Die ekonomie minuut

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.

The Economist tydskrif het die afgelope week hulle Big Mac indeks opgedateer vir 2024 en die rand weer ongeveer 41% onderwaardeer teen die dollar. Die wisselkoers behoort R11,32 teen die dollar te wees. Maar maak enige iets hiervan saak of sin? Kan iemand iets hieraan doen? Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU Sakeskool.

The first month of the year is over and indicators of how the economy is doing are back in the news. So what are we looking at, and what are the indicators showing? This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Die eerste maand van die jaar is agter die blad en aanwysers van hoe dit met die ekonomie gaan is terug in die nuus. So waarna kyk ons, en wat wys die aanwysers? Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Last week a commentator or two said that monetary policy is now too tight. What is not well explained is whether they are proposing just a slightly less restrictive policy and a slightly lower interest rate to provide relief to consumers, or whether they are making an argument for a much more populist approach, with decidedly lower interest rates, to supposedly stimulate the economy. This is an im...

Verlede week het ʼn kommentator of twee gesê dat monetêre beleid nou te streng is. Wat nie mooi verduidelik word nie is of hulle praat van net effens minder streng beleid en ʼn effens laer rentekoers om vir verbruikers verligting te gee, of maak hulle ʼn argument vir ʼn veel meer populistiese aanslag met bepaald laer rentekoerse om sogenaamd die ekonomie te stimuleer. Dit is ʼn belangrike verskil. Hier...

As analysts expected, the Monetary Policy Committee left the repo rate unchanged. For now, this means that our installments remain the same and it doesn't look like that will change anytime soon. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Soos wat ontleders verwag het, het die Monetêre Beleidskomitee die repokoers onveranderd gelaat. Vir eers beteken dit dat ons paaiemente dieselfde bly en dit lyk of dit nie vinnig gaan verander nie. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

There is good news on the inflation front. In December, the consumer price inflation rate was 5.1% and there are positive signs that it will continue to fall. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Daar is toe goeie nuus op die inflasie front. In Desembermaand was die verbruikersprys inflasiekoers 5,1% en daar is positiewe tekens dat dit gaan aanhou daal. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Statistics South Africa is announcing the December consumer price inflation rate today and economists expect it to have declined to 5.2, or 5.3%. Yet, household inflation expectations is at 6.3% and when you go shopping, it seems that everything is a lot more expensive. This is the difference between lived experience and statistics. This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa an...

Statistieke Suid-Afrika maak vandag Desembermaand se verbruikersprysinflasiekoers bekend en ekonome verwag dat dit tot 5,2, of 5,3% gedaal het. Tog is huishoudings se inflasieverwagtinge op 6,3% en wanneer jy inkopies doen, lyk dit of alles baie duurder is. Dit is die verskil tussen geleefde ervaring en statistiek. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU S...

In Macroeconomics it is difficult to talk about one thing without also mentioning a lot of other issues. This week's Macro news is December's CPI inflation rate and the Monetary Policy Committee's first meeting of the year. Before I talk about the outlook for the repo rate, I must first talk about the fiscal position. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

In Makro-ekonomie is dit moeilik om oor een ding te praat sonder om ook ʼn klomp ander vraagstukke aan te raak. Hierdie week se Makro nuus is Desember maand se VPI inflasiekoers en die Monetêre Beleidskomitee se eerste vergadering van die jaar. Voor ek praat oor die vooruitsigte vir die repokoers moet ek eers oor die fiskale posisie gesels. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

In an election year one should not pay too much attention to statements by our politicians, but the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana said something at Davos last week that requires a comment. He said that developing countries must change their trade patterns to de-link from the West. He forgets one important thing - South Africa does not actually export, it is businesses in South Africa that e...

In ʼn verkiesingsjaar moet mens jou nie te veel aan politici se uitlatings steur nie, maar die Minister van Finansies Enoch Godongwana het verlede week by Davos iets kwytgeraak wat ʼn opmerking vereis. Hy het gesê dat ontwikkelende lande hulle handelspatrone moet verander om hulle te ontkoppel van die Weste. Hy vergeet een belangrike ding – Suid-Afrika voer eintlik nie uit nie, dit is besighede in S...

The matric results of 2023 were announced on Friday and I want to congratulate everyone that passed. Best of luck to those of you on your way to university. I thought it might be useful to offer some advice. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Die matriekuitslae van 2023 is Vrydag bekend gemaak. Veelsgeluk aan almal wat geslaag het. Baie sterkte vir die wat binnekort op pad is universiteit toe. Ek het gedink dat is dalk toepaslik om ʼn klein bietjie raad te gee. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Paleontoloë het die groot uitdaging om fossiele te klassifiseer, deesdae word dit moeiliker gemaak deur die pryse waarvoor fossiele opgeveil word aan privaat versamelaars en groot maatskappye. Die NWU Sakeskool is die hoofborg van Die Ekonomie Minuut.