Die Minister van Arbeid het hierdie week aangekondig dat die nasionale minimumloon vanaf 1 Maart toeneem. Vir plaaswerkers verhoog die minimumloon vanaf R18.68 per uur na R21.69 per uur. Dit is R3.01 per uur, of ʼn 16% verhoging. Dit behoort die gemiddelde werker wat die minimumloon verdien se inkomste met R350 per maand te verhoog. Wat gaan die impak hiervan wees?

This evening, President Ramaphosa delivers his third State of the Nation Address, and we are far from the days of Ramaphoria. The economy is struggling and the state coffers are empty. I wonder then, what do we expect from the President? I have a few ideas on what he can say to build confidence in our future.

Vanaand lewer President Ramaphosa sy derde staatsrede, en dit is jammer om te sê, maar ons is ver van die dae van Ramaforie. Die ekonomie trek swaar en die staatskas is leeg. Ek wonder toe, wat verwag ons van die President? Ek het 'n paar idees oor wat hy kan sê om vertroue te bou.

With the Budget Speech around the corner, SA Breweries has asked the Minister of Finance to give relief to beer brewers by not increasing excise taxes. The South African Liquor Brand Association is asking for an increase below the inflation rate. The industry argues that they need time to recover after a total of 19 weeks in which alcohol sales were banned. What the news reports do not explain is that one has to ask who bears the burden of the excise tax?

Read more about the research behind today's podcast here.

Met die Begrotingsrede om die draai het SAB die Minister van Finansies gevra om vir bier-brouers verligting te gee deur nie aksynsbelasting te verhoog nie. Die South African Liquor Brand Association vra vir ʼn verhoging laer as die inflasiekoers. Die bedryf argumenteer dat hulle tyd nodig het om te herstel na ʼn totaal van 19 weke waarin alkoholverkope verbied is. Wat die nuusberigte nie verduidelik nie, is dat mens moet vra wie dra die las van die aksynsbelasting?

Lees meer oor die navorsing agter vandag se episode hier.

In gister se Minuut het ek vertel hoe investering in vaste kapitaal verminder het, en in 2020 skerp afgeneem het. Dit is ʼn belangrike drywer van ekonomiese groei wat oor die afgelope tien jaar te laag was. Verlede week was daar ʼn nuusberig met ʼn vreemde en verkeerde oplossing vir groei en werkskepping, naamlik dat die bevolkingsgroeikoers verminder moet word. Die raad kom uit ʼn verslag van die Inclusive Society Institute, maar dit is die soort ding wat mens ook af en toe om ʼn braaivleisvuur hoor. Ek wil graag die mite begrawe.

In yesterday's Minute, I explained how investment in fixed capital decreased, and then declined sharply in 2020. It is an important driver of economic growth that has been too low over the past ten years. Last week there was a news report with a strange and wrong solution for growth and job creation, namely that the population growth rate should be reduced. The advice comes from a report by the Inclusive Society Institute, but it's the kind of thing one also occasionally hears around a fire. I would like to bust the myth.

We know that the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown delivered a blow to the economy in 2020, but a particularly worrying figure that came out last week was the impact on fixed capital investment.

Ons weet dat die corona-virus pandemie en inperking die ekonomie ʼn knou toegedien het in 2020, maar ʼn kommerwekkende syfer wat verlede week uit gekom het was die impak op investering in vaste kapitaal.

It's Friday and today I just want to talk about interesting research. Behavioural economists examine, among other things, the psychological impact of poverty. They argue that being very poor has a mental burden that frequently keeps people poor. A study in India has some interesting results.