South Africa's central bank paused its rate-cutting cycle on Thursday as risks stemming from U.S. President Donald Trump's global trade war and the country's deadlocked national budget overshadow its success keeping inflation low.

South Africa's economic landscape is experiencing varied inflationary pressures across different sectors, demanding attention from both policymakers and consumers. This analysis explores the key factors driving these changes and their implications for the economy.

Economists say the Reserve Bank is likely to err on the side of extreme caution today as it waits to see what happens to global interest rate trends, which might reverse.