The price increase went into effect in Samsung’s native country yesterday, on 1 April. It’s an awful day to announce that retail prices are going up, but it seems that it had to happen. The move also suggests that costs are set to rise outside South Korea.

Samsung goes up

It’s not every version of the Fold and Flip 7 and the S25 Edge in the company’s firing line. Increases are coming to the models that feature 512GB of storage or more. That’s not much of a problem for the Galaxy S25 Edge here in South Africa, should the Korean price increase make the jump, since we only ever had the 256GB model available. The others, though…

The Korean versions of the Fold and Flip 7 have climbed by around R1,150 for each of the 512GB versions. The 1TB models have gone up by R2,200. The Galaxy Flip 7 doesn’t have a 512GB model officially in South Africa, so the current R27,000 price should stay intact.

Samsung’s Fold 7, on the other hand, stands to increase to north of R46,000 (up from R45,000) for the 512GB and R52,000+ (it’s currently R50,000) if the price increases go international. That hasn’t been communicated to anyone at this time, but given how many other brands are pushing pricing up, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

It’s also possible that South Africa has already had its price spike, and it has since settled back. Or we may see current costs rise to those originally pitched by Samsung in July last year, when its current folding handsets launched. As soon as something concrete turns up for SA, we’ll let you know.

Source (Korean), via

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Why did Eskom decide to cut off 14 municipalities?

Eskom went through many tough years burdened by high debt levels, rising operating costs, declining electricity sales and corruption scandals.

During that time, it required repeated cash injections from the government totalling R230 billion (US$13.7 billion) and increased the cost of electricity numerous times.

Recently, the utility has brought in higher revenues and profits, driven largely by tariff increases, even as electricity sales volumes decline.

But the turnaround has been put at risk by the 14 municipalities which have failed to make arrangements to pay off their debt, or reneged on debt relief plans.

Eskom recently began legal proceedings to disconnect them. Its reason was that without strong action, the debt could triple within five years. This would pose a serious threat to the electricity sector’s stability.

Eskom has previously threatened to disconnect major cities like Johannesburg, but the power utility’s current legal steps are far bigger in scale.

How does the distribution system work?

Large industrial customers such as smelters, along with a few residential areas, receive electricity directly from Eskom.

But the majority of urban households and small businesses – about 60% – are served through municipalities. They distribute electricity to houses and businesses and bill the consumers.

Municipalities add a markup to the electricity before they sell it, to cover their distribution costs and maintenance of local networks. This also generates surplus revenue to fund other services, such as water, sanitation and waste management.

Electricity sales are important to municipalities. They accounted for 26% of total municipal revenue in the first six months of 2023.

So if Eskom disconnects municipalities, it destabilises a revenue system that supports broader service delivery.

At the same time, municipalities struggle to collect electricity payments in times of high unemployment (31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025) and poverty (36.8 million were living on less than US$8.30 per day in 2025). Eskom cutting off power may make the situation worse.

It could reduce municipalities’ ability to recover electricity payments from households by making it harder for people to earn income and pay their bills, or by making people switch to other sources. And it could also damage the trust of residents.

How did the situation reach this point?

Debts have built up partly because of increasing electricity prices. Since 2015, average tariffs have increased by roughly 10% per year, outpacing inflation.

Eskom charged municipalities 74 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity in 2015/16. This more than doubled to around 184 cents per kilowatt hour in 2024/25. These price hikes came during the time of severe power outages (load shedding). This prompted many higher-income households to leave the grid and switch to alternative, mainly solar, energy sources. This, in turn, meant that electricity payments to municipalities declined.

How electricity prices are set in the country is as follows: every year, Eskom calculates how much it will cost to generate, transmit and distribute electricity. It then submits the proposed increases to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa. The regulator reviews the request, holds public consultations and decides on the price hike. In 2026, electricity tariffs are to be increased by 8.76% for Eskom direct customers, while municipalities face bulk price increases of about 9%.

These higher prices are passed on to households. As electricity becomes more expensive, people start paying less and illegal connections increase. This makes it harder for municipalities to pay Eskom because they aren’t collecting enough revenue. This is not, however, the only reason municipalities struggle to pay Eskom: weak billing systems, ageing infrastructure, and governance challenges make the situation worse.

Who will suffer the most?

