Finance News Update | 29 June 2026

General Headlines Great news for petrol prices in South Africa this week South Africans can expect fuel price cuts in July. Global oil prices have dropped and the rand stayed strong, leading to big savings at the pumps. Petrol could fall by about R3 per litre, diesel by up to R5, and paraffin by over R5. However, the government’s temporary fuel levy relief ends in July, adding back R1.50 per litre for petrol and R1.96 for diesel. Even with these levies, prices will still go down, so motorists are guaranteed cheaper fuel next month. (BusinessTech) Standard Bank becomes Africa’s first authorised renminbi clearing bank Standard Bank and ICBC have been approved by China’s central bank to clear renminbi (RMB) payments across Africa. This makes Standard Bank the first African bank to get such approval. Together, they will operate as the “Renminbi Clearing Bank of Africa,” handling RMB transactions in 19 African countries. It’s also the first RMB clearing bank named after a whole continent and the first jointly run by two commercial banks. (MoneyWeb)

Markets and Investments £1bn-plus invested in African businesses last year – BII British International Investment (BII) put £1.07 billion into Africa last year, making up 59% of its total investments. It also invested over $1 billion in climate projects in a single year, and $3.3 billion over the past four years. These projects range from big renewable energy plants in Egypt to electric mobility startups in Kenya. BII’s biggest African markets are Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria. Under its new strategy, at least 25% of future investments will go to the world’s least developed countries. BII has supported African businesses for nearly 80 years, with investments in about 1,700 companies and an average return of 3.8%. Recent climate deals include the Allianz ACE Fund, Egypt’s Gulf of Suez Wind Farm, the Obelisk solar and battery project, and Kenya’s ARC Ride electric motorbike company.(EngineeringNews) Property and Real Estates  Gauteng centres, big malls lead in retail property growth shifts – Clur Index In early 2026, Gauteng’s shopping centres and large malls performed best, showing strong growth in retail property. The Clur Shopping Centre Index, which tracks over 5.4 million m² of retail space in South Africa and Namibia, reported national trading density at R43,340 per m² with 5.2% year-on-year growth—beating inflation. Super-regional malls led with R53,225 per m², while smaller centres also did well at R49,131 per m². Gauteng overtook the Western Cape in growth (5.6% vs 5.2%), with KwaZulu-Natal at 4.4%. However, the Western Cape still had the highest trading density at R50,262 per m², followed by KwaZulu-Natal at R45,278 and Gauteng at R41,842.(PropertyWheel)