All things Sona in this week's newsletter

Tracking Ramaphosa’s 2025 promises || Your pre-bunking guide || Your #SONA2026 bingo challenge || Fact-checking the Sona – podcast edition || Key facts on jobs, services, poverty and more before the speech

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Ahead of the 12 February 2026 state of the nation address, we revisited 6 commitments president Cyril Ramaphosa made in 2025. Here’s where they stand.

✅ Kept:

• Launched the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) visa system (currently limited rollout).
• Adopted the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children.
• Launched the “Close the Gap” HIV campaign to reach 1.1 million people not on treatment — though progress towards treatment targets remains unclear.

🟡 In progress:

• Establishing the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency (legislation advancing; board still to be appointed).
• Setting up 16 new sexual offences courts (half already operational).
• Introducing the Whistleblower Protections Bill (under legal review before tabling in parliament).

Some commitments have moved forward. Others are still works in progress. As #SONA2026 approaches, we’ll be watching closely.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address on 12 February 2026. Before the big promises, here’s a snapshot of the data already available.

Service delivery: 90% of households had electricity in 2024 (Gauteng lowest at 83.9%). Access to piped water fell in four provinces; nearly 34% of households faced multi-day water cuts. Sanitation access dipped slightly; ~160,000 still use bucket toilets.

Education: 87.98% of students passed school-leaving exams in 2025, but only 49% of those in grade 10 in 2023 reached grade 12.

Jobs: Unemployment was 31.9% (expanded definition: 42.4%), with stark racial disparities.

Housing: 81,245 housing opportunities created in 2024/25; 3.3 million households remain on the waiting list.

Economy: GDP grew 0.6% in 2024; debt at 76.1% of GDP.

Social grants: 19.1 million grants paid to 12.1 million people; including SRD grants, total beneficiaries reach 21.1 million.

Poverty: 37.9% of South Africans lived below the lower-bound poverty line in 2023; ~11 million in extreme poverty.

Since 2013, Africa Check has fact-checked South Africa’s state of the nation address. And after more than a decade, we’ve learnt to anticipate many of the claims long before they’re made.

In the weeks leading up to Sona, our team gathers the latest data on social grants, housing, unemployment and other key issues. This allows us to respond quickly — and sometimes even pre-bunk — misleading or incorrect claims.

Pre-bunking (also known as “inoculation theory”) is about getting accurate information out first, so false claims are less likely to take root. Research shows misinformation spreads fast — often faster than corrections. Being prepared helps limit the damage.

You can do the same. Familiarise yourself with common mistakes, watch out for repeated errors or confusing terminology, and share verified information early — especially on high-interest topics.

Can you spot all of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s claims during the state of the nation address? From housing to unemployment, tourists to matric results, our bingo card is packed with the usual suspects.

Tip: The centre square is blank – fill in your own claim as you hear it live!

Join in during the speech and see how many boxes you can tick. Will you get a full house? Share your results with us!

The SONA sets the country’s priorities, but how much of it holds up to scrutiny?

In this episode of Behind the Facts, Africa Check’s Kirsten Cosser and Keegan Leech take you inside the fact-checking process, from the “nerdiest party ever” on speech night to spotting claims that repeatedly go wrong.

They share practical tips for listeners: how to spot cherry-picked numbers, decode tricky terms like “housing opportunities", and track promises across years.

Tune in for a sharp, behind-the-scenes look at accountability and context.

Who checks the facts? "Behind the Facts" interviews the fact-checkers fighting misinformation.

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Your weekly dose of facts in newsletter form is created by Laura Kapelari (@laurakapelari). It is edited by Lee Mwiti (@LMAfrican) and Cayley Clifford (@cayleyclifford).