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Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. (GCIS)

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

South Africa’s economy expanded by a marginal 0.1% in the first quarter of 2025

Sovereign wealth fund needs a hero

The fund, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020, may have helped protect the fiscus from a long-term debt crisis

Eskom is awaiting government approval to get the 100 megawatts of power offered by the Mozambique energy ministry in July.

The Fiscal Cliff | Eskom: The fiscal monster the treasury can’t vanquish

Among state-owned entities, the beleaguered power utility is far and away the biggest risk to the public purse

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. (Photo: Mlungisi Louw/Gallo Images)

Public purse sees tail end of mining tailwind

Mining windfall helped SA’s financial position, but lower revenues and additional spending will delay the end of fiscal consolidation

Investor confidence is low as citizens and domestic private companies stash their cash abroad to protect it from the volatility of the weakened rand. (Getty)

Self-inflicted pain makes SA rand a sore thumb

The currency, which is usually a bellwether for other emerging markets, has diverged from global trends – thanks in large part to the energy crisis

With South Africa’s low employment rate, particularly among young people, mining continues to make a valid contribution towards job creation, amid a tough economic operating climate. Photo: Supplied

Mining companies aren’t buying what the SA govt is selling — yet

Companies are withholding investment – despite the commodity boom’s bounty – in the face of constraints to exports and exploration

In its budget review, the treasury flagged Transnet’s high debt levels, saying it needs to make faster progress on its plan to improve operations and finances

Minerals Council ‘encouraged’ by talks with Transnet after leaked letter

Logistical constraints caused production to fall 6% in 2022, according to the mining industry employer organisation

the country’s government debt to GDP ratio is unsustainable at 73.45%. In other words, our debt stock is worth nearly three-quarters of the total value of goods and services produced in the country in any given year. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Explainer: What forces will shape South Africa’s economy in 2023?

Economy hitting geopolitical tensions, pressure on consumers and load-shedding will likely stick around

Saldanha Bay, West Coast, South Africa, Railway trucks carrying iron ore from Sishen to Saldanha Bay terminal on the West Coast of South Africa. (Photo by: Peter Titmuss/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Strike sets Transnet back — again

The industrial action is the latest in a series of economy-hitting upsets for the state logistics company

Sasol’s earnings have soared given the energy crunch caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine — and it’s betting on another fossil fuel to carry it into the future. (Photo by Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)

Sasol betting big on natural gas

The company’s earnings have soar given the energy crunch caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine — and it’s betting on another fossil fuel to carry it into the future

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana.(Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

Pressure builds as Enoch Godongwana forges on with fiscal consolidation

Enoch Godongwana is currently seized with preparations for the medium-term budget, which will give details on whether fiscal stability is still possible

QINGDAO, CHINA – MAY 09: Aerial view of shipping containers sitting stacked at Asia’s first fully automated container terminal of Qingdao Port on May 9, 2022 in Qingdao, Shandong Province of China. (Photo by Zhang Jingang/VCG via Getty Images)

Commodity prices buoy South Africa amid China’s slow growth blow

South Africa’s fate is tied to China’s, but war-related disruptions in the global energy market keep exports going

Underground mining operations are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of flooding and water ingress, which can result from heavy rains, groundwater inflow, or even burst dams. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Workers clearly do not support strike action, insists Sibanye-Stillwater

The mine’s two largest unions have accused it of being the ‘worst employer among workers’ and are threatening a secondary strike.