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The Democratic Alliance’s historic victory in Ward 28 in Emfuleni, Gauteng, is a hopeful sign that South Africans are choosing change, hope, and governments that work. In yesterday’s by-election, the DA won a former ANC stronghold with 32.36% of the vote, growing from just 14.21% in 2021 and 19.31% in 2024. This result matters far …
ActionSA cannot support this budget, as it places a greater financial burden on residents while failing to deliver corresponding improvements in service delivery.
The post ActionSA Will Not Endorse a Budget Sacrificing Residents for Political Deals appeared first on ActionSA.
Malcolm Libera ·28 May 2026 The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has hiked the repo rate by 25 basis points, which property experts say will put further pressure on households already strained. Following the latest Monetary Policy Committee meeting, the repo rate increased to 7.00%, while the prime lending rate climbed to 10.50%. Four members …
While BYD’s own Sealion 5 currently holds the accolade of most affordable plug-in hybrid at R509 900, the Atto 2 DM-i is expected to bring this down below R500 000. Its stock in South Africa continuing to rise, BYD will soon add another product to its portfolio in the shape of the Atto 2 DM-i. …
Palaeontologists have got a clearer picture of where turtles fit in the animal kingdom, thanks to analysis of a southern African fossil.
Ethiopia’s debt restructuring process has suffered another setback after its international bondholders rejected a revised proposal aimed at resolving the […]
The post Ethiopia Bondholders Reject Revised Proposal for Resolving Eurobond Default appeared first on Impact Newswire.
South Africa produces sufficient food yet millions go to bed hungry, says the Union Against Hunger
28 May 2025 – As Bafana Bafana prepare to face Nicaragua in their final match in South Africa before departure to the FIFA World Cup, coach Hugo Broos reflected on the difficulties the technical team faced while selecting the final travelling squad of 26 players. Broos announced the final team for the FIFA World Cup
The post It was not easy – Bafana coach Broos appeared first on South African Football Association.
Botswana is one of the most rewarding safari destinations on the African continent. It has massive wilderness areas, low tourist numbers compared to neighbouring countries, and a government that has prioritised conservation over mass tourism for decades. The result is a country where wildlife roams across huge tracts of unfenced land, and the experience of …
Millions have been spent on government offices, a vehicle testing station, a community hall, a sports field and electronic billboards - all incomplete
Buying your first place is a big step, and doing it in a city the size of Johannesburg can feel like a lot to take in. There are so many areas to pick from, prices that swing wildly from one suburb to the next, and a long list of things you need to sort out …
The member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Emma More has officially written to the South African Human Rights Commission demanding the immediate release of the research report and methodology utilised to conclude that "there is no evidence linking hospital overcrowding to foreign nationals."
The post ActionSA Demands Empirical Evidence from the SAHRC on Claims That Hospitals Are Not Overcrowded by Illegal Foreign Nationals appeared first on ActionSA.
The property market in South Africa has shifted over the past few years, and apartments for sale are getting more attention than they used to. A decade ago, most first-time buyers were chasing freestanding houses in the suburbs. That has changed. Rising land costs, security concerns, and lifestyle preferences have pushed more people towards apartment …
Pretoria East has been one of the strongest property markets in Gauteng for years, and that has not changed. The area keeps attracting buyers, from young professionals picking up their first place to families looking for more space and investors chasing solid rental returns. The combination of good schools, clean suburbs, reliable infrastructure, and easy …
The median scam in Australia last year cost $400 – so a rapid refund of up to $3,000 sounds generous. But take a closer look and it starts to look oddly low.
South Africa’s bakkie market is not a category you waltz into. It’s built on decades of loyalty, mud-caked Veldskoen, and brand worship that gets passed down for generations. So, when Kia Motors launched the Tasman, the first-ever Kia bakkie, the idea wasn’t “out-tough the tough guys.” It was something far more interesting: don’t play the …
Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has continued with his rotational policy when he named a reshuffled match-day squad for South Africa’s final Under-20 International Series encounter against Georgia in Stellenbosch on Saturday, with regular captain Riley Norton back in the starting team. The match will take place at Paul Roos Gymnasium’s Markötter Stadium, with …
The Reserve Bank’s decision to increase interest rates by 25 basis points has added fresh pressure to an already strained consumer environment. With oil prices still elevated on the back of Middle East tensions, inflation risks remaining stubborn, and global uncertainty continuing to weigh on emerging markets, the SARB opted for a cautious approach aimed …
South African households are entering a more constrained financial period, as the modest momentum seen at the end of 2025 comes under pressure from rising living costs.
