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Weekly Review

The BER Weekly Review provides in-depth, data-driven insights into the South African and global economies. Alongside the latest statistics, we cover key financial market developments and explain what matters - from monetary policy decisions to broader policy shifts and economic drivers. Each issue also looks ahead to the coming week, highlighting events and data releases that are likely to shape the economic and market outlook. From 2026, the Review includes a concise South African political update. It is available to Premium Insights and Essential Insights subscribers.

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A blue tsunami abroad as US markets turn red, while blue mingles with green at home

Date Uploaded: November 06 2026 07:00


Politics came in colour this week. Democrats swept both houses of Congress in the US midterms, while SA’s local elections delivered strong DA gains alongside significant advances by ActionSA and the MK Party. Markets were equally dramatic, with US equities selling off sharply and Brent crude plunging almost 16% as hopes of diplomacy with Iran reduced some of the geopolitical risk premium. We unpack what the election results mean for Trump, the emerging coalition arithmetic in SA, and why the gap between headline economic resilience and voters’ lived experience remains politically important.