Die ekonomie minuut

According to the quarterly labour force survey, employment increased in the third quarter and the unemployment rate decreased. If it sounds too good to be true, remember that the monthly indicators showing that the economy struggled in the third quarter show that the sectors where production declined are also those where jobs were lost, specifically manufacturing and mining. But then what do we kn...

Volgens die kwartaallikse arbeidsmagopname het indiensname toegeneem in die derde kwartaal en die werkloosheidskoers afgeneem. As dit te goed klink om waar te wees, onthou dat die maandelikse aanwysers wat wys dat die ekonomie swaar gekry het in die derde kwartaal, wys dat die sektore waar produksie afgeneem het, ook dié is waar werke verlore gegaan het, spesifiek vervaardiging en mynbou. Maar wat...

Die Wêreldbank het die afgelope week ʼn paar interessante voorspellings gemaak oor kommoditeitspryse, vanaf die olieprys tot die goudprys. As hulle reg of verkeerd is kan dit belangrike gevolge inhou vir ons ekonomie. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool. Foute en weglatings is my eie.

In the past week, the World Bank has made some interesting predictions about commodity prices, from the price of oil to the price of gold. Whether they are right or wrong price changes will have important consequences for our economy. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School . Errors and omissions are my own.

Last week, Statistics South Africa released the manufacturing and mining sectors' production and sales figures for September. Compared to September last year and compared to this August, production was lower. This is attributed to the "usual suspects" of load shedding, Transnet's logistical bottlenecks and the weak demand from China. However, it is not just more bad news. These m...

Verlede week het Statistieke Suid-Afrika die vervaardiging- en mynbou-sektore se produksie en verkope syfers vir September bekend gemaak. In vergelyking met September verlede jaar en in vergelyking met die afgelope Augustus was produksie minder. Dit word toegeskyf aan die “usual suspects” van beurtkrag, Transnet se logistieke bottelnekke en die gedempte vraag uit Sjina. Dit is egter nie maar net n...

Economists often stress that the economy has to grow faster. Sometimes we take the argument further and explain that economic growth must lead to economic development. One measure of that is whether the next generation is better off. Income is one aspect of it, but related to that is education and the work people do to get their income. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School . Errors...

Ekonome beklemtoon gereeld dat die ekonomie vinniger moet groei. Partykeer neem ons die argument verder en verduidelik dat ekonomiese groei moet lei tot ekonomiese ontwikkeling. Een maatstaf daarvan is of die volgende generasie beter daaraan toe is. Inkomste is een aspek daarvan, maar verwant daaraan is opleiding en ook die werk wat mense doen om hulle inkomste te kry. Hierdie episode word onderst...

The history of economic thought has dwindled in recent years to a lecture or two in Macroeconomics in the second year. However, Keynes himself said "Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist". If you wonder if you are using the best economic thinker's arguments around the barbecue fire,...

Die studie van ekonomiese denke het die laaste jare gekwyn tot ʼn lesing of twee in Makro-ekonomie in die tweede jaar. Keynes self het egter gesê “Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”. As jy wonder of jy die beste ekonomiese denker se argumente gebruik om die braaivleisvuur is daar ʼn nuwe boek wa...

Over the last few days, there has been interesting reporting about the AGOA summit and its importance for South African exports to the US. Policy makers are quick to talk about export-led economic growth, but news about the crisis at Cape Town harbour and the dampener it can put on citrus exports in particular shows that domestic factors also play a role in the competitiveness of our exports. What...

Die laaste paar dae was daar interessante beriggewing oor die AGOA beraad en die belangrikheid daarvan vir Suid-Afrikaanse uitvoer na die VSA. Beleidmakers praat maklik van uitvoer-geleide ekonomiese groei, maar nuus oor die krisis by Kaapstad hawe en die demper wat dit op veral sitrus-uitvoer kan plaas wys dat ook binnelandse faktore ʼn rol speel in die mededingendheid van ons uitvoer. Wat ons mak...

Today I interrupt the serious economic news with a story from the music industry. In 2021, investors spent $5 billion to buy the rights to old songs. A catalogue of songs generates revenue as they are used in advertising and royalties when played on the radio and listened to on streaming services. Now, however, it seems that the investors paid too much and the old rock stars are laughing all the w...

Ek onderbreek vandag die ernstige ekonomiese nuus met ʼn storie uit die musiekbedryf. In 2021 het beleggers $5 miljard bestee om die regte tot ou liedjies te koop. So katalogus van liedjies genereer inkomste soos wat dit in advertensies gebruik word, tantieme wanneer dit oor radio gespeel word en oor stroomdienste geluister word. Nou lyk dit egter of die beleggers te duur betaal het en die ou rock-...

With all of last week's episodes about the mini-budget, a few indicators slipped through that I would like to pick up on today. This includes purchasing driver indices for October, new vehicle sales and indicators from the US. This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU Business School . Errors and omissions are my own.

Met al verlede week se episodes oor die mini-begroting het daar ʼn paar aanwysers deurgeglip waarmee ek graag vandag wil opvang. Dit sluit in aankopbestuurdersindekse vir Oktober, nuwe voertuigverkope en aanwysers uit die VSA. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek in Stellenbosch en die NWU Sakeskool . Foute en weglatings is my eie.

People are asking, so what does yesterday's mini-budget mean for the man on the street and for businesses? In the short term, we are not really affected. The concerns are long-term and concern the public debt and the possibility of a debt crisis. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School . Errors and omissions are my own.

Mense vra, so wat beteken gister se mini-begroting vir die gewone man op straat en vir besighede? Op die korttermyn word ons nie eintlik geraak nie. Die bekommernisse is langtermyn en gaan oor die staatskuld en oor die moontlikheid van ʼn skuldkrisis. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool . Foute en weglatings is my eie.

We know that the Finance Minister's challenge is to stabilize the public debt-to-GDP ratio while the economy and its tax revenues stagnate and there are many demands for additional spending. Yesterday's mini-budget was a brave attempt to get it right. This episode is supported by the NWU Business School . Errors and omissions are my own.

Ons weet dat die Minister van Finansies se uitdaging is om die staatskuld-tot-BBP verhouding te stabiliseer terwyl die ekonomie en sy belastinginkomste stagneer en daar baie eise is vir bykomende besteding. Gister se mini-begroting was ʼn dapper poging om dit reg te kry. Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool. Foute en weglatings is my eie.

The question that commentators will ask today is whether the government's medium-term budget policy is sustainable. In short, can we go on like this? This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School . Errors and omissions are my own.

Die vraag wat kommentators vandag gaan vra is of die regering se medium-termyn begrotingsbeleid volhoubaar is. Kortom, kan ons so aangaan? Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU Sakeskool . Foute en weglatings is my eie.

The Minister has already said that he does not plan to announce tax increases tomorrow, but it makes sense to think about it for a moment. Is there room to raise taxes to be able to spend more on grants and bailouts? This episode is supported by the NWU Business School . Errors and omissions are my own.

Die Minister het reeds gesê dat hy nie beplan om more belastingverhogings aan te kondig nie, maar dit is sinvol om vir so oomblik daaroor te dink. Is daar ruimte om belasting te verhoog om meer te kan bestee op toelae en reddingsboeie? Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool . Foute en weglatings is my eie.

Wednesday's mini-budget is about two things, spending cuts and tax increases. The Treasury startled everyone with their proposals regarding the reduction of spending, but the Minister later said that the cuts would be no larger than the usual underspending. Can austerity get the public finances on a more sustainable footing? The answer depends on whether you think of the larger deficit as a te...