SOUTH AFRICA: Third wave collides with fragile recovery, choppy politics
A third Covid-19 wave has prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to raise South Africa’s lockdown level by one notch, but the restrictions are very mild compared to last year’s economy-wide lockdown. The Covid-19 surge and slow vaccine rollout remain major downside risks to So… Become a member to read the rest of this article Username […]
SOUTH AFRICA: Labor battles about to get serious
Public-sector wage negotiations will test Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s ability to hold the line on his ZAR 300bn savings pledge. At state-owned power utility Eskom, management has rebuffed labor’s opening demands for double-digit wage increases. A public-sector strik… Become a member to read the rest of this article
SOUTH AFRICA: Zondo commission appearance barely moves the political needle
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appearance at the Zondo inquiry into state capture this week did little to move the political needle or cleanse the ruling ANC of its reputational stains. While Ramaphosa will again be under scrutiny at the inquiry next month, the most important m… Become a member to read the rest of this […]
SOUTH AFRICA: Cabinet reshuffle likely delayed by factional politics
Notwithstanding growing media speculation, President Cyril Ramaphosa may hold off on reshuffling his cabinet until next month as factional battles within the ruling ANC play out. ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule’s exit from office seems increasingly inevitable; this sho… Become a member to read the rest of this article
SOUTH AFRICA: Headline risk in ANC politics
Despite months of stalling, the battle to remove ruling party Secretary-General Ace Magashule has inched a step closer towards an outcome. The so-called ‘radical economic transformation (RET)’ faction will create maximum chaos in the interim. The situation will test Ram… Become a member to read the rest of this article
SOUTH AFRICA: Tito’s tenure
The 24 February budget has reinforced the importance of keeping Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in his post, but also speculation about his tenure. President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to reshuffle his cabinet soon owning to vacancies. However, Mboweni may remain in office … Become a member to read the rest of this article
SOUTH AFRICA: Tito’s “no austerity” consolidation budget
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s 24 February budget benefits from better-than-expected revenue shortfalls but aims to hold the line on fiscal consolidation over the medium term. Above all, his plan to stabilize South Africa’s public finances will stand or fall by the gove… Become a member to read the rest of this article
SOUTH AFRICA: Budget preview – short-term gain, long-term pain?
Ahead of the 24 February budget, South Africa’s near-term fiscal outlook has improved slightly relative to last October’s disastrous Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS). This is primarily thanks to exogenous factors, not because President Cyril Ramaphosa’s govern… Become a member to read the rest of this article
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: Pandemic downsides abound amid ‘vaccine apartheid’
Pandemic downsides abound amid ‘vaccine apartheid’ A second Covid-19 surge is putting to the test assumptions that the pandemic’s public health impact across the continent has been comparatively mild. Health crises and on-and-off lockdowns may be a recurring feature of 2021 and b… Become a member to read the rest of this article
SOUTH AFRICA: First vaccine progress as second wave eases
Late on 1 February, on the day when the first 1mn Covid-19 vaccines had arrived in the country, President Cyril Ramaphosa was able to deliver somewhat better news around the vaccine rollout. Around 40mn-50mn vaccine doses now seem to be in the pipeline (which could represent a si… Become a member to read the […]