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Ramaphosa’s New Year Message Sets 2026 Agenda for Recovery, Jobs and Clean Governance

He cites easing inflation, a credit upgrade, months without load shedding, plus record infrastructure funding as momentum for jobs.

Overview

  • The president urges a national partnership across government, business, labour, civil society and citizens to confront unemployment, poverty, inequality and service-delivery failures, with a direct appeal to men to end gender-based violence and femicide.
  • He highlights economic gains including a stronger rand, easing inflation and South Africa’s first sovereign credit-rating upgrade in nearly two decades, alongside months without load shedding due to improved Eskom performance.
  • Government sets aside more than R1 trillion for infrastructure over the next three years to revitalise roads, ports, rail, energy and water systems.
  • Public employment programmes report thousands of opportunities, with the Youth Employment Service delivering over 200,000 work-experience placements for young people.
  • Anti-corruption efforts recover billions through the SIU and Asset Forfeiture Unit as task teams make inroads against illegal mining, kidnapping and construction-site extortion, with the National Dialogue process set to continue under an Eminent Persons Group.