BLSA Releases Q3 2026 Reform Tracker

South Africa's national reform completion index rebounded in the third quarter of 2026, climbing to 72.5—its highest reading since tracking began and standing 28.4% above its March 2024 baseline.  

According to the latest Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) Reform Tracker Quarterly Review, momentum shifted positively from -0.4% in the previous quarter to +1.7%. The resurgence was spearheaded by economic structural reforms, which carry a heavy 74.6% weighting and advanced across logistics, energy, and water frameworks.  

Criminal justice reforms edged up slightly to remain the highest-scoring category at 84.5, driven by progress on the Criminal Procedure Bill. However, governance reforms recorded their first-ever decline, dropping 0.8% to 54.6 following the Constitutional Court's invalidation of the Public Procurement Act due to public participation flaws during its parliamentary passage.  

BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso welcomed the broader buoyancy—highlighting major freight milestones such as the gazetting of Transnet’s final Network Statement and Rail Access Agreement, alongside Cabinet support for unbundling the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). Nevertheless, business analysts cautioned that lingering procurement irregularities, grid constraints, and rising anti-corruption pressures—particularly regarding Financial Action Task Force (FATF) compliance—continue to demand urgent implementation focus.