Na ʼn maand of twee se herstel is die wisselkoers weer besig om te depresieer. Die rand het op 20 Desember teen R14,53 verhandel, maar is nou weer terug in die omgewing van R16,50. Wat is aan die gang?

Statistics South Africa released its manufacturing production data for November yesterday, and it shows that the recovery of the sector had already been losing steam. Another interesting piece of news is about luxury goods.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika het gister Novembermaand se vervaardigingsproduksiedata bekend gemaak en dit wys dat die herstel van die sektor toe al stoom verloor het.  ʼn Ander interessante brokkie nuus gaan oor luukse goedere.

When you read about the recovery of the economy, pent-up demand is argued to be one of the major drivers of growth in 2021. Analysts look at what happened in 1919 after the Spanish flu and wonder if it will also apply to the year following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wanneer mens lees oor die herstel van die ekonomie is opgehoopte (of uitgestelde) vraag een van die groot drywers waaroor ekonome wonder. Ontleders kyk na wat in 1919 gebeur het na die Spaanse griep en wonder of dit ook sal geld vir die jaar na die Covid-19 pandemie.

The NWU Business School's Policy Uncertainty Index was released yesterday. This shows that uncertainty decreased from the third to the fourth quarter of 2020, but it is still at a high level. But what does that mean?

Die NWU Besigheidskool se Beleidsonsekerheidsindeks is gister bekend gemaak. Dit wys dat onsekerheid het afgeneem van die derde na die vierde kwartaal van 2020, maar dit is steeds op ʼn hoë vlak. Maar wat beteken dit?

One of the big questions keeping economists busy early in the year is the recovery of the economy in the fourth quarter of 2020 and whether it can be sustained. This week more indicators will be announced that may help to shed some light.

Een van die groot vraagstukke wat ekonome vroeg in die jaar besig hou is die herstel van die ekonomie in die vierde kwartaal van 2020 en of dit volgehou kan word. Hierdie week word nog aanwysers bekend gemaak wat die prentjie duideliker gaan maak.

The coronavirus vaccine and vaccination program were in the news last week. Private medical funds have offered to pay to vaccinate their 7.1 million members. It was also suggested that the medical funds could pay for another 7.1 million non-members. On social media, people are upset about this.

I would like to use the economics concepts of private costs and social costs to give those people a different perspective.