SA’s Budget vote means more than a VAT hike

In this short podcast, STANLIB’s Chief Economist, Kevin Lings, explores the implications of the passing of the controversial 2025 Budget in the National Assembly by the ANC in alliance with smaller parties, excluding the DA. This is very likely to lead to a 0.5% increase in VAT in 2025 and again in 2026, but it also has longer-term consequences for SA’s political and financial landscape.

Nobody wins from higher US tariffs

In this podcast, STANLIB Chief Economist Kevin Lings unpacks the reasons for the higher tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, and their possible impacts. Those impacts are likely to include higher inflationary pressure, especially in the US, and a widespread slowdown in economic activity, though it is too soon to be definitive.