Recent Posts
News•Feb 25, 2026
South Africa to Earmark R1.58 Trillion Towards Social Services
South Africa’s 2024 budget earmarks R2.67 trillion in total spending, with R1.58 trillion directed to social services. The largest allocations go to education (R527.2 billion), social development (R446.6 billion), health (R310.4 billion) and economic development (R283.9 billion). Peace and security receives R274.6 billion, funding police, defence and courts, while the cost of deploying the SANDF to crime‑hot spots remains un‑costed. The health budget omits the National Health Insurance, which is stalled by legal challenges.
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 25, 2026
Godongwana Holds Better Budget Cards but Economic Recovery Remains Inadequate
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is set to present a 2026 budget bolstered by higher-than‑expected tax receipts, driven by a commodity price surge and improved collection efficiency. Despite the fiscal headroom, his GDP outlook remains bleak, projecting growth under 2%—far short...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 24, 2026
IMF Expects Godongwana to Maintain Budget Surplus Target of 1.5% of GDP
The IMF’s South Africa mission chief expects Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to keep the primary budget surplus at 1.5% of GDP and to embed the necessary fiscal reforms in the 2026 budget. The Fund highlighted controlling the public‑sector wage bill,...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 23, 2026
Unpacking African Markets in the Era of Global Volatility
The Africa Markets Conference 2026 (AMC26) opened in Cape Town, hosted by Standard Bank, to examine how heightened global volatility—particularly U.S. Trump‑era tariffs—affects the continent. Organisers aim to channel private and sovereign capital into African infrastructure and growth sectors amid...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 19, 2026
AI Funding Set to Bring Mining Into 21st Century
At the recent African Mining Indaba, South Africa’s mining minister highlighted the country’s lagging digital cadastre and licensing system, which costs the economy roughly R70 bn annually. The United Arab Emirates’ $1 bn G20 AI for Development pledge is being positioned as...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 19, 2026
Tongaat Hulett Collapse Looms
Tongaat Hulett, South Africa's leading sugar producer, is heading for provisional liquidation after its business rescue plan collapsed. The Vision Group's acquisition of lender claims and a debt‑to‑equity swap failed, leaving the rescue unimplementable. Cosatu warns the collapse will trigger...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 17, 2026
South Africa’s Unemployment Rate Eases to 31.4%
South Africa's overall unemployment rate slipped to 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 31.9% in the prior quarter and marking a second consecutive decline after a peak of 33.2% a year earlier. Employment rose by 44,000, reaching...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 9, 2026
Barrick and Twiga Minerals Launch Helicopter Surveys to Boost Tanzania Gold Exploration
Barrick Gold and Tanzania's state‑owned Twiga Minerals have launched a modern helicopter equipped for airborne geological surveys across Shinyanga Region. The initiative aims to deliver high‑resolution geophysical data while lowering the environmental footprint of exploration. Since the 2019 joint venture,...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 8, 2026
NYDA Takes Youth Access Fight Into Mining’s Closed Rooms
South Africa’s National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is inserting itself into Mining Indaba 2026 to confront longstanding barriers that keep young South Africans out of the mining and energy sectors. The agency is lobbying for policy changes, earmarked funding for...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business