South Africa's rand traded slightly firmer on Thursday, gaining back lost ground as higher gold prices and the likelihood of local interest rates remaining high lured offshore investors. At 0630 GMT the rand 0.2 percent firmer at 12.4200 per dollar compared to a close of 12.4325 overnight in New York. The rand briefly slipped to a 2-week low of 12.5500 in the previous session after the ruling African National Congress said an early exit for President Jacob Zuma had not been discussed at a party meeting. But once the political furore subsided, the failure to close above 12.50 barrier opened the door to some gains at levels attractive to exporters as well as carry traders looking to profit from high yields relative to the U.S. and other developed markets. The Reserve Bank will leave interest rates unchanged at its Jan. 18 meeting, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday, despite a much firmer rand suggesting further easing could come from the bank. A higher gold price, South Africa's chief commodity export, also supported the rand. Bullion prices rose for a second day on Thursday, extending the gains in the previous session when prices climbed to the highest since September. Bonds were firmer as well, with the yield on the benchmark paper due in 2026 down 1.5 basis points to 8.635 percent. Stocks opened lower, with the benchmark Top-40 index down 0.7 percent to 52,810 points. Reuters