https://newsletter.en.creamermedia.com
Africa|Business|composite|Services
Africa|Business|composite|Services
africa|business|composite|services

South African rand gains on softer dollar; traders eye business activity PMI

Rand Currency

Photo by Reuters

6th January 2026

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

South Africa's rand strengthened in early trade on Tuesday ahead of the release of a business conditions purchasing managers' index, as the US dollar weakened following dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials that boosted interest rate-cut bets. 

At 0604 GMT, the rand traded at 16.3350 against the dollar, up roughly 0.2% on Monday's close.

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said on Monday that inflation was slowly easing, but there was a risk the jobless rate could "pop" higher, increasing the likelihood of a rate cut.

Investors currently expect at least two US rate cuts this year, while they look to the non-farm payroll report, due on Friday, for more monetary policy cues. 

Adam Phillips, Treasury specialist at Umkhulu Treasury, said in a research note that Kashkari's comments were viewed as dovish by operators and that services and composite PMIs for December, being released in all major economies, could provide an even better indicator of the direction of monetary policy. 

Domestic traders will also look to the S&P Global December whole-economy PMI at 0715 GMT for clues on business conditions in the country.

South Africa's benchmark 2035 government bond was firm in early deals, as the yield fell 1.5 basis points to 8.19%.

Edited by Reuters

Article Enquiry

Email Article

Save Article

Feedback

To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Comments

 

Latest Multimedia

Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (12/12/2025)
12th December 2025 By: Martin Creamer

Showroom

Schauenburg SmartMine IoT
Schauenburg SmartMine IoT

SmartMine IoT has been developed with the mining industry in mind, to provides our customers with powerful business intelligence and data modelling...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Stewarts & Lloyds
Stewarts & Lloyds

Stewarts & Lloyds is a leading steel, tube, and engineering product supplier in South Africa.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Magazine round up | 10 December 2025
Magazine round up | 12 December 2025
12th December 2025

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







301

sq:0.5 0.608s - 168pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now