Economy

Cautionary Tale of Tax Incentives for Cigarette Makers from Zambia

Tobacco companies are zeroing in on one of the last global markets still ripe for exploitation: the African continent.Much of the tobacco leaf and some of the manufactured cigarettes produced on the continent are exported. These exports ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Why ‘Pro-Poor’ Policies on Their Own won’t Shift Inequality in South Africa

Sociologist Goran Therborn has probably influenced the study of inequality more than any other scholar in recent years.Invited to locate inequality in South Africa in a global perspective, Therborn was emphatic. In terms of income it is ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Nigeria Recorded $14.2bn Capital Inflows in Five Months - Central Bank

Total capital flows to Nigeria between January and May 2019, stood at $14.2 billion, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revealed last night.Of the aforementioned amount, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) accounted for $2.87 billion, represe...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Kenya's Mineral Resources Could Pull Millions Out of Poverty

"The test of our progress lies in whether we provide enough for those who have little, not whether we add more to the abundance of those who already have much."These words by former US president Franklin D. Roosevelt speak volumes about ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Zimbabwe Scraps Multi-Currency System, Now Illegal to Use the U.S. Dollar, Rand & Pula

The Zimbabwean government has with immediate effect, scrapped the multi-currency system in place since 2009 and further criminalised its use alongside the local RTGS$ recently announced as a stand-alone currency.This is according to an E...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

South Africa: Digitilisation Partly Blamed for Latest SA Job Losses

The loss of thousands of jobs, partly because of digitilisation, in South Africa in recent days, does not augur well for employment creation in the short term in the continent's most advanced economy.This is according to an economist day...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

A basic income grant for South Africa: more money in poor people's pockets but a heavy cost

Analyses of the implications of extending income support measures in South Africa, including a basic income grant, have focused on one of three things: how much it will cost, calculations about how much revenue would need to be raised (b...

Hylton Hollander, Daan Schoeman, Roy Havemann- Stellenbosch University ·over 1 year ago

Buhari's Second Term - Fitch Sees Weak Economy Outlook

Global rating company, Fitch Rating, yesterday, affirmed Nigeria's rating at B+, stable outlook, saying that President Buhari's second term will be marked with implementation of piecemeal reforms and slow progress in tackling impediments...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

National Treasury Urged to Extend Cost-containment Rules

The National Treasury has come to the defence of the cost containment measures for local government, saying they promoted better governance and management of finances in municipalities.The department published the regulations last week, ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Zimbabwe to Clear $605m Debt

Zimbabwe is on course to clear its US$605 million debt with the African Development Bank (AfDB), which will allow the country to start accessing funds from the bank early next year, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mth...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Africa FDI Rises As Global Investment Declines to $1.3 Trillion

Although global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows suffered a setback of about 13 per cent in 2018, with inflows sliding to $1.3 trillion from $1.5 trillion in the previous year, but sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), recorded growth of about ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Ambitious Buhari Plans to Lift 100 million Nigerians Out of Poverty in 10 years

Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday replicate successes of his first four years in offices, citing an improved economy and better infrastructure among those achievements.Buhari won re-election in February this year, polling...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Zimbabwean Government Revives Currency Debate

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's remarks over the weekend that Zimbabwe would have a fully-fledged local currency before the end of the year, ending the multi-currency regime enacted in 2009, effectively re-ignited the emotive issue. This ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Cyril Ramaphosa Expected to Shore up Business Confidence

President Ramaphosa is expected to use this week's State of the Nation address (Sona) to shore up business confidence and outline the government's plans for embattled state-owned entities (SOEs).The Sona scheduled for Thursday will be de...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

China and Morocco Found 'Belt and Road Institute' amid China's $11 billion Investment

Morocco and China, signed a 140 million (Morocco Dirham) agreement for technical and economic cooperation, to finance and bolster joint public projects. Since 2009, trade in Morocco has increased to $4.7 billion annually. As of  2016, Ch...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Ethiopia: Govt Plans to Privatise Key State Enterprises

Ethiopia's finance minister says the government is preparing to privatize some state-owned entities. However, the plan to sell off parts of the country's once-guarded crown jewels is getting a mixed reaction.At a corner of the Ethiopian ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Kenya’s Budget Must Focus on Efficiency. New Zero-Based Strategy Could Help

Kenya’s Treasury Secretary has tabled a budget that is aimed at addressing five challenges. These are the creation of an enabling environment for businesses, the prudence and efficiency of government spending, the mobilisation of domesti...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

People have Skewed Views on Inflation. Why This Matters

Countries that use an inflation target to anchor monetary policy pay considerable attention to expectations of future inflation.South Africa is a case in point. The country has an inflation target of 3% to 6% per annum, with a particular...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Decision on AfCFTA Will Be Guided By National Interest - Buhari

 Nigeria would be guided by national interest in taking any decision on the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday in Abuja.Receiving national council of the Man...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Hopes that Ramaphosa will Focus on Business

The development and empowerment of black-owned businesses and industrialists will be in the spotlight as President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday.This comes as young and emerging compan...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Nigeria: Islamic Finance Will Enhance Economic Growth - NSE

Lagos — The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) said the Islamic finance sector presents numerous opportunities for enhancing the economic growth of Nigeria.The CEO of NSE, Oscar Onyema, stated this at the IFN Nigeria Forum 2019 held in Lagos....

