This Is What Trump and Xi Are Really Talking About

The question of dollar dominance will cast a shadow over the talks between Trump and Xi.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

-

15.5.2026

Talking Sense About Phala Phala, Shelley Garland, Trump In China, and the UK Local Elections

THE TALKING SENSE PODCAST -

15.5.2026

Trump Leaves Beijing Without a Clear Reset

FOREIGN DESK -

15.5.2026

St Mary’s Cancels Peace Activist After Islamist Pressure

STAFF WRITER -

15.5.2026

The Thing That Could Force Ramaphosa to Resign

THE EDITORIAL BOARD -

15.5.2026

What Xi’s Thucydides Trap Warning to Trump Really Means

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

- 15.5.2026

Why Gaming Is Now Bigger Than Movies and Music Combined

CULTURE CORRESPONDENT

- 15.5.2026

The Fight To End BEE - DA Head Of Policy, Mat Cuthbert - Conversations With Gabriel

GABRIEL MAKIN

- 15.5.2026

The Surgical Tool Invented in South Africa and Used on Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher

STAFF WRITER

- 14.5.2026

DA Protests Race Quota Exclusion

STAFF WRITER

- 14.5.2026

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The ANC’s Devils or the Deep Blue Sea, Hill-Lewis Can Force a Choice

The ANC is running out of choices on President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Hill-Lewis should not be afraid to force them into one.

DANIEL SERRALDE

Rebuilding US-South Africa Relations Can Begin on a Factory Floor in Pretoria

Daniel Serralde leads a Texas-based public-private partnership proposal with the beleaguered South African state munitions company Denel. Drawing on five years of direct engagement with Pretoria, he explains why the government’s repeated assurances that South Africa is “open for investment” have become increasingly hard to believe.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

This Is Why Ramaphosa Is Finished

ERNST VAN ZYL

Filling the Gaps: The Lies by Omission About Malema’s "Kill the Boer" Chant

DAVID ANSARA

The State Is Coming for Your Bitcoin

SIMON LINCOLN READER

Castro More Sensible Than Ramaphosa?

SHRTS

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PLLING

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Motsepe Leads ANC Leadership Race on Favourability

SRF polling finds Patrice Motsepe has the strongest favourability among three possible ANC leadership contenders, while Mbalula and Mashatile record higher negative ratings.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

South Africans Back Vote Against President

Just more than half of South Africans support a motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Atheists Back the Pope More than Catholics Do

Pope has higher levels of support from atheists in the US than from American Catholics.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Views of British Muslims on Extremist Organisations

British think tank surveyed British Muslims on their views on a number of extremist groups.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Jo'burgers Think DA Will Improve Services

Most people in Johannesburg have faith in the DA to improve services but does that mean they will win the city?

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

South Africans Like Possible DA-ANC Municipal Coalitions

A potential government of local unity between the ANC and DA is popular among South Africans.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Race For Johannesburg Led By DA

DA leads Jo'burg mayoral race.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

ANC Faces Wipeout in eThekwini

The party could win less than 10% of the vote in eThekwini, according to latest polling.

MARIUS ROODT

Is South Africa Heading in the Right Direction

Most South Africans Say Country is on the Wrong Track

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Motsepe Leads ANC Leadership Race on Favourability

SRF polling finds Patrice Motsepe has the strongest favourability among three possible ANC leadership contenders, while Mbalula and Mashatile record higher negative ratings.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

South Africans Back Vote Against President

Just more than half of South Africans support a motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Atheists Back the Pope More than Catholics Do

Pope has higher levels of support from atheists in the US than from American Catholics.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Views of British Muslims on Extremist Organisations

British think tank surveyed British Muslims on their views on a number of extremist groups.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Jo'burgers Think DA Will Improve Services

Most people in Johannesburg have faith in the DA to improve services but does that mean they will win the city?

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

South Africans Like Possible DA-ANC Municipal Coalitions

A potential government of local unity between the ANC and DA is popular among South Africans.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Race For Johannesburg Led By DA

DA leads Jo'burg mayoral race.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

ANC Faces Wipeout in eThekwini

The party could win less than 10% of the vote in eThekwini, according to latest polling.

MARIUS ROODT

Is South Africa Heading in the Right Direction

Most South Africans Say Country is on the Wrong Track

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Motsepe Leads ANC Leadership Race on Favourability

SRF polling finds Patrice Motsepe has the strongest favourability among three possible ANC leadership contenders, while Mbalula and Mashatile record higher negative ratings.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

South Africans Back Vote Against President

Just more than half of South Africans support a motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Atheists Back the Pope More than Catholics Do

Pope has higher levels of support from atheists in the US than from American Catholics.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Views of British Muslims on Extremist Organisations

British think tank surveyed British Muslims on their views on a number of extremist groups.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Jo'burgers Think DA Will Improve Services

Most people in Johannesburg have faith in the DA to improve services but does that mean they will win the city?

