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  2. AIHot
  3. US mid-termsHeating up
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Analysis: latest posts

Analysis

Local vehicle sales rose 34% in three years

The Automotive Business Council (naamsa) compared new vehicle sales for September 2023 with September 2026. Local sales grew strongly, led by passenger cars and Chinese brands, while exports fell.

The naamsa data compares new vehicle sales for September 2023 with September 2026. It separates local sales, meaning vehicles sold in South Africa, from exports, meaning vehicles shipped abroad. The two moved in opposite directions.

Local sales reached 61,645 units in September 2026, up from 46,021 in September 2023. That is a rise of about 34%. Local sales in September 2025 were 54,706 units, so the market also grew over the last year, by about 13%.

Key numbers

Local sales, September 2026
61,645 units
Sep 2026
up 34% from 46,021 units in Sep 2023
Exports, September 2026
31,473 units
Sep 2026
down 13% from 36,247 units in Sep 2023
Chinese share of local sales (%)
20%
Sep 2026
from 7.4% in Sep 2023
Local sales, January to September 2026
492,201 units
Jan to Sep 2026
up 13% from 437,377 units in Jan to Sep 2025

Read the full analysis

AnalysisEconomy

Anthropic's IPO listing: revenue hit $16.3bn in six months

Anthropic, PBC published its S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing under the symbol ANT. Revenue grew from $386m in 2024 to $4.6bn in 2025, but a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026 came mostly from non-cash charges.

Anthropic, PBC has applied to list its Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company will not receive proceeds from shares sold by selling stockholders.

Revenue was $41m in 2023 and $386m in 2024. It reached $4.6bn in 2025, which is about 12 times the 2024 level. In the six months to June 2026 it reached $16.3bn.

Headline numbers

Revenue, H1 2026
$16.3bn
Jan to Jun 2026
Net loss, H1 2026
$80.7bn
Jan to Jun 2026
from $13bn in Jan to Jun 2025
Operating loss, FY2025
$8.06bn
2025
from $2.98bn in 2024
Cash, June 2026
$112bn
30 Jun 2026
up 546% from $17.4bn at 31 Dec 2025

Read the full analysis

Older stories are in the archive.

Elections Hot

What you need to know

Voting in the 2026 Local Government Elections is under way at 23,696 stations, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reported a smooth start on 4 November. Stations opened at 7am and close at 9pm, and by 10am preliminary figures showed 3,523,691 voters had cast ballots.

There were problems: unused ballot papers were stolen from Mnyameni Secondary School near Durban, police opened a case, and the IEC relieved the station staff of duty. Some voters in Tshwane said they were turned away for wearing party shirts, but the IEC denied this and said only mayoral candidates' entourages were barred.

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe told members not to query the results or discredit the IEC, while the IEC said false online claims show routine procedures as fraud.

  1. IEC dismisses MK Party worry about dead people on voters' roll
  2. IEC says local election voting went largely smoothly
  3. IEC says about 12 million had voted by 5pm

See every update

AI Hot

What you need to know

Nvidia has told its cloud computing clients to sell at least 51% of their services to non-Chinese companies, according to five people with knowledge of the matter. Anthropic said it has committed to spend close to $900bn on AI infrastructure, and that its computing costs are rising faster than its revenues.

Elsewhere, reports from unnamed sources say OpenAI's latest funding round is falling short of expectations, and a judge let the NAACP pollution case against xAI proceed. In South Africa, the VAST AI investment scheme went offline on 30 October after withdrawals marked approved did not arrive, according to a news investigation.

  1. Accenture faces accusations over AI report with false citations
  2. CrowdStrike to buy two AI security startups
  3. Google lets schools turn off AI tools but limits Search

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

Democrats won back both the US House and Senate in the midterm elections held on 3 November, according to media projections. Exit polls showed voters were angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and rebuked President Donald Trump.

Before the vote, US forces struck targets on Qeshm Island in Iran, while Republicans struggled to defend the war against Iran on the campaign trail. Iranian officials said US voters rejected the war, and Tehran stayed on high alert for possible new US strikes.

Markets reacted, with the dollar hitting a one-month low and the rand firming to around R16.55, as analysts pointed to fears of gridlock in Washington.

  1. Iran welcomes Democratic wins in US midterm elections
  2. Democrats win US Congress in midterm vote, projections show
  3. Ramaphosa wants US trade deal after AGOA suspension

See every update