Die ekonomie minuut

It's pretty clear that load shedding is with us for the foreseeable future. It is also certain that it is limiting the growth of the economy. But exactly how harmful is it?. It is not easy to determine and estimates say it lowers the GDP growth rate by anything from -0.2 to -3.1 percentage points. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

On Friday at Nampo, Theo Vorster of Gallileo Capital made an interesting argument. He says that our mindset is still trapped in the Zuma era of state capture, but that things are different now. The initiatives for private generation of renewable energy, for the private use of Transnet's railway lines, the spectrum auctions and so on, are all moves in the right direction, but our thinking has yet t...

Vrydag by Nampo het Theo Vorster van Gallileo Capital die argument gemaak dat baie van ons se gedagtes is nog vasgevang in die Zuma-era van staatskaping, maar dat dinge nou anders is. Die inisiatiewe vir private opwekking van hernubare energie, vir privaatgebruik van Transnet se spoorlyne, die spektrumveilings ensovoorts, is alles beweging in die regte rigting, maar ons denke moet nog opvang met h...

Na drie 25 basispunte verhogings het die reserwebank se Monetêre Beleidskomittee gister die repokoers met 50 basispunte verhoog. Goewerneur Lesetja Kganyao verduidelik wat tot die besluit gelei het. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

After three 25 basis point increases, the Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee yesterday increased the repo rate by 50 basis points. Governor Lesetja Kganyao explained what lead to this decision. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

April maand se verbruikersprys inflasiesyfer is gister bekend gemaak endie jaar-op-jaar koers was onveranderd van Maart maand se 5,9%. Maand-tot-maand het inflasie toegeneem met 0,6%. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

April's consumer price inflation rate was announced yesterday, and the year-on-year rate was unchanged from March's 5.9%. Month-on-month, inflation increased by 0.6%. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

What are the circumstances in which the Monetary Policy Committee decides on the repo this week? Households have it tough. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Hoe lyk die omstandighede waarbinne die Monetêre beleidskommittee hierdie week ʼn besluit neem oor die repo? Dit gaan nie maklik met meeste huishoudings nie. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Ek het gister gesê dat ʼn repokoersverhoging gaan geen verskil maak aan die olieprys, of stygende voedselpryse nie, maar dit is ook die Reserwebank se belangrikste manier om inflasie te beveg. Dit werk deur verbruikers se bestededing te demp en investering te verminder, en eindelik besef besighede dat hulle nie kosteverhogings kan deurgee aan die verbruiker nie en dan sal inflasie stabiliseer. Moet...

I said yesterday that a repo rate hike will not make a difference to the oil price, or rising food prices, but it is also the Reserve Bank's most tool for fighting inflation. It works by curbing consumer spending and reducing investment, and finally, businesses realize that they cannot pass on cost increases to consumers, and then inflation will stabilize. Shouldn't we instead allow a bit of infla...

Hierdie week word Aprilmaand se VPI inflasiedata bekend gemaak en die Reserwebank se Monetêre Beleidskomittee vergader om ʼn repokoers besluit te neem. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

This week, CPI inflation data for April will be released and the Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee will meet to decide on a repo rate increase. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

I've talked a lot about the impact of big shocks on the economy. Recently there has been Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the floods in KwaZulu-Natal, and lockdowns in China, but one could not yet see it in the data. This week, March's manufacturing output and mining production data were released and one is now starting to see some of those consequences. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU...

Ek het al baie gepraat oor die impak van groot skokke op die ekonomie. Onlangs was daar Rusland se inval in Oekraine, die vloede in KwaZulu-Natal, en inperkings in Sjina, maar mens kon dit nog nie in die data raaksien nie. Hierdie week is Maart-maand se vervaardigingsuitset en mynbouproduksie-data bekend gemaak en mens begin nou van daardie gevolge sien. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur...

Sjina het ʼn vreemde reaksie op die Coronavirus pandemie. Hulle gebruik streng inperkings in stede en die doel is om geen positiewe Covid gevalle op ʼn gemeenskapsvlak binne ʼn distrik te hê nie. Aan die ander kant is inenting nie verpligtend nie en die inentingskoers is laag. Die gevolg van hierdie inperkings is natuurlik dat ekonomiese aktiwiteite van stad tot stad kan stil staan. China is die wêre...

China has an unusual reaction to the Coronavirus pandemic. They are using strict lockdowns in cities and the aim is to have no positive Covid cases at a community level within a district. On the other hand, vaccination is not mandatory and the vaccination rate is low. Of course, the consequence of these restrictions is that economic activity slows from one city lockdown to the next. China is the w...

Workers, businesses, and even countries differ in productivity. Economists have traditionally said that productivity depends on education and training that improves labour inputs, or on research and development that improves capital inputs. Within a business, managers' decisions about appointments, promotions, and bonuses also have an impact on productivity. New research shows that managers' abili...

Werkers, besighede, en self lande verskil in produktiwiteit. Ekonome het tradisioneel gesê dat produktiwiteit hang af van onderwys en opleiding wat die arbeidsinset verbeter, of van navorsing en ontwikkeling wat die kapitaal-inset verbeter. Binne ʼn onderneming het bestuurders se besluite oor aanstellings, bevorderings, en bonusse ook ʼn invloed op produktiwiteit. Nuwe navorsing wys dat bestuurders...

We all know that food commodity prices are high, but what are the prospects in the agricultural sector? Do farmers laugh all the way to the bank? * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Ons almal weet dat voedselkommoditeitspryse is hoog, maar hoe lyk die vooruitsigte in die landbou-sektor? Lag boere al die pad bank toe? * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

We teach economics students that inflation is a process of sustained rises in the general price level. So when do price shocks such as increases in fuel and food prices become an inflationary process? One has to look for second-round effects – in other words, when the prices of services start to increase, and when salaries and wages start to rise. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Bus...

Ons leer vir ekonomie studente dat inflasie is ʼn proses van volgehoue stygings in die algemene prysvlak. So wanneer word prysskokke soos stygings in brandstof- en voedselpryse ʼn inflasieproses? Mens moet kyk vir tweede-rondte effekte – wanneer die pryse van dienste begin styg, en wanneer salarisse en lone begin styg. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Skokke, soos ʼn pandemie, of ʼn oorlog, laat gewoonlik ontluikende markte se geldeenhede swaar kry. Die rand was tot onlangs toe ʼn uitsondering, maar oor die afgelope twee weke het dit 7% swakker verhandel teen die dollar. Na Woensdagaand se rentekoersverhoging deur die Amerikaanse federale reserwebank het dit gister weer onder R16 teen die dollar verhandel (dit eindig op R16,04/$1). So wat kan ons...

Shocks, such as a pandemic, or a war, usually make things difficult for emerging market currencies. The rand was an exception until recently, but over the past two weeks it has traded 7% weaker against the dollar. After Wednesday evening’s interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve, it traded below R16 against the dollar again yesterday (closing at R16.04/$1). So what can we expect next? * The E...