Bad news for Chinese car lovers, and say goodbye major DStv monopoly in South Africa
The rand strengthened on Tuesday, buoyed by higher prices for precious metals, as the market anticipated local central bank data that could provide insight into the country’s economic outlook.
The rand traded at 15.9950 per dollar, approximately 0.3% higher than Monday’s close.
Record highs in exports of gold and other precious metals, such as platinum, were achieved on Monday, allowing the rand to surpass 16 to the dollar for the first time since June 2022.
Although gold prices continued to rise on Tuesday, platinum prices saw a decline.
Investors focused on South Africa’s composite leading business cycle indicator for November, which increased by 1.4% month-on-month, according to central bank data released on Tuesday.
This indicator aggregates information on vehicle sales, business confidence, money supply, and other factors to assess the outlook for Africa’s largest economy.
The market’s attention will now shift to South Africa’s first interest rate announcement of 2026.
Analysts expect the central bank to maintain its repo rate, while eight analysts predict a 25-basis-point cut to 6.50%.
On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Top-40 index was down 0.4% at the last measurement.
As of Wednesday, January 28, the rand is trading at R15.86 to the dollar, R21.88 to the pound, and R19.01 to the euro. Gold is currently valued at $5,265.49 per ounce, while oil prices have risen to $67.91 per barrel.
5 important things happening in South Africa today
Bad news for Chinese car lovers in South Africa: South Africa’s government is considering implementing antidumping duties on cars from China and India, which are threatening to displace local automotive producers and severely impact domestic component manufacturers.
[BusinessDay]
Goodbye major DStv monopoly: MultiChoice’s DStv is facing an increasing threat to its dominance over sports broadcast rights in South Africa, as international companies with bigger budgets, such as Netflix and Amazon, start offering live streaming. [MyBroadband]
Eskom threatens South Africa: South African households are receiving threatening messages from Eskom and municipal entities, including Johannesburg’s City Power, demanding that they register their solar installations. According to Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, all systems with a capacity of less than 100 kVA must be registered with a network service provider. [Newsday]
Ramaphosa’s plan for revival: South Africa’s government and business leaders are revitalising their partnership with a renewed effort to boost an economy that has struggled for over a decade. The next phase of this collaboration will emphasise youth employment, addressing crime and corruption, and accelerating reforms in energy and logistics to enhance growth and restore confidence, according to a recent statement. [Bloomberg]
R1.7 billion returned to NSFAS: The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has returned R1.7 billion to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which is intended for meeting the needs of students at higher education institutions. This amount is part of the R2 billion that the SIU has recovered from universities, TVET colleges, and unqualified former students.
[EWN]
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