History points to rand decline after election

The rand may be in for a rough ride after elections set for May 8, if history is any guide.

Since the the start of the post-apartheid era, the local currency has tended to strengthen in the month before the vote, but weaken in the 30 days afterward, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The outlier was 2009, when the rand was recovering from a record low reached during the global financial crisis.