RC 260923Power FMTehillah Niselow
Wednesday, 23 September 2026
A rate hike, rising inflation risks and geopolitical pressures dominated, alongside scrutiny of worker benefit funds and signs of relief from abundant agricultural production.
- 18:48
The Reserve Bank raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.25%, choosing a smaller increase after considering both holding rates and a 50-basis-point hike.
- 18:34
August consumer inflation edged up to 4.4% from 4.3% in July, while food inflation ended an eight-month decline and fuel inflation remained near 20%.
- 18:56
KPMG economist Frank Blackmore said sustained fuel increases could create second-round inflation effects, squeezing businesses, reducing demand and weakening South Africa’s growth outlook.
- 19:27
The road freight bargaining council said R2.59 billion in worker benefit assets belongs to employees’ sick-pay, holiday-pay, leave-pay and wellness funds, not the council.
- 19:36
Strong harvests, including a record 17.4 million-tonne maize crop, kept food inflation unusually low, although Agbiz expects it to rise towards 5% to 5.5% in 2027.