Budget | Fitch questions Treasury’s fiscal consolidation narrative
National Treasury forecasts a narrowing deficit, from 4.8% of GDP in 2025/26 to 3.8% in 2026/27. Fitch, however, projects larger deficits of 5.1% and 4.5% respectively.
Industry News
Surge in unregulated buy-now-pay-later raises affordability concerns
Credit expansion is coming almost entirely from the deeper use of cards and personal loans by current credit-active consumers, rather than fresh market entrants, says RCS.
Unauthorised operators masquerade as top firms to promise unrealistic returns
The FSCA warns the public about multiple unauthorised financial scams impersonating trusted brands on social media, urging caution and verification before investing.
Beefed-up SARS might stave off R20bn in tax increases in 2026
An inflation-linked rise in the general fuel levy will in no way be sufficient to plug the revenue hole left by scrapping the two VAT increases.
Budget gap widens as revenue projections slide
The revised Budget reveals the hard truth: with limited borrowing room and rising demands, Treasury must make tough calls on what to fund – and what to cut.
Treasury eyes billions in savings through tougher spending oversight
The Budget Overview outlines plans to overhaul public spending processes, aiming to identify inefficiencies.
Employer medical boarding doesn’t guarantee a disability insurance payout
Even when an employer’s doctor declares an employee unfit, group policy definitions such as ‘Own Occupation’ vs ‘Any Occupation’ can lead to claim denials.
Behind the scenes at OPFA: how pension complaints are investigated and resolved
Deputy Pension Funds Adjudicator Naheem Essop shares how OPFA’s inquisitorial process works, the challenges funds face with internal dispute resolution, and what happens when complaints escalate or are deemed frivolous.
Municipal crisis: mismanagement threatens service delivery and financial stability
Recent reports and the Budget Overview expose deep flaws in local government, prompting urgent calls for debt reforms and stricter accountability.
Collective investment schemes post strongest quarterly inflows in years
Despite a turbulent first quarter marked by political discord and trade-tariff shocks, CIS managers attracted R48bn in net inflows – the highest quarterly figure since 2020.
SCA upholds pre-commencement tax debts in business rescue
The Supreme Court of Appeal confirms that re-quantifying a tax debt post-rescue commencement doesn’t create a new, preferential liability – cementing SARS’s place as a concurrent creditor under an approved rescue plan.
In the age of AI, asset managers face a new kind of intelligence test
As artificial intelligence accelerates a quiet revolution in active asset management, Coronation’s Peter Kempen argues the future lies in blending AI’s speed and scale with human intuition and judgment.
Sanlam’s new business volumes increase in the first quarter of 2025
The group is keeping its discretionary capital well above target amid concerns over potential tariff-driven inflation, supply-chain shocks, and credit defaults.
Landmark trade court suit could nullify Trump’s global tariffs
The ruling could strip the president of the power to levy duties without congressional approval and force the roll-back of existing levies, with major implications for businesses and global supply chains.
Buffett’s final chapter: what the world’s greatest investor can teach us
From buying his first stock as a teen to building one of the world’s most valuable companies, Buffett’s story is rich with insight. As he retires, here are the five takeaways every investor should remember.
Restarting Ithala: inside the legal tug-of-war over SA’s ‘state bank’
After months in limbo, Ithala resumes limited operations – but its revival faces steep legal and regulatory challenges as the battle over its liquidation and banking status intensifies.
Funds ‘must do more’ to hold employers accountable for arrear contributions
The OPFA on how retirement funds should address non-compliant employers, death benefit allocations, and requests to withhold benefits.
