. 'The Fund includes interventions aligned with the Decadal Plan's objectives, with measurable indicators to track progress,' he said. Konanani Rashamuse, DSTI chief technocrat, detailed the 'Fund on Funds' (FOFs) model, where government seed capital attracts private investment. To date, R265 million in public funds has leveraged R1.3 billion — a fivefold multiplier effect. Three FOFs have been established, including the High Impact Seed Fund and the Public Investment Corporation Technology Development Fund. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ However, Cele admitted that South Africa lagged behind Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda in venture capital activity. 'One of our goals is to scale up and position South Africa as a leader,' he said. MPs grilled the DSTI on stark inequities. Gauteng and the Western Cape account for 80% of funded startups, leaving other provinces underserved. The MK Party's Thembinkosi Mjadu demanded action: 'What measures will ensure equal geographic distribution?' Rashamuse pointed to the DSTI/EPF Tech Fund Venture Building Programme, targeting underrepresented regions, but conceded more work was needed. Gender transformation remains another hurdle. 'The venture capital industry lacks enough first-time female innovators,' Rashamuse acknowledged. Cele highlighted the Women in Technology and Innovation Programme, launched in March 2025, as a step forward. Rashamuse admitted high failure rates are inherent in venture capital but argued even a 10% success rate could yield a significant impact. 'We need a large enough pipeline to sustain failures while ensuring the successes create social impact,' he said. A major concern is private-sector engagement. Cele cited 'risk aversion' and 'lack of policy certainty' as barriers. Rashamuse added that stronger data transparency could rebuild trust. 'We must position the Fund as an attractive investment for the private sector,' he said. Meanwhile, budget constraints loom. Cele revealed Minister Blade Nzimande is lobbying Treasury for increased funding, noting South Africa's innovation budget pales in comparison to global peers. Despite challenges, Rashamuse showcased standout startups: Stone Three: AI-driven mining tech operated from Cape Town but deployed globally. AI-driven mining tech operated from Cape Town but deployed globally. Artisan Biomed: Precision medicine using DNA-based diagnostics for African patients. Precision medicine using DNA-based diagnostics for African patients. LignOrganic: Waste-reducing biomass solutions from macadamia nut shells. Looking ahead, DSTI plans to: Scale the Fund and assess the pilot phase independently. Boost youth and female participation through targeted programmes. Develop a digital dashboard for monitoring. Host the SA Tech Challenge 2025 in Cape Town to spur innovation. Chairperson Tsakani Shiviti from the ANC stressed the need for a 'coherent system' bridging grassroots entrepreneurship to commercial markets. 'We must close the gap between development and local product accessibility,' she said. The ANC's Vusumuzi Nkosi pushed for metrics tracking long-term social impact, while the DA's Natasha Mazzone called for expert-backed responses in future briefings. As the meeting adjourned, the message was clear: The Innovation Fund has potential, but without equitable distribution, private-sector buy-in, and sustainable funding, its promise may remain unfulfilled.
IOL News
03-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Universities seek contingency plans amid US funding cuts
Univeristy of Cape Town. Image: File UCT and Stellenbosch University are developing contingency plans to mitigate the severe impact of the Trump administration's cuts to US grant funding, which threaten billions in research support. According to UCT Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation, Professor Jeff Murugan, without intervention, they stand to lose over R437 million in research funding in the next 12 months, and R1.67 billion over the period 2025–2027 if all 'currently contracted, active US federal-funded awards are terminated'. 'On 7 February 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order signalling the termination of aid and assistance to South Africa. As an immediate consequence, grants from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) were discontinued. This abrupt action highlighted the vulnerability of UCT's US federally funded research. UCT currently holds a portfolio of 178 US federal funded awards comprising both direct awards to UCT and subawards from collaborating institutions in the US. Since February, UCT has received stop-work orders for sub-awardee grants funded by the NIH (National Institutes of Health ) which have halted 22 active projects (valued at R172 million). A further 93 multi-year projects have not received annual renewal notices (R265 million)," Murugan said last month. He said the funding cuts were significant and carried the potential of long-term consequences for researchers, patients and participants, the broader university community, as well as medical research and healthcare across the country. 'UCT's portfolio of US federal grants supports a variety of research projects, providing salaries and project running costs for hundreds of staff as well as stipends for over a hundred postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows. A large-scale termination of US federal funding would thus have very significant consequences, directly impacting staff, fellows, students and the university's finances.' According to Murugan, the university was currently working to reduce reliance on US federal funding by identifying and securing alternative sources of support. