Trending 
The South African rand slipped in early trading on Monday as global investors assessed the potential fallout from the ongoing U.S. government shutdown and its duration.
The shutdown, triggered by a budget impasse between Congress and the White House, has forced much of the U.S. government to halt operations — a move that could threaten thousands of federal jobs and weigh on global markets.
At 0800 GMT, the rand traded at 17.2850 per dollar, down about 0.2% from Friday’s close, reflecting its typical sensitivity to global risk sentiment. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar gained 0.3% against a basket of major currencies.
Local market watchers are turning their attention to upcoming gold and foreign exchange reserves data, expected Tuesday, and manufacturing production figures due Thursday, which will offer insights into the health of Africa’s largest economy.
On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Top-40 index was flat in early trading, while South Africa’s benchmark 2035 government bond weakened, pushing the yield up 7.5 basis points to 9.22%.
