Editor’s take: Caught between a rock and a hard place

In April the effect of the US-Isreal-Iran war become decidedly tangible - the double blow of soaring oil and steep electricity prices sees South African’s face higher prices all round. If the conflict does not subside soon, even greater economic strain and hardship are likely—not only for the countries directly involved, but globally.

Importantly, the conflict is forcing global shipping to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, creating a surge in maritime traffic near South African ports. Shipping operators, including giants like MSC, Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd, are bypassing the Suez Canal and the Red Sea due to safety risks, rerouting ships around the South African coast. Ports such as Cape Town and Durban are seeing higher volumes of traffic as ships avoid the Persian Gulf.

Editor’s take: Mining to the rescue

As the world and South Africa brace for soaring oil prices following the US-Israel-Iran conflict, the future is looking increasingly bleak. By the second week of March, oil prices surged over 20% to pass $100 a barrel.  Referencing the conflict, Dr Azar Jammine, Chief Economist at Econometrix, a keynote speaker at the recently held Afrisam Budget Breakdown Breakfast, advised that imminent shortages of supply are going to change the global environment in a significant way, with the price of goods and services set to soar, and “as a consequence, interest rates around the world may not come down to the extent that we anticipated”.

Editor’s take: Stronger together: Progress through partnerships

China just delivered a masterclass in How toWin Friends with its announcement that starting May 1, 2026, it will implement a zero-tariff policy on 100% of tariff lines for imports from 53 African nations. This major initiative expands previous limited duty-free access, aiming to balance trade deficits, boost African exports, and enhance economic partnerships.

Editor’s take: BRICS and mo, ta!  

What a time to be alive – front row seats as geopolitical tensions reshape the world economy. In all this mayhem, the BRICS alliance has done the unthinkable – introduced an alternative currency to the dollar – for more than five decades, the world has been forced to rely on the dollar as a reserve currency, but not for much longer. At the end of October last year, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) launched the Unit, a gold-backed prototype released on a pilot programme. The Unit aims to reduce dollar reliance through a basket of gold and member currencies for trade settlement. The recent pilot marks a tangible early stage move towards an alternative financial system within the expanded BRICS+bloc.

Editor’s take: 2026 – Are you ready to fire on all cylinders?

Having struggled through 2025, are you ready for the Year of the Fire Horse, which, according to the Chinese astrology, is expected to bring sweeping changes, rapid developments, and a strong push for liberation, innovation, and self-expression. In 2026, South Africans can expect potential economic and personal growth opportunities, driven by a cautiously improving economy, the potential for a stronger Rand after exiting the Financial Action Task Force Grey List, and interest rate cuts. 

While the IMF pegs South Africa’s economic growth rate at 1.2% year-on-year, for 2026, Investec is more upbeat forecasting a growth rate of 1.5% year-on-year. Moody's is even more positive, forecasting growth to double to 1.6%, driven by ongoing structural reforms, particularly in logistics.