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Nersa appoints three new regulators

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has appointed Willibrod Majola and Nomfundo Maseti as full-time regulator members for five years following Cabinet's approval.

Nersa has also appointed Ria Govender as part-time regulator members for four years.

Chairperson Thembani Bukula says the members have extensive experience in energy regulation and will support Nersa's mandate to ensure the sustainable development of the energy sector.

South African inflation expectations fall toward 3% target

South African inflation expectations for the next two years fell in the fourth quarter, edging closer to the central bank's new 3% inflation target.

Average inflation expectations two years ahead - the gauge monetary policymakers prefer for setting borrowing costs - dipped to 3.7% in the last three months of 2025 from 4.2% previously, according to a survey published by the Stellenbosch-based Bureau for Economic Research on Friday.

The survey is the first since Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's formal endorsement last month of the central bank's new 3% inflation target - with a one-point tolerance band on either side - a shift long advocated by Governor Lesetja Kganyago.

The central bank chief announced the monetary policy committee's preference for inflation to settle at 3% in July. The MPC's previous target band of 3% to 6% had been in place for 25 years.

The drop in expectations may give officials ammunition to press ahead with their easing cycle at their first rate meeting of the year in late January, provided inflation remains subdued.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect inflation to accelerate to 3.7% in November from 3.6% a month earlier.

At their November meeting, policymakers cut the benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 6.75%, bringing cumulative reductions since the easing cycle began last year to 150 basis points.

At the time, Kganyago said the MPC wants longer-run expectations to anchor at 3%, staying there even when there are shocks.

ANC says it needs to reform to regain support

South Africa's African National Congress, the liberation movement that brought Nelson Mandela to power, said it was facing a crisis over corruption, poor governance, and persistent racial inequality, and pledged to clean up its act.

Although the largest party in government, the ANC was forced into a coalition last year after losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994. That defeat has prompted soul-searching.

Wrapping up a strategy conference in Johannesburg on Thursday, the party endorsed a declaration that identified corruption, factionalism, poor service delivery, and slow progress in reducing poverty among its failures.

"The apartheid-colonial political economy remains largely intact," it admitted, with Black South Africans vastly disadvantaged compared with the small white minority.

"We understand our struggle to be at a fork in the road, and thus, we can either renew or perish," the party said, vowing to set itself performance targets across a range of issues.

The ANC faces municipal elections in 2026 that it sees as a key test of its standing. While still revered by many for ending white minority rule, the party has lost support among younger voters fed up with a lack of progress and a culture of cronyism.

The second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance, favours free-market economics and wants to scrap the ANC's racial redress policies, which have also been criticised by US President Donald Trump.

"This will be an important test of the extent to which we have managed to renew the support and confidence of our people," President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC's leader, told the conference.

He said the party was making progress in rebuilding a culture of integrity, citing greater compliance with its "step aside" rule that requires members accused of wrongdoing to relinquish their posts.

Most South Africans want empowerment policy ended, study finds

More than half of South Africans want a key policy aimed at addressing racial inequality scrapped and hiring and promotions to be merit-based, according to the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation.

The South African Reconciliation Barometer found that 54% of the country's inhabitants agree that the so-called Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment rules should be phased out, the Cape Town-based institute said in a report published on its website. Two-thirds of South Africans think that the use of racial categories does more harm than good, the Cape Town-based IJR said.

Mounting scrutiny of the empowerment policy within South Africa is partly due to US President Donald Trump's drive to end affirmative action and government diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in America, the IJR said. Pretoria-born billionaire Elon Musk, who is seeking to start operating his Starlink internet service in South Africa, has said the laws are racist and unfairly prejudice White citizens.

South Africa introduced empowerment policies after the end of apartheid, compelling companies in industries including banking, mining and telecommunications to sell stakes to Black people who were systematically excluded from the economy during White-minority rule.

Three decades after the end of apartheid, Black South Africans, who account for more than 80% of the country's 63-million people, face a far higher unemployment rate than their White counterparts - 35.8% compared with 8.1%, according to Statistics South Africa. White households on average also earn almost five times more than Black families.

