News 15:00

BULLETIN 2 January 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The body of a second swimmers swept out to sea on KZN coast has been recovered
# Heavy rains, storm warnings issued for Central and Eastern SA
# And, the rand strengthens to its best levels since 2022

# IPSS Medical Rescue has confirmed a second body of a 21-year-old has been recovered after six swimmers were swept out to sea at Main Beach in Pennington, KwaZulu-Natal. Two swimmers were rescued, with two still missing. IPSS Medical Rescue Samantha Mayrick says search and rescue teams continue operations today. She reports that an active search is also under way for a swimmer reported in distress at Thompson’s Bay in Ballito:

# The South African Weather Service haw warned of more rainfall and thundershowers across central and eastern South Africa, including Gauteng, the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and parts of the Eastern Cape and North West. SAWS has warned of possible severe thunderstorms, bringing heavy downpours, excessive lightning, small hail, and localised flooding. The west is expected to remain mostly dry and hot. Residents are urged to remain cautious and monitor official weather updates.

# The rand has continued its strong performance into the new year and is at its highest level since 2022. It was trading at 16-rand-66-cents this morning while almost breaking through the 16-rand-50-cent level the past weekend. Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop says the country’s growth fundamentals are increasingly seen as gaining traction, allowing for a build-up in investor confidence and a structural improvement in the rand. This is supported by improved sentiment after South Africa’s removal from the grey list and working towards eliminating corruption. She added the green shoots are expected to strengthen in 2026.

# Several people were killed during unrest in Iran as the Islamic Republic was hit by die biggest protests in three years. This is over worsening economic conditions that sparked violence in several provinces. Fars news agency reported that three protesters were killed and 17 injured during an attack on a police station in Iran’s western province of Lorestan. Authorities also confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, and Hengaw reported another death in the central province of Isfahan.

# Rugby: Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has signed a four-year contract extension. The Cape Town-based club states that Dobson will continue to build on his achievements since taking over as head coach in 2020, by following through on the ambitious plans in place as part of Project 2029. Dobson says he has never been more energised to take on a challenge. The Stormers are currently unbeaten in all competitions during the 2025/2026 season and sit atop the United Rugby Championship table with 32 points.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-53-cents and the euro at 19-rand-37-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-23-cents to the dollar and Bitcoin trades at 89-thousand-587-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-395-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-67-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….