Tax breaks galore, reforms and economic growth forecast in Budget 2026

Don’t worry, folks, it appears 2026 is a good news Budget. In a nutshell, Treasury has spared us the pain of universal tax increases, while also introducing increases on tax-free thresholds for several investments. The economy, as many continue to celebrate, is turning the corner, so much so that the annual growth projection stands at 1.6%. Specialist journalist Carol Paton gives the finance minister and his team three thumbs up out of five. Then, in our trending topic, you can now apply for an e-Visa to travel to the UK, but that’s about the only change to this expensive process. Finally, Madiba cooled some KZN tensions in On This Day in SA History, heard later in the show. Comment below and send our host, broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer, a voice note: 072 562 3179. To advertise: thelead@24.com. Full editions drop on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube Monday through Thursday at 19:00. The show is fully produced, presented and edited by Raubenheimer and quality-checked by Simon Sonnekus.