Visa rule changes for travellers in South Africa, and a 500km/h car sets a new world record

The Department of Transport is pursuing legislative amendments to reduce South Africa’s legal drink-driving limit to zero.

However, industry stakeholders have warned that this will effectively make it illegal to drink at restaurants if an individual plans on driving.

The law disproportionately targets law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to address drunk pedestrians, who are a leading cause of car accidents in South Africa, according to legal experts at Van Deventer Dowlath & Marx.

“A decision to ban alcohol for drivers will have long-reaching, potentially positive implications, but what about the other risk profile? Intoxicated pedestrians are a large part of the crisis,” it said.

“The Minister’s own statements point to intoxicated pedestrians being a major cause of fatalities. Zero‑tolerance will change driver behaviour, but it won’t fix the pedestrian crisis.”

In other news, oil recorded its biggest weekly drop since April 2020 as traders weighed diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran conflict against fresh attacks in the region.

Brent Crude fell to $97 per barrel after a 16% loss last week, coming down from a six-month high at the end of October.

This comes after the US midterm elections, where the Democratic sweep boosted expectations that there won’t be a serious escalation in the war between Iran and the United States, according to Bloomberg.

5 important things

The Chinese car brand taking a different approach: While most Chinese carmakers are competing in South Africa’s overcrowded passenger vehicle market, DFSK has elected to focus entirely on affordable commercial models. The company launched in 2024 and currently distributes its vehicles through local importer networks and dedicated dealerships. [TopAuto].

Visa rule changes for foreigners: South Africa has waived the requirement for foreign nationals to apply to renew or change their visas at least 60 days before their current visa expires. The decision is expected to help resolve hundreds of visa applications that were rejected and pending appeals [Daily Investor].

The areas in South Africa where couriers require armed escorts: The Courier Guy keeps a list of high-risk areas where it cannot deliver packages unless drivers travel in unmarked vehicles and are escorted by private security. These areas are identified using historical data for parcel hijackings and thefts [MyBroadband].

Geely files Zeekr trademarks in South Africa: Chinese carmaker Geely has filed at least nine trademark applications for its luxury Zeekr brand in South Africa, indicating which new cars may be coming to our market in the near future [Cars.co.za].

New top speed record for production cars: The Yangwang U9 Xtreme has set a new record. The BYD luxury sub-brand achieved a top speed of 503.17km/h on a road in Abu Dhabi [Car Mag].