Happy Saturday everyone, hope you’ve got nowhere urgent to be today.
Saturday, 23 May 2026
Batten down the hatches, it’s going to get rough out there
If you were planning a braai or a long drive this weekend, you might want to think again. Severe storms are expected across multiple provinces today, with heavy rain, lightning, strong winds and hail all in the mix. KwaZulu-Natal seems to be getting the worst of it. We’re heading into winter so some rain is normal, but hail in late May is never fun. Check your local forecast before you head out anywhere, seriously.
58 murders a day. Let that sink in.
The latest crime figures are out and they don’t make for easy weekend reading. From January to March this year, 5,181 people were murdered in South Africa, working out to nearly 60 every single day. That’s not a stat you can just scroll past. The report names the deadliest areas specifically, and knowing where the hotspots are matters if you live near them or travel through them regularly. This is our reality and we can’t keep looking away from it.
Know your car’s hijacking risk in 2026
MasterDrive has released their updated breakdown of vehicles being targeted by hijackers this year, and there’s apparently a new model that’s caught criminals’ attention. If you drive anything popular or newer, this is worth clicking through. Awareness is genuinely your best defence here, knowing the high-risk times, knowing the areas, and knowing whether your specific vehicle is drawing the wrong kind of attention.
More trouble brewing for the rand
The ongoing Iran conflict is making people nervous about the rand’s direction, and when global markets get jittery our currency tends to feel it first. We’re already not in a comfortable place, so any further weakening means more pain at the fuel pumps and on the grocery bill. Not great news heading into a weekend where we’d rather not be thinking about economics.
The murder stats are the story I keep coming back to this morning. Are you surprised by which areas are deadliest, or does it match what you’re seeing on the ground where you live? Let’s talk in the comments.
Stay safe out there this weekend, all of you.
Share on X
Share on Facebook