Die ekonomie minuut

Die afgelope week het die SABC aangevoer dat TV lisensies vervang moet word deur ʼn heffing op alle huishoudings om te betaal vir die openbare uitsaaiwese. Die Gauteng provinsiale owerheid het gesê dit is nie reg dat die provinsie se inwoners e-tol moet betaal vir hulle snelweë nie. In albei gevalle is die saak uitgemaak dat die tv en radio-uitsendings en die snelweë sogenaamde openbare goedere is,...

Last week, the SABC argued that TV licenses should be replaced by a levy on all households to pay for public broadcasting. The Gauteng provincial government said it is not right for the province's residents to pay e-tolls for their highways. In both cases, the argument was made that the TV and radio broadcasts and the highways are so-called public goods, but is this the case?

Die 4de Maart is wêreldvetsugdag wanneer daar gefokus word om mense in te lig oor oorgewig en vetsug, om die oorsake daarvan aan te spreek, en om saam ʼn meer gesonde toekoms te bou. Jy wonder dalk, wat het dit met Die Ekonomie Minuut te doen en die antwoord is, sommer baie.

March 4th is World Obesity Day when the focus is on educating people about over-weight and obesity, addressing its causes, and building a healthier future together. You may be wondering, what does this have to do with The Economics Minute and the answer is, quite a lot.

Uiteenlopende aanwysers van die stand van die ekonomie is hierdie week bekend gemaak. Luister hier om meer te leer van die aankopebestuurdersindeks, motorverkope en die brandstofpys.

Diverse indicators of the state of the economy were announced this week. Listen here to learn more about the purchasing managers' index, vehicle sales and fuel price.

Ons weet dat infrastruktuur-investering die hoeksteen is van die regering se heropbou en herstelplan. Ons weet ook dat die regering nie geld het om dit te finansier nie. Die vraag is op watter manier die die privaatsektor betrokke kan raak by infrastruktuur-investering. In sekere kringe is daar die argument dat dit deel moet wees van voorgeskrewe bate-vereistes, maar die groot batebestuurders en v...

We know that infrastructure investment is the cornerstone of the government's reconstruction and recovery plan. We also know that the government does not have the money to finance it. The question is in what way the private sector can become involved in infrastructure investment. In some circles, there is the argument that it should be part of prescribed asset requirements, but the major asset man...

Brandstofpryse is aan die toeneem. In Januarie het dit met tussen 40 sent en 43 sent per liter duurder geword, in Februarie met 81 sent per liter en verder stygings van tussen 55 sent en 65 sent word vir Maartmaand verwag. Dit is 'n goeie en 'n slegte ding...

Fuel prices are on the rise. In January fuel became more expensive by between 40 cents and 43 cents per litre, in February by 81 cents per litre and further increases of between 55 cents and 65 cents are expected for March. It is a good thing and a bad thing... but remember to fill up before Wednesday.

Die Minister van Finanansies se Begrotingsrede is gister deur vriend en vyand ontleed en gekritiseer en vandag se Minuut gee ‘n kort opsomming van die reaksie.

The Minister of Finance's Budget Speech was analyzed and criticized by friend and foe yesterday and today's Minute gives a brief summary of the reaction.

The South African economy faces significant challenges, and there are limits to what the Minister of Finance and the Budget can do to address this. The aim of the Budget should be to help get South Africa out of its ‘low growth trap’ without falling into a ‘debt trap’. The best the budget can do is to buy time in which to get structural reforms and real economic growth going. To my mind, the Minis...

Die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie staar aansienlike uitdagings in die gesig, en daar is net soveel wat die Minister van Finansies en die Begroting kan doen om dit aan te spreek. Die doel van die begroting moet wees om Suid-Afrika uit sy 'lae groei-lokval' te help haal sonder om in 'n 'skuldstrik' te val. Die beste wat die begroting kan doen, is om tyd te koop om strukturele hervormings en werklike ekon...

The results of the labour force survey of the fourth quarter of 2020 were announced yesterday and it is now clear how much of a toll the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the economy.

Die resultate van die arbeidsmagopname van die vierde kwartaal van 2020 is gister bekend gemaak en dit is nou duidelik hoe groot tol die Covid-19 pandemie en inperking op die ekonomie gehef het.

Na ʼn jaar van ekonomiese inkrimping, geen vraag-trek of koste-druk nie, het die inflasiespook nou begin loop in ontwikkelde markte. Kan inflasie in Suid-Afrika dalk ook toeneem?

After a year of economic contraction, no demand-pull or cost-push pressures, the spectre of inflation is now on the rise in developed markets. Could inflation in South Africa also increase?

Hierdie week is vol ekonomiese nuus. Daar is belangrike aanwysers vir die stand van die ekonomies se herstel en Woensdag lewer Minister Mboweni die Begrotingsrede.

This week is filled with economic news. There are important indicators for the state of the economic recovery and on Wednesday Minister Mboweni will deliver the Budget Speech.

Ek sê gereeld dat die Covid-19 pandemie en inperking tot gevolg gehad het dat mense inkomste en werke verloor het. Tot nou toe het ons egter ʼn onvolledige prentjie gehad. Dit was ʼn donker prentjie, maar die resultate van die derde rondte van NIDS-CRAM opname is bekend gemaak en dit lyk of indiensname sterk herstel het tussen Junie en Oktober.

I often say that the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown resulted in people losing income and jobs. So far, however, we have had an incomplete picture, but the results of the third round of NIDS-CRAM survey have been announced and it looks like employment recovered strongly between June and October.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika het gister Desember maand se kleinhandelverkopesyfers bekend gemaak en ons het eindelik ʼn prentjie van hoe dit met die bedryf en met verbruikers gegaan het in 2020.

Statistics South Africa released retail sales figures for December yesterday and we finally have a picture of how things went with the industry and with consumers in 2020.

Our South African currency, the Rand, celebrated its 60th birthday on Sunday and there were a lot of interesting reports and discussions about this. The value of our currency is important to all of us. As food price inflation rises, your Rands have less purchasing power and the exchange rate affects the cost of imported products.