Tesla taking over the United States, and Gauteng losing 100 nurses a month

The rand was trading at R16.18 against the US dollar on the morning of Monday, 14 September 2026, weakening slightly from where it closed last Friday.

South African stocks recorded modest gains on Friday, with the JSE All Share Index up by 0.15% and the Top 40 Index by 0.19%.

Cape Town’s prime residential market remained in focus, recording 4.7% growth in the first half of the year.

On Wall Street, US indices closed firmer on Friday, with the S&P 500 up 0.86%, the Nasdaq up 0.96%, and the Dow Jones up 0.98%.

Despite this, US inflation accelerated 3.4% during August as consumer sentiment dropped to 47.8, raising expectations for a Fed interest rate hike.

European equities saw a modest bounce, with the STOXX 600 up 0.5%, the CAC 40 up 0.78%, and the DAX 30 up 0.82%.

The United Kingdom grew its economy by 0.4% month-on-month in July, while German corporate insolvencies rose 6.7% in the first half to a 13-year high.

Asian markets moved lower due to rising energy costs and a potential Bank of Japan rate increase, with the Nikkei 225 down 1.93% and the Shanghai Composite down 1.18%.

In commodities, Brent crude oil surged past $107 per barrel after a drone strike shut down Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, putting 4% of global oil supply at risk.

Meanwhile, gold slumped 0.46% to $4,328.39 per ounce, while platinum and silver also edged lower by 0.11% and 0.98%, respectively.

On Monday morning, the rand was trading at R16.18 to the US dollar, R18.71 to the euro, and R21.84 to the British pound.

Important finance and investing news

Tesla taking over the United States: Tesla’s market share has recovered from its 2025 low-point despite depressed US EV sales, with Elon Musk’s company now holding an estimated 52% of the market, up from 43% the year before. [Wall Street Journal]

Gauteng losing 100 nurses a month: The Gauteng Department of Health said it needs at least R5.7 billion to fill critical vacancies across the province’s healthcare system as it loses more than 100 nurses every month across its 372 clinics and 40 government hospitals. [BusinessDay]

Stocks bubble set to burst: Capital Economics senior market economist James Reilly has warned that the US stock market is currently in a late-stage bubble and is set to burst next year, predicting the S&P 500 will plunge 21% by the end of 2027 as the AI-led market boom dies down. [Yahoo Finance]

Massive bakkie recall: The Competition Commission has alerted South African motorists to a product safety recall of more than 2,500 Isuzu D-Max RG19 bakkies which were sold between 11 May and 3 July this year, due to a possible brake pedal pivot defect. [EWN]

Chinese AI company seeks $727 million: California-based Chinese AI computing networks maker Ligent Technologies is looking to raise HK$5.7 billion ($727 million) in a Hong Kong initial public offering, offering 172 million shares at HK$32.96 apiece. Trading is expected to begin on 22 September. [Bloomberg]