I liken the current Eskom problem to the popular African proverb: “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”. In South Africa’s electricity sector, the elephants are Eskom, municipalities, and the regulatory and financial systems that bind them. And of course, the grass is the households, particularly low-income families.

Electricity flows through municipalities to millions of households in South Africa. Cutting power to municipalities does not discipline local government institutions and make them more likely to pay for bulk electricity. It disrupts entire communities.

How can communities be protected?

Eskom must strengthen measures to make sure it gets paid for the electricity it supplies. It could bill users directly, or take over some functions from municipalities, improving billing and revenue collection.

Municipalities should improve financial governance through accurate billing systems. People won’t pay their electricity bill if it is wrong. This often happens because of outdated metering systems, incomplete customer databases, and a lack of capacity in municipal administration systems.

Municipalities also need to fix ageing electricity infrastructure and transmission problems. They should recover lost revenue that happens through illegal connections and meter tampering.

To avoid getting into more debt, municipalities must keep electricity revenues in a separate account where they can only be used to pay Eskom.

Local government also needs to build a culture of payment for electricity.

A common policy suggestion is that municipalities should simply procure their own electricity from independent power producers. But this is complicated in practice.

To do this, municipalities would have to go through lengthy and uncertain approval processes. They’d also need to attract private investment to fund the move away from Eskom. In many cases, smaller municipalities lack the creditworthiness to do this and have higher poverty levels than metropolitan (city) municipalities.

What the indebted municipalities need is support from the national government. This doesn’t necessarily have to be another financial bailout. It could mean simpler regulations and more administrative capacity.

As the pressure builds between Eskom and municipalities, households bear the consequences.

• Roula Inglesi-Lotz is a Professor of Economics, University of Pretoria
• This article first appeared in The Conversation

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Load shedding is so two years ago

“We obviously have to look into the submissions that have been made and the severity of us cutting off and the impact to those customers that are the municipalities’ customers,” Mlambo said. “This is very important to emphasise that the cut-off is not a total switch-off. It will come in stages very similar to load-shedding.”

“…Very similar to load-shedding” is not a phrase any Saffas want to hear. Especially for the folks living in one of the 14 municipalities at risk of losing their power. Eskom reckons it is owed more than R110 billion — R62 billion of which stems from the municipalities in peril, and could jeopardise the energy provider as a whole.

Eskom began issuing notices to the 14 municipalities in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) on 5 March, stating that their accounts had not been settled for over 18 months. The municipalities failed to meet the conditions of the National Treasury municipal debt relief programme.

Read More: South Africa is moving away from coal – how mines and power stations could be used for green energy and farming

“Eskom encourages all stakeholders to support efforts to resolve the matter and invites written representations or proposals that may assist in achieving a sustainable solution. Eskom will determine and communicate the way forward once all representations submitted through the PAJA process have been fully considered,” it said.

Ekurhuleni is at risk of losing its power supply (via Moneyweb) due to a debt totalling R3.4 billion. Eskom has reportedly set a deadline of 14 April to pay up, or risk losing power in the area, which also supplies South Africa’s O.R Tambo International Airport.

Eskom has suggested the area could also switch to a prepaid account and only supply the energy it can afford. Another method would involve residents directly paying Eskom for the energy they consume, ditching the middleman altogether.

The municipalities currently facing power cuts are:

• Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
• Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality
• Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality
• Nala Local Municipality
• Nketoana Local Municipality
• Masilonyana Local Municipality
• Ngwathe Local Municipality
• Mpofana Local Municipality
• Govan Mbeki Local Municipality
• Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality
• Mamusa Local Municipality
• Thembelihle Local Municipality
• Kai !Garib Local Municipality
• Renosterberg Local Municipality

Source, Source 2

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Previously, eWallets could only be created when an FNB client sent money to their recipient. Now? New customers can create an eWallet via WhatsApp. Add this number to your contacts — 087 392 5538 — and shoot over a simple ‘Hi’. You’ll be greeted with a list of features and the ability to hit ‘Continue’. You know the rest.

Welcome to WhatsApp, FNB

“For over a decade, eWallet has enabled millions of South Africans to send and receive money safely and conveniently. This evolution strengthens that foundation by introducing a more seamless, secure, and intuitive digital wallet for customers who need simple and affordable solutions,” said Lytania Johnson, CEO of FNB personal segment.

