Die week se aanwysers het ʼn lekker positiewe prentjie van die ekonomie geskets. Dit lyk of die jaar goed afgeskop is.

This week's indicators painted a positive picture of the economy. The year seems to have kicked off well.

Die regering gaan na verwagting R200 miljard meer belasting invorder as waarvoor hulle begroot het. Dit was maklik om fiskale dissipline toe te pas toe daar nie geld was nie, maar nou gaan dit moeilik wees om nee te sê.

The government is expected to collect R200bn more in taxes than they budgeted for. It was easy to pursue fiscal discipline when there was no money, but now it is going to be difficult to say no.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika het Maandag aangekondig dat die Verbruikersprysindeks se mandjie van goedere en dienste aangepas word. Die mandjie waarvan die pryse dopgehou word om die inflasiekoers te bereken moet die gemiddelde Suid-Afrikaanse huishouding se besteding verteenwoordig. Dit verander natuurlik oor tyd soos wat smake en produkte verander en dan moet die mandjie ook aangepas word. Dit gebeur so elke 5 jaar.

Statistics South Africa announced on Monday that the basket of goods and services for the Consumer Price Index has been adjusted. The basket whose prices are tracked to calculate the inflation rate should represent the average South African household's spending. Of course, this changes over time as tastes and products change and then the basket also needs to be adjusted. It happens every 5 years.

In Januariemaand het die Brent ru-olieprys gestyg van ongeveer $78 per vat tot $89 gister. Vandag se verhoging kon nog meer gewees het maar die effek van die die hoër olie-prys is tot ‘n mate teengewerk deur ‘n sterker rand-dollar wisselkoers in Januarie.

In January, the Brent crude oil price rose from about $78 a barrel to $89 yesterday. Today's increase could have been even more, but the effect of the higher oil price was to some extent offset by a stronger rand-dollar exchange rate in January.

Ons is deur die eerste maand van die jaar en dit is ʼn goeie tyd om te vra, hoe gaan dit met die ekonomie?

We're through the first month of the year and it's a good time to ask, how's the economy going? the first month of the year and it's a good time to ask, how's the economy going?