Financial lessons from 2025: key insights for South Africans in 2026

AS SOUTH Africa approaches 2026, the economic landscape for both businesses and households is imbued with a sense of cautious optimism.

- ASHLEY LECHMAN

This outlook is underscored by the recent Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) and the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decisions, which suggest a gradual movement towards macroeconomic and financial stability.

Adding to that was the GDP data released this past week which revealed that the country's economy expanded by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2025, this was slower than the revised 0.9% growth in the second quarter.

According to Frank Blackmore, Lead Economist at KPMG, nine out of ten industries displayed positive growth from the second to the third quarter, a positive indicator of a broadly distributed recovery.

Blackmore emphasised that while some industries exhibit growth, the economy’s overall trajectory remains precarious, with expectations of GDP closing under 1% for the year—even if an optimistic fourth quarter is achieved.