Die ekonomie minuut

I often talk about the slow progress of economic reform, so when there is some good news, I do not want to pass up the opportunity to say something about it. The good news is that ICASA held successful spectrum auctions last week. Cellphone companies and internet service providers have paid more than R8 billion for new radio frequency spectrum. It will help to expand data services at lower cost to...

Ek praat gereeld oor die stadige vordering van ekonomiese hervorming, so wanneer daar bietjie goeie nuus is, wil ek nie die kans laat verby gaan om iets daaroor te sê nie. Die goeie nuus is dat ICASA verlede week suksesvolle spektrumveilings gehou het. Selfoonmaatskappye en internetdiensverskaffers het meer as R8 miljard betaal vir nuwe radio frekwensie spektrum. Dit gaan help om datadienste uit t...

The US Federal Reserve is making an important decision this week. In the past year, their economy has grown strongly and inflation has risen sharply. They now need to pump the brakes – just enough to bring inflation under control, but not by so much that it pushes the economy into a recession. The sharp rise in the oil price will make it difficult to get such a soft landing right. * The Economics...

Die Amerikaanse Federale Reserwebank neem hierdie week ʼn belangrike besluit. Die afgelope jaar het hulle ekonomie sterk gegroei en inflasie skerp gestyg. Hulle moet nou rem trap – net genoeg om inflasie onder beheer te bring, maar nie soveel dat dit die ekonomie in ʼn resessie laat beland nie. Die skerp styging in die olieprys gaan die moeilik maak om so ʼn sagte landing reg te kry. * Die Ekonomie M...

There's a nice mix of economic news and indicators this week. Statistics South Africa publishes January's figures for the retail, wholesale and motor trade. The FNB / Bureau of Economic Research's consumer confidence index for the first quarter is also out this week. And we have to keep an eye on the central banks. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Daar is ʼn lekker mengsel van ekonomiese nuus en aanwysers hierdie week. Statistieke Suid-Afrika maak Januariemaand se syfers vir kleinhandel, groothandel en die motorhandel bekend. Die FNB/ Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek verbruikersvertroue indeks vir die eerste kwartaal word ook die week bekend gemaak. En ons moet 'n oog hou op sentrale banke. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sak...

We all know that South Africa is characterized by an unequal distribution of income and wealth. Last week the World Bank released a report that investigated the causes of this inequality. The recommendations are that social spending should be more effective and that grants should be better targeted to help the most vulnerable people. Yet, precisely because the distribution of income is so unequal,...

Ons weet almal dat Suid-Afrika het ʼn kenmerkende ongelyke verdeling van inkomste en welvaart. ʼn Onlangse verslag deur die Wêreldbank het die oorsake van ongelykheid ondersoek. Die aanbevelings is dat sosiale besteding meer effektief moet wees en dat toelae beter geteiken moet word om die mees kwesbare mense te help. Maar, juis omdat die verdeling van inkomste so ongelyk is, is die belastingbasis w...

Voor almal bekommerd geraak het oor die oorlog tussen Rusland Oekraine en die impak op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie, was ons bekommerd oor inflasie in die VSA. Hulle Februarie VPI syfers is gister bekend gemaak en ons moet steeds bekommerd wees. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Before we were worried about the war between Russia and Ukraine and the impact that it has on the SA economy, we were worried about inflation in the US. Their February CPI inflation numbers were published yesterday and we should still be worried. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Een van Suid-Afrika se ligpunte uit die oorlog in die Oekraïne is dat die pryse van die minerale wat ons uitvoer, die hoogte ingeskiet het. Nou is die uitdaging om die geleentheid te benut. ʼn Onlangse berig in Business Day verduidelik hoe Transnet die ekonomie terug hou. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

One of the few straws of hope that the South African economy can clutch at is that the war in Ukraine has caused the prices of the minerals we export to skyrocket. Our challenge is to seize the opportunity. A recent report in Business Day explains how Transnet is holding back the economy. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Yesterday Statistics South Africa announced the fourth quarter of 2021's gross domestic product figures. The economy grew by 1.2% in the fourth quarter and by 4.9% for the year as a whole. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine may prove to be a setback for the recovery of the South African economy. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika het gister die vierde kwartaal van 2021 se bruto binnelandse produksyfers bekend gemaak. Die ekonomie het met 1,2% gegroei in die vierde kwartaal en met 4,9% vir die jaar as geheel. Ongelukkig kan die oorlog in die Oekraine is ʼn terugslag wees vir die herstel van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Besigheidskool.

