Standard Bank says South Africa’s economy is moving toward stronger growth as the country addresses longstanding bottlenecks that have constrained performance. In its outlook, the bank characterizes the improvement as nearing an “escape velocity” point, reflecting an expectation that growth momentum is building. Standard Bank forecasts South Africa’s economic growth at 1.7% next year, a more upbeat view than the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF maintained its forecast for 2027 growth at 1.3%, with projections increasing to 2% in 2028. The different figures point to a modest divergence in expected timing and strength of recovery, with both institutions implying gradual improvement rather than a rapid acceleration. Overall, the reports focus on progress toward lifting constraints that have affected output for years and suggest that policy and structural factors enabling better growth conditions are increasingly taking effect. The outlooks also indicate that near-term growth remains positive but moderate, depending on the pace of bottleneck resolution and macroeconomic developments.