As the country’s matriculants wrap up their end-of-year examinations, South Africa once again confronts an uncomfortable truth: the education system they are exiting is fundamentally misaligned with the higher education system they are expected to enter. While the Department of Basic Education (DBE) continues lowering academic thresholds to boost pass rates, universities under the Department…
read moreSouth Africa received some welcome news after the credit ratings agency S&P decided to upgrade both SA’s foreign currency long-term sovereign credit rating to ‘BB’ from ‘BB- ‘and local currency long-term sovereign credit rating to ‘BB+’ from ‘BB’. Its outlook remains positive. Another agency, Fitch affirmed South Africa’s sovereign rating at BB- with a stable…
read moreSouth Africa’s monetary policy debate enters a new, more intricate chapter following the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting today. After a year of global volatility, shifting trade patterns, and a rapidly changing interest rate environment, the MPC delivered a carefully calibrated policy response: a 25-basis-point cut, lowering the repo rate…
read moreThe Tripartite Alliance, made up of the African National Congress (ANC), Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), and the South African Communist Party (SACP) has long served as the bedrock of South Africa’s post-apartheid political landscape, united in pursuit of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). As the 2026 local government elections (LGE) loom, COSATU…
read moreThe 2025 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on 12 November, marks a delicate balancing act between fiscal prudence, political compromise, and reform-driven recovery. It arrives at a moment of renewed fiscal discipline but persistent political fragility, where the Government of National Unity (GNU) faces the dual challenge of maintaining…
read moreThe 2025 electoral cycle in Africa has underscored both the promise and the persistent fragility of the continent’s democratic experiment. In Malawi and Seychelles, well-administered elections with high turnout and transparent processes highlighted the potential of strong institutions to deliver credible outcomes and peaceful transfers of power. By contrast, Tanzania’s polls exposed structural weaknesses and…
read moreAs the African National Congress (ANC) prepares for its National General Council (NGC) in December, the party faces one of the most consequential moments of introspection since 1994. For party president Cyril Ramaphosa, the gathering is more than an internal review; it is a mid-term test of whether his ambitious “new dawn” reform agenda, unveiled…
read moreOn 03 November 2025, leaders of all ten political parties in South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) concluded a two-day retreat in Gauteng. The gathering was not merely a discussion forum but an effort to institutionalise mechanisms that manage policy disputes and prevent public fractures, addressing 16 months of escalating tensions that had repeatedly…
read moreThe Israel-Palestine conflict, marked by cycles of violence and fragile truces, faced a significant challenge on 19 October when Israeli airstrikes targeted numerous areas in Gaza, resulting in substantial civilian casualties. Palestinian health authorities reported the death of dozens, including women and children. This incident, triggered by the deaths of two Israeli soldiers allegedly at…
read moreThe African National Congress (ANC) has once again placed economic recovery and structural reform at the centre of its political agenda. The party’s 10-Point Economic Plan, unveiled at the conclusion of its special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last week, signals an effort to reclaim credibility on the economy at a time when growth remains…
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