News in South Africa 21st August: 1. SA remains neutral: Ahead of the 15th Brics Summit in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa told the nation SA would not be drawn into a contest between global powers. In an address to the nation on Sunday evening, Ramaphosa said the country was committed to a policy of non-alignment. […]
News in South Africa 16th August: 1. Unemployment concerns: Despite a slight drop in the unemployment rate economists still believe that far too many people in South Africa remain unemployed. On Tuesday, Statistics South Africa released the second Quarter Labour Force Survey for the period starting from 1 April to the end of June 2023. […]
News in South Africa 15th August: 1. SA likely to keep AGOA status: South Africa will likely keep its preferential access to US markets because hundreds of American firms are also benefitting, according to the nation’s ambassador to BRICS. “I don’t think there is any serious threat of us losing preferential access to AGOA. AGOA […]
News in South Africa 14th August: 1. Economy likely to grow: South Africa’s economy probably avoided a contraction in the second quarter, despite record power cuts, logistical constraints and sagging consumer confidence. In the view of analysts polled by Bloomberg Aug. 4-10, the economy stagnated quarter-on-quarter, compared with a forecast for a 0.1% contraction last […]
News in South Africa 11th August: 1. SA R500 billion in debt: South Africa will need to borrow R500 billion over the next year, or R2 billion per weekday on average, to fund its current fiscal deficit and refinance maturing debt. This increases the risk of investing in the country and increases borrowing costs for […]
News in South Africa 8th August: 1. Alerts issues over taxi violence: Tensions between the City of Cape Town and the taxi council have boiled over, resulting in several countries issuing an alert to their citizens planning on travelling to the city – with some suggesting they delay their trips if possible to avoid harm. […]
News in South Africa 7th August: 1. Government credibility scares off investors: The government’s lack of credibility due to its poor economic policy, unsustainable debt burden, and policy uncertainty adds to the risk premium on South African assets, making investors fearful of investing in the country. Following the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) Annual General […]
News in South Africa 2nd August: 1. US stripped of AAA rating: The US was stripped of its top-tier sovereign credit grade by Fitch Ratings, which criticized the country’s ballooning fiscal deficits and an “erosion of governance” that’s led to repeated debt limit clashes over the past two decades. The credit grader cut the US […]
News in South Africa 26th July: 1. Food price relief: South Africa’s food inflation should continue to decline, despite new risks facing agriculture in South Africa. According to Stats SA, Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) cooled from 6.3% in May to 5.4% in June – the lowest reading since 5.0% in October 2021. Crucially, annual inflation […]
News in South Africa 24th July: 1. Good week tainted by 2 industries: South Africa had a great week on the economic front last week, with Stats SA reporting a significant drop in inflation, the Reserve Bank holding on interest rates and the rand ending stronger against the dollar. However, economists at the Bureau for […]
