Treasury confirms rebased GDP cuts peak debt-to-GDP projection to 74.6%
Statistics South Africa's rebasing found the economy was 5.3% bigger in 2025 than previously measured, R8.044-trillion instead of R7.642-trillion, without any change to underlying revenue, spending or debt. The Treasury said on Thursday this lowers the peak debt-to-GDP ratio to 74.6% in 2025-26 from the 78.4% projected in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, with the 2026/27 main budget deficit now estimated at 3.5% of GDP instead of 3.7%. Treasury director-general Duncan Pieterse said the updated figures confirm the government is meeting its fiscal targets and pointed to lower borrowing costs as a benefit. Economists cautioned the improvement is on paper only: unless it translates into faster growth, more jobs and higher private investment, the country's underlying problems remain, and the revision showed manufacturing's share of the economy slipping further to 11.9% while finance and business services grew to 21.8%. Also in this briefing: ANC plunges to 32% as early local election results signal historic losses; Study reveals South Africa imports 80% of medical equipment despite unused capacity.
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Recalculating gross domestic product lowered South Africa's projected peak debt-to-GDP ratio to seventy-four point six percent.
Statistical updates improved key fiscal optics without changing actual government revenues, expenditures, or total debt.
African National Congress municipal support dropped to roughly thirty-two percent amid rolling power and water outages.
Coalition talks face a strict fourteen-day deadline to elect mayors across key hung metros.
Eighty percent of South Africa's medical appliances are imported while local manufacturing facilities sit largely idle.
Donald Trump gave South Africa sixty days' notice ending duty-free trade access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
- 01Intro1 min
- 02Treasury confirms rebased GDP cuts peak debt-to-GDP projection to 74.6%: Benchmarking and revised fiscal metrics3 min
- 03Treasury confirms rebased GDP cuts peak debt-to-GDP projection to 74.6%: Economic realities and structural trends2 min
- 04ANC plunges to 32% as early local election results signal historic losses1 min
- 05Where things stand1 min
- 06Study reveals South Africa imports 80% of medical equipment despite unused capacity2 min
- 07Outro1 min
- Revised GDP figures improve key fiscal ratios
- Statistics South Africa Rebases GDP And Raises The Size Of The Economy By 4.9 Percent
- Treasury expects debt-to-GDP ratio to fall below 70% by 2032/33
- Stats SA GDP rebase: economy 5.3% bigger at R8.04 trillion
- South Africa’s GDP rebasing lowers debt ratio, improves fiscal outlook, Treasury says
- statssa.gov.za
- South Africa
- Treasury recalculations show the debt-to-GDP ratio plummeted
- treasury.gov.za
- streetinsider.com
- youtube.com
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- IEC confirms official 2026 local election results to be announced on Sunday
- Local election results 2026: check your ward and metro
- 2026 election results 50 of all votes counted with the anc getting hammered
- ANC faces anger over poor services as South Africans vote in local elections
- ANC support plunges in South Africa municipal elections as DA gains - Businessday NG
- Study finds SA imports 80% of medical equipment - Channel Africa
- SA’s medtech market imports rose by 80% to meet rising demand
- Bot Verification
- Four in Five Medical Devices Used in South Africa Are Imported, LSF Study Finds
- South Africa imports 80% of medical equipment, study finds
- South Africa Imports 80% of Its Medical Equipment, Study Finds • 360 Mozambique
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