7 October 2026 – More than 220 South African businesses were liquidated in August, with companies involved in finance, insurance, property and business services recording the largest number of closures as economists warn that tougher conditions could reverse recent improvements. Statistics South Africa recorded 227 liquidations during August 2026, taking the total for the first […]

7 October 2026 – More than 220 South African businesses were liquidated in August, with companies involved in finance, insurance, property and business services recording the largest number of closures as economists warn that tougher conditions could reverse recent improvements. Statistics South Africa recorded 227 liquidations during August 2026, taking the total for the first

6 October – South African food and agricultural exporters are increasingly pivoting toward China and other BRICS markets to expand sales and diversify their international footprint amid evolving global trade dynamics and market shifts. Local agro-processing and fruit companies operating in the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province said Tuesday

5 October – South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R20.5 billion in August 2026. This surplus was attributable to exports of R181.8 billion and imports of R161.3 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN). The year-to-date (01 January to 31 August 2026) preliminary trade balance surplus of R149.5

30 September 2026 – Container freight rates have softened ahead of China’s Golden Week holidays while the United States and China have identified goods representing US$60 billion (about R983.4 billion) in bilateral trade for possible tariff reductions. Cargo volumes began declining around the Far East’s mid-Autumn festival holidays with carriers offering discounts for October shipments, according to

29 September – South Africa’s economic recovery has been interrupted rather than derailed, after the economy unexpectedly contracted in the second quarter as the global energy shock, weak investment and pressure on key industries took their toll. Statistics South Africa figures released earlier on Tuesday showed that gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.2% in

28 September 2026 – Zero tariffs on exports to China do not equate to zero compliance costs. Regardless of destination, a South African trader normally has to comply with the Customs and Excise Act, SARS customs procedures, tariff classification, valuation, rules of origin and any product-specific controls. The Chinese landed cost is therefore made up

South Africa has recorded a further 114 insolvencies in August 2026, taking the total number of insolvent businesses this year to 1,010. The latest data from Stats SA showed a 20% month-on-month drop in insolvencies, with 143 recorded in July 2026. The data point to declines across the board, with insolvencies down 44% from August

22 September 2026 – G20 merchandise trade accelerated in Q2 2026. Measured in current US dollars, quarter-on-quarter import growth rose markedly to 6.7%, from the 5.2% growth recorded in the previous quarter, reflecting strong increases in a number of G20 economies. G20 merchandise exports growth remained broadly flat at 5.9%. Preliminary estimates also point to

21 September 2026 – The rate at which the Pacific Ocean surface waters are warming in the current El Niño cycle is “highly unusual”, the South African Weather Service has warned. Existing temperature records are being broken. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a cyclical but irregular climate phenomenon caused by warming surface water in