[TOP STORY] Illicit tobacco trade costs SA R20bn annually

The United Nations’s International Day of Family Remittances, celebrated on 16 June, showcases how international remittances – money sent from one country to another, often by a foreign worker to family or friends in their home country – contribute both to national economies and the resilience of households and communities…

As SA gears up to host the G20, the first-ever Urban20 Sherpa meeting to be held on the African continent is set to devise a shared vision for urban progress. A look at essential steps needed to stop illicit tobacco trade.

‘What we saw in 2024 was that 36% of the respondents who gamble actually said they gamble to pay off their debts and to cover their expenses,’ says John Manyike, head of financial education at Old Mutual.

A look at the hidden costs of SA’s gambling problem. How the local retail economy is finding growth in the wellness sector. And new data shows that young people are leading the adoption of earned wage access technology.

‘I think the bulk of the revenues lies with the SMEs and the professionals, because there's a bigger volume there. So these are things that Sars is most likely going to focus on, not just on the big corporates,’ says Lee Dlamini, founder and director of Leverage.