South Africa: Deadline Nears for Joburg Trader Verification - South African News Briefs - November 18, 2025

18 November 2025

 

Court Deadline Looms as Joburg Races to Register Informal Traders

The City of Johannesburg has until November 18 to complete the verification and registration of informal traders in the CBD, following a Gauteng High Court ruling that found the city had violated traders' right to earn a livelihood by evicting those without permits or operating outside designated areas, reports EWN. The court ordered the city to formalise over 500 affected vendors and provide trading stalls. The city has begun allocating spaces, but Mayor Dada Morero has said that about 211 traders linked to the judgment have come forward, with finalisation pending for those with refugee or asylum status. The city maintains that the process is unrelated to preparations for the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit.

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Australian Firm Stakes Claim on 'Please Call Me' Payout

Inventor Nkosana Makate will not receive his full payout from Vodacom until the dispute with his former legal funder is resolved, reports SABC News. Black Rock Mining Limited, Makate's former legal funder, filed papers in the Johannesburg High Court claiming 40% of Makate's multimillion-rand settlement. The claim is estimated at more than R500 million. Makate's lawyers, Stemela & Lubbe Inc., have agreed to hold back the disputed portion until the matter returns to court on 2 December 2025. They have informed Black Rock Mining that if the case is postponed, dismissed, or struck off, Makate will then receive the full amount. Black Rock Mining's attorney, Sinehlanhla Mguni, confirmed that Part A of the application has been settled, with Makate's attorneys retaining the contested 40% pending the finalisation of Part B next year.

Tourists Ripped Off as Impostors Pose as Official Drivers at Cape Town Airport

The Cape Town Community Policing Forum has warned of a sophisticated e-hailing scam targeting international tourists at Cape Town International Airport,  reports EWN. Marc Truss, the CPF chair, said that they had received several complaints from visitors who were excessively overcharged for their airport transfers. The modus operandi involves individuals reportedly approaching tourists at the airport while brandishing fake ID cards and posing as official, appointed airport drivers. The Western Cape E-hailing Association's Siyabonga Hlabisa expressed doubts that the individuals involved in the scam were registered with an official e-hailing service. He said that registered e-hailing drivers typically did not carry card machines.

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