Die ekonomie minuut

While we wait for today's purchasing managers' index and Naamsa's vehicle sales figures, I want to talk about some interesting research on how trade restrictions affect consumer prices. A tariff is a tax levied on imported products to increase the price. It protects domestic producers from unfair competition, but consumers pay more for the imported product. Tariffs on chicken meat have recently be...

Statistieke Suid-Afrika het gister die resultate van die arbeidsmagopname vir die derde kwartaal bekend gemaak – dit is die periode Julie, Augustus en September. Die werkloosheidskoers het afgeneem vanaf 33,9% tot 32,9%. Gemeet volgens die breë definisie wat die ontmoedigde werkers insluit, het die koers ook met een persentasiepunt afgeneem tot 43,1%. Die bedrywe waar daar werk geskep was, is verv...

Yesterday, Statistics South Africa announced the results of the third quarter labour force survey - that is the period July, August and September. The unemployment rate decreased from 33.9% to 32.9%. Measured according to the broad definition that includes the discouraged workers, the rate also decreased by one percentage point to 43.1%. The industries where jobs were created are manufacturing, tr...

This week has some important local economic indicators, but how are things abroad? The Bureau of Economic Research's weekly newsletter gives a good summary of what to keep an eye on. How things are going in the European Union, or the British economy affects everyone in industries that export – from the miners to the vehicle manufacturers and the farmers. If our trading partners struggle it also da...

Hierdie week het ʼn paar belangrike plaaslike ekonomiese aanwysers, maar hoe staan sake in die buiteland? Die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek se weeklikse nuusbrief gee ʼn goeie opsomming van wat om dop te hou. Hoe dit met die Europese Unie, of Britse ekonomie gaan raak almal in bedrywe wat uitvoer – van die myne tot die voertuigvervaardigers en die boere. As dit swaar gaan met ons handelsvennote demp...

Dit is einde November, die repokoersbesluit is geneem, Swart Vrydag is agter die rug, en die graderingsagentskappe S&P en Moody’s het al uitspraak gegee oor die land, en ek begin wonder of die nie al tyd is vir bietjie vitamine-see nie. Gelukkig slaap die ekonomie nie en daar is ʼn hele paar redes om hierdie week na die Minuut te luister. Die werkloosheidkoers vir die derde kwartaal word Dinsda...

It's the end of November, the repo rate decision has been taken, Black Friday is behind us, and the rating agencies S&P and Moody's have given their verdict, and I'm starting to wonder if it's not time for some vitamin sea. Fortunately, the economy does not sleep and there are quite a few reasons to listen to the Minute this week. The unemployment rate for the third quarter will be announced o...

Verbeel jou die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie is ʼn Nissan 1400 bakkie en hierdie episode gaan oor die repokoers. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Imagine the South African economy is a Nissan 1400 bakkie and this episode is about the repo rate. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Yesterday's consumer price inflation figure made economists' guesses about today's repo rate decision much more difficult. Against expectations, inflation increased slightly in October from 7.5% to 7.6%. Increases in the prices of food and transport continued to be the major drivers of inflation. This is a small increase, but unfortunately, it is a movement in the wrong direction. Economists agree...

Gister se verbruikersprys inflasiesyfer het ekonome se raaiskote oor vandag se repokoersbesluit heelwat moeiliker gemaak. Teen verwagting in het inflasie in Oktobermaand effens toegeneem van 7,5% na 7,6%. Stygings in die pryse van voedsel en vervoer was steeds die groot drywers van inflasie. Dit is ʼn klein toename, maar dit is ongelukkig ʼn beweging in die verkeerde rigting. Ekonome was dit eens da...

In ʼn week wat daar baie geskryf word oor rentekoerse is een van die redes waarom die repokoers nog ʼn keer verhoog moet word die rentekoersverskil tussen Amerikaanse en Suid-Afrikaanse staatskuld. Ons moet ʼn premie aanbied om beleggers na ons kapitaalmark te lok en wanneer die Amerikaners hulle rentekoers verhoog word die premie kleiner. As die Reserwebank hulle verhogings navolg ondersteun dit die...

