Die ekonomie minuut

In South Africa we were worried when the inflation rate reached 5.2% in May. But after that, prices increased more slowly. The rate was 4.9% in June and yesterday we heard it was 4.6% in July. This sounds like good news (and it is), unless you want two opposing things.

Moneyweb het hierdie week 'n interessante storie oor Suid-Afrika se eerste suksesvolle safraan seisoen. Die rooi goud is hier!

Lees die hele storie hier

Moneyweb has an interesting story this week about South Africa's first successful saffron season. The red gold is here!

Hierdie week word Julie-maand se VPI inflasiesyfer en Junie-maand se kleinhandel verkopesyfers bekend gemaak.

This week, July's CPI inflation figure and June's retail sales figures will be released.

Een van die interessante vraagstukke van die Covid-19 pandemie is hoe die wêreld van werk verander het. Volgens gister se Rapport het ʼn opname bevind dat slegs 4% van Suid-Afrikaanse werkers bereid is om voltyds terug te keer kantoor toe. Slegs 5% van werkgewers is bereid om hulle personeel voltyds van die huis af te laat werk. My siening is dat hierdie uiterstes spreek van ʼn valse tweeledigheid

One of the interesting issues of the Covid-19 pandemic is how the world of work has changed. According to yesterday's Rapport, a survey found that only 4% of South African workers are willing to return to the office full time. Only 5% of employers are willing to let their staff work full time from home. My view is that these extremes are a false dichotomy.

Die afgelope week is daar baie in die media geskryf oor die nuwe Minister van Finansies, Enoch Godongwana. Sy ondersteuners wys daarop dat hy die ANC gehelp het om weg te beweeg het van populistiese beleide, dat beleggers hom ken, en dat hy weet hoe om die debat te stuur om ʼn gemeenskaplike oplossings te vind. Ek dink dat ons die Minister se prestasie aan twee maatstawwe moet meet.

Over the past week, much has been written in the media about the new Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana. His supporters point out that he has helped the ANC move away from populist policies, that investors know him, and that he knows how to steer the debate to find common ground. I think we need to measure the Minister's performance by two outcomes.

Produksie in die vervaardigingsektor is ʼn belangrike aanwyser van die herstel van die ekonomie en op die oomblik wys dit dat daardie herstel nog broos is.