In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Part-time jobs lift formal employment in third quarter BusinessDay reports that a surge in part-time employment, especially in the community services sector (which includes government, education, healthcare and other community institutions), helped SA’s formal job market grow modestly in the third quarter. This despite a continued slide in full-time positions. The Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) report released by Stats SA on Thursday shows that total formal non-agricultural employment rose by 29,000 jobs quarter-on-quarter (a 0.3% increase from June to September), bringing the total to 10.55-million. The increase was largely driven by 50,000 new part-time jobs, with community services alone accounting for 42,000, followed by gains in trade and business services. Full-time employment declined by 21,000 jobs, led by cuts in business services (-18,000) and manufacturing (-4,000). Community services and trade also shed a small number of full-time jobs, though mining and construction registered modest gains. Despite the third quarter’s job growth, overall employment remained lower than a year ago, down 0.7%, or 79,000 jobs, between September 2024 and September 2025. According to Stanlib economist Kevin Lings, the labour market reflects a significant lack of formal sector job creation since peaking in the third quarter of 2023. “Unfortunately, SA is still struggling to consistently gain jobs in many of the economy’s key productive sectors, such as mining, manufacturing and construction,” Lings pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jana Marx at BusinessDay (subscriber access only). See too, Employment in third quarter: wins some, loses some, at The Citizen New legislation will reveal South Africa’s huge pay gaps GroundUp reports that pending amendments to the Companies Act will compel companies to reveal the gap between the lowest paid worker and the chief executive, which is deemed to be essential information in a country often described as the most unequal in the world. The amendment to Section 30 of the Companies Act has been passed by Parliament and awaits assent by the President. It will compel JSE-listed companies and state-owned companies like Eskom to disclose pay ratios, and give shareholders binding voting power on remuneration policies. Companies will have to disclose total remuneration of the highest-paid employee, total remuneration of the lowest-paid employee, average total remuneration of all employees, and median total remuneration of all employees. The new rules will help the public understand the “reasonableness” of these pay structures and judge whether it is reasonable to pay a chief executive R50-million a year. It is pointed out that the amendments will make visible what is often hard to see. This is because executives are often paid in shares and bonuses as well as salaries and it is hard for anyone other than an accountant to understand executive remuneration – which includes vested and unvested shares, realised and deferred earnings etc – in some company annual reports. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Salome Teuteberg at GroundUp Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Minister defends decision to withhold reports into deadly George building collapse to ensure successful prosecutions EWN reports that Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson says he is prepared to take the flak for not making public building investigation reports into the George Building collapse. He explained that his decision was intended to protect the integrity of police investigations and ultimately ensure that those responsible were successfully criminally prosecuted. The tragedy occurred in May last year when a nearly completed apartment building caved in, resulting in the deaths of 34 people and injuring over seventy workers, most of whom were foreign nationals. Following a recent visit to George to meet with the families of those who died and were injured, Macpherson confirmed he was acting with their blessing to keep the various investigative reports falling under his department under wraps. Stressing the importance of ensuring successful prosecutions, Macpherson indicated that he was prepared to defend his position of not revealing the full findings of the forensic investigation before Parliament. He indicated that his decision was backed up by advice from the SA Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Solidarity says Eskom tariff negotiations with ferrochrome producers are a good start Engineering News reports that according to trade union Solidarity, the time is ripe for negotiations for an appropriate Eskom power tariff that can keep the ferrochrome industry afloat while benefitting other parties. Solidarity deputy general secretary Willie Venter noted that although willingness to negotiate was welcomed, and retrenchments at Glencore-Merafe’s and Samancor’s smelters have been postponed as a result, retrenchments have not yet been finally averted. Venter was referring to to Eskom having signed a memorandum of understanding with Samancor Chrome and the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture on 8 December in a bid to finalise an electricity tariff solution that prevented the closure of additional smelting capacity and averted the threat of widespread job cuts in the sector. Various ferrochrome producers have warned throughout the year that they cannot operate sustainably with the prevailing electricity tariffs and that retrenchments and closure of operations were imminent. “We hope the new proposed tariff will be of such a nature that it can make the employers sustainable. With this, the ferrochrome industry will hopefully be able to revive, and the smelters will be able to start working again, which will create thousands of new job opportunities,” Venter commented. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Lees ook, ‘Wen-wen’ Eskom-ooreenkoms is moontlik, by Maroela Media. Read Solidarity’s press statement at Politicsweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
