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News

Rezara Makhalimela says he was signed up to a funeral policy with 1Life without his permission. R190 has been deducted from his monthly old-age grant. Photo: Thembi Siaga

Health & Social Welfare

Grant beneficiaries are being signed up for funeral policies without their permission

Thembi Siaga and Marecia Damons 2 hours

Image source: rawpixel.com from

Primary & Secondary Education

SA learners struggle with reading comprehension: Study reveals a gap between policy and classroom practice

Tracy Kitchen 1 day

Image credit: Roman Khripkov on Unsplash

Climate Change

South Africa’s new climate targets: balancing ambition with the realities of coal and climate finance

Roula Inglesi-Lotz and Jessika Bohlmann 1 day

Hundreds of people protested outside the Cape Town Civic Centre on Monday. Photo: Mary-Anne Gontsala

Inclusion, Empowerment & Social Justice

Disability organisations protest against Dial-a-Ride cuts

Mary-Anne Gontsana 2 days

Circular Economy & Waste Management

Plastic microbeads: great in your face wash, bad in your food – how South Africa’s ban can work better

Anusha Rajkaran and Conrad Sparks 3 days

Source: City of Cape Town. An artist rendering of the proposed social housing development at the “Fruit and Veg” site between Kent and Bloemhof Streets.

Affordable & Social Housing

Cape Town council approves social housing at “Fruit and Veg” site

Matthew Hirsch 3 days

Protesters gathered outside the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s offices in Cape Town on Thursday. Photos: Matthew Hirsch

Coal, Oil & Gas

Calls for Parks Tau to ban coal exports to Israel

Matthew Hirsch 22 Aug 2025

Aesthetic Medicine

From clear skin to detoxing, chlorophyll and collagen supplements promise a lot, but what does the science say?

Dan Baumgardt 2 days

About 80 people gathered in Rosebank to protest against Standard Bank and TotalEnergies’ investment in fossil fuels. Photo: Kimberly Mutandiro

Climate Change

Climate protesters demand reparations from Standard Bank for fossil fuel investments

Kimberly Mutandiro 20 Aug 2025

Circular Economy & Waste Management

The global plastics treaty process has fallen flat. Here’s what went wrong, and how you can help

Melanie MacGregor 20 Aug 2025

Energy

SA’s electricity price is soaring. Why protests are often the only way for people to be heard

Luke Sinwell 18 Aug 2025

Source: Reuters.

Economy

Inside SA’s multi-million rand plan to fill US funding void

Jesse Copelyn 15 Aug 2025

Source: A legal battle in Cape Town between property owners and the City will clarify what municipalities can charge residents. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks

Mixed-Use Property

Property owners are misreading the law, argues Cape Town mayor

Steve Kretzmann 14 Aug 2025

Image credit: Alessandro Sacchi on Unsplash

Food, Water & Energy Security

Child malnutrition is a sign of conflict to come: Nigerian study links climate change, food and violence

Marina Mastrorillo, Chun Song, Grazia Pacillo and Victor Villa 14 Aug 2025

The Western Cape Network on Disability has written to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis urging the City of Cape Town to reconsider its decision to reduce Dial-a-Ride services. Archive photo: Will Yoder

Inclusion, Empowerment & Social Justice

Outcry over cuts to Cape Town’s Dial-a-Ride service

Mary-Anne Gontsana 13 Aug 2025

The murder of Alison Dewar has resulted in two cases being tried separately in the Cape Town Magistrates Court. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Legal

One murder, two court cases: chaos at Cape Town court

Riyadh Karodia 13 Aug 2025

Food, Water & Energy Security

The science of starvation: this is what happens to your body when it’s deprived of food

Ola Anabtawi and Berta Valente 12 Aug 2025

Sydney Sweeney stars in the controversial American Eagle ad.

Advertising

Why Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign is part of a wider cultural backlash

Meaghan Furlano 12 Aug 2025

Cape Union Mart and pro-Palestine activists gear up for court battle

Legal

Cape Union Mart and pro-Palestine activists gear up for court battle

Matthew Hirsch and Daniel Steyn 11 Aug 2025

Crèches battle complicated registration process

Early Childhood Development

Crèches battle complicated registration process

Mary-Anne Gontsana 11 Aug 2025

Media

Small news companies pin hopes on new Google fund, but already there’s controversy

Liezl Human 8 Aug 2025

5 ways digital nomads can have a positive impact on the places they travel to for work

Travel

5 ways digital nomads can have a positive impact on the places they travel to for work

Veselina Stoyanova 11 Aug 2025

Technology has fuelled overtourism – now it could also help to stem the tide

Tourism

Technology has fuelled overtourism – now it could also help to stem the tide

Adrian Palmer 8 Aug 2025

Image credit: Photo by Mathurin NAPOLY / matnapo on Unsplash

Public Health

The global health system can build back better after US aid cuts – here’s how

Jonathan E. Cohen 8 Aug 2025

Julius Malema took Kenny Kunene to court, accusing Kunene of hate speech. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Human Rights Law

