JOHANNESBURG: The rand gained in early trade on Friday, making a cautious recovery after this week’s global tariff turmoil, but worries lingered over US President Donald Trump’s next trade move and over whether South Africa’s coalition government might split.
At 0720 GMT the rand traded at 19.3675 against the dollar , roughly 0.5% stronger than Thursday’s closing level.
The risk-sensitive currency has been highly volatile this week.
It fell steeply on Monday and Tuesday and hit a record low against the dollar on Wednesday, before staging a sharp relief rally after Trump announced a 90-day pause in higher tariff rates on dozens of trading partners including South Africa.
Analysts said the rand would continue to move on global developments in Trump’s tariff war, as well as local headlines on the future of the market-friendly coalition government.
South African rand nears all-time low on tariff turmoil and coalition tension
The two biggest parties in the coalition, the African National Congress (ANC) and the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA), clashed over the budget last week, with the DA voting against it in parliament and challenging it in court.
The ANC and DA are due to meet on Saturday to discuss the budget impasse.
The benchmark 2030 government bond was marginally weaker in early deals, as the yield rose 1 basis point to 9.25%.
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