Cyril Ramaphosa's 2026 State of the Nation Address delivers a political balancing act, addressing diverse interests while avoiding contentious issues, showcasing the art of subtle governance.

Cyril Ramaphosa's 2026 State of the Nation Address (Sona) was many things: long, densely packed, administratively ambitious. But above all, it was politically shrewd. This was a Sona designed to send at least one carefully calibrated signal to almost every constituency in the country.

For populists: army boots on the grounds and drones on the borders.

For the ANC loyalists: The developmental state remains intact, state ownership preserved.

For free-marketeers: Rail access, port concessions, tax incentives and commercial courts.

Army boots and hard borders

Let's begin with the populists, because they received their dopamine hit early.

If your political appetite is whetted by the sight of soldiers on city streets, Ramaphosa had you at "deploying the South African National Defence Force".

The army will be sent out -- within days, Ramaphosa seemed to suggest -- to the Cape Flats to combat gang violence and to Gauteng to deal with illegal mining.

Actual crime experts will suggest this intervention cannot make a long-term dent in rates of violence. Lefties will be horrified by the potential misuse of powers by soldiers with little experience in domestic policing.

But many who live in the affected communities will be welcoming and relieved, and the...