Go, almost anywhere
A South African passport might not get you everywhere, but it will get you into 102 of 226 destinations without a visa. Henley & Partners, a consultancy that helps rich people acquire convenient passports, also ranks the little book. South Africa is at No 53. The last spot is held, unsurprisingly, by Afghanistan. South Africa is the highest of the SADC countries and third highest in Africa (after Seychelles and Mauritius). Asian countries dominate the top of the log, with Singapore leading for a fourth consecutive year, followed by South Korea and Japan.
Still the biggest
The US will remain the world’s biggest economy in 2026 with a projected GDP of $31.8-trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund. The US economy, the world’s largest for the past 100 years and possibly for the next 100, is roughly the size of China, Germany and India combined. China ($20.6-trillion) and Germany ($5.3-trillion) are expected to remain in second and third places, while India ($4.5-trillion) overtook Japan for fourth place in 2025 and will hold its position in 2026. South Africa is predicted to be in 41st place at $443.64bn.
Army bears burden
After an outbreak of bear attacks in Japan’s rural and mountainous north, the army has been deployed to help contain the problem. The country has experienced an increase in the number of attacks, with about 100 people being targeted and 11 deaths. The soldiers’ instructions are not to kill the animals but to set traps for them. The killing is left to local hunters, with the army disposing of the carcasses.
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