South Africa's rand firmed in early trading on Wednesday after three days of heavy losses as markets fretted over what U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's policies could mean for trade relations. At 0736 GMT,

South Africa’s unemployment rate fell for the first time in a year, driven by job increases in the community and social services and construction sectors, as business confidence improves and economic growth shows signs of recovery.

South Africa's rand slumped on Monday, buffeted by global headwinds including a softer gold price, the sputtering Chinese economy and uncertainty over future U.S. policy after Donald Trump's election victory.