Tag: EconomicGrowth

There's a peculiar kind of blindness that sets in when a constraint disappears. You keep solving for it anyway. You build institutions around it, develop disciplines to manage it, hire people whose entire expertise is navigating it. The constraint becomes invisible and not because it's gone, but because it's been so thoroughly baked into how you operate that questioning it feels like questioning gravity.

Africa’s economic outlook remains resilient. However, geopolitical tensions and global trade uncertainty continue to create headwinds. Despite these pressures, the continent continues meeting Africa’s growing demand across key sectors. According to the African Development Bank, real GDP growth is projected at 4.3% in 2026. This reflects an increase from 4.2% in 2025 and 3.1% in 2024. Improving macroeconomic stability supports this growth.

Ahead lies a massive and complex energy infrastructure rollout to repair and expand transmission and distribution systems. Both the state and the private sector are deploying historic levels of capital. Soon, thousands of technicians and workers will move to deliver this vision. However, I worry that we are not as prepared to support them as we are to meet budget requirements within this energy infrastructure rollout.

Zambia’s mining sector is once again in the global spotlight. The Lumwana Mine stands at the forefront of the country’s renewed push to expand copper production and drive economic growth. This momentum reflects the broader Zambia mining expansion strategy.

For many people, the word credit evokes negative feelings because they associate it with debt risk. However, when we analyse its macroeconomic role, we must draw a clear distinction. We must distinguish between lending for general consumption and lending for a specific, productive purpose. The first approach remains broad and unfocused. As a result, it often produces the burdensome outcomes that fuel fear. The second approach offers a more responsible alternative.

South Africa’s 2026 National Budget has delivered targeted SME relief for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This includes a significant increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) registration threshold. It also introduces enhanced capital gains tax exemptions for qualifying business owners.

The surge of lower-cost, higher-tech Chinese car brands into South African showrooms has sparked what we can only call “doom and fume”. Doom about shrinking margins, and incensed fuming about uneven competition, has become an almost prevailing narrative among “traditional” manufacturers with a long-established presence in the country. This climate of doom and fume continues to dominate industry conversations.

As South Africa prepares for the National Budget Speech later this month, attention is turning to whether government commitments to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will receive fiscal support and implementation details. These elements are required to unlock real economic impact.

Across the globe, governments emphasise the need to grow the economy. They display statistics as evidence of progress. They build roads, bridges and schools, and they call it development. They also enact regulations, collect taxes and redistribute resources. All of this occurs in the name of economic advancement. But what truly creates wealth?

Over short periods, markets can be unpredictable, and 2025 confirmed that reality. We anticipated volatility, and the year delivered it. Few expected stability from the US administration or swift resolutions to geopolitical tensions. Nevertheless, several fiscal and monetary developments surprised markets, both locally and globally. These shifts provide important signals about future direction and potential volatility.