Die ekonomie minuut

This week, new data will be released that may shed light on the recovery of the economy. These include quarterly employment survey figures for the fourth quarter of 2020, private credit extension, the trade balance, ABSA's Purchasing Managers' Index for the manufacturing sector, and also new car sales.

Dit lyk of die ekonomie af is, maar die markte is op.

It seems that the economy is down, but the markets are up.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika het gister die verbruikerprysinflasiekoers vir Februarie bekend gemaak. Dit was 2,9%, die laagste in nege maande en onder die Reserwebank se inflasiemikpunt. Dit sê ʼn paar belangrike dinge.

Statistics South Africa yesterday announced the consumer price inflation rate for February. It was 2.9%, the lowest in nine months and below the Reserve Bank's inflation target. It indicates a few important things.

Amerikaanse werkers wat in 2019 minder as $75 000 per jaar verdien het, het die afgelope week elkeen ʼn $1 400 stimulustjek ontvang. Dit is deel van $1,9 triljoen dollar pakket wat President Biden afgeteken het om die ekonomie aan die gang te kry. ʼn Triljoen is een miljoen miljoen. Maar hoe gaan die geld bestee word, en waarom maak dit saak?

U.S. workers who earned less than $ 75,000 a year in 2019 each received a $ 1,400 stimulus cheque last week. It's part of a $ 1.9 trillion dollar package that President Biden signed off to get the economy going. A trillion is one million million. But how is the money going to be spent, and why should we care?

When the Minister of Finance announced that the government was going to cut spending to ward off a debt crisis, many people thought it was a good move. I still think so. But as we learn in Economics-1, needs are unlimited and resources are scarce, everyone has to make choices, including the Minister, and choices imply opportunity costs. The student protests that are currently taking place througho...

Toe die Minister van Finansies aangekondig het dat die owerheid besteding gaan besnoei om ʼn skuldkrisis af te weer het baie mense gedink dit is ʼn goeie stap. Ek dink nogsteeds so. Maar soos wat ons in Ekonomie-1 leer, is behoeftes onbeperk en hulpbronne is skaars, almal moet keuses maak, ook die Minister, en keuses impliseer geleentheidskoste. Die studentebetogings wat tans deur die land plaasvind...

This week's important economic news is about the Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee meeting for the second time this year. They decide on the repo rate and we know that the repo rate is the most important instrument with which inflation is managed.

Hierdie week se belangrike ekonomiese nuus gaan oor die Reserwebank se Monetêre Beleidskommitee wat vir die tweede keer die jaar vergader. Hulle besluit oor die repokoers en ons weet dat die repokoers die belangrikste instrument is waarmee inflasie bestuur word.

In gister se Minuut het ek vertel dat is daar is goeie nuus oor verbruikersvetroue en oor die konstruksie-sektor wat dui op die herstel van die ekonomie. Vandag wys data oor groothandelverkope en oor die motorhandel, dat die herstel dalk nie so vinnig of so sterk gebeur as wat ons hoop nie.

Ekonome kyk oral na tekens van die herstel van die ekonomie en hierdie week was daar al goeie nuus oor verbruikersvetroue en oor die konstruksie-sektor.

Economists are looking everywhere for signs of economic recovery and this week there has been good news on consumer confidence and on the construction sector.

In yesterday's Minute I explained that there is good news about consumer confidence and about the construction sector, indicating that the economy is recovering. Today, data on wholesale trade and motor trade sales show that the recovery may not be as fast or as strong as we are hoping.

Ek het so paar episodes gelede verduidelik dat ekonome sien opgehoopte, of uitgestelde vraag as een van die groot dryfvere van ekonomiese groei in 2021. Nuwe data oor huishoudings se spaargeld wys nou groot daardie vraag kan wees.

A few episodes ago I explained that economists see pent-up demand as one of the major drivers of economic growth in 2021. New data on household savings shows how large that demand may be.

Network24 reported yesterday that Pick ‘n Pay has reached an agreement with the Competition Commission to not increase profit margins on garlic and ginger. This is good news for consumers, but not for the functioning of the market.

Netwerk24 het gister berig dat Pick ‘n Pay ʼn ooreenkoms met die Mededingingskommissie bereik het om nie winsgrense op knoffel en gemmer te verhoog nie. Dit is goeie nuus vir verbruikers, maar nie vir die werking van die mark nie.

As jy gereeld luister sal jy weet dat Die Ekonomie Minuut is nie ʼn markte verslag nie. Daar is goeie redes daarvoor...

If you are a regular listener, you will know that The Economics Minute is not a markets report. There are good reasons for that...

Ek het vroeer al gesels oor navorsing wat ekonome doen oor die beste maniere om behoeftige mense te help – spesifiek met sosiale toelaes.

I've talked before about research that economists do on the best ways to help the poor - specifically with social grants.

We now know that the economy shrunk by 7% by 2020. But economists expect a strong recovery of growth in 2021. In the media, one reads that this is due to a technical base effect or a bungee cord rebound, but what does that mean?

Ons weet nou dat die ekonomie het in 2020 met 7% ingekrimp het. Maar ekonome verwag ʼn sterk opswaai in 2021. In die media lees mens dit is die gevolg van ʼn tegniese basis-effek of ‘n bungee-tou terugspring, maar wat beteken dit nou eintlik?