South Africa's rand held on to early gains on Thursday after better-than-expected manufacturing data, while investors kept a close tab on trade negotiations in =the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats.

Uncertainty over proposed US tariffs on South African goods has pushed up the cost of hedging rand exposure, with markets bracing for further volatility ahead of the 1 August deadline.

Here are five other important things happening in and affecting South Africa today:

Known as the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), it led to the investment of more than $100bn (£74bn) in the global HIV/Aids response - the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in the world.

Use our currency converter to find the live exchange rate between ZAR and AOA. Convert South African Rand to Angolan Kwanza

Despite some volatility in global oil markets, a resilient rand is keeping petrol price recoveries in check, supporting potential cuts in August.

The USD/ZAR exchange rate rose to 17.86 on Tuesday as investors reacted to Donald Trump’s trade war with South Africa

Use our currency converter to find the live exchange rate between ZAR and MZN. Convert South African Rand to Mozambican Metical

SA carmakers in hot water: Since January, thousands of vehicles have been recalled by car manufacturers due to safety concerns, prompting scrutiny of South Africa’s consumer protection standards. The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has received numerous reports from major carmakers like Toyota, Volkswagen (VW), and Volvo. [ Business Day]