Happy Thursday everyone, hope the week is treating you well.
Thursday, 30 April 2026
Moody’s is pulling out of South Africa
So Moody’s, one of the big three global credit rating agencies, is being deregistered here. Their local operation is done. Now before everyone panics, this doesn’t mean they stop rating South Africa, they can still do that from offshore. But it does raise questions about how closely they’ll be watching us going forward, and whether we lose some influence over how our economy gets assessed internationally. Not a great look, honestly.
The rand took a knock this week
The rand got roughed up on Wednesday while everyone was holding their breath waiting for the US Fed’s interest rate decision. We’re always at the mercy of these global moves and it’s genuinely exhausting. Every time America sneezes we catch a cold, and ordinary South Africans feel it at the petrol pump and the till. Old Mutual is also warning separately that the Iran conflict could bring cost pressures most of us aren’t prepared for, basically an invisible tax creeping in through higher oil prices and supply chain chaos.
SIU revelations and the media credibility crisis
This one is uncomfortable but important. Allegations coming out of SIU investigations are implicating senior journalists in what’s being described as corruption of the highest order. I don’t want to rush to judgement on individuals, but if even a fraction of this is true it’s a serious problem. We rely on the media to hold power accountable, and if journalists themselves are captured, where does that leave us? The Newzroom Afrika defamation lawsuit floating around at the same time doesn’t help the picture either.
Post office workers are marching
SAPO workers are out in the streets demanding a bailout and salary increases, with unions warning things could get ugly if government doesn’t respond. Look, I feel for the workers, they’ve been through years of uncertainty. But the post office has been a money pit for a long time now and there’s a real question about whether throwing more money at it is the answer or just delaying the inevitable.
The media corruption story is the one sitting with me this morning. If we can’t trust our watchdogs, who do we trust?
Drop your thoughts below, keen to hear what the forum thinks on any of these.