Later today, Statistics South Africa releases the gross domestic product data for the fourth quarter of 2021. The value of production and how fast the economy grew last year matters for a number of reasons: we want to know if the economy has recovered from the setback of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown; all the important figures, such as the budget deficit and government debt are expressed in t...

Later vandag maak Statistieke Suid-Afrika die bruto binnelandse produk data bekend vir die vierdie kwartaal van 2021. Die waarde van produksie en hoe vinnig die ekonomie verlede jaar gegroei het maak vir ʼn paar redes saak: ons wil weet of die ekonomie al herstel het van die terugslag van die Covid-19 pandemie en inperking; al die belangrike syfers, soos die begrotingtekort en staatskuld word uitge...

After a week of worrying about the impact Russia's invasion of Ukraine has on the South African economy, I read a few reports that remind one of our domestic challenges. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Na ʼn week wat ons bekommerd was oor die impak wat Rusland se inval op die Oekraïne in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie gaan hê, het ek berigte gelees wat mens net weer herhinner aan ons binnelandse uitdagings. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

This week we learned that the economy also matters in a war, that bank transfers and bombs can sow destruction. At the beginning of the week, we thought about sanctions like we did in the 1980s: measures that slowly strangled an economy. Then we saw what happened when the Russian central bank was cut off from its foreign exchange reserves. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business Sc...

Ons het hierdie week geleer dat die ekonomie ook saak maak in ʼn oorlog, dat bankoordragte en bomme vernietiging kan saai. Aan die begin van die week het ons dalk aan sanksies gedink soos in die 1980’s maatreels wat ʼn stadige wurggreep het op ʼn ekonomie. Toe het ons gesien wat gebeur toe die Russiese sentrale bank afgesny is van hulle buitelandse valutareserwes. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteu...

According to Network 24, the Financial and Fiscal Commission and the Parliamentary Budget Office yesterday warned parliament that as a result of the conflict, South Africa can forget about recovering economically this year, to the levels before the Covid-19 pandemic that is. No details were given, but I think it depends so little on where you thought the growth would come from... * The Economics M...

Volgens Netwerk 24 het die Finansiële en Fiskale Kommissie en die Parlementêre Begrotingskomittee gister die parlement gewaarsku dat as gevolg van die konflik kan Suid-Afrika daarvan vergeet om hierdie jaar ekonomies te herstel tot die vlakke van voor die Covid-19 pandemie. Daar is nie nog besonderhede gegee nie, maar ek dink dit hang so bietjie af van waar jy gedink het die groei vandaan sou kom....

This week the government released the national labour migration policy for comment. The policy aims to introduce quotas on the total number of foreign workers with work visas who can be employed in sectors such as hospitality and tourism, agriculture and construction. The proposed law will, among other things, also ban foreigners from starting small businesses in certain sectors. I realise that th...

Hierdie week het die regering die nasionale arbeidsmigrasiebeleid vir kommentaar vrygestel. Die beleid het ten doel om kwotas in te stel vir die totale aantal buitelandse werkers met werkvisums wat in sektore soos gasvryheid en toerisme, landbou en konstruksie in diens geneem kan word. Die voorgestelde wet sal buitelanders onder meer ook verbied om klein ondernemings in sekere sektore te begin. Ek...

It is the first day of March and a good time to ask: So how is the South African economy doing? There is some good and bad news this week... the electricity price, fuel prices and everything else in this week's indicators. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.