January 09, 2026.

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines:

DA hits back at ‘Brics naval exercises’, warns GNU being undermined

Goldman Sachs expects South Africa's rand to extend gains as conditions improve

And, Major water infrastructure commissioned to secure supply for Rustenburg, Thabazimbi

The Democratic Alliance has expressed concerns that South Africa is deepening ties with Russia and Iran, following recent naval exercises involving Brics+ countries, in Cape Town.

According to the Department of Defence, the drill forms part of a China-led joint, inter-agency, inter-departmental, multinational exercise that is being hosted in South Africa between January 9 and 16, under the theme ‘Joint Actions to Ensure the Safety of Shipping and Maritime Economic Activities’.

However, the DA is less than convinced that they are multinational exercises, calling it “deliberately misleading” and pointing out that Brics is not a military alliance.

DA Spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans Chris Hattingh said the bloc has no defence role or shared military plans to warrant such exercises.

Further, Hattingh claimed that the DoD was undermining the Government of National Unity’s Statement of Intent, which touts non-aligned foreign policy, by participating in military exercise with State such as Russia and Iran.

The rand may clock another year of gains supported by easing interest rates, with firmer public finances also boosting South Africa's domestic economy, Goldman Sachs said in a research note.

The currency ended 2025 nearly 13% stronger against the US dollar, marking its biggest annual gain in 16 years as the greenback weakened broadly.

Strength this year could come from a scenario of steady global growth and gradual US interest rate cuts.

The bank said South Africa's risk-sensitive currency also stands to benefit from its exposure to precious metal prices and comparatively lower near-term political risk than peers facing elections in 2026.

Investors are increasingly rotating towards emerging markets, where domestic demand is recovering and monetary policy is becoming less restrictive, the note said.

Critical upgraded water infrastructure has been commissioned to significantly improve water security for the residents of the Rustenburg local municipality, in the North West, and the Thabazimbi local municipality, in Limpopo.

The commissioning includes the upgraded Vaalkop Water Treatment Works raw water pump station and the associated bulk water pipeline, responding to growing water demand and ensuring long-term water security in the two provinces.

The Vaalkop pump station upgrade, from a capacity of 240 megalitres a day

to 360 Mℓ/day, was implemented by Magalies Water from February 2023 and completed in November 2025.

The pump station, directly abstracting water from Vaalkop dam, has been equipped with ten pump sets designed to efficiently supply raw water to the water treatment works, strengthening operational reliability, improving water management and reducing water losses.

The upgraded bulk water supply scheme, which was initiated in response to increasing water demand from the rural communities of Bethanie, Modikoe and Berseba within the Rustenburg local municipality, has also been commissioned.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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