According to TransUnion’s latest insights, increases in fuel prices, renewed food inflation, and persistently higher borrowing costs are reshaping consumer sentiment, shifting from early signs of recovery in 2026, to a more defensive posture.
This comes as the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) delivers its latest interest rate decision of a 25-basis points increase, against a backdrop of rising inflation, which increased to 4.0% in April from 3.1% in March, reflecting persistent price pressures across essential categories.
Incremental Increase Adds to Mounting Financial Pressure
Following the MPC’s decision to increase interest rates by 25 basis points, TransUnion notes that the move reinforces a financial environment where household momentum is already being challenged, and cost pressures are compounding.
“A 0.25% increase lands on households that are already under strain,” says Lee Naik, chief executive officer, TransUnion Africa. “This is not a new shock; it is an amplification of pressures that consumers are already managing. The combination of higher instalments and rising living costs accelerates the shift from cautious optimism to caution.”
Data from TransUnion’s Q4 2025 Industry Insights Report shows elevated delinquency across several credit products, while TransUnion’s Q1 2026 Consumer Pulse Study highlights increased reliance on credit and sustained reductions in spending.
“When fuel, food and borrowing costs rise together, the impact is not incremental; it is compounding. That is where we see the real pressure emerge, and where financial behaviour shifts decisively,” Naik adds.
Multiple Cost Pressures Converge
“The risk is not just higher rates; it is the combination of cost pressures hitting at once. The affordability challenge becomes immediate and more difficult to manage,” Naik adds.
TransUnion notes that the key issue is no longer the rate decision in isolation, reflecting the cumulative strain of overlapping cost pressures on household affordability.
“At the start of 2026, there was a sense that consumers were beginning to stabilise, with some early signs of recovery in repayment behaviour and financial resilience. That momentum is now being challenged,” says Naik.
“We are seeing a clear shift toward greater caution, as rising fuel and food costs begin to outweigh any incremental relief. The financial pressure facing households is no longer emerging, it is entrenched.”
Even ahead of the MPC outcome, the financial environment facing consumers has materially tightened. TransUnion’s Q1 2026 Consumer Pulse Study showed widespread behavioural adjustment, with households cutting discretionary spending, increasing reliance on credit, and drawing down savings buffers to manage rising living costs.
At the same time, household affordability is being eroded by cost escalation across essential categories. Household food basket data (PMBEJD April 2026) shows the average basket rising to R5,452.09, marking a clear re-acceleration in food inflation driven by fuel and logistics costs.
Credit performance data from TransUnion’s Q4 2025 Industry Insights Report further reflects growing strain, particularly in non-bank lending segments where delinquency remains elevated, signalling deep financial vulnerability among consumers.
“Consumers are not reacting to a single shock. They are responding to a sustained financial pressure building over time,” adds Naik. “What we are seeing now is a structural shift in behaviour, where households are increasingly prioritising essentials, protecting debt commitments and managing risk more cautiously.”
Looking Ahead: A Structurally More Cautious Consumer Cycle
TransUnion’s outlook remains clear: South African consumers are entering a more cautious financial cycle, as the momentum of 2025 is increasingly challenged by sustained and broad-based cost pressures.
“The environment has shifted from short-term stress to structural pressure,” concludes Naik. “Consumers are no longer adjusting temporarily, they are recalibrating how they manage money, prioritise spending and engage with credit in a more constrained and uncertain environment.”
They know that they are physically up for the challenge to deliver the best season in the history of the Springbok Sevens, which is why Blitzbok Philip Snyman believes the key to their approach for the second of three HSBC SVNS World Championship events, this weekend at Estadio Jose Zorrilla in Valladolid, will be mental. …
Africa's economies are projected to grow at 4.2 percent in 2026, moderating slightly from 4.4 percent in 2025, before rebounding to 4.4 percent in 2027. The findings of the 2026 African Economic Outlook, released Tuesday at the African Development Bank Group Annual Meetings in Brazzaville (www.AfDB.org), underscore the continent's continued resilience in the face of geopolitical tensions, tighter global financial conditions, and supply chain disruptions.
