A tight balance is expected for this year’s National Budget as South Africa’s woes continue; however, a significant, or fundamental, raising of taxes is not expected, with a tightening hold on revenue collections to bridge the budget gap foreseen instead. South Africa’s 2024 Budget precedes a watershed election, companies are in a “zombie zone” and treading water, and a sluggish economy and a financially pressured tax base is supporting an ever-growing number of government dependants through social grants, all amid exposure to serious global economic headwinds, the latter requireing a structural overhaul of the economy so as not to be as sensitive to external shocks.