In the past year alone, more than R43 billion was passed around with eWallet. It’s bound to see a higher influx of transactions now that it’s on WhatsApp and offers something called ‘Cash Advance’. Users can borrow anywhere between R50 and R500, all through the WhatsApp portal. Electricity, airtime, and entertainment vouchers can also be purchased through their eWallet.

This ‘enhanced’ eWallet, as FNB calls it, aligns itself with SA’s “broader payments modernisation agenda, including interoperable payment services such as PayShap.” Payments made to an FNB wallet or account will cost R1 each, while a non-FNB customer will see a R3.50 charge instead.

As for the fees involved, simply having an eWallet won’t result in any unnecessary charges to your account. Sending an eWallet, on the other hand, will cost users R10. The recipient pays no withdrawal fees. It’s worth noting that eWallet on WhatsApp is “not available to customers with an existing FNB bank account or where a cellphone number is already linked to an FNB account.”

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Hide your wallets, Telkom’s in a mood

Telkom’s statement doesn’t just feel cookie-cutter. It’s recycled the same response from last year’s contract price hikes, minus two words. “To continuously maintain quality service offerings to you, due to rising costs and broader economic factors, we have made adjustments to the pricing of some of our products and services.”

“We remain committed to delivering great value and appreciate your continued support,” it continued.

Up first on the list are the company’s Telkom More and Telkom Thola More prepaid plans. Those locked into the former will see their voice rate rise to R1.99/m, up from R1.91/m previously. The Thola More plan will leap from R0.80/m to R0.89/m. An R0.08 and R0.09 per-minute increase, then. It could be worse, we guess.

You could be one of the customers staring down a hike for the telecoms provider’s prepaid LTE data packages. The Unlimited Off-Peak LTE plan will rise to R279/m (up from R259/m). Next, the Unlimited All Hours 10Mbps, 20Mbps, and 1TB LTE packages are all due for an increase. The 10Mbps will now cost R649/m, up from R629. The 20Mbps offer rises to R789 from R739. Finally, the 1TB LTE also gets a R50 hike, taking it to R999/m.

It’s almost easy to lose count of how many postpaid plans will see adjustments (233, we counted), many of which will see an increase of 8% come 1 April 2026. Some customers will be luckier than others, with their plan’s hikes going as low as 2.6%. “An average price increase of 6.5% will be implemented across all mobile plans, although individual percentages between plans might differ,” Telkom said.

Source

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It’s GoTyme for Pick n Pay

This isn’t the bank going physical, it insists. Instead, GoTyme Bank has opted for a new “phytigal” model that will see its kiosks popping up in malls all around the country. The bank’s kiosks will live on inside TFG and Boxer stores, the company said, confirming that the double Smart Shopper points benefit will also end on 31 March.

“The footprint we needed when we launched seven years ago is not the same footprint we need today,” said Nolwazi Nzama at GoTyme Bank. “Our customers are banking more digitally and engaging in different retail spaces. We remain committed to being where our customers are.”

It’s not all bad news on the Pick n Pay front. GoTyme Bank ensured that the retailer would remain a “key” cash-in and cash-out partner, meaning that GoTyme customers can continue to withdraw and deposit their cash inside any Pick n Pay store. The new Consumer Hubs will offer improved functionality, like the issuing of debit cards.

Source

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Take it to the Standard Bank

Customers will still have to whip out their wallets to cover the standard DHA application fee of R140. The new branches, kitted out with DHA powers, will offer both first-time application and renewal services at launch. At the time of writing, Standard Bank has only confirmed Smart ID services, with no word on passport applications. 

“Our focus is on removing friction for clients, not adding to it. That is why, during our launch phase, customers will pay only the Home Affairs fee, while we work closely with the department to scale a reliable, technology-enabled service across our branch network,’ said Marius Le Roux, head of fraud operations, client experience, and risk execution.

The branches involved in this phased rollout include the Rosebank, Maponya Mall, and Westgate stores — and join the bank’s other branches already capable of providing DHA services. After the trial phase, it hopes to have as many as twenty new branches running DHA services by the end of 2026. It also hopes to roll out a digital application service via its ‘digital banking channels’ at a later date, greatly expanding the service nationwide.

Those twenty branches are only a small part of a much larger game for the DHA. In a bid to make passport and smart ID services more accessible to everyone, the Department aims to have as many as 1,000 branches participating in the services by 2029.

