Peek-a-Boo – it’s SONA 2026 Groundhog Day - Yael Geffen

South Africa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address struck a familiar tone, recycling key themes that have echoed through every Cyril Ramaphosa SONA since 2019: tackling corruption, reducing crime, reviving infrastructure, reducing unemployment and addressing entrenched social challenges. Yet the sense of déjà vu is unmistakable – the same aspirations delivered year after year have offered measurable progress that has for the most part fallen far short of promises made to the nation.

Yael Geffen, CEO of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, encapsulated this tension sharply. Reflecting on the country’s “good news, bad news paradigm”, Geffen noted that while foreign investment strategies might appear to be on track, structural rot remains.

“We can attract investment and shout the good news, but when the global money and the investors arrive in South Africa, we have to start the narrative with the bad news … because state-owned enterprises are broken and basic infrastructure, like water delivery, continues to fail,” she said, warning that the foundation beneath the rhetoric is still unstable.

Corruption and Governance

Corruption has been a staple concern in every SONA under Ramaphosa. Each year brings pledges to strengthen institutions and professionalise the public service – yet public perception of systemic corruption persists. Geffen’s skepticism about lofty promises reflects widespread frustration that eight SONAs later, anti‑corruption rhetoric still has not translated into decisive action with visible impact.

Crime and Safety

Repeated commitments to defeat crime and gang violence also featured strongly in 2026, building on past SONAs. However, many South Africans still contend with high crime rates in their towns and cities, and repeated deployments of security forces against organised crime suggest a significant gap between intention and measurable results, says Geffen.

“One of the fields where this is glaring and desperately sad is Gender Based Violence. Every year, including this one, the President has promised that it’s GBV priorities will translate to tangible results.

“The reality is that rape reporting has remained at more than 40 000 a year, with an estimated under-reporting of 95%. Bodies are harder to hide, though. More than 5 000 women per year are murdered in this country, an increase of more than 33% since Ramaphosa took office. Femicide is consistently described as among the highest in the world and roughly five times the global average. It’s beyond a disgrace.”

Infrastructure: Progress and Pain Points

Infrastructure repair and development was another recurring theme. While some initiatives have progressed, state-owned enterprises remain largely dysfunctional, and basic services such as water delivery continue to fail in many communities. Geffen has previously pointed out how failing infrastructure deters investment and damages growth prospects, highlighting how municipal and service delivery dysfunction affects broader economic confidence.

Job Creation and Economic Reality

On job creation, the 2026 SONA pointed to millions of opportunities generated through stimulus programmes. Yet unemployment – largely youth unemployment – remains stubbornly high, a chronic challenge throughout Ramaphosa’s tenure.

Geffen says economic uncertainty, interest rate pressures and investor hesitancy reinforces the sense that headline job numbers don’t always equate to sustained, quality employment growth, which ranks close to the worst in the world and has not been adequately addressed in Ramaphosa’s tenure.

“My overall impression of SONA 2026 was ‘Groundhog Day’, which is probably more polite than ‘Twilight Zone’. The government can’t keep making the same promises year after year, dropping the ball and expecting citizens and foreign investors to maintain faith in their leadership.

“Most of us mastered peek-a-boo by the age of three. If we don’t stand for it in our own businesses and investments, why should we stand for it from the government?” Geffen asked.

“What this year’s SONA reinforces yet again is that it’s up to us – the people and private sector of our amazing country – to create the future we want to see. One good thing is the reminder in SONA that we are a democracy, and this is an election year. Vote with your conscience, not unrequited loyalty, and there’s a good chance of a prosperous future for us and our economy.”