It’s time for a community-centred budget
A credible budget in 2026 cannot be based solely on spreadsheets. It must rebalance power and investment toward the local economies that sustain the majority of South Africans.
Budget Speech
Beyond the noise: A sober and rigorous assessment of criticism of the Sona
Beyond the noise: A sober and rigorous assessment of criticism of the Sona
Reserve Bank likely to leave interest rates unchanged on Thursday
Despite the global environment becoming less tense since the March meeting, the central bank will remain cautious, economists say
April consumer inflation edges higher to 2.8% year-on-year
April’s slight uptick suggests that the Reserve Bank will keep the benchmark repo rate at 7.5% next week
High court suspends VAT hike
The Democratic Alliance launched the application against the finance minister, the South African Revenue Service, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.
2025 Budget Speech Commentary: Economic Policy and Its Impact on Low-Income Households
The budget speech poses an ideal opportunity for us to reflect on the influence policy has on the economic outcomes of all South Africans. The South African economic system remains largely stratified, characterised by the highest proportion of the working class residing in lower income households. Indeed, in the recent past, South Africa has been […]
No allocations for Pepfar in health budget
The recent termination of USAid to HIV/Aids and TB organisations in South Africa was a bone of contention in the 2025 budget
WATCH LIVE: Godongwana delivers Budget Speech
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to deliver the budget speech after it was postponed last month due to a lack of consensus among cabinet ministers in the government of national unity.
Political parties say postponing the budget tabling renders parliament useless
The parties accused parliament of failing its constitutional duties after the delay, caused by divisions in the unity government over a proposed VAT hike
Cabinet spokesperson shoots down DA claims of Budget victory
The rand depreciated after the postponement of the budget speech to 12 March
‘Tax is unlikely to deter drinkers’
The treasury wants to raise taxes on alcoholic beverages and set a minimum price per unit
Siviwe Gwarube: Irresponsible to change school system halfway into academic year
The new basic education minister said she would not implement new policies or programmes without evidence of their value
Social wage bill consumes R1.2 trillion of government revenue
Additional funds have been allocated to pay teachers, doctors, nurses and police officers but productivity is not always commensurate with salaries
WATCH LIVE: Godongwana delivers the 2024 Budget speech
Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, will present the 2024 Budget Speech at the Cape Town City Hall
Budget 2024: Jury’s still out on tax hikes
The budget is expected to lay out plans to raise R15bn in revenue, amid a commodity-induced slump
The Fiscal Cliff | Shallow state purse deepens jobs crisis
In this instalment of The Fiscal Cliff – a Mail & Guardian series on how South Africa’s budget has been shaped – Sarah Smit considers the intimate link between the country’s ultra-high unemployment rate and austerity
The state of higher education: A conversation with Blade Nzimande
Government spending on higher education has ballooned, but allocation is key
Is Nersa really to blame for Eskom’s mess?
Political parties and NGOs will be taking Nersa and Eskom to court for granting the utility an 18.65% tariff hike
Opposition parties criticise Godongwana over public sector wage bill, state-owned enterprises
The finance minister’s reduction in corporate income tax and allocations to education, health, social development, justice and police have been welcomed
Budget 2022: Godongwana sticks to tough love talk on SOEs, but dishes out funding to Denel
The finance minister made a smallish exception for Denel in terms of funding but warned that the government wants to push ahead with plans to consolidate SOEs that no longer served a function
WATCH LIVE: Godongwana delivers the budget speech
The Finance Minister delivers his maiden budget speech.
Mr President, the government can — and should — create jobs
The private sector, experts say, cannot alone be entrusted with the important task of stopping South Africa’s unemployment tailspin
Death or taxes: Why the basic income grant is a tough sell
A basic income grant requires higher taxes. But the government will struggle to convince taxpayers to give it more when they see little in return
Gauteng’s third-wave contagion is heading towards a worst-case scenario
Tighter measures are necessary to contain Covid-19’s spread in Gauteng, but returning to level-five restrictions is not on the cards, says Makhura
Tito’s budget tries to boost economic growth and arrest debt
Government spending has reached a record 41.7% of GDP, and the budget deficit has widened from 5.7% in 2019 to an estimated 14%
READ IT IN FULL: Mboweni’s 2021 budget speech
Read the finance minister’s address on the budget for 2021
Sona: Ramaphosa needs to choose state before party — Steenhuisen
DA leader John Steenhuisen has called for Ramaphosa to throw out what he termed an ‘outdated 20th century ideology of state control’
‘Don’t be afraid of fresh ideas’
The finance minister has found money for the Covid crisis, but the cupboard is bare and he warns that a fiscal crisis is possible in 2024
We must stamp out illicit trade to boost the fiscus
The fiscus loses millions each day because of illicit trade. Sars can’t tackle this problem alone: it is up to all citizens to play their part
Coronavirus and the economy: We didn’t prepare for tough times
South Africa was well-placed for the 2008 crisis. But R3.18-trillion debt and low growth hamper its ability to limit the economic effects of Covid-19
Ramaphosa says recession announcement is ‘not a surprise’
President warns of tougher economic times ahead as the world’s leaders plan for a global economic slowdown
Graphic: 2020 estimates of national expenditure
See how much each department has been given as their slice of the pie by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni
