JSE hits record high, but trade risks, weak growth and policy uncertainty weigh on South Africa’s outlook
JSE hits record high, but trade risks, weak growth and policy uncertainty weigh on South Africa’s outlook The JSE has been pushed to a fresh record this week, driven by strong commodity prices and gains in heavyweight mining shares. Yet the broader economy remains under pressure, with new trade threats from the United States (U.S.), rising regulatory demands on employers, […]
South Africa Faces Complex Challenges as Markets Rally and Key Social Issues Emerge
South Africa Faces Complex Challenges as Markets Rally and Key Social Issues Emerge President Cyril Ramaphosa faces sleepless nights as South Africa’s unemployment crisis deepens, leaving millions without work, even as the country continues to attract jobseekers from Lesotho, where opportunities are far more limited. At the same time, the 2025 matric results hit a record 88% […]
From New Year’s Resolution to Oil Shocks: Market Firm as Resource Lead and Global Risks Mount
From New Year’s Resolutions to Oil Shocks: Markets Firm as Resources Lead and Global Risks Mount Every year begins the same way: bold resolutions made somewhere between leftover Christmas pudding and a creeping sense of dread about January debit orders. This is the year people will finally use that gym membership instead of donating to […]
From Trump’s Venezuela takeover to falling markets and booming car sales: the forces reshaping South Africa’s economy
From Trump’s Venezuela takeover to falling markets and booming car sales: the forces reshaping South Africa’s economy Relations between Washington and Pretoria are fragile, shaped by diplomatic tension, growing global uncertainty and stark public protest. On Thursday, dozens of people gathered outside the United States Embassy in Pretoria to condemn the US intervention in Venezuela and the […]
Markets soften as structural pressures tighten across economy
Markets soften as structural pressures tighten across economy South Africa’s economic landscape on Wednesday reflected a familiar but sharpening contrast: financial markets paused after a strong run, while underlying pressures on workers, households and municipalities continued to mount. Equities retreated modestly, the rand held its ground, and commodities cooled — yet beneath the surface, unemployment, […]
A tale of two South Africas: booming markets, billionaire gains — and households under strain
A tale of two South Africas: booming markets, billionaire gains — and households under strain South Africa enters 2026 caught in a familiar but deepening contradiction. On the one hand, financial markets are rallying, billionaires are getting richer, and leading economists are talking up political and economic renewal. On the other hand, millions of households earning […]
Markets Hold, Consumers Falter: A Fragile Start to 2026 for South Africa
Markets Hold, Consumers Falter: A Fragile Start to 2026 for South Africa Six days into 2026 and South Africans are already feeling the strain — from jittery markets and global geopolitical shocks and conflict to pressure on household finances and sweeping changes to how cash will work in the economy. While the JSE closed firmer on Monday, the gains masked […]
Trump Orders U.S. Operation That Captures Venezuelan President Maduro, Markets Respond
Trump Orders U.S. Operation That Captures Venezuelan President Maduro, Markets Respond Global attention shifted dramatically over the weekend after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a military operation in Caracas and transported him to the United States to face federal charges, including alleged drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism offenses. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would temporarily oversee […]
South Africa Ends Week with Firmer Markets, Policy Debates, Global Culinary Award, and Proposed Gambling Tax
South Africa Ends Week with Firmer Markets, Policy Debates, Global Culinary Award, and Proposed Gambling Tax South Africa closed the week on a mildly positive note, with the JSE recording gains, the rand strengthening slightly, and commodity prices supporting trade across key sectors. Beyond the financial markets, the country made headlines internationally after a Cape Town […]
Markets Weaken, SABC Faces a Blackout Threat, Black Friday Turns Into a Toilet-Paper War, and Pepkor Shuts Shoe City
Markets Weaken, SABC Faces a Blackout Threat, Black Friday Turns Into a Toilet-Paper War, and Pepkor Shuts Shoe City The JSE sank further into negative territory on Thursday as big-name counters dragged the market down, overshadowing a handful of resilient sectors. Beyond the trading screens, the SABC is inching perilously closer to a national broadcast blackout as its financial crisis deepens. […]