NUM once again condemns Eskom’s unbundling, says privatisation will lead to unaffordable energy for the poor Engineering News reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has again indicated that it rejects the unbundling of State-owned power utility Eskom in any form. The trade union says the policy of separating Eskom into various entities, namely generation, transmission and distribution, is a neo-liberal project designed to dismantle a vital State asset and facilitate the wholesale privatisation of SA’s energy sector. According to the NUM, energy is a public good, and not a commodity, and as such energy is an essential public service that must remain firmly in the hands of the State. In its view, the liberalisation of the sector, which has proven disastrous in several other countries, will inevitably lead to energy being inaccessible and unaffordable for the poor and working class of SA. Furthermore the NUM argues, with Eskom having conceded that it will be significantly reduced in scale owing to the introduction of private players, the reduction in customer base, sales, revenue and profit will lead to Eskom's strategic decline, threaten its role as a key economic pillar and jeopardise thousands of jobs. The NUM has called on government to immediately halt the unbundling process and commit to strengthening Eskom as a unified, State-owned entity. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News
Following gazette snafu, recommendation confirmed that national minimum be increased to more than R30 per hour News24 reports that the National Minimum Wage Commission has recommended that the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for 2026 be adjusted by the rate of the consumer price index, plus 1.5%. The recommendation was published in the Government Gazette on Friday, following a statement first released, and then withdrawn, on Thursday. It appears that protocol, rather than content, led to the withdrawal of the initial statement. The inflation plus 1.5 increase implies an increase of at least 5% in the minimum wage, based on current inflation rates. The current minimum wage is R28.79 per hour, and a 5% increase would take it to about R30.23. Approximately 5.5 million workers currently earn the minimum wage, including many farm and domestic workers. The Commission’s recommendation is subject to a public consultation process, with comments awaited until 12 January 2026, after which the Minister of Employment and Labour will announce the increase, which will take effect on 1 March 2026. In the Commission’s gazetted report, it states that there has not been noticable retrenchments or reductions in working hours as a result of the minimum wage. Many sectors already pay employees more than the NMW. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Hanlie Nordejee at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Read too, Here’s how much the Department of Labour is proposing to raise the minimum wage, at The Citizen Agricultural sector concerned about proposed national minimum wage increase News24 reports that following the publication of the National Minimum Wage Commission’s recommended increase in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for 2026, Johann Kotzé, CEO of the agriculture body AgriSA, warned that “sector-specific realities and the strategic role of the agricultural industry in the development of rural areas” needed to be taken into consideration. He pointed out: “Agriculture continues to operate in a context of heightened vulnerability, and decisions related to labour costs must be understood against this backdrop. South Africa’s agricultural sector has been affected in recent years by severe drought, recurring animal disease outbreaks, rising input costs, and infrastructure deterioration.” He went on to indicate: “Electricity tariff increases, exceeding 25% on certain rural supply lines, combined with escalating irrigation, logistics, compliance, and private security costs, place producers under increasing pressure.” Agriculture employs about 920,000 workers. Kotzé also warned that export-oriented industries such as citrus, table grapes, nuts and wine “remain particularly exposed”, moreover in the light of “tariff barriers”. SA agricultural products have lost some of the benefits of tariff-free imports into the US since the African Growth and Opportunity Act was suspended. Kotzé did not indicated the increase AgriSA would advocate for. Read the original of the above by scrolling down in the report by Hanlie Nordejee at News24 (subscription / trial registration required).
