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 – 14 September 2026

• Madlanga Commission Resumes Sittings

The Madlanga Commission, investigating criminality, political interference and corruption in South Africa’s criminal justice system, resumes its sittings on Monday after a recess since September 3. The commission has just over two months remaining before its final reporting deadline of November 16. Continued testimony before the commission may surface new allegations touching on law enforcement, prosecutorial independence and political interference, with implications for institutional credibility and investor confidence in the rule of law.

• Congress of South African Trade Unions Holds National Congress

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) holds its 15th national congress at Gallagher Estate in Midrand from Monday to Thursday, with ANC and South African Communist Party leaders addressing delegates amid ongoing debate over the future of the alliance. The congress will elect Cosatu’s president, deputy presidents, general secretary, deputy general secretary and treasurer, with incumbent president Zingiswa Losi tipped to move into the general secretary role. Leadership changes and any shift in Cosatu’s alliance posture could reshape labour’s influence over policy and wage negotiations in the year ahead.

• 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference Continues in Cape Town

Cape Town is hosting the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, which began on Sunday and runs until Saturday, bringing together parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth for dialogue on governance and parliamentary diplomacy. The conference forms part of South Africa’s ongoing engagement in multilateral and Commonwealth institutions.

Tuesday – 15 September 2026

• Electoral Court to Hear ANC’s Candidate List Application

The Electoral Court is due to hear the ANC’s application to compel the Electoral Commission of South Africa to reopen its candidate list system or grant an extension, in a last-ditch effort to place 181 candidates on the system ahead of Wednesday’s statutory deadline. The Democratic Alliance and the African Transformation Movement have filed papers opposing the application, and the ANC risks being left without registered candidates in six municipalities, including Ingquza Hill, Port St Johns and Mangaung metro.

Wednesday – 16 September 2026

• Electoral Commission to Publish Final Candidate Lists

Wednesday marks the statutory deadline for the Electoral Commission of South Africa to publish final candidate lists for political parties and independent candidates. Beyond the ANC, some 44 other parties and over 2,000 potential candidates may also be affected if their registrations are incomplete. The final lists will crystallise the competitive landscape ahead of the election on November 4 and may trigger further legal challenges from parties or candidates excluded from the process.

• Bureau for Economic Research to Release Inflation Expectations Survey

The Bureau for Economic Research will release its third-quarter inflation expectations survey on Wednesday, conducted on behalf of the South African Reserve Bank. The previous survey recorded a jump in one-year-ahead household expectations to 4.2% from 3.6%, and analysts expect this reading to climb further amid continued oil price pressure linked to the Middle East war. Elevated inflation expectations increase the likelihood that the Reserve Bank holds a tighter policy stance for longer, with knock-on effects for borrowing costs, wage negotiations and input pricing.

• Statistics South Africa to Release July Retail Sales

Statistics South Africa will publish July retail sales figures on Wednesday afternoon, with growth having averaged under 2% year-on-year over the past five months. Analysts expect the first negative year-on-year reading in almost two and a half years, driven by a high base effect from strong retail sales in July 2025. A negative print, even if largely base-effect driven, may still weigh on sentiment around consumer spending resilience amid ongoing cost-of-living pressure.

Thursday – 17 September 2026

• FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Index to Be Released

First National Bank and the Bureau for Economic Research will release their third-quarter consumer confidence index on Thursday morning. The index fell to a six-quarter low of -19 in the second quarter, weighed down by higher fuel prices and rising living costs. Persistently weak consumer confidence signals continued caution in household spending, with implications for revenue forecasting across retail, consumer goods and services sectors.