South Africa to earmark R1.58 trillion towards social services
National treasury officials said the costing for the deployment of soldiers in crime-affected areas — as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, his Sona, had not yet been done
Business
South Africa’s economy to grow by 1.6% in 2026 from 1.4% last year
Over the next three years, growth is projected to average 1.8% and reach 2% by 2028
Godongwana signals tough measures to fix broken water, electricity services
Minister warns that municipalities must reinvest collected revenue in essential services, citing Johannesburg’s water backlog of R64 billion
Godongwana holds better budget cards but economic recovery remains inadequate
Labour federations Cosatu and the South African Federation of Trade Unions have led calls for a budget that addresses massive unemployment and weak growth
IMF expects Godongwana to maintain budget surplus target of 1.5% of GDP
The global lender said controlling the public sector wage bill would be critical and commended the government’s plans to address inefficiencies and provide incentives for early retirement
Unpacking African markets in the era of global volatility
AMC26 seeks to mobilise global capital to invest in the continent in the face of geopolitical shifts wreaking havoc on markets
Tongaat Hulett collapse looms
Vision, the lead secured lender to the troubled sugar giant, said it was committed to saving the company and jobs despite the business rescue process failing
AI funding set to bring mining into 21st century
Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe says the country faces challenges in developing an effective system for exploration and mining licences
Unemployment rate eases but structural crisis deepens
The decline brings the official rate to its lowest level since the Covid-19 shock pushed unemployment above 30%
South Africa’s unemployment rate eases to 31.4%
The employed population increased to 17.1 million, but youth unemployment rose to 43.8% in the fourth quarter of 2025
Barrick and Twiga Minerals launch helicopter surveys to boost Tanzania gold exploration
The launch of Barrick’s advanced airborne geological survey helicopter marks a major step in modernising gold exploration in Tanzania. The surveys aim to expand large-scale investment opportunities and support small-scale miners with accurate geological data
Auto industry urges ‘fine-tuned’ tariffs, not a 50% import hike
Greater tariffs are expected on imports of completely built-up vehicles but BMW CEO says 50% could have unintended consequences
Fuel prices to drop by up to 65 cents a litre from Wednesday
The department of mineral and petroleum resources cited a stronger rand and lower international refined product costs
High levels of corruption cripple SA municipalities but government optimistic about improvements, Ramokgopa says
Minister in the presidency for planning, monitoring and evaluation said there had been progress in implementing the country’s medium-term development plan, running from 2024 to 2029
Motsepe firms in $195m mining row
Parallel legal proceedings have unfolded in Tanzania and SA, illustrating the complexity of cross-border litigation in Africa’s minerals sector
Major shift in African banking
As foreign banks retreat from the continent, local lenders are stepping up to fill the gap
Future of SRD grant uncertain, treasury says
The Universal Basic Income Coalition said the government’s proposals to link the grant to employment-related conditions could exclude eligible beneficiaries
Fuel prices to fall sharply, driven by lower global oil markets
From 7 January, 93-grade unleaded petrol will decrease by 62 cents a litre while 95-grade petrol will cost 66 cents less
Competition Commission to look into complaint over Actom’s acquisition of SSPM
Afro-Map, which failed in its own bid to buy the transformer producer, filed the complaint, saying provisions of the Competition Act were flouted in the deal
Qantas launches new non-stop flight between Johannesburg and Perth
The service, which will operate three times a week, cuts travel time to under ten hours and provides the fastest connection between South Africa and Western Australia
Mine communities group launches campaign against Anglo over plight of former workers
The Mining Affected Communities United in Action says the mining giant must ‘take full responsibility for unpaid debts and abandoned communities’
Court battle over transformer company’s acquisition
Racial ‘bias, flawed reasoning’ led to Afro-Map’s bid being unfairly rejected by business rescue practitioners, claims local firm
Africa’s infrastructure gap can boost economic growth
As Africa urbanises and grows, the need for infrastructure investment will increase
Gijima wants orderly ‘disengagement’ from Transnet
Transnet is currently appealing a court ruling which dismissed its urgent application to compel Gijima to complete critical data migration following the expiry of a R1.5 billion contract
Government commits to more incentives for investment in automotive production
The government will support the industry through the automotive investment scheme
Financial institutions push for higher global participation of youth and women-led firms
A special report highlighted ‘the glaring gap in regional and global participation in export trade’ where youth and women-led micro, small and medium enterprises are concerned
Agoa’s expiration could present trade opportunities for African nations
US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have not fully taken effect yet, but the global trade system must prepare to absorb their impact, experts say
Mantengu’s valuation quagmire
The Mantengu file: When expert valuations, courts and regulators all say no
African-founded firm, Optasia, becomes most extensive fintech JSE listing
Optasia is targeting new markets in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines as it aims to secure a billion customers worldwide
Crypto finds its place in South Africa as retailers adopt digital payments
The value of the digital currency has grown in the last decade, albeit with some volatility, but it is here to stay, say experts
Canal+ acquires remaining MultiChoice shares
This marks the French media company’s largest transaction to date
Prasa achieves first unqualified audit in nine years with 93% performance rate
The state-owned passenger rail agency has a long-term goal of 600 million trips by 2035