Die ekonomie minuut

Die Monetêre Beleidskomitee het gister aangekondig dat die repokoers onveranderd bly. Hulle het ʼn aantal redes aangevoer hoekom daar steeds opwaartse druk op pryse is, vanaf die wisselvallige wisselkoers tot die impak van El Nino op voedselpryse. Hulle is nog nie oortuig dat die inflasiekoers aan die afneem is nie. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

With the Monetary Policy Committee meeting in mind, the debate on X, or rather Twitter, is what good are high interest rates under these circumstances? Can't they see that South Africa looks like a case of stagflation? This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School.

Met die Monetêre Beleidskomitee se vergadering in gedagte is die debat op X, of te wel Twitter, wat help die hoë rentekoerse onder hierdie omstandighede? Kan hulle nie sien Suid-Afrika lyk soos ʼn geval van stagflasie nie? Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU Sakeskool.

The Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee meets this week for a repo rate decision. We hear that inflation remains stubbornly high, but what are temporary changes and what are underlying pressures? This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Die Reserwebank se Monetêre Beleidskomitee vergader hierdie week vir ʼn repokoersbesluit. Ons hoor dat inflasie hardnekkig hoog bly, maar wat is tydelike veranderings en wat is onderliggende druk? Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

The Bank of America and the IMF had some positive things to say about our economy this past week. If you're wondering what it is, here's a short list of things to be positive about. This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU Business School.

Die Bank of America en die IMF het die afgelope week ʼn paar positiewe dinge oor ons ekonomie te sê gehad. As jy wonder wat dit is, hier volg ʼn kortlys van dinge om oor positief te wees. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek in Stellenbosch en die NWU Sakeskool.

Woensdag was die Verenigde Nasies se World Happiness Day. Hulle sê daar is ʼn behoefte aan ʼn meer inklusiewe, gelyke en gebalanseerde benadering tot ekonomiese groei wat volhoubare ontwikkeling, die vermindering van armoede en welstand  van mense bevorder. Sogenaamde happiness economics is iets wat ekonome al lank bestudeer en daar is lesse te leer. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sake...

Wednesday was the United Nations' World Happiness Day. They say there is a need for a more inclusive, equal and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, the reduction of poverty and the well-being of people. So-called happiness economics is something that economists have been studying for a long time and there are lessons to be learned. This episode is suppor...

With Human Rights Day in mind I thought, as usual, what can economists say about this? Actually, quite a lot. Realizing human rights is about economic development and how society chooses to use our scarce resources, but there is a lot of other research as well. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Met Menseregtedag in gedagte het ek soos gewoonlik gedink, wat kan ekonome hieroor sê? Eintlik sommer baie. Om menseregte te realiseer gaan oor ekonomiese ontwikkeling en hoe die gemeenskap kies om ons skaars hulpbronne te gebruik, maar daar is nog baie ander navorsing. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Statistics South Africa will announce February's consumer price inflation figure later today and economists expect inflation to be higher again. This could mean that repo rate cut we are all hoping for is delayed a little longer. This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika maak vandag Februariemaand se verbruikersprys inflasiesyfer bekend en ekonome verwag dat inflasie weer ʼn bietjie hoër gaan wees. Dit kan beteken dat daardie repokoersverlaging waarop ons almal hoop nog bietjie langer uitgestel word. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU Sakeskool.

Forecasting the rand-dollar exchange rate is something economists do so that weather forecasters can feel better about their jobs. In the past week, the rand traded slightly stronger against the dollar, although the dollar itself was stronger against other currencies. Many people wonder if there is a conspiracy somewhere. The better measure is to look at the speculative positions in futures contra...

Om die rand-dollar wisselkoers te voorspel is iets wat ekonome doen sodat weervoorspellers beter kan voel oor hulle werk. Die afgelope week het die rand effens sterker verhandel teen die dollar, hoewel die dollar self sterker was teen ander geldeenhede. Baie mense wonder of daar iewers ʼn sameswering is. Die beter maatstaf is om te kyk na die spekulatiewe posisies in termynkontrakte. Hierdie episod...

The Minister of Finance announced last week that the so-called Social Relief of Distress grant, the R350 Covid grant will be increased to R370 per month. It is a pity for our perception of Minister's independence from political pressure. This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU Business School.

Die Minister van Finansies het verlede week aangekondig dat die sogenaamde Social Relief of Distress toelaag, die R350 Covid toelaag verhoog word tot R370 per maand. Dit is ʼn jammerte vir ons geloof in die Minister se onafhanklikheid van politieke druk. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek in Stellenbosch en die NWU Sakeskool.

People often think that innovation in banking happens far away and is difficult to understand, like Bitcoin, but this month PayShap celebrates its first anniversary and it is a great success. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Mense dink baie keer dat innovasie in die bankwese daar ver is en moeilik om te verstaan, soos Bitcoin, maar hierdie maand vier PayShap sy eerste bestaansjaar en dit is ʼn groot sukses. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

These days it feels like I have very few conversations where artificial intelligence, or simply Chat, does not come up. The world of economists and the work of economists is more and more directly affected. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Dit voel vir my ek het deesdae min gesprekke waar kunsmatige intelligensie, of sommer Chat, nie ter sprake kom nie. Die wêreld van ekonome en die werk van ekonome word al hoe meer direk geraak. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Professors and commentators often say that economic reforms are urgently needed. But do our policy makers such as the Reserve Bank, Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry, or even the President, need more advice? Yesterday I was at a LEAP workshop in Stellenbosch on the influence that economic history research can have on policy and there were quite a few interesting perspectives. This epi...

Professors en kommentators sê gereeld dat ekonomiese hervormings dringend nodig is. Maar het ons beleidmakers soos die Reserwebank, Tesourie, die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid, of selfs die President, nog raad nodig? Ek was gister by ʼn LEAP werkswinkel in Stellenbosch oor die invloed wat ekonomiese geskiedenis navorsing op beleid kan hê en daar wat ʼn hele paar interessante perspektiewe. Hier...

Growth forecasts for the South African economy are quite muted and one wonders if Taylor Swift might not be the solution to our problem. Her Eras tour will be in Singapore soon and this has raised growth forecasts there from 2.5% to 2.9% for the first three months of the year. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Groei vooruitskattings vir die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie is maar redelik gedemp en mens wonder of Taylor Swift nie dalk die oplossing vir ons probleem is nie. Haar Eras toer is binnekort in Singapoer en dit het groeivooruitskattings daar verhoog van 2,5% tot 2,9% vir die eerste drie maande van die jaar. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.