Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) had been expected to show no movement in the unemployment rate over the three months to March from the 4.9% reported last month.
These were the first figures to take in the first weeks of the US-Iran war that prompted a sharp rise in oil and gas costs, with the resulting lift in fuel prices hurting businesses and families almost immediately.
By Sky News
Full story at Yahoo News
The average net salary edged up to R21,508 in March 2026, a marginal 0.1% increase month-on-month and 2.3% higher than a year ago. However, once inflation is taken into account, net salaries declined by about 1% in real terms over the first quarter of the year, according to the PayInc Net Salary Index.
The PayInc Net Salary Index tracks the average nominal net salaries of about 2.1 million South African earners. Remaining above year-ago levels, the data points to a stabilisation in net salaries over the first quarter of 2026.
Full story at IOL
By Nicola Mawson
Nigeria’s maritime sector recorded strong operational growth in the first quarter of 2026, with Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) for ocean-going vessels rising by 19.5 per cent to 46.75 million, underscoring the increasing dominance of larger-capacity ships across the nation’s ports amid ongoing reforms targeted at positioning the country as a regional trade hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to the Q1 2026 Operational Performance Review released by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the rise in vessel tonnage signals improved cargo-carrying efficiency and growing confidence among international shipping lines in Nigerian ports.
The report noted that the development reflects a strategic shift toward larger and more efficient vessels, driven partly by the operational impact of the Lekki Deep Sea Port and expanding trade demand.
By News Desk
Full story at Daily Nigerian
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| Elon Musk attends the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein · Reuters / REUTERS |
“Don’t worry about squirreling money away for retirement in 10 or 20 years,” Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, recently said on the “Moonshots with Peter Diamandis” podcast. “It won’t matter.”
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO was adamant that people like you and me shouldn’t be too concerned about socking away savings for after those paychecks grind to a halt.
By Kerry Hannon
Full story at Yahoo News.
Sterling recouped some of the losses from Monday’s trade as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed an earlier estimate that growth stood at 0.1% in the fourth quarter compared with Q3.
Growth was caused by an increase of 1.2% in production, while the construction sector decreased by 2% and the services sector showed no growth, the ONS said.
By Lucy Harley-McKeown
Full story at Yahoo News
Trading Economics noted that the currency had hit its lowest level since 7 April against the dollar as traders sought refuge in the greenback amid ongoing Middle East uncertainty and rising oil prices.
“The rand has taken the brunt of the sell-off in riskier assets, falling to R16.90 in the Far East this morning,” said TreasuryONE currency strategist Andre Cilliers. By mid-morning, the currency was just above R16.80.
By Nicola Mawson
Full story at IOL
The NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said the organised labour was more concerned about the value of the naira than nominal wage increases, stressing that rising inflation had continued to erode workers’ purchasing power.
According to him, the steady increase in the cost of living has made it difficult for workers to afford necessities, including food, transportation, and housing.
By Agency Report
Full story at Punch NG