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Zimbabwe's Private Sector Says Its Not Ready for African Continental Free Area

The private sector in Zimbabwe has admitted that local manufacturers are not yet ready to join the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) due to serious economic challenges and policy inconsistencies obtaining back home.Speaking at...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

South Africa's farm exports are an economic lifeline- with weak spots

Over the past decade, agriculture and agro-processing exports have averaged 11% of the country’s overall exports, up from 9% in the decade before

Wandile Sihlobo- Stellenbosch University ·over 1 year ago

Why Nigeria Is Trapped in Low Growth Path - Moody

Moody's Investors Service, a global credit rating agency, has revealed why Nigeria's economy is somewhat trapped in a low growth path.The rating agency alarmed that even though there was a 1.1 per cent increase in growth in 2018 that rec...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Ramaphosa Shows That He’s in Control. But Does He Have What it Takes to Win?

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s third State of the Nation Address  was longer on statecraft and strategy than his first of the year in February, even if it disappointed some critics with the lack of implementation detail.Much o...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Why Credit Rating Agencies are Still Getting Away with Bad Behaviour

International credit rating agencies have had their fair share of controversies over the years. They have been at the centre of the major financial crises from the financial markets collapse of New York City in the mid-1970s, the Asian f...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

What Could Help Young People Find Jobs in South Africa?

The recent contraction of the South African economy does not bode well for the country’s unemployment crisis. It follows a decade of weak economic performance where not enough jobs have been created to keep up with population growth.But ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Multi-Currency Ban - MDC Slams Govt's 'Ambush' Policies

The MDC has slammed the Zanu PF led government for "ambushing" citizens through the shock scrapping of the multi-currency regime on Monday in place of the much resented return to the local currency.Government, through Statutory Instrumen...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Namibia Exports 6 Percent of Its Power Generation

Namibia exported 10 125 megawatt per hour of electricity in March this year. During the same period, the country sold 338 207 megawatt per hour in Namibia. During the review period,161 498 megawatt per hour (MWh) of electricity was local...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

How Giving Young People Basic Financial Skills Helps Them Find Jobs

The picture in South Africa is a bleak one for the average 15 – 24 year old. Many have finished their schooling with a qualification of little value in the eyes of employers. And they lack the basic skills that employers now need. The re...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Nigeria: Central Bank Kicks Off Buhari's 100 Million Jobs Project

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday announced policies and programmes to create 10 million jobs in the next five years. The initiative falls within President Muhammadu Buhari's resolve to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

A ‘Computer Village’ in Lagos Offers Lessons on What it Takes to Help Small Firms Thrive

Nigeria’s Otigba Computer Village is arguably the biggest information, communications technology (ICT) market in Africa. It started off as a one-man business on a street called “Otigba” in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State. Within a shor...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Biti - 20 Percent of Soweto Births Are Zimbabwean Children

Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis is putting pressure on South Africa's ability to deliver services to its people, MDC vice president has claimed. Biti was speaking in a panel discussion at the Southern African Political Econom...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

IMF Backs Scrapping of Energy, Water Subsidies

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) defends the elimination of subsidies for water and energy, arguing that they benefit more people with greater financial power. This was during an interview the IMF Resident Representative in Angol...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

South Africa, Liberia to Establish Joint Trade Commission

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry and a team of investors from South Africa have held a Strategic Meeting aimed at establishing a Joint Trade Commission (JTC) and Partnership between Liberia and South Africa, a release from the Minis...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

ECOWAS Adopts a Single Currency

West African countries make a bold step in fortifying regional integration by adopting a single currency called ‘Eco’ which is planned to launch by 2020. Eco was adopted on Saturday in Abuja in a meeting of the 15 member-country regi...

Neo Sithole·almost 5 years ago

Quick-fix Solutions to Zimbabwe’s Huge Electricity Crisis

Zimbabwe’s government has announced its facing critical power shortfalls. The country’s anchor power producer, Kariba Dam, might have to stop production in weeks due to dropping water levels. Tafadzwa Makonese spoke to Moina Spooner from...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Lack of Youth Services Undercuts the Gains of South Africa’s Child Grant

South Africa introduced a child support grant 21 years ago in 1998, four years after the advent of democracy. The grant has been a human rights milestone and a mark of progress in the full realisation of children’s rights. It is one of t...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Nigeria will Sign African Free-trade Deal

Nigeria will sign the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) at an African Union summit in Niger’s capital Niamey this weekend, after holding out for over a year. The announcement made late on Tuesday brings the historic deal ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Iran Sanctions and the Battle for the Soul of Opec

There is a great chance that the politics of the Trump administration may rupture and forever alter the bonds that helped found Opec. These bonds are the roots that have sustained the organization’s values and continue to harness the sin...

