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Appointment of a new BER political analyst The Bureau for Economic Research (BER) at Stellenbosch University is delighted to announce that highly respected political journalist Mrs Natasha Marrian has been appointed as its first ever in-house political analyst. She will assume her duties on 1 January 2026.
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RESEARCH NOTE: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended that South Africa adopt fiscal rules, and the National Treasury has committed to a process of consultations on fiscal rules, and to release a discussion by the end of March 2025. This research note explores what fiscal rules are and whether they could improve South Africa’s fiscal sustainability and fiscal credibility. It highlights guiding principles and considerations for fiscal rule design and outlines a possible fiscal rule to initially stabilise debt followed by a debt reduction phase.
20.64/litre
19.85/litre
3.5% y-o-y
2.9%
2.1% y-o-y
10.25 %
2.9% y-o-y
0.2% y-o-y
The Absa PMI decreased further by 1.5 points to 40.5 points in December 2025, remaining firm in contractionary territory. However, it is important to note that an unusually sharp decline in the inventories index, as well as a steep decline in the employment index, were the main drivers of the weaker headline reading. New sales orders were barely changed from November and remained at a subdued level, while business activity actually improved sharply during the month, albeit remaining below the 50 mark.
Sentiment among civil contractors, as measured by the FNB/BER Civil Confidence Index rose to a joint 11-year high in 2025Q4. The improvement in the business mood was supported by significantly better readings for activity growth and overall profitability.
The release calendar will be updated each quarter. Please note that these dates may change.
Wednesday
4 March 2026
RMB/BER Business Confidence Index (BCI)
Monday
9 March 2026
FNB/BER Building Confidence Index
Tuesday
17 March 2026
Absa Manufacturing Survey
Tuesday
24 March 2026
FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Index (CCI)
Thursday
19 March 2026
Other Services Survey
Thursday
12 March 2026
Retail Survey
Friday
27 March 2026
FNB/BER Civil Confidence Index
Monday
16 March 2026
Inflation Expectations Survey
Friday
27 March 2026
Building Cost Report (BCIS)
The first working day of each month
Absa PMI
The first working day of each month
Update
The first week of each month
Trends
Every Friday (Enhanced and Free versions)
BER Weekly
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