Key View

• Lowering the cost of mobile data will give more South Africans access to the country's burgeoning digital economy.
• However, these efforts will require addressing fundamental challenges in the market.

In a move to regulate the cost of mobile data in South Africa, the Independent Communications Authority (ICASA) will launch a market

Key View

• Cell C's interim results for 2018 show a rise in mobile and fibre subscribers as well as an increase in the consumption of content on its video on demand offering.
• Nonetheless the operator is still posting losses and remains highly indebted, hampering the likelihood of a successful IPO in early 2020.
• Cell C must improve its financial

The Latest: On July 31 President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a decision to push ahead with a constitutional amendment allowing for the expropriation of land without compensation in South Africa. This followed a two day meeting of the ruling ANC's top decision making body, the National Executive Committee. According to his statement, it had become

Key View: Weak-than-expected economic growth and tightening monetary policy starting in 2019 will weigh on private sector credit growth over the coming quarters. Robust increases in lending to the government will help to buoy headline asset growth but will not be sufficient to completely offset weak private sector credit expansion.

The outlook for

Key View: Despite land expropriation becoming official party policy in South Africa, we believe President Cyril Ramaphosa will mitigate threats to agricultural production. Un-used or underutilised land will likely be the subject to land expropriation rather than productive farmland, agricultural output therefore remaining largely unaffected. The

South Africa's recently published revisions to its mining charter will undermine already weak investment, offering further headwinds to the economic growth outlook. Aside from the direct headwinds to the mining sector due to a higher cost of compliance, the new charter further signals that the ruling African National Congress is moving ahead with

The attractiveness of the South African infrastructure market as an investment destination is bolstered by the overall ease of doing business in the country and its position as the gateway to the wider SSA region. The returns on offer are limited compared to its faster-growing peers, as constrained government revenues and weak private investment

South Africa's nuclear agenda will face headwinds over the coming years - stemming from legal obstacles, public opposition, the financial constraints at Eskom and construction delays typically associated with nuclear power plants. We believe that the government will remain committed to its nuclear expansion; however, we do not expect any new

The March 30 cabinet reshuffle, which saw former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan replaced with Malusi Gigaba, suggests substantial risks to the fiscal outlook in South Africa. Zuma's decision to put a political ally in the role of finance minister could augur a significant ramp-up in wages and other social transfers, a decision to move forward on a

The decision to replace Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will have significant economic consequences for South Africa, weakening the currency, increasing the risk of fiscal slippage and weighing on investor sentiment. Politically, the consequences depend largely on the response of the anti-Zuma wing of the ruling African National Congress, with