ANC can’t pay staff salaries as ‘donors desert sinking ship’ The Citizen reports that while the ANC denies it is on the brink of complete bankruptcy, a party source says its financial woes run deeper than its public pronouncements. The party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, blames the ANC’s precarious fiscal position on funders that have retreated due to the Political Funding Act’s strict requirement for public disclosure of donors’ names and the amount donated. The party also claims that its traditional donors and the middle class it has uplifted are not coming forward because they are reticent to be associated with the party. In a media briefing on Thursday, Mbalula confirmed the ANC’s wage bill was around R20 million but did not say where it got the funding from. He stressed that staff retrenchments were out of the question, despite the party’s financial difficulties. Independent political analyst Doctor Tshwale said the ANC’s failure to pay staff salaries was recurring and was becoming an Achilles’ heel in the organisation’s functioning. He pointed out that the ANC had breadwinners on its payroll and “non-payment is a huge inconvenience to many families. According to Tshwale, the party lacked future planning and budgetary proficiency, even to determine the costs of its operational activities and organisational sustainability. “It means it continues to be managed in an archaic manner, operating from month to month, activity to activity, and with no systematic operational line to ensure cohesive operational machinery,” Tshwale noted. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Eric Mthobeli Naki at The Citizen
Complaint lodged against Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos for alleged ‘racist and sexist’ remarks NewsDay reports that the United Democratic Movement has lodged a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos. This after he allegedly made “racist and sexist” remarks towards one of his players and the player’s agent. The remarks were made during a press conference on Wednesday when Broos expressed disappointment with defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s lack of a professional attitude after arriving late to training. The UDM took issue with Broos’s comments in respect of Mbokazi that “he is currently a Black guy, but he will come out of my office a white guy” after saying that he would “have a chat” with the player after training. A source close to Broos noted that what the coach meant was that Mbokazi would be leaving the meeting “white”, as in pale, after their conversation. The UDM also highlighted the coach’s reference to Mbokazi’s agent Ms Basia Michaels as “that little woman who is his agent who thinks she knows football, if she is just a little bit clever…” The UDM argued in a letter to the SAHRC that the remarks, if confirmed, “constitute racially suggestive and sexist utterances that demean the dignity of the individuals concerned.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Daniel Puchert at NewsDay. Read too, Human rights inquiry demanded as Broos accused of racist, sexist comments, at The Star
Basic Education suspends two employees amid scandal over leaked NSC exam papers Cape Argus reports that two Department of Basic Education (DBE) employees have been suspended in connection with leaked National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination papers. This after twenty-six matric learners admitted to having access to both the English Home Language Paper 2 question paper and the marking guide after being interviewed by a joint investigation team. DBE Minister Siviwe Gwarube on Thursday confirmed that leaked 2025 papers originated inside DBE and reached learners at seven Pretoria schools. Investigators later confirmed the compromised material “could only have originated from the National Department of Basic Education’s offices.” The breach extended to English Home Language, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, but was apparently limited to seven Pretoria schools. The Minister indicated that the detection showed the system’s safeguards were functioning as intended. The irregularity was uncovered on 2 December when Gauteng markers identified “an unusual similarity between the answers provided by a candidate with the answer provided in the marking guideline for English Home Language Paper 2.” Gwarube said the discovery “raised an immediate red flag and triggered standard protocols.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Murray Swart at Cape Argus. Lees ook, Matriekeindeksamen: Talle vraestelle lek uit, by Maroela Media
SIU conducts multiple raids on UIF and businesses in connection with Ters fraud investigation The Citizen reports that the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF’s) offices and businesses were raided by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) on Thursday in connection with an investigation into the abuse of the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Ters). UIF staff and business owners are accused of multiple offences related to the misappropriation of R161 million in Ters benefits. The SIU’s raids were conducted at offices in multiple parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). UIF officials working at the head office in Pretoria are alleged to have facilitated fraudulent applications, tampered with beneficiary profiles and bypassed audits. The raids led to the confiscation of a large amount of documents, including Ters applications, bank statements and related correspondence. Officials and staff at the implicated business had their devices, hard drives and work equipment confiscated. “The SIU investigated Ters payments to individuals who were not entitled to receive them and submitted false, irregular, invalid, or defective applications to the UIF,” the SIU indicated. Evidence collected will be used in civil claims to recoup lost funds, with criminal acts being referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for prosecution. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jarryd Westerdale at The Citizen. Read too, SIU seizes evidence in R161m UIF fraud case, at SowetanLive. And also, MKP councillor among UIF fraud accused, at SABC News
Santaco plans Wi-Fi expansion to 50,000 minibus taxis TimesLIVE reports that the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) has announced a rollout of free Wi-Fi to 50,000 taxis over the next 24 months in partnership with free Wi-Fi platform Sebenza. Santaco said the project formed part of broader efforts to modernise the sector and expand digital access for millions who relied on taxis daily. The announcement was made during an immersion session in Bryanston on Thursday, where Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi, together with other stakeholders and Sebenza employees, was taken on a short ride in a Wi-Fi–enabled minibus taxi before being shown a live router installation at the Randburg taxi rank. Throughout the ride, commuters tapped into the free connection, scrolling through social media, downloading and catching up on messages – a small glimpse of what Sebenza says it wants to make standard across the country. Sebenza CEO Wesley Dorning said that universal access was particularly urgent for young people, many of whom still struggled to afford data. “We are now accelerating our rollout … positioning [the company] to deploy 50,000 taxis in the next 24 months,” he said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khodani Mpilo at DailyDispatch
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