In a week where a lot is being written about interest rates, one of the reasons why the repo rate must be increased once more is the interest rate difference between U.S. and South African government debt. We have to offer a premium to attract investors to our capital market and when the Americans raise their interest rates the premium becomes smaller. If the Reserve Bank follows their increases,...

This week is loaded with important economic indicators and the Bureau of Economic Research's weekly newsletter provides a good summary of what to watch. This includes the CPI and PPI inflation rates for October. The inflation figures are important for the Monetary Policy Committee's repo rate decision on Thursday. Something else, that is not an indicator, are the civil servants who are on strike t...

Hierdie week is gelaai met belangrike ekonomiese aanwysers en die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek se weeklikse nuusbrief gee ʼn goeie opsomming van wat om dop te hou. Dit sluit die VPI en PPI inflasiekoerse vir Oktobermaand in. Die inflasiesyfers is belangrik vir die Monetêre Beleidskomitee se repokoersbesluit Donderdag. Dit is nie ʼn aanwyser nie, maar die staatsamptenare wat vandag staak gaan die nu...

Towards the end of the year, credit rating agencies give an update on their view of South Africa's rating. On Friday, S&P Global said our rating remains below investment grade at BB, but with a positive outlook that it can improve. How does this affect each of us? * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Teen die einde van die jaar gee kredietgraderingsagentskappe ʼn opdatering van hulle siening van Suid-Afrika se gradering. Vrydag het S&P Global gesê ons gradering bly onder beleggingsgraad op BB, maar met ʼn positiewe vooruitsig dat dit kan verbeter. Hoe raak dit elkeen van ons? * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Baie van die aanwysers waaroor ek gereeld praat word met ʼn redelike sloering bekend gemaak. Die week se kleinhandel verkopesyfers is Septembermaand se data. Daar is ongelukkig min hoë-frekwensie data wat sê wat nou in die ekonomie aangaan. Een van die uitsonderings is BUSA en die vereniging van vragvervoerders se weeklikse nuusbrief en dit is vol interessanthede. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word onderst...

Many of the indicators I often talk about are announced with quite a lag. This week's retail sales figures are September's data. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of high-frequency data available that tells what is going on in the economy right now. One of the exceptions is BUSA and the Association of Freight Forwarders'  (SAAFF) weekly update and it is full of interesting things. * The Econo...

Policy uncertainty is when there is uncertainty about government policy or its consequences and Justice Malala sang a lament about it in the Financial Mail yesterday. His argument is that the economy can no longer afford the contradictions of policy and procrastination with reform. * The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Beleidsonsekerheid is wanneer daar onsekerheid is oor regeringsbeleid of die gevolge daarvan en Justice Malala het gister in die Financial Mail ʼn klaaglied daaroor gesing. Sy argument is dat die ekonomie nie die teenstellings van beleid en gesloer met hervorming langer kan bekostig nie. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Consumption spending is an important part of total spending in the economy. If consumers are doing well, the economy is doing well and vice versa. Today September's retail sales figures are announced and a contraction is expected. On the one hand, load shedding makes it difficult and expensive for retailers to keep the shop door open and on the other hand because consumers are under pressure. * Th...

Verbruiksbesteding is ʼn belangrike deel van die totale besteding in die ekonomie. As dit goed gaan met verbruikers gaan dit goed met die ekonomie en andersom. Vandag word Septembermaand se kleinhandel verkopesyfers bekend gemaak. Daar word ʼn inkrimping verwag. Aan die een kant omdat beurtkrag dit vir kleinhandelaars moeilik en duur maak om die winkeldeur oop te hou en aan die ander kant omdat verb...

Over the course of five episodes, I’m having conversations with experts from North-West University about a variety of topics. We are talking about the things that they are passionate about and are experts in their field, hoping to better understand all the factors that influence the South African economy. Today I’m talking to Dr Anton van Wyk of the School of Economic Sciences about Competition Ec...

As dit so lekker reën soos die afgelope week en daar is goeie nuus oor trekkerverkope skep mens sommer moed vir die landbousektor, maar ek het gister ʼn ontleding gelees wat wys dat hierdie nie ʼn maklike, of noodwendig winsgewende, somerseisoen gaan wees nie. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool. ** Lees die blog waarop hierdie episode gebasseer is hier: The Farming Economis...