Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's stated aim of maintaining an economic growth rate of two to three percent showed a lack of ambition, the DA said on Wednesday.
Democratic Alliance finance spokesman Tim Harris said South Africa should be targeting growth of eight percent to create jobs and curtail poverty.
"This is in line with growth potential in other developing economies," Harris said.
"A growth rate of between two and three percent will not be enough to pull people out of poverty. It will only maintain the status quo.
"The ANC clearly does not have a plan to achieve faster growth."
Harris said the ruling party should liberalise the labour market and implement Gordhan's youth wage subsidy to create growth, investment and jobs, but instead seemed "intent on placing more shackles on growth".
Nigeria is seeking to boost diplomatic relations with SA to the same level as its trade relations.
African Bank extended its losses on the JSE as the market stressed over the scale of its soured debt.
"We are fully behind workers' demands as they are reasonable... The employer is drunk with profits..."
