BUDGET 2026 | Godongwana confirms R370 SRD grant will continue

February 25 2026, 15:40

BUDGET 2026 | Treasury declines health department’s call to phase out medical tax credits

The National Treasury has pushed back against the health department’s efforts to phase out medical tax credits, increasing them in line with inflation for the first time since 2023 and proposing the eligibility net be expanded.

The health department told parliament last year that it wanted medical tax credits to be phased out to help fund National Health Insurance (NHI), potentially starting with high-income earners as soon as April.

[ BUDGET 2026 | Treasury declines health department’s call to phase out medical tax creditsOpens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 15:37

‘Johannesburg is a problem’: Godongwana promises a visit

As the water fiasco continues in Johannesburg amid mismanagement and poor leadership, finance minister Enoch Godongwana says he will soon visit Gauteng’s leaders.

“Johannesburg is a problem, no doubt about that. At some point national government will go there. As to what form, it’s a matter of detail. I can’t give details now but they themselves are talking with our team,” Godongwana said during a pre-budget media briefing before his budget speech on Wednesday.

[ ‘Johannesburg is a problem’: Godongwana promises a visitOpens in new window ]

February 25, 2026, 15:34

IN FULL | Finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speech

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has delivered his much-anticipated 2026 budget speech, in which he outlined the government’s fiscal plan for the year.

[ IN FULL | Finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speechOpens in new window ]

Febrruary 25 2026, 14:52

BUDGET 2026| Basic education takes centre stage in Godongwana’s fiscal plan

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has placed education at the centre of the 2026/2027 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF), with basic education emerging as a clear funding priority.

For this MTEF, education (basic and higher departments) and sport, arts, and culture constitute the largest component at 23.7% (R527.2bn) of the consolidated R2.67-trillion government expenditure.

[ BUDGET 2026| Basic education takes centre stage in Godongwana’s fiscal planOpens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 14:44

Budget targets R12bn in savings as Treasury moves to trim wage bill

The government has identified R12bn in savings over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) through its Targeted and Responsible Savings initiative, finance minister Enoch Godongwana said when he presented the 2026 budget in Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon.

The savings form part of a broader fiscal consolidation strategy aimed at stabilising debt and sustaining a primary surplus. Consolidated government expenditure amounts to R2.58-trillion in 2025/26 and rises over the MTEF, placing the R12bn in the context of total spending of more than R2.5-trillion a year.

[ Budget targets R12bn in savings as Treasury moves to trim wage billOpens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 14:42

BUDGET 2026 | Good news for small businesses and savers

The Treasury has proposed changes to tax thresholds and limits — some of which have been in place for many years, if not decades — including an increase in the annual limit for tax-free savings from R36,000 to R46,000.

To assist small businesses, the VAT compulsory registration threshold and the annual turnover limit for the turnover tax have both been increased from R1m to R2.3m and the voluntary VAT registration threshold from R50,000 to R120,000. The VAT registration thresholds will be effective from April 1, 2026, while the other thresholds will be effective from March 1 2026.

[ BUDGET 2026 | Good news for small businesses and saversOpens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 14:40

BUDGET 2026 | Ghost worker audit flags 4,000 government officials

The government’s ghost worker audit has identified more than 4,000 high-risk employees whose status on the civil service payroll is questionable.

This is according to budget documents tabled in parliament by finance minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday.

[ BUDGET 2026 | Ghost worker audit flags 4,000 government officialsOpens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 14:00

WATCH LIVE | Finance minister Enoch Godongwana delivers budget 2026 speech

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana is delivering the 2026 budget speech on Wednesday in parliament.

[ WATCH LIVE | Finance minister Enoch Godongwana delivers budget 2026 speechOpens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 13.17

SA’s improving macroeconomic backdrop is laying the groundwork for a more constructive growth narrative before finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget presentation on Wednesday, a Nedbank economist says.

[ Watch out for delivery on rail and roads in budget, says economistOpens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 11:00

The mining industry is likely to get a mention in some capacity during finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s #budget2026 speech today.

[ BUDGET 2026 | Explainer: what will Godongwana do on debt, taxes?Opens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 10:53

BUDGET 2026 | Explainer: what will Godongwana do on debt, taxes?

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana, will present the 2026 budget to MPs on Wednesday.

Investors in Africa’s economic powerhouse are watching closely to see whether the National Treasury can keep debt levels stable and limit borrowing without fresh tax shocks.

[ BUDGET 2026 | Explainer: what will Godongwana do on debt, taxes?Opens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 10:00

BUDGET 2026 | Civil society calls for end to ‘austerity budget’

As finance minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to table his 2026 budget in parliament on Wednesday, the People Against Budget Cuts coalition is expected to demonstrate just metres away.

According to the coalition, they will march to demand an end to austerity measures.

[ BUDGET 2026 | Civil society calls for end to ‘austerity budget’Opens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 09:30

Better data not a signal to pull trigger on tax, experts warn Godongwana

Improving data on GDP, fiscal debt and inflation does not necessarily mean that the time is right for finance minister Enoch Godongwana to announce tax increases in any category or to scale back tax incentives and credits when he tables his budget on Wednesday.

This is according to experts, who have warned against allowing pervasive bracket creep, or instances where nominal salary increases push taxpayers into higher tax brackets even though their purchasing power has not meaningfully improved.

[ Better data not a signal to pull trigger on tax, experts warn GodongwanaOpens in new window ]

February 25 2026, 09:00

Business Day political editor Hajra Omarjee unpacks why the 2026 National Budget, to be delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, will be critical in shaping the President and the GNU’s delivery on key priorities.

February 25 2026, 08:00

Fedusa calls for budget to prioritise workers, reject austerity

As finance minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to table the national budget on Wednesday, trade union federation Fedusa has laid out an extensive wish list, urging government to prioritise workers, rebuild state capacity and reject austerity.

“South Africans are living under severe economic and social strain. Workers are battling rising food prices, escalating electricity tariffs, high transport costs and growing household debt,” Fedusa said.

[ Fedusa calls for budget to prioritise workers, reject austerityOpens in new window ]