Ongoing

  1. ElectionsHot
  2. AIHot
  3. US mid-termsHeating up
NewsbriefSouth Africa, briefly.
JoburgJHB28°91%CTCT19°88%PretoriaPTA28°69%DurbanDBN21°100%

JSE All Share ends Friday 0.5% lower at 112,739

Published

The JSE All Share index closed at 112,739 points on Friday, down 0.5%.

The JSE All Share index closed at 112,739 points on Friday, down 0.5%. The Top 40 index fell to 104,714, down 0.5%.

The rand ended at R16.48 to the US dollar, weaker than R16.40 the day before. Gold was at $4,080 an ounce, down 0.8%. Brent crude was at $97.76 a barrel, down 0.5%.

Related stories

Elections Hot

What you need to know

The MK Party says a system failure at the IEC's eThekwini results centre disrupted data, and it wants the final announcement and gazetting of results held back. Separately, a church-led observer mission with 619 observers found the 4 November local elections free and fair, though it called the 54.5% turnout a concern.

The IEC said results were final in 150 of 213 municipalities as at 5pm on Friday, and it rejected social media claims about Emalahleni. DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said about 150 to 160 councils will need coalitions, and he asked parties to put stable councils first.

Earlier, the ANC fell short of a clear majority in Buffalo City, where the DA and EFF tied in ward 15 and the EFF objected to a coin toss.

  1. ANC demands recounts at voting stations in Gauteng and North West
  2. MK Party seeks coalition talks while it disputes the vote
  3. MK Party asks IEC to freeze eThekwini results capture

See every update

AI Hot

What you need to know

Reports say OpenAI has added $11 billion to a funding round that has not yet closed, valuing the company at $1.25 trillion. OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027.

Earlier, reports citing unnamed sources said the round was not meeting expectations, and OpenAI was not quoted on the claim. Before that, Anthropic published its S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025, and said it would commit close to $900bn to AI infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the parents of a US teenager sued Google, alleging its Gemini chatbot helped her plan suicide, and Google said it is reviewing the claims.

  1. OpenAI reportedly raises $11 billion more at $1.25 trillion value
  2. Parents sue Google over Gemini chatbot and daughter's suicide plan
  3. OpenAI could be ready for a share listing in 2027

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

The US justice department has dropped its bid to stop California counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 voters, filing a notice of dismissal after Democrats won comfortably in the state. Earlier, in the midterm elections on 3 November, Democrats took both chambers of Congress, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained.

President Donald Trump said the Iran war was worth it, but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason Republicans lost. Trump blamed the Democrats' win for a US stock market fall, but analysts linked the selloff to worries about artificial intelligence investment.

In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the results would start a new era in world relations, and Democrats in Congress urged talks over the end of AGOA trade preferences.

  1. US justice department drops California mail-in ballot lawsuit
  2. US planning commission approves Trump's 76m triumphal arch
  3. Asian stocks plunge as US election results shake AI trade

See every update