Last week, escalation in the Middle East continued to drive market volatility with no credible peace deal in sight. Locally, financial markets were not spared from the global risk-off wave, as escalating tensions in the Middle East spilled over into domestic assets, triggering a broad-based sell-off across equities and bonds.
Globally, conflict in the Middle East shows no signs of easing following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, while locally, South Africa may see a big fuel price hike in early April as the ongoing conflict pushes oil prices higher.
We talk to Nosimo Kephu who reflects on her journey as a graduate intern at Prowess and how she supports the business…
In the first of a series of articles on leadership, Prowess Board Chair and University of Pretoria Professor Sam Ndoga explores the leadership challenges that come with workforce reduction, framing them as a critical test of moral courage.
Geopolitical tensions continue to escalate this week as President Donald Trump reaffirmed the US commitment to a sustained military campaign against Iran, outlining four strategic objectives to neutralise its missile arsenal, navy, nuclear ambitions, and proxy networks. Markets responded with risk-off flows, pushing safe-haven assets higher amid fears of prolonged conflict and energy supply disruptions. Locally, Budget 2026 reinforced South Africa’s fiscal consolidation path.
Prowess Head of Fixed Income, Qhivi Tiva, reflects on the 2026 budget and strikes a note of cautious optimism as he summarises the key announcements made by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana.
Prowess Head of Fixed Income, Qhivi Tiva, looks ahead to the themes we can expect from South Africa’s 2026 budget.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. Locally, CPI for January came in slightly higher than expected at 3.5% year-on-year (against expectations for a moderation to 3.4% year-on-year) from 3.6% in December.
Globally, US CPI for January registered lower than expected, while locally, SARS has achieved its highest ever revenue collection and January local CPI is expected to moderate this week.
Last week, global markets remained focused on central bank vigilance against persistent inflation, with the ECB and Fed emphasising the need for restrictive policy stances. Locally, SARS achieved record gross revenue collection of R2.303 trillion for the 2024/25 fiscal year ending March 2025, exceeding revised estimates by R8.8 billion. This week, attention shifts to key data releases, including UK GDP and US labour market updates, amid ongoing concerns over productivity, tariffs, and economic momentum in major regions.
