Finance News Update | 18 Feb 2026

General Headlines Ramaphosa bullish on data centres as R50bn expected over three years President Cyril Ramaphosa is pushing technology as a driver of economic growth, announcing R50 billion in digital infrastructure investment over the next three years. Since taking office, he has promoted the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as part of his economic agenda, though critics question its impact due to limited access to technology. Ramaphosa said new funding models and public-private partnerships are helping attract investors to fast-track projects in energy, water, transport, and digital infrastructure. He highlighted the rapid growth of data centres, noting that 55 have already been built and more are on the way, backed by long-term contracts that provide stable revenue. (BusinessDay) South Africa’s most important city heading for disaster Experts warn that Johannesburg’s worsening water outages could become a national disaster, threatening economic growth since reliable infrastructure is vital for businesses. Dr Anthony Turton first raised concerns back in 2008, saying South Africa faced a serious water crisis and urging government to act before it became as disruptive as load-shedding.His warnings are now proving true. The city is losing up to 50% of its water through leaks and theft, leaving reservoirs depleted. Between 2024 and 2026, Turton has repeatedly described Gauteng as the epicentre of the crisis, even coining the term “water-shedding” to describe what he believes is the new normal.(BusinessTech) SA unemployment falls to lowest level since 2020 South Africa’s unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in more than five years in the last quarter of 2025. Statistics South Africa reported that the rate dropped to 31.4% in December, down from 31.9% in the previous quarter. This improvement was mainly due to more jobs in community services and construction.Although unemployment is still very high compared to global standards, the decline offers some relief for an economy that has struggled for over a decade. Since the pandemic in 2020, the jobless rate has stayed above 30%, making this drop a significant milestone.(Moneyweb) Markets and Investments SA bond yields hit decade lows in boon for the fiscus South Africa’s government bond yields have dropped sharply, making it cheaper for the state to borrow money. The 30-year bond yield fell to 8.68%, down from a peak of almost 13% in 2023, while the 20-year bond yield is at 8.5%, it’s lowest in a decade. The 10-year bond yield also dropped close to 7.97%, another long-term low. This decline follows improvements such as the end of load-shedding, South Africa’s removal from the grey list, and the country’s first credit rating upgrade in 20 years. With yields expected to go as low as 8% for long-term bonds and 7.5% for the 10-year bond, the National Treasury now has more room to cut borrowing costs and reduce debt-servicing expenses. (BusinessDay) Another big turn for the rand The rand has strengthened again, moving below R16.00 to the dollar after starting the month at about R16.30. This rebound is linked to calmer global markets following the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the new US Federal Reserve Chair. At first, investors thought Warsh would take a tough stance on interest rates, but he later signalled support for rate cuts, saying advances in AI could help lower inflation. With those fears easing, confidence returned, the dollar weakened, and the rand improved to R15.96/$.(BusinessTech) Property and Real Estates Metro commercial property divergence: Cape Town continues to boom, Joburg lags South Africa’s commercial property market shows a clear split between regions. Cape Town continues to perform strongly, with demand for industrial, office, and retail space far higher than supply. eThekwini also shows solid growth, especially in the industrial sector. Nationally, retail and industrial property are close to balance, but the office market remains oversupplied. The weakest markets are in Johannesburg and Tshwane, where office vacancies are still in double digits (Joburg 14.2%, Tshwane 11.3%). In contrast, coastal metros like Cape Town, eThekwini, and Nelson Mandela Bay have much lower vacancy rates, under 10%. Experts say these differences in vacancy levels explain why investor confidence is stronger in coastal cities than in Gauteng. (PropertWheel)