{"id":852057,"date":"2026-02-25T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=852057"},"modified":"2026-02-25T13:47:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:47:45","slug":"where-you-can-watch-the-2026-budget-live-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/budget-speech\/852057\/where-you-can-watch-the-2026-budget-live-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Where you can watch the 2026 budget live in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will table the 2026 Budget at 14h00 on Wednesday (25 February), with analysts anticipating a credible showing with plenty of good news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africans will be able to tune into the Budget Speech across a variety of channels, including radio, TV and online streaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main channels for streaming online are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@encanews\/streams\">eNCA<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ParliamentofRSA\/streams\">Parliament TV<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@sabcdigitalnews\/streams\">SABC<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"National Assembly Plenary (Budget Speech), 25 February 2026\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xa20RTe6cyk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Finance Minister delivers 2026 Budget Speech\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y_90yrW5108?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike the chaos of 2025, where three separate budget meetings were held in February, March, and finally May, the 2026 Budget is expected to be smooth sailing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After political infighting and ructions within the Government of National Unity (GNU) over the inclusion of a VAT hike in the original 2025 budget, the finance department changed its processes for 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, the upcoming budget should result from wider consultation within the GNU and from a broader range of inputs from the array of political parties that comprise it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Analysts also anticipate that South Africa&#8217;s financial situation will be much improved from last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Godongwana has signalled that the country&#8217;s debt as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) will stabilise this year, suggesting government debt will finally peak after rising for almost two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This would lower the state\u2019s interest bill and free up resources for education, health care and infrastructure investment as municipal elections approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Economists surveyed by Bloomberg see the debt-to-GDP ratio peaking at 78% \u2014 slightly above the National Treasury\u2019s 77.9% forecast \u2014 before easing to 76.9% by 2029. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They expect Godongwana to outline how those gains will be sustained through a new fiscal rule to be adopted by next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Economists expect good news<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/godongwana-kieswetter-e1772003404943.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/godongwana-kieswetter-e1772003404943-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-751194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/godongwana-kieswetter-e1772003404943-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/godongwana-kieswetter-e1772003404943-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/godongwana-kieswetter-e1772003404943-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/godongwana-kieswetter-e1772003404943.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe market is expecting a very bullish budget with a substantial revenue overrun feeding through to higher primary surpluses and a clear decline in the debt-to-GDP ratio,\u201d Carmen Nel, head of multi-asset at Terebinth Capital, said in an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Economists anticipate tax collections to exceed the Treasury\u2019s November forecast by R10 billion and expenditure to significantly undershoot in the year through March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s likely to lower the consolidated budget deficit to 4.4% of GDP, better than the Treasury\u2019s previous 4.7% projection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hitting those numbers would widen South Africa\u2019s primary surplus, whereby revenue exceeds non-interest expenditure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fiscal gains reflect deliberate policy choices rather than merely favourable external tailwinds, said Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economist Andrew Matheny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe fiscal improvement is mostly Treasury\u2019s doing,\u201d he said. \u201cCorporate income-tax receipts have come in somewhat stronger than expected, but not dramatically so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The anticipated fiscal improvements, together with South Africa\u2019s removal from the FATF grey list and the adoption of a 3% inflation target, could strengthen the case for ratings upgrades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Economists expect Fitch Ratings and Moody\u2019s Ratings to shift the country\u2019s outlook to positive when they deliver their next assessments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Godongwana is also expected to maintain a hard line on support for state-owned enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are no expectations for major SOE bailouts in the budget, but pressures at Transnet, the RAF and other state companies remain a persistent risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africans will also be on the lookout for other big-ticket issues, like the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme, new tax measures\u2014or even relief\u2014and information around new social grants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Aluma Capital Chief Economist Frederick Mitchell, while the macro-narrative for South Africa is positive, taxpayers desperately need relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Middle-class taxpayers in particular are reaching a breaking point, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;For two fiscal years, tax brackets and medical aid credits have remained unadjusted, creating a &#8216;pernicious stealth tax&#8217; through bracket creep. As salaries rise with inflation, more South Africans are pushed into higher tax brackets without a real increase in wealth,&#8221; he said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the economist expects the customary increase in \u201csin taxes\u201d (alcohol and tobacco), he insists Godongwana must address this fiscal drag with the tax base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Failure to provide relief to this narrow tax base would be a direct blow to household consumption, which accounts for 60% of South Africa\u2019s GDP,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>With reporting from Bloomberg.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will table the 2026 Budget at 14h00 on Wednesday (25 February), with analysts anticipating a credible showing with plenty of good news.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":753767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13716],"tags":[24824,17448],"class_list":["post-852057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-budget-speech","tag-budget-2026","tag-enoch-godongwana"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=852057"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":852093,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852057\/revisions\/852093"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/753767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=852057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=852057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=852057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}