According to Yael Geffen, CEO of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, the decision by the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points to 4% is not unexpected.

Comment from Carl Coetzee, CEO of BetterBond, on today's repo rate increase:

There was room for a pause in the upward repo rate cycle, says Dr Andrew Golding.

The SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee is set to increase the repo rate this week, according to Finder.com’s SARB Repo Rate Forecast Report. 

The SARB Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 3.5% in a unanimous decision.

Given the vulnerability of South Africa’s economy in the wake of last week’s unrest, as anticipated, the Monetary Policy Committee adopted an accommodative approach by deciding to keep the repo rate steady at 3.5%, which leaves the prime rate at 7%, says Dr Andrew Golding, chief executive of the Pam Golding Property group.

Today’s announcement to hold the repo rate steady at 3.5% marks a full year that South Africans have been able to make the most of a historic low lending environment, says Carl Coetzee, CEO of BetterBond.

The residential property market continues to strengthen, as interest rates remain at record-low levels after a year in which the repo rate remained below 4%, says Carl Coetzee, CEO of BetterBond.

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is set to hold the repo rate at the 18-20 May meeting, according to a unanimous vote by 21 economists on Finder’s repo rate forecast report.  

After the five aggressive repo rate cuts last year that dropped the prime lending rate to a historic low of 7%, homeowners and aspirant buyers have been holding their breath, waiting for the pendulum to swing the other way in 2021.