News Bulletin of 9 November 2025, 12pm

South Africans will soon have more places to renew or apply for their Smart IDs and passports.
This follows an announcement by Standard Bank, confirming that additional bank branches offering these services are in the pipeline.
According to a report by BusinessTech, the bank plans to launch 20 additional branches equipped to handle Smart ID and passport applications by 2026.
This comes as a relief as the government plans to discontinue the green ID book, and has been expanding Smart ID card application points.

Sanlam Investments has raised R1.4 billion for its Property Impact Fund, this is to address South Africa's pressing social infrastructure needs.
The Fund will focus on investing in essential projects such as affordable housing, student accommodation, township retail developments, education facilities, and healthcare centres.
This strategic investment is designed to support the country's missing middle – individuals and communities who contribute significantly to the economy but struggle to access quality housing, education, and healthcare.
Sanlam investment Property Impact Fund Portfolio Manager, Kamogelo Leeuw:
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The 2nd annual World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards celebrated pioneers of sustainable tourism in Dubai.
30-organisations and individuals were honoured for leading a shift to a net‑positive tourism industry, highlighting sustainability’s growing role in global travel and hospitality.
The programme, running with the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, links a network of 66 000 hotels, eight million rooms and over 300 global partners.