Almost 30-million Black South Africans live in poverty, according to the Democratic Alliance, which opposes the government's empowerment policy, which it says has "entrenched a millionaire class of politically connected insiders." The party found that 1-trillion rand ($59-billion) has been transferred to less than 100 people since apartheid ended in 1994, according to its website.

The IJR study showed that an overwhelming majority of South Africans agree that a racially representative workforce should be a national priority.

"This was relatively consistent among people of different races, although slightly lower among White South Africans," it said. Support among White South Africans for a racially representative workforce was 77%, compared with at least 82% for Black, Indian and mixed-race South Africans, the IJR said.

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US House committee approves Africa trade bill, no mention of South Africa exclusion for now

A US House committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would renew for another three years Washington's preferential trade programme for Africa, and there was no immediate mention of excluding South Africa as the US trade envoy had said was possible.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act, a law first enacted in 2000 to provide duty-free access to the US market for eligible sub-Saharan African countries and products, expired in September and hundreds of thousands of African jobs are estimated to depend on it.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday the Trump administration was open to a one-year extension but might exclude South Africa, which he described as a "unique problem".

The US House Committee on Ways and Means approved the AGOA Extension Act by a vote of 37-3, a committee statement said, describing the trade initiative as "the cornerstone of economic relations between the US and sub-Saharan African nations".

"An extended lapse in AGOA would create a void that malign actors like China and Russia will seek to fill," the statement added.

The bill will pass to the full House of Representatives, though it is not yet clear when it will take it up.

SOUTH AFRICA FIGHTING TO STAY IN AGOA South Africa's trade ministry says it is doing everything it can to ensure the country is included in any AGOA extension, even though relations with the US have soured badly during Trump's second term in office.

Trump has railed against Africa's biggest economy for its policies addressing racial inequality, and trade official Greer says it needs to lower tariffs and non-tariff barriers on US products for the US to reduce the 30% duties it imposed on South African goods in August.

South Africa says the Trump administration based its tariffs on an inaccurate view of the two countries' trade.

A trade ministry spokesperson said South Africa was tracking the progress of the AGOA Extension Act closely.

NDPP interviews: ActionSA objects to Andrea Johnson's candidacy

Following its objection to the shortlisting of Johannesburg Society of Advocates' advocate Menzi Simelane as a National Director of Public Prosecutions candidate, ActionSA further objected to the candidacy of National Prosecuting Authority Investigating Directorate advocate Andrea Johnson, claiming she is unfit for the position of NDPP.

The advisory panel handling the selection process, chaired by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, has been holding interviews since Wednesday.

Last month, the panel announced that it had shortlisted six candidates for the position.

They include former NPA ID head advocate Hermione Cronje, who is now a freelance international anti-corruption and asset recovery specialist; NPA Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Nicolette Astraid Bell; Johnson; Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime chairperson advocate Xolisile Jennifer Khanyile; NPA Western Cape Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Adrian Carl Mopp; and Simelane.

President Cyril Ramaphosa established the panel, ahead of the end of advocate Shamila Batohi's term of office, in January 2026.

ActionSA Parliamentary leader Athol Trollip said the country's justice system needed an "unimpeachable steward" to restore public trust in the institution.

"Adv. Johnson's poor performance before the Ad-hoc Committee, coupled with comments she made in a meeting effectively advising prosecutors to 'fake it until you make it' when handling serious cases, raises serious concerns about her suitability for this critical role," he said.

Johnson was interviewed on Wednesday, and Trollip said there were questions about whether she could turn around the NPA.

He noted that most public comments submitted on the suitability of the candidates showed that they objected to Johnson's candidacy, which ActionSA believed demonstrated a lack of public confidence in her.

"…marking a clear signal that if we are to reverse the shocking decline of the NPA, she simply cannot serve as head of our prosecuting authority," he said.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance has been vocal about Simelane's shortlisting, expressing disappointment with the panel.

"The panel set up to advise the President has chosen to interview advocate Menzi Simelane, a man already found unfit for this very office by South Africa's highest court," said DA spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development advocate Glynnis Breytenbach.

She said Simelane's past appointment as NDPP had been declared unconstitutional as he "lacked the necessary integrity and competence for the job".

"He actively facilitated State capture in the NPA in the past and will do it again if given the chance. This cannot be allowed to happen," she said.

