SONA | WATCH LIVE: Ramaphosa delivers SONA 2026 address
WATCH LIVE: IOL is 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 started his address punctually at 7pm without disruption after the praise singer Ria Reen sang.
He started his speech by commending the women of the country and the women that marched in 1956. He also acknowledged the youth and those who took steps to change the “injustices of the past.”
South African praise singer, poet, and cultural activist Ria Reen at SONA2026.#iolsona #SONA2026
Video: Vuyile Madwantsi pic.twitter.com/0osCmdqs1N— IOL News (@IOL) February 12, 2026
At 6pm, media was instructed to stop interviewing dignitaries and MPs. They will now commence with the ceremonial parade.
MK PARTY WEIGHS IN: MK Party MP Mzwanele Manyi stated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s SONA will be what he described as another round of empty promises, believing that it will be the same as every year. “It’s going to be another round of empty promises. Last year we were told that some R940 billion in infrastructure development was going to happen. It didn’t take off the ground.”
Read more here.
EXPECTATIONS FOR SONA ON RED CARPET: GOOD MP Brett Herron hopes for the president to address food insecurity and inequality, among others, in his SONA. Herron told IOL that the Foot and Mouth disease was an “unnecessarily long crisis”.
When asked what Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde expects from the SONA, he said: “If there is one thing, it’s about policing. We must change things. We can’t just say we are going to change but do nothing. Another thing is the economy and jobs. Nothing gives you dignity like a job, and nothing puts food on the table like a job.”
Regarding the water crisis, Winde says more pumps are coming online, and work is underway to tackle it. “It’s about investing long-term in infrastructure,” said Winde.
“Let’s make sure that children are ready for Grade R and Grade 1 and that children are prepared for school,” Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube. She added that SONA is about action.
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture of South Africa, Gayton McKenzie, praised the Patriotic Alliance on the red carpet. “We are the fastest growing political party,” said McKenzie, adding that in the Western Cape, the DA is dead and “in the ICU”.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber spoke to IOL on the red carpet, hoping that issues plaguing Home Affairs would be tackled. “We have built a powerful system at Home Affairs,” said Schreiber, hailing the recent Smart ID moves the department made. “But we would like to hear an upgrade for that in the SONA. We will then be able to take decisive steps against illegal immigration etc.”
Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has vowed to end load reduction by the end of October. Ramokgopa expressed confidence that load shedding is a thing of the past.
PROTEST ACTION: Scores of EFF protesters outside the City Hall are calling on urgent action on unemployment and the water crisis.
The EFF has arrived at Parliament protesting, demanding that the SONA take serious action on unemployment, the Phalaphala scandal, and the ongoing water crisis. #iolsona #SONA #SONA2026 https://t.co/EhXpkNPgFk pic.twitter.com/MHvqz2vucf
— IOL News (@IOL) February 12, 2026
FIRE ALERT: Motorists are urged to exercise caution as a fire burns near Hospital Bend.
Kevin Jacobs, Spokesperson for City Traffic Services stated: “Phillip Kgosana incoming is closed at Hospital Bend and all vehicles are being diverted towards Nelson Mandela Boulevard due to a fire in the area. City firefighters are on scene and there are also two choppers water bombing the area. This is an ongoing incident.”
WATER CRISIS: President Cyril Ramaphosa has reportedly instructed Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to urgently address Johannesburg’s water crisis instead of attending the 2026 SONA.
Read more here.
WHO WILL ATTEND SONA?: 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.
Read more here
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.
Read more here.
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.