Die ekonomie minuut

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.

Over last week, I discussed a few important indicators. The South African economy narrowly avoided a recession in the fourth quarter of last year, but in the first quarter of this year things don't look much better and business confidence is low. And there are a few more pieces of news that clarify things. This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU...

Ek het so deur die loop van verlede week ʼn paar belangrike aanwysers bespreek. Die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie het in die vierde kwartaal van verlede jaar net net ʼn resessie vermy, maar in die eerste kwartaal van hierdie jaar lyk dinge nie veel beter nie en sakevertroue is gedemp. Daar was darem nog ʼn paar stukkies nuus wat dinge toelig. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die Buro vir Ekonomiese On...

This is not a market report, but every now and then something pops up in the markets that I have to talk about. The gold price is at a record high and no one is quite sure why. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Hierdie is nie ʼn markteverslag nie, maar af en toe duik daar iets op in die markte waaroor ek moet praat. Die goudprys is op ʼn rekord hoogtepunt en niemand is mooi seker hoekom nie. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

RMB and the Bureau of Economic Research's Business Confidence Index number for the first quarter was announced yesterday and business confidence is even lower than at the end of last year. Seven out of ten survey participants are unsatisfied with business conditions. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

RMB en die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek se Sakevertroue indeks vir die eerste kwartaal is gister bekend gemaak en sakevertroue is nog laer as einde verlede jaar. Sewe uit elke tien deelnemers aan die opname is nie tevrede met besigheidstoestande nie. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

The fourth quarter of 2023's GDP and economic growth figures were announced yesterday. The economy grew by just 0.1%. That means we narrowly missed falling into a recession at the end of last year, but a growth rate of 0.6% for the whole year is far too low. This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School.