Drought in Cape Town and in other parts of the country, Knysna fires, economic downgrades, the Life Esidimeni tragedy, and the rise in femicide – are just some of the stories that made headlines in South Africa these past twelve months.
2017 also saw a number of prominent figures losing their lives, including Lundi Tyamara, Joost van der Westhuizen, Ahmed Kathrada and Joe Mafela to name a few.
A number of private companies were implicated in corrupt dealings, including Steinhoff, Oakbay and KPMG.
The year climaxed with the hotly contested African National Congress Elective Conference which saw seven candidates running for the presidential position to lead South Africa’s ruling party.
Deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa overcame a strong challenge from former African Union chair, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma , winning by 179 votes to emerge victorious as the 14th president of Africa’s oldest liberation movement.
For 2017’s headline stories, see the timeline below:
