Report shows billions of rands leaving SA shores through spaza shops

A new report estimates that R6.3 billion linked to foreign-owned spaza shops in Tshwane may have been moved offshore through informal channels, raising concerns about money laundering and possible terrorist financing. The report does not establish that spaza shop owners are involved in terrorism. To put the issue in context, about 38% of 87,000 recently registered spaza shops nationally are owned by non-South African citizens — roughly 33,000 shops. Research has identified communities including Somali, Ethiopian, Bangladeshi, Zimbabwean and Mozambican nationals among foreign spaza operators. So, how big is this sector, how should these financial flows be regulated, and what does this mean for South Africa's economy and security? Tebogo Mashilompane, National Leader of Forum for South Africa joins us for more. For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.