Johannesburg - The rand ended slightly firmer against the US dollar on Monday, although it struggled to find momentum given the lack of market-moving news in lethargic holiday trade.
The rand had gained 0.21% versus the greenback to R11.54 by late afternoon, staging a late advance after trading in the red for most of the session.
The rand has been on the back foot for most of this month, touching six-year lows, plagued by yawning budget and current account deficits, the worst power crisis since 2008 and a general souring in sentiment towards emerging markets.
In fixed income, the benchmark issue due in 2026 added 5 basis points to 8.00%.