As President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to deliver his 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), expectations are high as South Africans look for concrete solutions to the country’s most pressing challenges. The President is expected to address issues that affect citizens across all aspects of life.
These include socio-economic challenges such as water shortages, a struggling healthcare system, the placement of learners and students in educational institutions, the state of the economy and the rising cost of living. While these challenges are widely known, the question remains whether South Africans are still interested in hearing a repetition of problems they already experience or whether they want clear plans and timelines for action.
Speaking on Kaya Biz on Wednesday, Debt Rescue Chief Operating Officer Annaline van der Poel said South Africans are looking for real answers.
“The first thing we need is cost-of-living relief. We really need answers on that. We need to see relief measures being put in place because there is massive strain on consumer budgets. We also need to see infrastructure stability — we know there are problems, for instance, Gauteng is currently facing a water crisis. We need to know what the government is going to do about the country’s debt,” Van der Poel said.
She emphasised that the growing unemployment rate, particularly among young people, is a major concern.
“These are the economic factors affecting South African households, and people would really like to see the President addressing them,” she added.