Die ekonomie minuut

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.

Dit is al die eerste dag van Maart, en dalk 'n goeie tyd om te vra - hoe gaan dit met die SA ekonomie? Daar is goeie en slegte nuus die week... die elektrisiteitsprys, brandstofpryse, en al die ander aanwysers wat saak maak. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Last week the Russian invasion of Ukraine had economic ripple effects as far away as South Africa. Our links with these economies are limited. Only 0.4% of our total exports go to Russia and only 0.7% of our imports come from Russia. The impact on South Africa works through the international prices of certain commodities and the markets are pricing in potential disruptions in supply due to the con...

Verlede week het die ekonomiese gevolge van die Russiese inval in die Oekraïne uitgekring tot in Suid-Afrika. Ons bande met hierdie ekonomieë is beperk. Slegs 0,4% van ons totale uitvoere gaan na Rusland en slegs 0,7% van ons invoere kom van Rusland af. Die impak op Suid-Afrika werk deur die internasionale pryse van sekere kommoditeite en die pryse reflekteer moontlike onderbrekings in aanbod ween...

As I listened to the comments on the Budget today, I am left with a few impressions. The important one is that we don't seem to understand opportunity cost. *The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Soos wat ek vandag na die kommentaar oor die begroting geluister het kry mens ʼn paar indrukke. Die belangrike een is dat dit lyk nie of ons geleentheidskoste verstaan nie. * Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

I do not know for sure, but I think the Minister of Finance, or his team, is listening to The Economics Minute, because yesterday, he said all the right things. This was of course made easier by the almost R181 billion extra tax revenue he received in 2021/22. This gave him leeway to use part of it to pay for extra expenses and to use the rest to reduce the borrowing requirement. He could continue...