Die ekonomie minuut

Met Menseregtedag in gedagte het ek soos gewoonlik gedink, wat kan ekonome hieroor sê? Eintlik sommer baie. Om menseregte te realiseer gaan oor ekonomiese ontwikkeling en hoe die gemeenskap kies om ons skaars hulpbronne te gebruik, maar daar is nog baie ander navorsing.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

With Human Rights Day in mind I thought, as usual, what can economists say about this? Actually, quite a lot. Realizing human rights is about economic development and how society chooses to use our scarce resources, but there is a lot of other research as well.

This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika maak vandag Februariemaand se verbruikersprys inflasiesyfer bekend en ekonome verwag dat inflasie weer ʼn bietjie hoër gaan wees. Dit kan beteken dat daardie repokoersverlaging waarop ons almal hoop nog bietjie langer uitgestel word.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU Sakeskool.

Statistics South Africa will announce February's consumer price inflation figure later today and economists expect inflation to be higher again. This could mean that repo rate cut we are all hoping for is delayed a little longer.

This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School.

Om die rand-dollar wisselkoers te voorspel is iets wat ekonome doen sodat weervoorspellers beter kan voel oor hulle werk. Die afgelope week het die rand effens sterker verhandel teen die dollar, hoewel die dollar self sterker was teen ander geldeenhede. Baie mense wonder of daar iewers ʼn sameswering is. Die beter maatstaf is om te kyk na die spekulatiewe posisies in termynkontrakte.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Forecasting the rand-dollar exchange rate is something economists do so that weather forecasters can feel better about their jobs. In the past week, the rand traded slightly stronger against the dollar, although the dollar itself was stronger against other currencies. Many people wonder if there is a conspiracy somewhere. The better measure is to look at the speculative positions in futures contracts.

This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Die Minister van Finansies het verlede week aangekondig dat die sogenaamde Social Relief of Distress toelaag, die R350 Covid toelaag verhoog word tot R370 per maand. Dit is ʼn jammerte vir ons geloof in die Minister se onafhanklikheid van politieke druk.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek in Stellenbosch en die NWU Sakeskool.

The Minister of Finance announced last week that the so-called Social Relief of Distress grant, the R350 Covid grant will be increased to R370 per month. It is a pity for our perception of Minister's independence from political pressure.

This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU Business School.

Mense dink baie keer dat innovasie in die bankwese daar ver is en moeilik om te verstaan, soos Bitcoin, maar hierdie maand vier PayShap sy eerste bestaansjaar en dit is ʼn groot sukses.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

People often think that innovation in banking happens far away and is difficult to understand, like Bitcoin, but this month PayShap celebrates its first anniversary and it is a great success.

This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.