Finance News Update | 01 July 2026

General Headlines Standard Bank fraud warning Fraudsters in South Africa are tricking financially vulnerable people into becoming “money mules,” moving stolen money through their bank accounts. Standard Bank warns this crime is growing and more advanced, with many victims only realizing too late when their accounts are frozen. The National Financial Ombud Scheme reported 300 more cases in 2025, making up 8% of all banking disputes. Standard Bank’s Marius le Roux says mule activity is now a major industry-wide concern. A money mule is someone who transfers illegal funds for criminals, often through personal accounts or cryptocurrency. Some do it knowingly for payment, but many are deceived by fake jobs, social media scams, refund tricks, or requests from friends claiming they need help. Young job seekers are especially targeted with offers that seem legitimate but only involve moving money and keeping a small cut.(BusinessTech)

SARS auto assessments for 2026 – changes, dates and what will be missing from your filing SARS has improved its auto-assessments since 2021, but they still don’t capture everything because the system can only use data it receives from third parties. In 2026, more information like investment income was added, yet taxpayers must still check and correct their filings. Auto-assessments are meant for simpler tax cases, using data from employers, banks, medical schemes, retirement funds, and insurers. However, certain items such as freelance or side-hustle earnings, rental or foreign income, donations, medical costs, home-office expenses, business travel claims, and direct retirement annuity contributions may be missing. Tax Season 2026 runs from 1 to 12 July, with over 6 million auto-assessments expected. SARS will notify taxpayers by SMS or email, showing whether they owe money or are due a refund. If no response is given, the auto-assessment is treated as final.(BusinessTech)

Markets and Investments Inflation expectations rise before South Africa rate decision South Africa’s inflation expectations for the next two years have risen to 3.9%, up from 3.6%, making it harder for the central bank to keep them near its 3% target. The survey was done before global fuel prices dropped after the US-Iran ceasefire, which should ease inflation soon. In the meantime, annual inflation jumped to 4.5% and fuel costs hit record highs. Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago warned that rising expectations could spread higher prices across the economy, and the central bank must act to bring them back under control.(MoneyWeb) Property and Real Estates  Renico Construction delivers turnkey Dhollandia HO, warehouse & workshop in Meadowdale Renico Construction completed a major project for Dhollandia, a Belgian company investing in South Africa. The project involved building new offices, a warehouse, and workshops on the former Pick ‘n Pay cold storage site in Meadowdale, Gauteng. Work began in January 2025 with demolition and earthworks, and construction followed on newly prepared platforms. The high-tech 10,000m² warehouse and workshop, plus 800m² offices, were finished in eight months. The facilities include service bays with cranes, air tools, strong security, backup water and power, and solar energy. Dhollandia took occupation in December 2025, and the full handover was completed in March 2026. Renico says it is proud to deliver world-class facilities for an international brand expanding in South Africa. (PropertyWheel)