Tag: currency volatility

Africa presents a compelling – albeit complex – investment landscape. While challenges such as political instability, currency volatility, and limited liquidity persist, significant opportunities counterbalance them. These growth options stem from powerful demographic shifts, digital transformation, and burgeoning intra-continental trade.

The volatility of the South African Rand (ZAR) against the US Dollar (USD) and other major currencies is a trend that is keeping many South Africans up at night. How well the USD performs and how it impacts the value of the ZAR, is greatly impacted by factors such as the US employment figures, inflation rates and gross domestic product (GDP) data, pronouncements by the US Federal Reserve (Fed), and locally, South Africa’s trade balance, GDP, inflation levels, unemployment figures, and guidance from the South African Reserve Bank about monetary policy.

Despite the country falling into recession, coupled with a dim economic outlook, it is not all doom and gloom for small businesses. For many small businesses the outlook for the year ahead seems bleak due to a lower forecast for economic growth globally, challenging local trading conditions owing to inconsistent power supply, currency volatility and rising operating costs, amongst several factors. However, opportunities still exist for SMEs who are agile.