Global Scans · South Africa · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Local elections in South Africa this year could see the ruling African National Congress lose control of key cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria for the first time. South Africa's economy is at risk of falling into recession and public confidence in the ANC is falling.

• [New] Foreign corn ending stocks for 2026/2027 are higher reflecting increases for India, Argentina, and South Africa that are partly offset by a reduction for Brazil. Successful Farming
• [New] Major global trade changes for 2026/2027 include larger corn exports for India and South Africa. Successful Farming
• [New] Governance requirements risk deterring the infrastructure investment South Africa urgently needs: compute capacity, reliable energy, venture capital, and talent retention. IEEE Spectrum
• [New] Ghana's government has written to the African Union (AU) asking the continental body to discuss the issue, which it says is a serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of Africans in South Africa. BBC News
• [New] South Africa has more than 111 million square meters of commercial and industrial rooftop space, which could generate enough power to supply 6 million homes. Barchart.com
• [New] Risks remain for food prices, particularly as cereal products account for 4% of South Africa's inflation basket. Gulf Africa Review
• [New] Other states - above all, India and South Africa - hope that multipolarity will provide them with greater foreign-policy room for manoeuver. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)
• [New] South Africa's choices will establish a regional precedent for what is commercially negotiable in AI infrastructure. IEEE Spectrum
• [New] Heightened tensions, threats of violence, and perceived risks to physical safety prompted several countries to issue warnings to their nationals in South Africa, including Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. On Call International Blog
• [New] In South Africa, women were particularly affected by the constant fear of water shortages. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] While higher prices could benefit exporters such as Algeria, Angola, Nigeria and South Africa - and possibly gold producers - the resulting inflation, currency depreciation and rising trade and debt-servicing costs would outweigh any gains. European Union Institute for Security Studies
• [New] In South Africa and Morocco, growth to 9.8 GW and 6.6GW is forecast, while the MEA's others should be host to just under 11 GW between them by end of the outlook period. Windpower Monthly
• South Africa leads sub-Saharan Africa in using enterprise analytics in industries such as finance, telecommunications, and mining, focusing on credit risk, customer churn, and predictive maintenance. Precedence Research
• Kenyan and South African officials will hold talks aimed at addressing longstanding restrictions that have affected agricultural exports and imports. The Eastleigh Voice
• Rising anti-immigration mobilization in South Africa is increasing localized disruption risks in key urban centers, driven by broader economic and political pressures. On Call International Blog
• As local supply weakens, South Africa is expected to rely more heavily on wheat imports in the 2026/2027 marketing season. Gulf Africa Review
• South African wheat farmers are expected to plant 486,400 hectares in 2026, a 6% decline from the previous year. Gulf Africa Review
• Microsoft announced plans to spend ZAR 5.4 billion ($300 million) by the end of 2027 on cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa, building on a prior ZAR 20.4 billion investment. IEEE Spectrum

Last updated: 16 June 2026