President Jacob Zuma is expected to focus mainly on economic issues during his annual state-of-the-nation address at the opening of Parliament on Thursday evening.

Congress of the People spokesman Nic Koornhof said the address was being made against the backdrop of Moody's and Fitch revising SA's credit rating downwards.

National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu said the main thrust of the speech should be "jobs, jobs, jobs".

Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said South Africans wanted the speech to be inspiring.

"They don't want to be presented with another bureaucratic check-list of targets and promises," she told journalists at Parliament on Wednesday.

She said Zuma should be honest about his government's shortcomings, such as the failure to keep the pledges made in previous state-of-the-nation addresses.

Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven said the organisation expected Zuma to continue rolling out the policies in the ANC election manifesto.

He said Cosatu said looked forward to a firm assurance from Zuma that the Protection of State Information Bill would be redrafted to ensure it could never be used to classify evidence of crime and corruption as "secret" or to criminalise whistle-blowers.