South Africa's economy has been struggling over the past three years, with the country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth been consistently downgraded.

This downturn reflects policymakers' reluctance to address persistent issues, such as infrastructure decay and fiscal strain, which have worsened over time and turned into a formidable challenge. For the first time in 30 years of democracy, the southern African nation hit a budget deadlock. This impasse delayed the adoption of the national budget and exposed rifts within the coalition government, highlighting the difficulty of aligning a divided.

Ralph  Mathekga, economist at GIS Reports and spoke to Asanda Beda.