# Rand now stronger than it was before the budget drama as US bulls get nervous | News24

> The rand recovered to R18.32/$, stronger than its level before the national budget was postponed by three weeks over a dispute on a VAT increase. Markets are in a wait-and-see mode, and a weaker US dollar, on track for a third weekly drop, supported the currency.

- Date: 2025-02-21 · published 2025-02-21T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: macro · region South Africa · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/26376-rand-now-stronger-than-it-was-before-the-budget-drama-as-us-bulls-get-nervous
- Commodities: [South African Rand (ZAR per USD)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/USDZAR.md)

## Why it matters

A firmer rand lowers the local cost of dollar-priced feed imports, although the budget dispute leaves room for renewed volatility. The dollar's direction is the main external driver for these costs.

## Read by commodity

- USDZAR: bearish ▼

## Sources

- news24.com: https://www.news24.com/business/markets/rand-now-stronger-than-it-was-before-the-budget-drama-as-us-bulls-get-nervous-20250221

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.