Tag: population

Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) is an economic framework that proposes that countries that control their own currency can issue new currency to meet the needs deemed necessary by the government. Theorists argue that governments should issue currency to create jobs for the unemployed, to narrow the gap in wealth inequality.

As President Cyril Ramaphosa doubles down on the promise to turn South Africa into a ‘construction site', one factor in the infrastructure development equation has become increasingly vital to government plans' success. That factor is meaningful community-centred infrastructure development and involvement.

The adoption of fleet management systems in South Africa is accelerating. This is leading to safer roads. To keep up with rapidly evolving telematics technology, fleet operators are advised to view their systems through a more holistic lens. According to the Fleet Management in South Africa 2024 report, the country’s fleet telematics market penetration rate is expected to rise. It is estimated to grow from 41.5% in 2021 to 68% of the total fleet vehicle population by 2026.

Much has been written about the digital skills shortage. This is not a problem that will be solved overnight. As technology evolves, the demand for specific skills outpaces their availability. And as more people gain these sought-after competencies, there may be a temporary oversaturation of the market. Once parity is reached, new advancements shift the landscape again, and so the cycle continues.

The “cashless revolution” spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic has proven durable and persistent. PwC’s Payments 2025 & beyond publication, released in 2021, reported a 42% increase in global cashless payment volumes. The 2023 McKinsey Global Payments Report found that global cash usage continued to decline – by four percentage points year on year – and that the growth rate of electronic transactions was nearly triple that of the overall growth in payments revenue.

While the President has signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) into law, the bean counters at National Treasury have yet to start looking for their excel sheets needed to ensure the NHI is fully costed. The first reason is due to the confusion of objective versus political ideology. The NHI has been touted as introducing “universal healthcare coverage” (UHC).

Three decades into our constitutional democracy, the remnants of our dark past continue to lurk in the layered echelons of our unequal society. In commemoration of Freedom Day, we are reminded that though blood was shed and sacrifices were made to attain this freedom, not all South Africans are privy to its gains. Many South Africans are politically free yet economically poor.

South Africa’s major banks registered resilient growth against difficult operating conditions and a complex macroeconomic environment. Combined headline earnings growth of 13.8% against FY22 to R113.2 billion, combined ROE of 17.6% (FY22: 17.1%), net interest margin of 458 bps (FY22: 430 bps), credit loss ratio of 102 bps (FY22: 82 bps), cost-to-income ratio of 52.2% (FY22: 53%), common equity tier ratio of 13.2% (FY22: 13.5%).

Fifty-two percent of CEOs across Sub-Saharan Africa expect economic growth locally and in their Africa territory (compared to 44% globally) in the next 12 months. At the same time, 50% of these CEOs are feeling more exposed to inflation and macroeconomic volatility (40%).

Our Research Intelligence team has released the findings of an inspiring study into the 90 centenarians (people aged 100 years old and older). This remarkable group of 90 individuals stand out among our 2.7 million of our members.