South African rand firms before Fed rate decision

(Reuters) -South Africa's rand firmed on Wednesday ahead of an interest rate hike decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve due later in the day.

At 1548 GMT, the rand traded at 16.8175 against the dollar, 0.78% stronger than its previous close.

Traders are awaiting the Fed policy announcement at 1800 GMT, with the focus also on the news conference following the decision for any hint on whether policymakers' resolve to hike further is waning as economic growth slows.

On the stock market, the Top-40 index closed 0.05% lower at 61,985 points while the broader all-share was unchanged at 68,424 points.

The government's benchmark 2030 bond was almost unchanged, with the yield at 10.660%.

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru and Anait Miridzhanian in GdanskEditing by Mark Heinrich and Angus MacSwan)