From AI's extraordinary investment boom to volatile oil and gold markets, August showed how fast the global landscape can shift. Locally, South Africa navigates stubborn unemployment, inflation risks and municipal challenges, alongside opportunities in infrastructure, tourism reform, agriculture and new export markets. Our August 2026 Monthly Report unpacks the key developments shaping markets and the investment environment — and what investors should watch next.

Global markets experienced heightened volatility in February as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalated and investors reassessed risk across asset classes. Despite uncertainty, the broader economic outlook remains resilient, with easing inflation in major economies, shifting investment flows toward emerging markets, and encouraging developments within South Africa’s economy. This blog highlights the key global and local events shaping markets and what they may mean

Global geopolitical tensions, shifting alliances and heightened economic uncertainty shaped markets this month, even as SA leveraged the G20 spotlight to advance its development agenda and secure stronger investor confidence. South Africa saw meaningful domestic momentum through a sovereign credit rating upgrade, renewed fiscal discipline, and progress on key reforms, all supported by a resource-driven market rally. The medium-term outlook remains constructive despite struct