The post Standard Bank launches Smart ID services at select branches, waives fees appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

That direction could, if the trademarks for Huawei Energy and Huawei Digital Energy are awarded (and probably even if they’re not), involve power solutions in addition to the company’s heavy enterprise presence. According to a report, the company’s new trademarks “are awaiting substantive examination.”

Big Huawei Energy

If we do see new Huawei spin-offs, they could involve battery storage, green energy, and even vehicle batteries, if the report from CNMO is accurate. A Huawei-powered EV isn’t out of the question. The Chinese heavyweight fields enough outdoor tech that battery storage and even solar panels would be a sensible course to pursue. After all, it all translates into revenue streams, even as it makes the company’s supply chain cheaper.

The company seems to be using the Digital Energy term internally, as a blanket descriptor for whatever that division is up to. It’s still murky for now, but rumours that CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.) was looking to buy out that division suggest that Huawei is heavily focused on battery tech.

China-based CATL is the largest producer of energy storage in the world, so if they’re eying what Huawei is up to, it’s probably linked. As it happens, rumour also claims that a complete buyout isn’t happening. Instead, CATL is looking to acquire about 20% of whatever Huawei is doing in this sector.

Huawei-branded power stations and more self-sufficient network gear from the company probably aren’t far off. Maybe. We’ll see.

Source

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Samsung is hosting the event in San Francisco, where most software nerds like to hang out, so the rest of the world is beholden to American time zones. Here at home, the Galaxy S26 unveiling will take place at 23h00 on 25 February. Come on, Samsung. That’s a school night.

The Galaxy S26 is late

A very brief teaser video accompanied the official announcement. It, along with this year’s venue choice, heavily reinforces the idea that Galaxy AI will be the headline feature for 2026. Samsung has also been punting its upcoming camera tech, but we suspect it owes more than a little to artificial intelligence for any performance upgrades.

Since Samsung’s newest Galaxy S handsets are “built to simplify everyday interactions, inspire confidence and make Galaxy AI feel seamlessly integrated from the moment it’s in hand,” and are supposed to usher in “a new phase in the era of AI as intelligence becomes truly personal and adaptive,” there probably aren’t many hardware surprises in store for fans. Still, we’ll have a decent look at everything Samsung is planning before its new smartphone headliners head to retail.

This year’s first Unpacked will broadcast on Samsung’s main website, its Newsroom portal, and the company’s official YouTube channel. Stuff will also have coverage, even if it is a mite sleepy. Because it’s late, Samsung. You do know that, right?

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It brought with it a plethora of appliances that are expected to be available in the country in the coming months, including water heating systems, backup power solutions, air conditioners, washing machines, dryers, fridges, freezers, microwaves, air fryers, and TVs.

The company aims to compete with household appliance brand names, like Hisense, Samsung, LG, and Bosch, in what it calls a “strategically important market within Haier’s global expansion.”

When’s Haier getting here?

It could be argued that Haier first entered the country when it acquired Kwikot, a local water heating systems company, late last year. But the company officially arrived this week, with the launch marking its official entry.

However, from what we gathered speaking to brand spokespeople at the event, the first lot of appliances should arrive late next month and will be available “through major retail partners”. Takealot, Makro, and Hirsch’s were mentioned specifically, but we wouldn’t be surprised if that expanded to include others before long.

As for the actual appliances, what we saw was fairly impressive — although you’d expect as much from a brand’s official launch event. A three-drum washing machine and a smart fridge with a huge tablet in the door were standouts, along with a range of stick vacuums with their own auto-emptying stations (the kind you usually see in high-end robot vacuums).

A big focus across most of the brand’s product verticals was energy efficiency, especially from the usual heavy power suckers like tumble dryers and air conditioners. Most of the appliances involved some sort of AI and will form part of the company’s ‘integrated smart home solution’. That usually means yet another app you’ll have to download to manage everything.

Big plans for the future

Thankfully for South African consumers, it doesn’t appear that Haier is just here to make a quick buck. The company said it had “established a comprehensive after-sales service ecosystem in South Africa to ensure long-term customer confidence and satisfaction.”

It’s still too early to gauge how effective this after-sales service ecosystem is. It could prove to be a defining characteristic for the brand’s future in the country, or it could lead to its eventual downfall if handled poorly. We’re hoping for the former.

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