Stay informed with our essential overview of the key events and discussions set to shape the week in South Africa – covering developments in parliament, government, international affairs, and the economy.

Monday – 12 October 2026

• Constitutional Court to Hear African National Congress Appeal Over Disqualified Candidates

The Constitutional Court will on Monday hear the ANC’s appeal against the Electoral Court’s decision to disqualify more than 180 of its candidates from the 4 November local government elections. The party also plans to appeal last Friday’s Johannesburg High Court ruling that reinstated Andile Lungisa on its Nelson Mandela Bay candidate list, after the court found that secretary-general Fikile Mbalula had acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally in removing him unilaterally. The court outcomes will determine the party’s candidate slate in several councils, and with it the coalition arithmetic that will set local service delivery and procurement priorities after November.

Tuesday – 13 October 2026

• Statistics South Africa to Release August Mining Production Data

Statistics South Africa will publish mining production figures for August on Tuesday morning. Output contracted 7.5% year on year in July, the weakest reading in a year and a half and the third consecutive monthly decline, driven by lower production of platinum group metals, coal and iron ore. Analysts expect a fourth month of contraction in August, though a smaller one, as platinum output recovers from the temporary closure of Implats’ Rustenburg operations after a safety incident. Mining was already a drag on second-quarter GDP, and another negative print would raise the risk of a weak third-quarter growth outcome.

• International Monetary Fund to Publish Updated World Economic Outlook

The International Monetary Fund will release its October World Economic Outlook on Tuesday, during the IMF and World Bank annual meetings that open in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday. In its July update, the Fund projected 1.1% growth for South Africa in 2026, slightly up from 1% in April. Separately, Financial Stability Board chair Andrew Bailey will on Monday deliver a note to G20 finance ministers and central bank governors on vulnerabilities related to global stablecoins. Any revision to South Africa’s growth forecast will feed into investor sentiment and the fiscal assumptions underpinning National Treasury’s planning.

• Eskom to Brief Appropriations Committee on Tariff Reform and Municipal Debt

Eskom will brief Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday on proposed tariff reforms and the municipal debt owed to the utility, including a proposal to allocate indigent budgets directly to Eskom. The briefing comes as standing committees finalise their reviews of departmental performance. Municipal arrears remain one of the largest risks to Eskom’s balance sheet and, by extension, the fiscus. Routing indigent allocations directly to the utility would be a material shift in how municipalities manage electricity revenue, with implications for municipal finances and service delivery.

Wednesday – 14 October 2026

• South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry to Release Business Confidence Index

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry will release its business confidence index for August on Wednesday. July’s reading of 125.4 was a four-month high but remained well below the readings above 130 recorded between November 2025 and March 2026. Higher producer inflation linked to the US–Iran war continues to weigh on sentiment, and the August reading is not expected to differ much from July’s.

• President Ramaphosa to Address Federation of Unions of South Africa Congress

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address at the Federation of Unions of South Africa national congress on Wednesday. The address coincides with the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ reconvened national elective congress, which begins at Emperors Palace on Monday after its September sitting collapsed amid disputes over delegate eligibility.

• AgriSA Congress to Focus on Land, Labour, Safety and Trade

AgriSA will hold its congress in Pretoria on Wednesday, bringing together industry leaders, policy experts and government officials to discuss the sector’s most pressing challenges. Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp will deliver the keynote address, with the programme focused on land, labour, safety and trade.

Friday – 16 October 2026

• South African Reserve Bank to Brief Media on Payments Modernisation

The South African Reserve Bank will brief the media on Friday on key reforms in the national payment system, ahead of the 2027 Payments Conference. Topics include creating a national payment utility through PayInc, expanding access to low-cost real-time digital payments, enabling greater participation by non-bank payment providers, and moving certain payment system management functions to the Reserve Bank itself. The Reserve Bank will also discuss regional and international efforts to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper and more accessible.