There has been much debate around what the Rand will do once ratings agencies confirm their views on South Africa’s credit market. Here’s how the ratings agencies and national politics affect the local currency and the economy, as explained by Anton Van Teylingen from Sable International.

The Rand was relatively unchanged against the Dollar on Friday after a fleeting rally, on the back of the US Federal Reserve’s delayed interest rate hike, which fizzled out, and due to investors awaiting the latest news from negotiations with Greece.

In a volatile climate, the Rand depreciated further throughout the week, especially against the Pound

While some key indicators point decidedly towards negative economic trends, the government insists that SA’s finances are stable for the time being. The question behind all these discrepancies, however, is which came first: chicken or nest-egg?

The South African Rand continues to reach record lows last seen in 2011 as investors sell off their emerging market stock amid reductions in the Federal Reserve stimulus.

Economists are surprised by rate hike as South Africa’s economy struggles to recover

Last week Friday, saw the Rand trading at an eight week low ahead of new fears of the possible strike action in the Platinum sector

Experts predict difficult times for the South African economy after the rand’s decline, and assess that Nelson Mandela’s poor health is not adding to the currency’s weakness, rather it is a mixture of national and international factors such as labour unrest.