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

South Africans Like Possible DA-ANC Municipal Coalitions

A potential government of local unity between the ANC and DA is popular among South Africans.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Race For Johannesburg Led By DA

DA leads Jo'burg mayoral race.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

ANC Faces Wipeout in eThekwini

The party could win less than 10% of the vote in eThekwini, according to latest polling.

MARIUS ROODT

Is South Africa Heading in the Right Direction

Most South Africans Say Country is on the Wrong Track

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Motsepe Leads ANC Leadership Race on Favourability

SRF polling finds Patrice Motsepe has the strongest favourability among three possible ANC leadership contenders, while Mbalula and Mashatile record higher negative ratings.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

South Africans Back Vote Against President

Just more than half of South Africans support a motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Atheists Back the Pope More than Catholics Do

Pope has higher levels of support from atheists in the US than from American Catholics.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Views of British Muslims on Extremist Organisations

British think tank surveyed British Muslims on their views on a number of extremist groups.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Jo'burgers Think DA Will Improve Services

Most people in Johannesburg have faith in the DA to improve services but does that mean they will win the city?

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

South Africans Like Possible DA-ANC Municipal Coalitions

A potential government of local unity between the ANC and DA is popular among South Africans.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

Race For Johannesburg Led By DA

DA leads Jo'burg mayoral race.

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

ANC Faces Wipeout in eThekwini

The party could win less than 10% of the vote in eThekwini, according to latest polling.

MARIUS ROODT

Is South Africa Heading in the Right Direction

Most South Africans Say Country is on the Wrong Track

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

VIDES

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Is The End Of The Iran War In Sight?

THE COMMON SENSE

-

14.5.2026

Julius Malema, Xenophobia, And Frantz Fanon

THE COMMON SENSE

-

13.5.2026

How Will Trump Do In The Midterms?

THE COMMON SENSE

-

12.5.2026

Is "Kill The Boer" Actually A Struggle Song?

THE COMMON SENSE

-

8.5.2026

Fake Hate Campaigns And Left-Wing Violence

THE COMMON SENSE

-

6.5.2026

Is The End Of The Iran War In Sight?

THE COMMON SENSE

-

14.5.2026

Julius Malema, Xenophobia, And Frantz Fanon

THE COMMON SENSE

-

13.5.2026

How Will Trump Do In The Midterms?

THE COMMON SENSE

-

12.5.2026

Is "Kill The Boer" Actually A Struggle Song?

THE COMMON SENSE

-

8.5.2026

Fake Hate Campaigns And Left-Wing Violence

THE COMMON SENSE

-

6.5.2026

Ramaphosa On the Brink

What Is in the Section 89 Report? The Damning Case Against Ramaphosa on Phala Phala

The Common Sense lays out the devastating charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

NEWS DESK

-

14.5.2026

Who Is The Man That Sunk Cyril?

STAFF WRITER

This Is Who ANC Voters Want to Succeed Cyril Ramaphosa

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

This Is Why Ramaphosa Is Finished

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Cyril’s Three Options – And Why He’s Chosen The Third

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Who Is The Man That Sunk Cyril?

STAFF WRITER

This Is Who ANC Voters Want to Succeed Cyril Ramaphosa

POLLING CORRESPONDENT

This Is Why Ramaphosa Is Finished

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Cyril’s Three Options – And Why He’s Chosen The Third

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

PLITICS

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St Mary’s Cancels Peace Activist After Islamist Pressure

St Mary’s withdrew Klaas Mokgomole’s invitation to speak to its pupils after Islamist activists objected to his views.

STAFF WRITER

The Thing That Could Force Ramaphosa to Resign

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

DA Protests Race Quota Exclusion

STAFF WRITER

FMD: Bred in a Broken System and Here to Stay

STAFF WRITER

Health Minister Attacks Judges as Defending Their Own Privilege

POLITICS DESK

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The War on Iran

The War in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz: Six Scenarios and How They Will Shape the Global Economy

In this Special Report, The Common Sense sets out six detailed scenarios for the war in Iran together with the global and market implications.

FRANS CRONJE

-

7.5.2026

GLBAL

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Trump Leaves Beijing Without a Clear Reset

US President Donald Trump has left Beijing after a high-profile summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping that was dominated by Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, trade, oil, Boeing aircraft, and Taiwan.

FOREIGN DESK