JOHANNESBURG - It's a week of reckoning for South Africa as GDP data is set to be released.
Stats SA will on Tuesday release South Africa's Q4 and annual 2025 GDP data. The report is expected to show a 1,3 percent growth for 2025 despite significant economic headwinds, including global trade disruption and domestic challenges.
The figures for economic output for 2025 as a whole will reveal the extent to which the economy grew.
In his recent budget speech, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana pencilled in a growth expectation of 1,4 percent.
The good news is that is more than double the economic growth of just 0,6 percent recorded in 2024.
The bad news is it's still too low to create jobs for the millions of South Africans who remain unemployed.
During the years of State Capture, South Africa started lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of growth, and is yet to catch up.
Any improvement will be welcomed as a meaningful step, although the Middle East conflict may affect South Africa's future growth prospects.
Mining and manufacturing data will also be released this week, providing insight into sectors.