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ On Monday, UCT spokesperson, Elijah Moholola said: 'UCT is in engagements with the appropriate stakeholders over the US federal funding matter. These engagements are ongoing, and some decisions are pending. In light of these ongoing discussions and pending outcomes, UCT wishes to not discuss the matter further at this time. The university has issued an update on the matter, and will issue further communication as and when there are new developments.' Stellenbosch University (SU) spokesperson, Martin Viljoen said: 'SU confirms that, like other research-intensive universities in South Africa, it is also affected by the geopolitical funding policy changes. The University is still in the process of finalising its contingency plans towards optimally mitigating the associated risks. As such the University is not in a position to provide further comment at this stage." The Department of Higher Education and Training did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. A Working Group is expected to provide the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande with a final report on the implications and impact of the recent withdrawal of funding by the US government from key research and development programmes in South Africa by June 30. Cape Times
IOL News
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Cheeky, stylish Suzuki Swift selling like hot cakes for a reason
The new Suzuki Swift Image: Motorpress Cheeky and stylish. Check. Fuel efficient. Check. Modern tech and comfort. Check. Affordability. Check. It's kinda easy to realize why the Suzuki Swift is now one of the fastest selling vehicles in South Africa. It's affordable, it's affordable, it's affordable, it's massively fuel efficient, it looks good and it's a little cheeky, with the daring LED lights and cute little curves. When you're not in a painful rush, the Suzuki Swift is an enjoyable little drive with all the bells and whistles, albeit on the low end of the market. I drove the car for about a week and for the most part it was a pleasant drive, except when I found myself having to put my foot quite hard on steep inclines. With a 1.2 litre three-cylinder petrol engine (60kW/83hp) with a 5-speed manual or CVT transmission, offering fuel efficiency (claimed at 4.4l/100km), it's not exactly a beast on the busy bustling streets of Johannesburg, but it is super fuel efficient and that will come in handy in these Trump tariffs era. The car is not perfect by any means, but for the price, you get a lot of bang for your buck. The car simply does everything it is supposed to, albeit, quite rudimentarily. I drove the GL CVT version - which is priced at about R265,500. New Suzuki Swift Image: Motorpress One peeve I noticed is that the car does not come with an automated central locking system, so it's quite annoying that you need to remember to manually lock the doors at every turn by pressing the button or else a sgebenga my easily gain access through the car doors. It took me quite a while to recognize this, which is quite dangerous in itself, but I was driving near my local McDonald's when I thought let me spoil myself with a burger and chips combo. Between myself and the McD staff, we dropped a straw and rather than letting bygones be, I opted to save the environment. I opened the door and rescue the thing. But as I drove off, I noticed the doors didn't lock themselves as I accelerated beyond the 40km/h mark, which is a quite standard feature in most cars. So I pressed the button and 'cling', they sealed shut. I own an older model of the same car myself, two versions prior, so I do know the feeling. I supposed I was a bit disappointed that between 2017 and 2025, Suzuki is still insisting on motorists manually looking their doors. Anyway, the rest of the car is as you'd expect, decent legroom for a smallish hatchback, but the seats are quite comfortable for smaller sized folk. The car is perfect as a starter pack for a university student or an even as a first car for young professionals. There's cool features like Apple Car Play and Android Auto, easy Bluetooth configuration and decent sound for when you're feeling jolly stuck in Joburg traffic on the N1 or the M1 highway. With the Suzuki Swift, the Japanese carmaker continues to make a compelling argument among the best budget buys for 2025. New Suzuki Swift. Image: Motorpress Fuel With a 42 litre fuel tank - that will cost you about R940 for a full tank in today's market, and when we drove the car, the average fuel consumption was around the 5 to 5.3 litre mark, so there's quite a lot of kilometres per litre there, almost 1:1 between the Rand and the Kilometre. It might not have the street cred of a VW Polo Vivo nor the swanky feel of a VW Polo Life, or the niftiness and aggression of a KIA Picanto, but it's pricing makes it a competitive and compelling car to consider. It's nor wonder, this little man is smashing all sorts of sales records. Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL manual: R219,900 Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ manual: R239,900 Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ CVT: R259,900 Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX manual: R264,900 Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX CVT: R284,900 Pricing includes a two-year/30,000km service plan and five-year/200,000km promotional warranty. IOL Motoring