The DA said Simelane's shortlisting for the position was shameful.

On Tuesday, the DA told Ramaphosa that if he appointed anyone following the panel's recommendations, the DA would approach the court to interdict that appointment.

Cabinet approves draft Gas Bill for processing by Parliament

Cabinet approved the submission of the draft Gas Bill 2025 to Parliament for further processing at its last scheduled meeting for 2025, which took place on December 5.

Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the Bill sought to repeal the Gas Act of 2001 and introduce a modernised legislative framework that reflected recent technological developments in gas transportation and storage.

Through the proposed legislation, government aimed to introduce empowering provisions for the centralised planning of new gas facilities, particularly the transmission and regasification infrastructure needed to import and transport gas.

"The Bill also addresses challenges experienced in the implementation and enforcement of the current Act by positioning South Africa to better manage its gas resources and infrastructure in line with global best practices and national energy priorities," she said.

Also included in the Bill were provisions equipping the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to set, monitor and regulate distribution tariffs, regulate the registration regime and determine licence periods.

Parties question Menzi Simelane's NDPP shortlisting, DA threatens legal action

The Democratic Alliance said on Wednesday it will interdict any appointment emerging from what it describes as a "flawed" National Director of Public Prosecutions interview process.

Last month, the party called for the removal of Johannesburg Society of Advocates' advocate Menzi Simelane from the shortlisted candidates being interviewed for the role.

ActionSA joined the DA in rejecting Simelane's possible appointment, stating that he was "not a fit and proper candidate", noting that the justice system urgently required an "unimpeachable steward" to restore public confidence in the National Prosecuting Authority.

The panel handling the selection process, chaired by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, on Wednesday began with interviews, which will continue till Thursday.

The DA claimed that the ongoing process to appoint a new NDPP had gone "badly off the rails".

"The panel set up to advise the President has chosen to interview advocate Menzi Simelane, a man already found unfit for this very office by South Africa's highest court.

"It is impossible to overlook that history," said DA spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development advocate Glynnis Breytenbach.

She said Simelane's past appointment as NDPP had been declared unconstitutional as he "lacked the necessary integrity and competence for the job".

"He actively facilitated State capture in the NPA in the past and will do it again if given the chance. This cannot be allowed to happen," she said.

The DA said Simelane's shortlisting to the position was shameful.

"Thirteen years after being removed as head of the NPA following litigation by the DA, Simelane cannot be reinstated," said Breytenbach.

She pointed out that the Supreme Court of Appeal, and later the Constitutional Court, struck down Simelane's 2010 appointment, questioning his honesty and integrity.

"…those judgments have never been overturned or softened.

"To make matters worse, he was found guilty of professional misconduct in 2017 for misleading the Ginwala Inquiry, and he now faces a striking-off application from the Johannesburg Bar Council," she added.

She said it was hard to imagine a more serious cloud over a candidate.

"Yet the panel insists it is only interviewing people who meet the minimum requirements. Under the National Prosecuting Authority Act, 'fit and proper' is a minimum legal requirement. The claim by the Panel collapses the moment Simelane's name appears on the shortlist.

"If he is treated as qualifying, then the process is irrational. And if the process is irrational, it is unlawful," she said.

On Sunday, the DA's attorneys wrote to the panel seeking reasons for Simelane's inclusion.

Breytenbach claimed that the panel did not acknowledge the letter.

On Tuesday, the DA told President Cyril Ramaphosa that if he appointed anyone from the panel's recommendations, the DA would approach the court to interdict that appointment.

ActionSA Parliamentary Leader Athol Trollip said considering the adverse findings made against Simelane by the Johannesburg Society of Advocates or the findings of the Ginwala Inquiry, which held that he had misled the Inquiry and provided inaccurate and unreliable testimony, effectively calling his honesty and integrity into question, the party could not reconcile with the fact that Simelane was shortlisted in the first place.

"To be clear, no candidate facing questions over their integrity can be considered fit for the position when what is required is someone beyond reproach," he said.

On Tuesday, prominent think tank the Centre for Development and Enterprise urged the advisory panel to rigorously interrogate the six shortlisted candidates.

CDE executive director Ann Bernstein urged the panel to test whether the candidates would be willing and able to prosecute the powerful, and have the determination, experience and capacity to rebuild the NPA and restore...