According to the Bank's flagship report, Africa's growth in 2025 was supported by improved macroeconomic management, stronger agricultural output, elevated commodity prices, and ongoing structural reforms. The continent remains among the world's fastest-growing regions, with 22 countries projected to grow above 5 percent in 2025.
Published under the theme, Mobilizing Africa's Development Financing at Scale in a Fragmented World, the report notes that sustaining faster, inclusive and more resilient growth would require a decisive shift towards mobilising and deploying capital at scale. This includes strengthening domestic resource mobilisation, deepening and integrating financial systems, expanding capital markets, and enhancing African agency in global finance.
Mixed Regional Outlook
Downside risks to the outlook remain significant. Inflation is projected to stay elevated at 10.4 percent in 2026, posing continued challenges to macroeconomic stability and growth prospects. Persistent geopolitical tensions, alongside prolonged global supply chain and energy disruptions, could further strain fiscal and external balances through higher energy and fertilizer prices. In addition, financial market volatility and exchange rate depreciations risk amplifying debt and fiscal vulnerabilities, while rising global fragmentation may intensify pressures on external financing flows, including official development assistance.
Closing Africa's Financing Gap
At the heart of the 2026 AEO report is a stark assessment of Africa's development financing shortfall: the continent faces an annual gap exceeding $1.3 trillion to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. The African Development Bank attributes the deficit to low domestic resource mobilisation, weak financial intermediation and tightening external financing conditions.
However, it argues, the issue is not only about a lack of resources but also about effectively deploying capital.
With appropriate reforms, Africa could unlock up to $1.43 trillion annually through improved revenue collection, more efficient public investment, staunching illicit financial flows and corruption, deeper capital markets, expanded public-private partnerships, diaspora financing, and better use of natural capital.
Among the key opportunities identified are an estimated $469 billion in additional annual revenues from stronger tax and non-tax mobilisation, alongside roughly $299 billion in potential savings from improved public investment efficiency. Public-private partnerships are highlighted as a powerful lever, with each additional dollar of public investment associated with approximately $1.40 in private investment.
Institutional investors, including pension funds, insurers and sovereign wealth funds, manage around $4 trillion in assets; yet less than 2.7 percent is allocated to infrastructure and productive sectors in Africa, underscoring significant untapped potential.
The report calls for accelerated efforts to strengthen Africa's financial systems through pan-African banks, integrated capital markets, and innovative instruments such as climate and Islamic finance. A central pillar to this is the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD) (https://apo-opa.co/4uIta9c), which aims to leverage over $4 trillion in assets within Africa's financial ecosystem.
The report also highlights the role of the African Credit Rating Agency, launched in January 2026, as an important tool for addressing perceived biases in sovereign risk assessments. While Africa's stock market capitalisation reached $1.2 trillion in 2024 -- nearly sixfold growth over two decades -- activity remains concentrated in South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, and Morocco, pointing to the need for broader market integration.
The report further underscores the importance of advancing continental initiatives, such as the African Financing Stability Mechanism (https://apo-opa.co/4nTP7iR), to ease liquidity pressures, strengthen financial stability, and help African countries manage debt refinancing risks at lower cost.
Click here (https://apo-opa.co/4uAYM06) to read the full report
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Contact:
Communication and External Relations
media@afdb.org
The Oceans 8 Charity Swim has grown into one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most impactful charitable events, with more than 300 swimmers raising R1,517,687 through the 2026 edition, which took place at Vetch’s Beach at the Durban Undersea Club on 23 and 24 May. With final donations still being processed through to the end of May, this …
The Springbok Women’s Sevens had to endure some misfortune like illness and travel delays before the start of the HSBC SVNS World Championship tournament in Valladolid, but for Zintle Mpupha, who will lead the team out at Estadio Jose Zorrilla on Friday morning, there is a real expectation that they can deliver positive results and …
iCAUR, the exciting new-energy brand that falls under the Chery South Africa umbrella, has officially unveiled the all-new V23, a retro-styled electric SUV designed to bring electrification to a new audience. Positioned just below the 03T, the newcomer combines efficient electric drivetrains with contemporary styling, the latest technology and, importantly, value for money. The V23 …