Tag: economic reform

South Africa is facing an extraordinary ‘polycrisis’. The dimensions of this crisis include an energy collapse; a failing rail network; weak education outcomes; an interrupted water supply; and the effects of decades of endemic corruption that have brought much of government to a halt.

Capitalism has long been attacked with the argument that it leads to individualism, which is a social evil. It wasn’t a very clear or cogent argument but it was popular. I should note that conflating markets with 'capitalism' is erroneous.

The market lens for the rest of 2022 will be focused on the impact of political and policy miscalculations. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has fully miscalculated the West’s response to his invasion of Ukraine. The speed, strength and unity of global sanctions is bringing about economic collapse in his country.

During the years of Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidency South Africans have understandably become a tad cynical when his annual State of the Nation (SONA) takes place. Typically filled with big promises, his presidency is likely to be remembered for under-delivery.

Sometimes the focus should not be on what was said, but rather on what was left unsaid. The Supplementary Budget tabled by Minister Tito Mboweni on 24 June 2020, centred around the potentially disastrous trajectory of South Africa’s fiscal affairs.

The case for economic recovery out of the deep COVID-19 recession has been given a confidence boost by the Government’s decisive response to the crisis. The praise being showered on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s steps taken to unlock the economy and the economic stimulus packages to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic should give the country confidence that we are moving in the right direction.

We have prepared a short summary and useful infographic following the president’s announcement of a R500 billion economic and social relief package in his address on Tuesday night 21 April 2020. The source of the remainder of the R500 billion financing outside of the R200 billion loan guarantee scheme, budget reprioritisation of R130 billion and around R100 billion from multilateral sources and global partners

Tito Mboweni, South Africa's newly appointed Finance Minister, delivered his maiden Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) to Parliament by starting his address with the words, "South Africa finds itself at a crossroads."

In 2005, former President Mbeki committed his government to an economic growth target of 6 per cent, but only after 2010. For the interim five years a more modest target of 4.5 per cent was envisaged.