Category: Africa

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to reduce the policy rate by 25 basis points, to 6.75%, with effect from 20 November 2025.

Delivering the last MPC statement of the year on Thursday, SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the decision to reduce the policy rate was unanimous. 

“Members agreed there was scope now to make the policy stance less restrictive, in the context of an improved inflation outlook. The risks to the growth outlook are assessed as balanced. Inflation has accelerated somewhat over the past few months, reaching 3.6% for October. This is higher than the 3% average for the first half of the year. 

“The uptick is mainly due to non-core items: meat, vegetables, and fuel. We continue to see this pressure as temporary, with inflation heading lower again from the beginning of next year. Indeed, recent outcomes have undershot our forecasts slightly,” the Governor said.

Due to a stronger rand, and a lower oil price assumption, there is a small downward revision to the inflation outlook, for both 2025 and 2026.

“For inflation expectations, we do not have an update from our usual survey this meeting, but market rates and surveys of analysts both show further progress towards the 3% objective. 

“Core goods prices are benefitting from exchange rate strength. Food price inflation seems to have peaked, although we have a small upward revision to this forecast, mainly from beef prices. 

“Services inflation is unchanged from the last meeting: the announced medical aid increases are lower than last year’s; at the same time, housing inflation has accelerated, which warrants ongoing scrutiny,” Kganyago said.

The MPC assessed the risks to the inflation outlook as balanced.

“The Quarterly Projection Model continues to forecast gradual rate cuts as inflation subsides. As before, this rate path remains a broad policy guide. Our decisions will continue to be taken on a meeting-by-meeting basis, with careful attention to the outlook, data outcomes, and the balance of risks to the forecast.

“Domestic growth is looking better than last year. The second quarter data surprised on the upside and the third quarter indicators are looking broadly positive. Household consumption has also been rising but investment continues to disappoint,” he said.

For this meeting, the MPC considered two risk scenarios.
“The first scenario featured a US dollar rebound, recognising that while the rand has appreciated this year, this partly reflects broad dollar weakness, not just rand strength. In this scenario, the rand depreciates back to its 2023 levels against the dollar, rather than holding on to its recent gains, as in our baseline.

“The second scenario was based on higher administered prices, linked to a rapid correction of the R54 billion electricity pricing error disclosed a few months back. The scenario also had inflation expectations staying higher for longer, in response,” the Governor said.

Both scenarios featured tighter monetary policy, with rates coming down more slowly compared to the baseline. 

The administered price scenario in particular shows that if price setters take on board the 3% target, South Africa will have space to get to lower rates faster.

At its second last meeting of the year in September, the central bank kept the repo rate unchanged at 10.5%.
READ | SA Reserve Bank keeps repo rate unchanged

At the tabling of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) earlier this month, National Treasury announced a new inflation target for South Africa of 3% with a 1 percentage point tolerance band. The announcement followed agreement between the Governor and the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana.

Godongwana had further consulted with the President and Cabinet on the decision.
The new target immediately replaces the previous target range of between 3 and 6%, and will be implemented over the next two years. –SAnews.gov.za 
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the G20 Social Summit as “possibly the best of all the G20 summits” praising it as a global gathering defined by inclusiveness, unity and the spirit of Ubuntu.

Delivering his address at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said the Summit’s strength lay in the breadth of voices brought together. 

He added with humour that South Africa was effectively hosting a “G-million,” after some had joked that the country was hosting a G100 and G1000 due to the number of related G-processes happening alongside the main summit. 

“That is true. We are having a G-million because we are about inclusiveness, bringing people together. And this summit is possibly the best of all the G20 summits that we are going to have. I want to applaud you and thank you all for being here. Thank you for your contributions which have ended up with a beautiful declaration. Beautiful things are happening in South Africa,” the President said. 

Ramaphosa arrived to loud cheers from delegates, who welcomed him with a reception fit for a G20 President. The atmosphere set the tone for a session focused on unity, people-centred development and reshaping global cooperation.

A summit rooted in history and solidarity

The President drew parallels between this year’s Social Summit and two historic gatherings held in 1955, the Bandung Conference, where the Global South found its collective voice, and the Congress of the People in Kliptown, where South Africans adopted the Freedom Charter.

He said the 2025 Summit should similarly be remembered as a moment where ordinary people across nations helped shape a new direction for global cooperation.

“One of our greetings, sanibonani, literally means ‘we see each other’,” he said, invoking the principle of Ubuntu. 

“We are acknowledging the personhood, value and dignity of the one we are greeting. This is the spirit in which this G20 Social Summit is being held.”

People speaking for themselves

Echoing the deliberations from civil society, President Ramaphosa said the summit ensured global action would be informed by the voices of those most affected by poverty, inequality, climate change and exclusion, instead of decisions being made on their behalf.

He emphasised South Africa’s commitment to ensuring that developing nations’ priorities, including just energy transitions, financial reform, inclusive trade and protection of the vulnerable, remain at the heart of the G20 Presidency.

Over the past year, delegates from Women20, Youth20, Media20, Labour20, Parliament20, Business20, and other formations contributed to what President Ramaphosa called a “beautiful declaration” that will feed directly into the G20 Leaders’ Summit, later this week.

Call for global solidarity

With today marking World Children’s Day, President Ramaphosa stressed the urgency of global investment in children, women and marginalised communities. 

He warned that gender-based violence remains a crisis that undermines development and fractures societies, calling for men and boys to be active partners in challenging harmful norms.

“No society can thrive for as long as gender-based violence and femicide continues and the agency of women is denied. The violence perpetrated by men against women erodes the social fabric of nations. Here in South Africa, we have declared gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) a national crisis. 

