SONA | WATCH LIVE: All roads lead to Cape Town for SONA 2026
IOL will be covering President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address live via our social media channels and on YouTube .
IOL brings you the coverage live from the arrival of guests on the red carpet, sharing their expectations of Ramaphosa’s 10th SONA, to his address, reactions from politicians and guests after he delivers the address, and an in-studio post-SONA breakdown hosted by IOL Editor Lance Witten, with a panel comprising seasoned political analyst and IOL contributor Dr Reneva Fourie, Cape Argus Editor Liesl van der Schyff, and Political Analyst and Trade Specialist Chloé Maluleke.
Follow our live stream on YouTube from 4pm and follow the conversation using the hashtag #IOLSONA on our social media channels on X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address (Sona) live at Parliament in Cape Town on Thursday at 7pm.
While MPs, diplomats, and former presidents, including Jacob Zuma and Kgalema Motlanthe, will begin arriving at the Cape Town City Hall from this afternoon, Ramaphosa is expected to outline the government’s plans for the year and address some of the biggest challenges crippling South Africa.
A tight security net has been thrown around the City Hall, with several surrounding roads closed and traffic officers posted around the area. Pedestrian access around the precinct has also been limited.
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Speaker of Parliament Thoko Didiza says the R7 million budget for the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) is justified and significantly lower than last year’s allocation, which was pushed up by unforeseen weather disruptions.
IOL has previously reported that Parliament allocated just over R7 million for this year’s address — less than half of the R15.5 million budgeted for the 2025 event, during which approximately R12.3 million was ultimately spent.
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The city stated that traffic flow in and around the CBD will be affected before, during, and after the event. Some of these closures will be in place until February 28, 2026. Available parking space in some areas will also be affected.
Read more here.