Kunene committed hate speech by calling Malema a cockroach, court rules

Ohene Yaw Ampofo-Anti 7 Aug 2025

Economy

Lesotho aims for 10% tariff on exports to US

Sechaba Mokhethi 6 Aug 2025

Cattle graze in Brakpan while a shepherd looks after them. Archive photo: Kimberly Mutandiro / GroundUp

Land & Property Law

ConCourt confirms stopping people from letting their cattle graze amounts to eviction

Tania Broughton 4 Aug 2025

Image credit: Cora Pursley on Dupe Photos

Aesthetic Medicine

From raw garlic cloves to cayenne pepper: why ‘natural’ DIY skincare can leave you burnt, itchy – or worse

Adam Taylor 5 Aug 2025

Infrastructure & Utilities

Repairs to crumbling clinic delayed

Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik 4 Aug 2025

Image credit: Kaybee Photography on Pexels

Mental health

Extreme weather affects mental health: what vulnerable women in Kenya told us

Cyprian M. Mostert 1 Aug 2025

Students from Ekurhuleni West TVET College protested on Tuesday over unpaid NSFAS payments. Photo: Kimberly Mutandiro / GroundUp

Higher Education

Students march in Germiston over unpaid NSFAS fees

Kimberly Mutandiro 30 Jul 2025

Lesotho’s largest diamond mine, Letšeng Diamonds blame a weakening US dollar and uncertainty over US trade tariffs for its latest bid to cut hundreds of jobs as a cost-saving measure. Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi

Mining

Hundreds of Lesotho diamond mining jobs to be axed following US tariff threats

Sechaba Mokhethi 30 Jul 2025

Human Rights Law

Court showdown on whether prisons must provide gender-affirming healthcare

Ohene Yaw Ampofo-Anti 29 Jul 2025

Marketing

What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers

Todd Pezzuti 29 Jul 2025

Source: ZipZap Circus.

Affordable & Social Housing

Artscape social housing development moves ahead

Matthew Hirsch 29 Jul 2025

KwaZulu-Natal Judge Jacqueline Henriques will face a Judicial Conduct Tribunal arising from her conduct around a judgment she failed to deliver for years. Illustration: Lisa Nelson / GroundUp

Law Practice

KZN judge faces tribunal over late judgment – after 12 years

Tania Broughton 28 Jul 2025

Affordable & Social Housing

Social housing and the future of Cape Town’s inner-city

Tertuis Simmers 28 Jul 2025

Nonkolelo Jijingubo’s husband died of TB in 2009 while working at Beatrix Gold Mine in the Free State. Despite lodging her claim in 2021, she is yet to receive payment. Photo supplied

Health & Social Welfare

Huge delays in payouts to miners with silicosis and TB

Sipokazi Fokazi 25 Jul 2025

Image credit: Thirdman on Pexels

Medtech

AI chatbots can boost public health in Africa – why language inclusion matters

Songbo Hu, Anna Barford and Anna Korhonen 29 Jul 2025

Jozi’s creative hubs are booming: how artists are rejuvenating a failing inner city

Art

Jozi’s creative hubs are booming: how artists are rejuvenating a failing inner city

Mariapaola McGurk 24 Jul 2025

Infrastructure & Utilities

Limpopo villagers block road to protest three-month water outage

Judas Sekwela 23 Jul 2025

was the master of ceremonies at the Songs for Freedom at St George Cathedral on Friday. She performed with her band, Feminine Force. Photos: Matthew Hirsch

CSI & Philanthropy

St George’s Cathedral hosts sold-out fundraiser for Gaza

Matthew Hirsch 22 Jul 2025

Image credit: Tara Winstead on Pexels

Aesthetic Medicine

Scroll, watch, burn: sunscreen misinformation and its real‑world damage

Rachael Kent 23 Jul 2025

Image credit: Georgii Eletskikh on Unsplash

Mining

Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security: why it’s a bad idea

Hanri Mostert and Tracy-Lynn Field 22 Jul 2025

Media Freedom

Carte Blanche “gagging” order overturned

22 Jul 2025

Construction & Engineering

R400m and eight years later, these rural roads in Limpopo are still not finished

Judas Sekwela 21 Jul 2025

Lesotho Palace of Justice in Maseru. The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority wants a case against it dismissed. Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi / GroundUp

Corporate & Commercial Law

Lesotho dams authority fights back in “legally baseless” court case

Sechaba Mokhethi 16 Jul 2025

At least 275 ECD centres are struggling with late subsidy payments in KwaZulu-Natal, the Legal Resources Centre says. Illustration: Lisa Nelson / GroundUp

Early Childhood Development

KZN government fails to pay crèches despite court order

Joseph Bracken 17 Jul 2025

A learner holds up trading cards featuring some of the SuperScientists. This cartoon series, created by Justin Yarrow with a team of local scientists, illustrators and designers, is based on real-life African scientists. Photos: Justin Yarrow/SuperScientists

Education

Biologist turns real-life African scientists into superheroes

Ihsaan Haffejee 15 Jul 2025