We all know how the prices of our food basket have risen all through this year. Over the weekend, the media warned of how e.g. Tiger Brands expect more price increases of 15-20% over a range of their products, and they make the products we all use, like Albany bread, Jungle Oats, Koo canned food and All Gold tomato sauce. Here and there you find speculation about the possibility of food shortages.

* The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

Ons almal weet hoe die pryse van ons kosmandjie al hierdie jaar gestyg het. Oor die naweek is daar in die media gewaarsku hoe bv. Tiger Brands nog pryseverhogings van 15-20% oor ʼn reeks van hulle produkte verwag, en hulle maak die produkte wat ons almal gebruik, soos Albany brood Jungle Oats, Koo blikkieskos en All Gold tamatiesous. Hier en daar word daar bespiegel oor die moontlikheid van voedseltekorte.

* Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level, and we know it is rising. A part of it is cost-push inflation caused by the war in Ukraine that caused the increases in the prices of oil and food commodities. Statistics South Africa yesterday announced April's Producer Price Inflation figure which is 13.1%.

Inflasie is ʼn volgehoue styging in die algemene prysvlak, en ons weet dit is besig om te styg. ʼn deel daarvan is kostedrukinflasie wat veroorsaak is deur die oorlog in Oekraine en die stygings in die pryse van olie en voedselkommoditeite wat dit veroorsaak het. Statistieke Suid-Afrika het gister Aprilmaand se Produsenteprysinflasiesyfer bekend gemaak en dit wat 13,1%.

* Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Die ou gesegde is dat wanneer Amerika nies, kry die wêreld griep. Dit is goed genoeg rede om bekommerd te wees oor inflasie in die VSA, hulle stygende rentekoerse, en of dit ʼn resessie gaan veroorsaak of ʼn sagte landing gaan moontlik maak. Oud voorsitter die Federale Reserwebank, Ben Bernanke, het nou ʼn boek geskryf oor die vorige era van inflasie en die lesse wat daaruit geleer kan word.

* Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

The old saying goes that when America sneezes, the world gets the flu. That's good enough reason to worry about inflation in the US, their rising interest rates, and whether it's going to cause a recession or a soft landing. Former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank, Ben Bernanke, has now written a book about the previous era of inflation and the lessons that can be learned from it.

* The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

My second-year students are working on an assignment that needs to answer – how is the economy doing? For them, the focus is on indicators, but an important insight that one can learn is that it depends on how different forces will play out in the economy.

* The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.

My tweedejaar studente is besig om aan ʼn opdrag te werk wat moet antwoord – hoe gaan dit met die ekonomie? Vir hulle is die fokus op aanwysers, maar ʼn belangrike insig wat mens kan leer is dat dit afhang van hoe verskillende kragte in die ekonomie gaan uitspeel.

* Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Dit is redelik seker dat beurtkrag met ons is vir die afsienbare toekoms. Dit is ook seker dat dit die groei van die ekonomie aan bande lê. Maar presies hoe skadelik is dit. Dit is nie maklik om te bepaal nie en die ramings sê dit verlaag die groeikoers van die bruto binnelandse produk met enigeiets van -0,2 tot -3,1 persentasiepunte.

* Die Ekonomie Minuut word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

It's pretty clear that load shedding is with us for the foreseeable future. It is also certain that it is limiting the growth of the economy. But exactly how harmful is it?. It is not easy to determine and estimates say it lowers the GDP growth rate by anything from -0.2 to -3.1 percentage points.

* The Economics Minute is supported by the NWU Business School.