Business confidence · South Africa
South Africa Business Confidence
The South Africa Business Confidence asks companies in South Africa how they judge current business conditions and what they expect for the coming months.
- Importance
- Medium
- Released
- Quarterly
- Next release
- Currency
- ZAR · South African rand
- Central bank
- The South African Reserve Bank
Latest figures
The latest release for Q3, published on 2 September 2026, came in at 38, down from 39 the time before.
Over the last 7 releases it ranged from 38 to 47, averaging 42; it has been falling for three releases in a row.
| Released | For | Actual | Consensus | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep 2026 | Q3 | 38 | – | 39 |
| 2 Jun 2026 | Q2 | 39 | – | 47 |
| 4 Mar 2026 | Q1 | 47 | – | 44 |
| 3 Dec 2025 | Q4 | 44 | – | 39 |
| 3 Sep 2025 | Q3 | 39 | – | 40 |
| 4 Jun 2025 | Q2 | 40 | – | 45 |
| 5 Mar 2025 | Q1 | 45 | – | 45 |
Why it matters
Confidence leads hiring and investment decisions, so these surveys often turn before the hard data. Germany's Ifo and ZEW, and Japan's Tankan, are among the most market-moving releases for the euro and the yen.
How it is calculated
Survey answers (better/same/worse) are turned into a balance (positive minus negative answers) or an index around a long-run average of 100; the release separates current conditions from expectations.
What changes mean
- The expectations component turns first; watch its direction over several months.
- A gap between strong current conditions and weak expectations often marks a peak.
Higher than expected: A stronger figure than expected points to a healthier economy: it usually supports the South African rand and local stocks, and can push bond yields up.
Lower than expected: A weaker figure than expected points to slowing activity: the South African rand tends to soften and markets price in lower rates.
A short history
Business tendency surveys began in Germany (Ifo) and other European countries after the Second World War; the Bank of Japan's Tankan has been run for decades, and the ZEW financial-expert survey since 1991.
Questions
What is the South Africa Business Confidence?
The South Africa Business Confidence asks companies in South Africa how they judge current business conditions and what they expect for the coming months.
What was the latest South Africa Business Confidence?
38 for Q3, published on 2 September 2026.
When is the next South Africa Business Confidence?
On Friday 20 November 2026.
Educational content only, not investment advice. Figures are the published results as recorded by our calendar; market reactions described are typical, not guaranteed.