Finance News Update | 22 May 2026

General Headlines Investors warned to stay away from this company in South Africa South Africans are being warned to be very careful with Cloud 9 Investments SA. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) says the company has been asking people for money to trade forex without proper approval. Neither the company nor its CEO is licensed to give financial services. The CEO claimed she only traded for family and friends and has since stopped, but the FSCA is still investigating. The regulator advises people not to accept financial advice or investment offers from anyone who isn’t licensed and reminds consumers that authorised providers must show proof of their status. It also warns against unsolicited offers on social media, where scams often appear to be legitimate.(BusinessTech) Markets and Investments South Africa consumer inflation quickens to 4.0% y/y in April South African inflation rose sharply in April, climbing to 4.0% compared to 3.1% in March, which marks the highest level since August 2024. This increase was mainly driven by a steep rise in fuel prices, linked to the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, with fuel costs jumping by 18.2% and passenger transport services rising by 3.1%. Because South Africa imports most of its fuel, the country is highly vulnerable to global energy price shocks, and this has put significant pressure on its economy. The central bank, which aims to keep inflation close to 3% with a tolerance band of one percentage point on either side, is now expected to respond with an interest rate hike when it announces its next decision on May 28. Economists had already predicted a possible increase even before the latest data, especially after the bank held rates steady in both January and March .In essence, inflation is rising quickly due to global fuel costs, and the central bank is likely to raise interest rates soon to keep prices under control. (EngineeringNews) Oil near $100 emerges as consensus for next year with Iran war Oil market experts believe crude prices will likely stay below $100 a barrel over the next year, as global demand slows to balance supply losses caused by the US-Iran conflict. A Bloomberg Intelligence survey of 126 asset managers and energy specialists found that most expect Brent crude to average between $81 and $100 a barrel during this period. Nearly two-thirds also think oil will carry a long-term risk premium of $5 to $15 a barrel, though few expect it to rise above $20. Analysts explain that while geopolitical risks are expected to remain, they are not seen as permanently changing the overall price structure. Instead, supply and demand are expected to gradually adjust, keeping prices within a relatively stable range.This means the market anticipates oil prices will stay high but controlled, with geopolitical tensions adding some extra cost without causing a major long-term shift. (MoneyWeb)

Property and Real Estates  Cape Town pinpoints Civic Centre parking lot for affordable housing, mixed‑use development The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee has approved plans to redevelop a municipal parking lot at the Civic Centre in the CBD into an affordable housing and mixed-use project. Councillor Carl Pophaim, who oversees Human Settlements, explained that this site is part of a broader effort to release inner-city land for development, alongside other locations such as the Fruit & Veg site on Roeland Street, Harrington Square, several plots in Woodstock and Salt River, and provincial projects at Buitengracht Street and Artscape. The redevelopment is expected to generate about R230 million from the sale of the site, plus R50 million annually in rates and services, which together could help attract R1.5 billion in private sector investment into the CBD. The proposal will now move to Council for approval to begin public participation on releasing the land for redevelopment.(PropertyWheel)