Cape town: The Cape Town City Hall stage is set, the final preparations are underway, and the parliamentary gears are turning with one moment in sight: President Cyril Ramaphosa stepping up to the podium to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) tonight. The agenda-setting address will be held from 7pm tonight. The event is held in terms of Section 42(5) of the Constitution and is a Joint Sitting of both the National Council of Provinces and the National Assembly. According to South African Government News Agency, the State of the Nation Address (SONA) is an annual overview delivered by the President to mobilise all sectors of society to secure ongoing development in the country. The Joint Sitting provides an opportunity for the President to reflect on progress made, highlight key achievements, flag challenges, and outline government's policy direction and programme of action for the year ahead, as stated by the Presidency. The President is expected to highlight government's priorities for the upcomi ng year. During SONA 2026, President Ramaphosa will outline interventions for the coming financial year, deliberating on South Africa's domestic priorities, as well as the country's continental and international relations. The State of the Nation Address remains an important national milestone, reinforcing the strength and resilience of South Africa's constitutional democratic system, the Presidency added. SONA will be held at Cape Town's City Hall, which sits adjacent to the Grand Parade - the site where former President Nelson Mandela first appeared after spending some 27 years in prison. Members of Parliament, former Presidents, former presiding officers, members of the judiciary, among others, have been invited to the address. Briefing the media this week, Parliament Secretary Xolile George revealed that the budget for SONA 2026 stands at just over R7 million. The costs are largely driven by the hiring of equipment that covers all the broadcasting and ensuring that the ICT infrastructure is fit for pur pose. Last year, the budget was R15.5 million, and R12.3 million was spent, with equipment alone costing R9.1 million. This year, a marquee will replace the ICC, with costs covered by Public Works, aiming to significantly reduce the hosting costs, George explained. In a media briefing yesterday, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza explained that the SONA represents the formal opening of Parliament's programme for the year. SONA provides the anchor around which oversight, lawmaking, budget scrutiny, and public participation are organized. It is the moment when the President accounts to the nation on progress made, outlines priorities for the year, and presents the government's programme of action. These commitments become the benchmark against which parliament measures executive performance during the year, Didiza elaborated. Reflecting on the importance of the occasion, the speaker described SONA as more than a ceremonial occasion. It is a reaffirmation of the Parliamentary constitutional mandate to hold the executive to account, to legislate in the public interest, to facilitate meaningful public participation, and to serve as a platform for national dialogue. She assured South Africans that Parliament is operationally ready, institutionally focused, and firmly committed to ensuring that this State of the Nation Address sets the tone for a year of intensified oversight, responsive lawmaking, and tangible delivery. The SONA will be streamed live on the Presidency and Parliament social media channels, on television, and on radio.