Die ekonomie minuut

The rand-dollar exchange rate taught us a lesson this past week about how important the American economy is for our markets and ultimately for the repo rate decisions later in the year. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Die rand-dollar wisselkoers het ons die afgelope week ʼn les gegee oor hoe belangrik die Amerikaanse ekonomie is vir ons markte en eindelik vir die repokoersbesluite later die jaar. Hierdie episod1e word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

The unequal distribution of income and wealth is one of the major issues that economists grapple with. A few years ago, Thomas Piketty's book Capital in the 21st century put the spotlight on growing inequality. Recent research in the US finds that the top-income earners' share of the pie may not have increased as much as previously thought. However, the interesting research is in economic...

Die ongelyke verdeling van inkomste en welvaart is een van die groot vraagstukke waarmee ekonome worstel. ʼn Paar jaar gelede het Thomas Piketty se boek Capital in the 21st century die kollig geplaas op groeiende ongelykheid. Onlangse navorsing in die VSA bevind dat die top-inkomste verdieners se deel van die koek dalk nie soveel toegeneem as wat vroeër gedink is nie. Die interessante navorsing is...

The market for sand is not something that was discussed at the Mining Indaba last week, but recent international research shows that it is an important but almost invisible industry. This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School.

Die mark vir sand is nie iets wat verlede week by die Mynbou Indaba bespreek is nie, maar onlangse internasionale navorsing wys dat dit ʼn belangrike maar amper onsigbare bedryf is. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU Sakeskool.

Johan Fourie wrote a good piece in his newsletter yesterday about the challenges facing universities. Those challenges are ideological, political, financial and technological in nature. But aren't universities also "too big to fail"? They do the research that is important for innovation and innovation is important for economic growth. New research from the US makes one wonder about t...

Johan Fourie het gister ʼn goeie stuk in sy nuusbrief geskryf oor die uitdagings wat universiteite in die gesig staar. Daardie uitdagings is ideologies, polities, finansieel en tegnologies van aard. Maar is universiteite nie ook “too big to fail” nie? Hulle doen mos die navorsing wat belangrik is vir innovasie en innovasie is belangrik vir ekonomiese groei. Nuwe navorsing uit die VSA laat mens daar...

Last week's news was somewhat dominated by the State of the Nation Address, but there were a few economic indicators to keep an eye on. This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU Business School.

Die afgelope week se nuus is bietjie oorheers deur die Staatsrede, maar daar was ʼn paar ekonomiese aanwysers om ʼn oog op te hou. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek in Stellenbosch en die NWU Sakeskool.

It is not easy to listen to the State of the Nation address. The President talks about a lot of things and throws around numbers. Lots of initiatives are mentioned, but what are at the stage of ideas and plans, and what is stuck somewhere in the pipeline and what is already producing results? Instead of a speech, I would rather see an audited Excel spreadsheet that spells everything out exactly, b...

Dit is nie maklik om na die Staatsrede te luister nie. Die President praat oor baie dinge en gooi syfers rond. Klomp inisiatiewe word genoem, maar wat is nog idees en planne, en wat sit iewers vas in die pyplyn en wat lewer al resultate? In die plek van ʼn toespraak sou ek eerder ʼn geouditeerde Excel spreiblad wil sien wat alles presies uitspel, maar dit is nie hoe die politiek werk nie. Hierdie ep...

This evening President Ramaphosa will address the nation, seeking solutions to critical issues. But what can be done to tackle the daunting task of reviving economic growth and creating opportunities for the millions of unemployed youth? I asked Chat GPT for some ideas for his speech. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Vanaand sal President Ramaphosa die nasie toespreek en soek na oplossings vir kritiese kwessies. Maar wat kan gedoen word om die reuse taak aan te pak om ekonomiese groei te herstel en geleenthede te skep vir die miljoene werklose jongmense? Ek het Chat GPT gevra vir 'n paar idees vir sy toespraak. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Commentators are generally negative about tomorrow night's State of the Nation Address. It is not just that the event is estimated to cost R6.5 million, many feel "so what"? I'm a positive guy and want to suggest the following look at the bright side. This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School.

Kommentators is oor die algemeen maar negatief oor more aand se Staatsrede. Dit is nie net dat die geleentheid na raming R6,5 miljoen gaan kos nie. Talle voel “so what”? Ek is ʼn positiewe ou en wil die volgende kyk na blinkkant voorstel. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU Sakeskool.

The Minister of Employment and Labour announced the new national minimum wage on Friday, which applies from 1 March. It has implications for workers and employers and I would like to talk more about this. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Die Minister van Arbeid en Indiensneming het Vrydag die nuwe nasionale minimumloon aangekondig wat geld vanaf 1 Maart. Dit het gevolge vir werkers en werkgewers en ek wil graag meer hieroor sê. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

In the past week, a few important local and international indicators made the news and some give clues about what may happen to interest rates this year. This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU Business School.

Die afgelope week het ʼn paar belangrike plaaslike en internasionale aanwysers die nuus gehaal en party gee leidrade oor wat hierdie jaar met rentekoerse kan gebeur. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek in Stellenbosch en die NWU Sakeskool.

Earlier in the week I talked about the undervaluation of the rand and explained what the Big Mac Index says but I would like to extend the story to exports and the impact of the logistics crisis caused by Transnet and the ports. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Ek het vroeër die week gepraat oor die onderwaardasie van die rand en meer vertel van die Big Mac Indeks, maar ek wil dit graag deurtrek na uitvoer en die impak van die logistieke krisis veroorsaak deur Transnet en die hawens. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Although I am not a crypto-bro, there have recently been interesting developments in the world of crypto money and so-called tokens that I would like to talk about. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Hoewel ek nie ʼn krypto-bro is nie was daar onlangs interessante verwikkelinge in die wêreld van krypto geld en sogenaamde tokens waaroor ek graag wil praat. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

The Economist magazine updated their Big Mac index for 2024 last week and again the rand is undervalued by around 41% against the dollar. The exchange rate should be R11.32 against the dollar. But does any of this matter or make sense? Can someone do something about this? This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School.