Tuesday, 18 August 2026

ABSA reported headline earnings up 8% for the half-year to end-June, with South African earnings up 17% but Africa operations down 10%; the dividend also rose 8%.

The draft electricity pricing policy was dismissed as mostly old ideas, with major unanswered questions over implementation and how free basic electricity would be funded if allocation rises fivefold.

Johannesburg’s decline was framed as a national economic threat: nine mayors in 10 years, no completed full term, and an estimated 44 billion rand just to fix electricity infrastructure.

Ground Up reported severe dysfunction at Johannesburg’s Master’s Office, with backlogs, offline systems and alleged bribe demands; delays are said to leave estates and insolvencies dragging on for years.

For retirees, the key rule of thumb was a 5% drawdown from a balanced portfolio, with a six- to 12-month cash buffer to ride out market falls and avoid running out of money.