Die ekonomie minuut

This week, the economic news is going to be about the medium-term budget policy statement. Last week I talked about how important it is for the Minister of Finance to continue with the fiscal consolidation needed to reduce government debt. But let's take a step back and explain what the MTBPS is.

Hierdie week gaan die ekonomiese nuus gaan oor die medium-termyn begrotingsbeleidsraamwerk. Ek het verlede week al gesels oor hoe belangrik dit is dat die Minister van Finansies voortgaan met die fiskale konsolidasie wat nodig is om die staatskuld te verminder. Maar kom ons gee ʼn tree terug en verduidelik wat is die MTBR.

If you're one of the regular listeners of this podcast, you know that inflation in the US is a big topic. If inflation rises there, the Federal Reserve will end its expansionary monetary policy. This can be a shock to stock markets and emerging market currencies. Whether US inflation is sustained, or transitory, is of significance for us in South Africa.

As jy een van die gereelde luisters van hierdie podcast is sal jy weet dat inflasie in die VSA ʼn groot onderwerp is. As inflasie daar styg gaan die Federale Reserwebank hulle uitbreidende monetêre beleid beeindig. Dit kan ʼn skok wees vir aandelebeurse en ontluikende markte se geldeenhede. Of Amerikaanse inflasie volgehoud, of van ʼn verbygaande aard is, is baie belangrik vir ons in Suid-Afrika.

Yesterday I talked about next week's mini-budget and whether the Minister of Finance can use his tax windfall to expand social grants. Making the Covid allowance for unemployed adults permanent, or introducing a basic income grant, will require more money than a one-year surge in commodity prices can yield. A better plan is to borrow less, because South Africa has a debt problem.

Ek het gister gesels oor volgende week se mini-begroting en of die Minister van Finansies sy belasting meervaller kan gebruik om sosiale toelae uit te brei. Om die Covid-toelaag vir werklose volwassenes permanent te maak, of om ʼn basiese inkomstetoelaag in te stel gaan meer geld vra as wat ʼn een-jaar opleweling in kommoditeitspryse kan oplewer. ʼn Beter plan is om minder te leen, want Suid-Afrika h...

With fuel prices rising and load shedding back, your next concern may be next week's mini-budget, but many economists think it doesn't have to be. It is all about how the minister will spend his tax windfall.

Met die brandstofprys op rekord hoogte en beurtkrag wat weer terug is, is jou volgende bekommernis dalk volgende week se mini-begroting, maar baie ekonome dink dat dit nie hoef te wees nie. Dit gaan alles oor hoe die minister sy belastingmeevaller bestee.

Terwyl ons wag vir die uitlae van die plaaslike verkiesings is daar darem ekonomiese nuus om dop te hou: ABSA se aankopebestuurdersindeks, Naamsa se data oor voertuigverkope, en die brandstofprys.

While we are waiting for the results of the local elections, there is some economic news to keep an eye on: ABSA's PMI, Naamsa vehicle sales, and the petrol price.

Economists did not said much about today's local elections. Probably because it is not directly related to fiscal policy, or the country's credit rating, or inflation. Last week we were more worried about load shedding than about the election. But although economic policy is not made at the local level, it is where large parts of it play out. The availability of electricity and water has a lot to...

Ekonome het nie veel te sê gehad oor vandag se plaaslike verkiesings nie. Seker omdat dit nie direk ʼn invloed het op fiskale beleid, of die land se kredietgradering, of op inflasie nie. Die laaste week was ons meer bekommerd oor beurtkrag as oor die verkiesing. Maar hoewel ekonomiese beleid nie op plaaslike vlak gemaak word nie, is dit tog waar groot dele daarvan uitspeel. Die beskikbaarheid van e...

With local elections around the turn and load shedding the order of the day, this week's economic data did not really make the news. Stay tuned for more about PPI and the SARB's business cycle indicators.

Met die plaaslike verkiesing om die draai en beurtkrag aan die orde van die dag het hierdie week se ekonomiese data het nie werklik die nuus gehaal nie. Bly ingeskakel vir meer oor die PPI en die SARB se sakesiklusaanwysers.

Die laaste paar dae word daar weer baie geskryf oor dit wat nodig is om die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie op dreef te kry. Party kommentators vra vir drastiese stappe, ʼn basiese inkomstetoelaag, of dat ons net eers die skuldlas onder beheer moet kry. Sommige sal sê arbeidsmarkhervorming, maar is verstaanbaar versigtig om te verduidelik presies wat verander moet word. Die een aspek is die stelsel van ko...

In the last few days, a lot has been written about what is needed to get the South African economy up and running. Some commentators are asking for drastic steps, others for a basic income allowance, or that we should just get the debt burden under control first. Some would say labour market reform but are understandably cautious to explain exactly what needs to be changed. The one aspect is the s...

In the run-up to the COP26 climate change summit, it is clear that coal-fired energy generation is out of fashion. But new research shows that cattle emit far more greenhouse gases than previously thought and the most effective way to reduce your carbon footprint is to eat pork instead.

In aanloop na die COP26 beraad oor klimaatsverandering is dit duidelik dat energie-opwekking met steenkool uit die mode is. Maar nuwe navorsing wys dat beeste heelwat meer kweekhuisgasse vrystel as wat vroeer gedink is en die mees effektiewe manier om jou koolstofvoetspoor te verklein is om eerder varkvleis te eet.

Ek praat die laaste tyd baie oor inflasie en hierdie week se groot aanwyser is September maand se produksieprys indekssyfer wat Donderdag bekend gemaak word. Ekonome hoop om te sien of die stygings in brandstofpryse en bottelnekke in voorsieningskettings druk plaas op produksiepryse.

I've been talking a lot about inflation lately and this week's major indicator is September's producer price inflation figure released on Thursday. Economists hope to see if the increases in fuel prices and bottlenecks in supply chains have put pressure on producer prices.

Dit lyk op die oomblik of die wêreld ʼn energie knelpunt bereik en die pryse van olie, gas, en steenkool het hierdie jaar al skerp gestyg. Dit gaan veroorsaak dat brandstofpryse in Suid-Afrika verder styg en opwaartse druk op inflasie plaas.

At the moment, the world seems to be in an energy crunch and oil, gas, and coal prices have risen sharply this year. This will cause fuel prices in South Africa to increase further and put upward pressure on inflation.

Die regering oorweeg aansporings om mense ouer as 60-jaar so ver te kry om ingeënt te word teen Covid-19. Hulle is ʼn kwesbaregroep en nog net 61,8% van die 5,5 miljoen mense van die ouderdom is al ingeënt. Die Departement van Gesondheid gaan vroeg in November ʼn aansporingsprogram loods wat begin met ʼn koskoopbewys van R100. Daar is R100 miljoen hiervoor ingesamel van die privaatsektor. Hier gee ge...

The government is considering incentives to get people over the age of 60 to be vaccinated against Covid-19. They are a vulnerable group and only 61.8% of the 5.5 million people of that age have been vaccinated. The Department of Health will launch an incentive program in early November, starting with a food voucher worth R100. R100 million has been raised for this from the private sector. Behavio...

Consumer price inflation increased from 4.9% in August to 5% in September. This was largely driven by increases in fuel prices.