“The collective perspectives that have been expressed at this Summit on all these issues and more will enable governments and decision-makers to better understand people’s practical, lived experiences,” he said.

The President said the G20 Social Summit must now serve as the compass that guides the G20 Leaders’ Summit, a reliable tool ensuring that decisions reflect the needs of all nations, not only the most powerful.

“No matter the headwinds, no matter the geopolitical shifts, we will keep our eyes fixed on the horizon of progress and shared prosperity. We will set a new course for the world, and we will create a new future for its people,” the President said. 

As the crowd once again erupted in applause, the message was unmistakable – South Africa’s G20 Presidency is not just historic; it is redefining the meaning of global cooperation through unity, humanity and inclusion. – SAnews.gov.za

As South Africa prepares to welcome the world for its first-ever G20 Leaders’ Summit in Gauteng this weekend, delegates can look forward to a cool, partly cloudy backdrop, with the chance of scattered showers for this historic gathering. 

The weather outlook for the weekend shows partly cloudy and cool conditions for the central and eastern parts of the country. 

“It will be warm in places in the northern parts of Limpopo, as well as into the lowveld of Mpumalanga, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers possible from the afternoon over Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga and the eastern parts of the Free State,” South African Weather Service (SAWS) Meteorologist, Lehlohonolo Thobela said on Thursday.

Global leaders will gather in Johannesburg on Saturday and Sunday to discuss key economic and financial issues under South Africa’s Presidency theme: ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’.

“The area [Gauteng] will be affected by a surface high pressure in the east, with a surface trough over the western interior of the country. 

“The influence of these weather systems usually results in thundershowers over the eastern parts of the country, which is common the for spring and summer seasons. However, the weather conditions will be better than the previous week,” Thobela said.

Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are possible over Gauteng as a whole and it will be a bit windy in Johannesburg on Sunday.

The summit will be taking place at NASREC, also known as the Johannesburg Expo Centre. Weather conditions for the area are follows:

• Friday, 21 November: Min/max – 12/23 C; cloudy at times with a 30% chance of storms.
• Saturday, 22 November: Min/max – 11/23 C; cloudy conditions and a 30% chance of storms in the afternoon.
• Sunday, 23 November: Min/max – 13/25 C; partly cloudy becoming cloudy in the evening with a 30% chance of storms in the late afternoon and early evening.

The public is advised to stay informed by monitoring weather warnings and updates from SAWS website (www.weathersa.co.za), and broadcasts on local radios and television channels. 

Furthermore, intermediate updates may be followed on X (@SAWeatherServic), Facebook (South African Weather Service) or other SAWS-supported social media platforms. – SAnews.gov.za

Police in the North West have arrested 994 suspects during the weekly Joint Law Enforcement high density Operation Shanela II, conducted between Monday, 10 November and Sunday, 16 November 2025, across all five districts.

The arrests build a strong foundation for the Safer Festive Season Operations, aimed at addressing the heightened risk of criminality associated with increased movement of people and elevated social activity during the holiday period.

According to the police, out of the 994 arrested suspects, 366 were arrested by the detectives after being traced from circulated wanted suspects’ lists. The operation also led to the arrest of 15 undocumented foreign nationals.

The operations also addressed identified crime generators through compliance inspections to enforce the provisions of the Liquor and Second-Hand Goods Acts. 

The multi-disciplinary teams conducted compliance inspections targeting identified crime generators, including liquor outlets and second-hand goods dealers. A total of 151 licensed liquor outlets were inspected, resulting in 56 arrests for illegal liquor trading, while large quantities of liquor were confiscated. 

“Moreover, the operations led to the confiscation of a variety of drugs, firearms, ammunition, vehicles, precious metals and tobacco products,” the police said in a statement.

In Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit, Provincial Proactive Drug Operations, Ventersdorp Crime Prevention and Community Police Forum (CPF) members executed search and seizure warrants at Boikhutsong and Goedgevonden villages, and Tshing location, Ventersdorp on Friday, 14 November 2025. 

Silengene Tokwana (35) and Molefi Elliot Sakhachane (35) were arrested for dealing in drugs and possession of suspected illegal substances. Police seized dagga and crystal meth with estimated street value of R32 000. 

The pair appeared in the Ventersdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 17 November 2025, and were remanded in custody until 20 and 24 November2025, respectively.

“A multidisciplinary Inter-Provincial roadblock was conducted on Friday, 14 November 2025, on the N12 road between Potchefstroom and Fochville culminated in the arrest of five individuals for contravening Section 49 (1)(a) of the Immigration Act, 2002. (Act No. 13 of 2002). 

In a separate operation, a multidisciplinary Inter-Provincial roadblock was conducted on the N12 between Potchefstroom and Fochville on Friday, 14 November 2005, resulted in the arrest of five suspects for contravening immigration laws. 

Two others were arrested for drug-related offences after police confiscated about 8kg of dagga. Nine traffic fines were also issued to motorists.

In Bojanala Sub-District 2, Rustenburg police responded on Saturday, 15 November, to a local hospital, where a man was found with multiple stab wounds on his upper body.

“Initial investigations indicated that the deceased, Dumile Patrick Mthunzana (45) was fatally stabbed during an argument. The police tracked down and arrested the suspect shortly after the incident.

“Phathilizwe Malongwane (46) appeared before the Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, on a charge of murder. Malongwane was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Thursday, 27 November 2025,” the SAPS said.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the North West, Major General (Dr) Ryno Naidoo commended all law-enforcement agencies for working together in enhancing safety and security across the province. – SAnews.gov.za