For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: South Africa's official unemployment rate rises to 32.7% in first quarter; ActionSA moves to formally charge Ramaphosa over Phala Phala scandal; And, Africa CDC and Aspen Pharmacare aim to boost vaccine output in Africa

South Africa's official unemployment rate rises to 32.7% in first quarter

South Africa's official unemployment rate rose to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026 from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Statistics South Africa said the number of unemployed people increased to 8.14-million in January to March, compared to 7.84-million in October to December.

The official jobless rate has been above 30% for more than five years and is among the highest in the world.

The coalition government formed in 2024 has struggled to meaningfully boost job creation, despite investor optimism about reforms and a modest pickup in economic growth.

Job losses were broad-based in the first three months of this year, with only three out of ten sectors tracked by Stats SA recording job gains.

The community and social services sector had the biggest number of job losses in the first quarter of 2026.

ActionSA moves to formally charge Ramaphosa over Phala Phala scandal

ActionSA leadership will formally lay criminal charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa tomorrow following explosive revelations regarding the scale of the theft from his Phala Phala farm in February 2020.

The charges, which threaten to severely disrupt the political landscape, arise from reports indicating that at least R15-million was stolen, rather than the widely reported $580 000 (roughly R8.75-million at the time of the burglary).

ActionSA has confirmed that the charges will include a violation of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.

The party asserted that Ramaphosa deliberately failed to disclose the true, higher amount of money that was stolen from his Limpopo farm.

Further charges of perjury and fraud will be laid, stemming from allegations that the President made false statements regarding the precise amount of money stolen.

And, Africa CDC and Aspen Pharmacare aim to boost vaccine output in Africa

The African Union's public health agency and South African drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare are in talks on a long‑term framework aimed at boosting vaccine production on the continent, after the Covid‑19 pandemic exposed its overreliance on imports.

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the continent's largest pharmaceutical

company said the talks are focused on building viable markets for vaccines produced in Africa as part of efforts to improve health security and reduce the continent's reliance on imports.

Governments and health bodies across Africa are stepping up efforts to expand local production following vaccine supply disruptions and shortages during the pandemic.

Africa currently imports the vast majority of the vaccines it uses despite consuming more than 1-billion doses a year. The proposed collaboration seeks to address that dependence by exploring a multi‑year arrangement to support local manufacturing capacity and supply security.

The talks are centred on selecting priority vaccine antigens, gradually scaling up supply with the potential to reach tens to hundreds of millions of doses annually, and pricing products in line with market benchmarks, the organisations said.

Getting a clearer picture of Africa's long‑term needs will also help unlock investment in output capacity while supporting more reliable access to vaccines made on the continent, they said.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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