Tag: inflation

Medical aid contribution increases for 2026 are generally lower than the sharp hikes seen in 2025. This offers some relief to members after last year’s double-digit adjustments.

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) recently signalled its intention to target the lower band of the 3% to 6% inflation range. Previously, the Bank adopted the mid-point of 4.5% as its formal objective in 2019. This shift shows a deliberate effort to anchor investor expectations closer to 3%. It may also reshape long-term assumptions about South African inflation as SARB focuses on targeting the lower inflation band.

There has been a noticeable shift in global trade. While it might feel distant, it is already knocking on South Africa’s door. Tariffs are climbing again, fast and hard. Our research shows that the average US tariff rate has risen from around 2.4 percent at the end of 2024 to 29 percent today. That is the highest level in over a century.

With the outsourcing space becoming increasingly cutthroat, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies find themselves trapped in a relentless race to the bottom. Aggressive pricing demands from clients and undercutting by low-cost competitors leave local operators with no choice but to sacrifice margins just to stay in the game.

When Jean-Baptiste Say published his Treatise on Political Economy in 1803, he was not trying to be provocative. He was trying to be clear. In doing so, he ended up stating something both obvious and easy to forget: real economic activity begins with production, not consumption.

The operating environment during the first half of the year was challenging. Uncertainty around US policies, especially tariffs and ongoing geopolitical conflicts, caused significant volatility in financial markets. These factors also reduced business confidence.

Each year, medical aid becomes more expensive and slips further out of reach for many South Africans. Annual premium increases continue to outpace inflation far. As a result, staying covered has become an uphill battle. Many consumers are questioning whether their medical aid is worth the cost. Others are being forced to downgrade or abandon it entirely. If you're feeling the financial squeeze, you are not alone.

Some months ago, I exchanged views with Buddy Wells, one of South Africa’s more vocal supporters of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). In our debate, he argued a familiar point. According to him, governments can print money to employ the jobless without causing inflation, as long as those being hired are not already doing anything useful.

Gold has always held a unique place in the global financial system. It doesn’t generate income or pay dividends. However, when inflation spikes, markets turn volatile or currencies weaken, gold often bucks the trend and rises to the occasion. In 2025, we’ve seen this pattern repeat itself. Gold has climbed to near-record highs.

Figures released in the latest C-suite Barometer study, paint a positive picture for private equity and alternative investments, with 26% of global executives planning to use these channels to raise funds in the year ahead.