US House committee to take up Africa trade bill, but South Africa risks exclusion

A US House committee will on Wednesday consider a three-year extension to Washington's flagship trade initiative for Africa which lapsed in September, but South Africa risks being excluded amid tensions between Pretoria and the Trump administration.

Ties have deteriorated this year with a row over trade and as President Donald Trump has frequently criticised South Africa for its domestic laws addressing racial inequality.

The House committee meeting is the most significant progress Congress has made towards renewing the African Growth and Opportunity Act, but its ultimate prospects remain unclear.

The law was first enacted in 2000 to provide duty-free access to the US market for eligible Sub-Saharan countries and products, and hundreds of thousands of African jobs are estimated to depend on it.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday the Trump administration was open to a one-year extension but might exclude South Africa, which he described as a "unique problem".

He said South Africa needed to lower tariffs and non-tariff barriers on US products in order for the US to reduce its 30% duties on South African goods. South Africa has previously said the Trump administration based its tariffs on an inaccurate view of the two countries' trade.

There is no special provision for South Africa in the current draft of the AGOA Extension Act, but the US House Committee on Ways and Means will consider amendments to the text before voting on whether or not to send it to the full House of Representatives.

Another bill introduced in the Senate in October proposes a two-year renewal of AGOA and a review of the bilateral relationship with South Africa, but it has not yet been taken up in committee.

Policy Uncertainty Index eases significantly to 64.9 in the fourth quarter

The North-West University Business School's Policy Uncertainty Index has eased to a level of 64.9 in the fourth quarter, compared with a record high of 81 in the third quarter.

This suggests the economy may have reached a turning point and is set to enter 2026 on a note of cautious optimism.

South Africa's economy showed a fourth consecutive rise in economic activity in the third quarter, albeit from a low base. GDP forecasts for 2026 are generally higher, ranging from 1.1% to 1.6%.

The NWU Business School points out that some of the positive developments locally have been lower interest rates, the well-received Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, South Africa being taken off the Financial Action Task Force grey list, a move to lower the inflation target of 3% and ratings agency S&P's decision to raise the country's investment status for the first time in nearly two decades.

Additionally, fixed capital formation increased by 1.6% in the fourth quarter.

The negative factors elevating economic uncertainty, on the other hand, remain high crime levels and the impact of US tariffs on South Africa's export prospects.

Tariff uncertainty can be as economically damaging as the tariffs themselves, the business school emphasises. The South African Reserve Bank has estimated that US tariffs could shave 0.4% off of South Africa's GDP, in the absence of a satisfactory new trade deal with the US.

"The challenge remains for South Africa to ensure the robust implementation of half-forged growth-friendly policies and projects that will further reduce policy uncertainty.

"South Africa's economic steersmanship must continue to keep policy firmly on track so that next year the tailwinds will overcome any headwinds," it explains.

The institution elaborates that policy uncertainty can be gradually reduced by building resilience, creating fiscal buffers and stabilising public indebtedness amid adverse global headwinds.

Political stability may also have been enhanced for now by the Government of National Unity leadership's recent agreement to a formal dispute resolution mechanism meeting monthly and pursuing "sufficient consensus".

Although remaining in negative territory, the recent surge of better economic news for South Africa led to the welcome easing in the PUI to 64.9. The NWU Business School says there were enough positive factors in the past quarter to outweigh the negatives.

Globally, economic growth forecasts are modest yet positive overall. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects global growth of 3.2% next year, but elevated global uncertainty is now seen as the 'new normal'.

"The universal global challenge is how countries can turn uncertainty into opportunity by strengthening resilience, restoring stability and laying the groundwork for durable growth," the business school states.

The US economy, however, appears to be facing the new year with a mix of strength and vulnerabilities. Experts foresee growth in this region's economy of 2% next year, with some downside risks.

The IMF and World Bank both expect the sub-Saharan African economy to grow by more than 4% next year, describing the region's economy as resilient. However, there may be downside risks from global trade uncertainty, high external debt and major job deficits.

The business school says the South African economy may have reached a turning point and that, if the right decisions continue to be taken and implemented, elevated policy uncertainty is reversible.