As the year draws to a close and we stand on the threshold of a new year in 2026, the prevailing sentiment regarding our economy is one of confident optimism. Despite the formidable challenges our economy has navigated, we are now definitively turning the corner, accelerating towards a more stable and prosperous economic future.

Imagine a South Africa where every individual, regardless of ability, has equal opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully. This is the type of an inclusive society we are striving to build as we concluded Disability Rights Awareness Month on the 3rd of December.

The start of the month of December signals the start of the much-awaited festive season we have all been secretly yearning for - probably since the end of the last festive season!

South Africa’s recent commemoration of National Press Freedom Day on 19 October 2025, marked 48 years since the infamous Black Wednesday of 1977. This day serves not only as a remembrance of the brutal silencing of voices under the apartheid era but is also as a powerful reminder of the enduring value of media freedom in a democratic society.

With the eyes of the world firmly focussed on South Africa, attention now turns to the historic first ever G20 Leaders’ Summit on African soil. On 22 and 23 November 2025, Nasrec in Johannesburg will welcome a number of world leaders and other dignitaries for this landmark gathering.