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

Making headlines: South Africa's official unemployment rate dips in third quarter; Outa, Fines SA welcome AARTO implementation delay; And, Ethiopia to be approved as host for COP32 climate summit in 2027

South Africa's official unemployment rate dips in third quarter

South Africa's unemployment rate fell slightly in the third quarter of this year, as jobs were added in construction, social services and trade, the statistics agency said today.

The official jobless rate stood at 31.9% in July-September, down from 33.2% in April-June.

Unemployment rose above 30% five years ago during the Covid-19 pandemic and has been stuck there since, despite repeated government initiatives to try to boost job creation.

Six of the 10 industries tracked by Statistics South Africa recorded employment gains in the third quarter, while four saw decreases.

The most jobs were added in construction with 130 000 jobs, community and social services with 116 000 and trade with 108 000.

Outa, Fines SA welcome AARTO implementation delay

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and digital traffic fines platform Fines SA have welcomed the announcement by the Department of Transport to defer the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act to July 1, 2026.

In a media release today Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage said AARTO was never ready, explaining that these repeated postponements confirm what the organisation have warned all along, that the system is unworkable in its current form.

Outa said it has tracked AARTO’s development for over a decade, consistently raising concerns about its practicality, transparency and alignment with the principles of fair administration.

And, Ethiopia to be approved as host for COP32 climate summit in 2027

Ethiopia is set to be confirmed today as host of the COP32 climate summit in 2027, the president of this year's COP30 gathering said.

The choice of host for next year's COP31 remains a point of contention, however, with both Australia and Turkey vying for the 2026 event. Australia made its COP31 bid in partnership with the Pacific Islands, which are considered to be among the world's most vulnerable places to climate change. 

Participating countries agreed in principle to hold the 2027 conference in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, during the first day of Brazil's COP30 on Monday, COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago said.

The choice still needs to be formally adopted, which is expected to occur today. A delegate from an industrialised country said they could not imagine why there would be a problem.

Ethiopia launched its bid in September, competing with Nigeria. But the Bureau of African Countries unanimously resolved to advance Ethiopia as the host candidate, sources said.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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