US EditionRand at best level in two weeks on ‘constructive and conservative’ Budget
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's 2026 Budget forecasts debt peaking at 78.9% of GDP with a narrowed deficit and improved growth, boosting investor confidence and currency strength.
- On Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the 2026 Budget in Parliament, prompting the rand to strengthen to R15.86/$, its best in about two weeks, as commentators called the Budget fiscally 'constructive and conservative'.
- Treasury withdrew planned tax hikes, citing stronger-than-expected tax collections, and shifted spending away from household consumption toward capital investment to crowd in private-sector capital.
- Bond markets reacted, with 10-year government bonds yields falling to about 7.98% as prices rose, while the JSE all-share index gained 1.5% to close at 127 087 points, analysts said.
- From 1 April, social grant beneficiaries will see above-inflation increases with the old age grant rising 3.7% to R2,400 and child support grant 3.6% to R580, while R36.9-billion is allocated to the SRD grant.
- Over the medium term, the National Treasury aims to reduce debt as a share of GDP to 77.3% in 2026/27 and 76.5% by 2028/29, using public-private partnerships and the Infrastructure Finance and Implementation Support Agency.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Political parties criticise budget speech amid stagnant growth – The Mail & Guardian
“Out of touch, austerity-driven and insufficient to tackle the country’s persistent economic crises” was how some political parties have described Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget tabled in parliament on Wednesday. In his speech, Godongwana projected GDP growth of 1.8% over the medium term, well below the 3% considered necessary to stabilise per capita income and slash unemployment. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) slammed the 2026 …
2026 Budget speech: FinMin Godongwana's Budget speech in full
Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.Del…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
