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gina schoemanlatest news & developments
In the second quarter of 2025, unemployment edged up to 33.2% in the second quarter of 2025 from 32.9% in the previous quarter, while of the 10.1 million people aged 15 to 24, 35.2% were not in employment
ABSA

2024 economy: Some relief after a rocky road

Last year was dismal on a number of fronts. And although things probably won’t get exponentially better, there is some hope on the horizon

  • Sarah Smit
5 min read
Crunch time: Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana (left) will deal with Eskom’s debt of almost R4-billion. President Cyril Ramaphosa (right) has said the treasury is working on a sustainable solution for the debt.
ANNABEL BISHOP

What analysts will be watching out for at the mini budget

Eskom, Transnet and the public sector wage bill will feature large in next week’s medium-term budget policy statement

  • Sarah Smit
5 min read
While a higher inflation rate may otherwise inspire increased hawkishness in the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee — which meets this week — analysts expect that the repo rate will be kept on hold again. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
BUREAU FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH

Reserve Bank will stay tough, even as inflation softens

Borrowers face another 75 basis point repo rate hike this week, as inflation looks to stay uncomfortably high

  • Sarah Smit
5 min read
Economists widely expect the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee to once again hold the interest rate at 8.25% when it concludes its meeting on Thursday.
CITIBANK

Reserve Bank may have helped South Africa avoid a more severe crunch

This is according to some economists, who say the Reserve Bank got ahead of the curve before inflation became entrenched

  • Sarah Smit
6 min read
Lesetja Kganyago, governor of South Africa’s central bank. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ANNABEL BISHOP

Hawkish Reserve Bank sees South Africa edge towards a rates hike

Analysts say the Reserve Bank could start tightening monetary policy as early as next month

  • Sarah Smit
6 min read
Unemployment epidemic: These men, gathered together to wait for the possibility of a piece job, are some of the 34.9% of South Africans who are without work, the highest figure among 82 countries monitored by business news agency Bloomberg. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
BUREAU FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH

South Africa’s recovery lags behind emerging market peers Mexico, India

The economy grew for the fourth consecutive quarter, but the country is playing catch-up to its peers

  • Sarah Smit
5 min read
Stats SA noted in its GDP release that there was increased production reported for platinum group metals, which have experienced a massive uptick in demand amid the commodity cycle. (Oupa Nkosi/M&G)
ZUMAUNREST

GDP stats: Economy grows, but not enough to secure jobs and long-term recovery

GDP rose 1.2% in the second quarter, but future growth indicators will likely be hit by July’s looting and unrest, as well as a dip in commodity prices

  • Sarah Smit
3 min read
Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago noted that high levels of economic uncertainty persist, as Russia’s continues to wage war on Ukraine. (Moeletsi Mabe/Gallo)
BRAZIL

Treasury mulls lower inflation target

Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago makes a case for a lower target, though the trade union federation prefers job creation

  • Sarah Smit
6 min read
The trade balance switched to a surplus of R1.72-billion compared with a deficit of R17.1-billion in January
GINA SCHOEMAN

SA posts R1.7bn trade surplus in February

Improved trade data will help narrow South Africa’s current account deficit and is a sign the economy is rebalancing from consumption to production.

  • Andre Janse Van Vuuren 1
2 min read
ABSA CAPITAL

CPI ticks up to 3,4% in October

South Africa’s targeted consumer inflation quickened slightly to 3,4% year-on-year in October from 3,2% in September, data showed on Wednesday.

  • Staff Reporter
2 min read
GINA SCHOEMAN

Economic confidence up, but outlook still bleak

South African economic confidence recovered from a near four-year-low in March, pointing to signs conditions may improve in the medium term, although the growth and inflation…

  • Gordon Bell
3 min read