Daily Maverick looked at what President Cyril Ramaphosa promised the country during his State of the Nation Address on 12 February 2026 and how the 2026 Budget lived up to those promises.

The 2026 State of the Nation Address (Sona) set a high bar for transformative change and task forces, focusing on massive infrastructure leads and an expanded social safety net.

However, the National Treasury's chequebook has a way of grounding political ambition in fiscal reality. Daily Maverick has conducted an audit of the President's promises against the numbers revealed in this Budget 2026.

Made with Flourish · Create a chartThe biggest surprises

While the President told South Africa that the government would commit more than R156-billion in public funding for water and sanitation infrastructure over the next three years, Treasury allocated 18.7% more for the same period.

These funds could prove to be a vital lifeline for the crumbling infrastructure found in metros like Johannesburg, where Finance Minister Enoch Godogwana said the national government has "no option but to go" and intervene.

The intensified focus on active structural intervention in failing local governments and metropolitan trading services in both the Sona and the Budget might signal some hope yet for those tired, sluggish municipal services and high rates.

Not that this is a surprise, but if you're a woman living in South Africa, having your frustrations heard, acknowledged and then...