Bheki Gila·almost 5 years ago

Nigeria: Five-Year Plan - in Pursuit of Double-Digit Economic Growth

The federal government must embrace structural reforms to leapfrog economic growth, writes Obinna Chima. Every nation desire rapid economic growth. Faster growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expands the overall size of an economy and ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Evolution of ANC Economic Policy Sheds Light on Squabble Over the Central Bank

The recent squabble over the mandate of the South African Reserve Bank has very little to do with real economic policies. It is rather emblematic of the intensely polarised levels of political distrust that currently exists within the Af...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Zimbabwean Legal Group Claims New Currency is Illegal

A Zimbabwean lawyer backed by a prominent legal group has challenged the government's decision to revert to the Zimbabwe dollar and outlaw the use of U.S., South African and European currencies. Supported by the Harare-based Lawyers ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Zimbabwe Loses Billions to Illicit Financial Flows

Government should complement monetary policy changes with an anti-corruption strategy to curb illicit financial flows (IFFs) as the country is losing billions annually, businessdigest has learnt. IFFs are seen to spiralling this year owi...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Why the African Monetary Fund is a Good Idea and What Can Be Done to Get it Going

African Union (AU) leaders will gather in Niger on 7 July for an Extraordinary Summit to discuss the African Continental Free Trade Area. They will be meeting at a critical momentfor the continent. Many African countries are experiencing...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

"Progress" Made in Reducing SA's Public Servants' Wage Bill

Public servants qualifying to take early retirement from the public service before they reach the age of 60 have until the end of September to do so. This was revealed by Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu in a writt...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Patel's R40bln Cash Injection for Black Industrialists Welcomed

The Black Business Council (BBC) on Monday welcomed the allocation of R40 billion to support an additional 400 black industrialists in the Black Industrialists (BI) Programme over the next five years. During his budget vote debate in Par...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Nearly Half of SA Jobs Will be Replaced by Automation

South Africa will need to prepare its workers as the country stands on the brink of a ‘technological revolution’, according to Gauteng premier, David Makhura, who was speaking at the launch of the country’s first Digital Economy Summit o...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

How a Trade War, or Truce, Could Affect SA

The much talked about trade war between the US and China is one component of a broader confrontation between the two largest economies in the world. Their relationship has been deteriorating rapidly over the past 10 years, and the extent...

Mark Haworth·almost 5 years ago

Why South Africa Should Revert to Greater Protection for Some of Its Industries

After years of relative silence, debates about the pros and cons of tariffs in international trade have become a regular feature. The renewed interest has been sparked by the actions of US President Donald Trump, the first president sinc...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Zimbabwe Reaps the Benefits of China’s flagship BRI

China’s signature policy programme, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has opened contemporary opportunities for Zimbabwe to elevate its relationship with Beijing. During the second BRI summit, China was ready to unlock multi-billion dol...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Treasury: Fiscal Outlook Faces Significant Risks

South Africa faces “significant risks” to its fiscal outlook, including weak economic growth and uncertain revenue collection, the National Treasury said in its 2019/20 annual performance report, put before Parliament yesterday. The econ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Why Central Banks Need to Take Human Rights More Seriously

Many central banks are rethinking their approach to the environmental and social impact of their operations. This is because their decisions can affect access to housing, healthcare, education, work, to adequate food and water and the se...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

How Digital Technologies Can Help Africa’s Smallholder Farmers

Digitisation could change the game for agriculture in Africa. That’s a key message in a report recently released by an international institution that enhances smallholder farming in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The Centre f...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Central Africans Express Mixed Reactions to Continental Free Trade Area

Analysts and businesspeople in the six-member Central African Economic and Monetary Community say that although the African Continental Free Trade Area launched in Niger last Sunday at an African Union summit brings hope for pan African ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Young South Africans Want to Farm. But the System isn’t Ready for Them

Persistent unemployment has become synonymous with the youth experience across South Africa. Youth unemployment rates are almost four times higher than the regional average – 62% of South Africans between 15 and 35 years are unemployed a...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Vast Subsidies Keeping the Fossil Fuel Industry Afloat Should be Put to Better Use

Capitalism has often been identified as the underlying cause of the climate crisis. A leading voice on the subject is Naomi Klein, one of the climate movements most influential thinkers, whose seminal book on climate change was subtitled...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Sarb Expected to Cut Interest Rate to Stimulate Growth

South Africa is gearing up for a possible interest rate cut tomorrow, as moderating inflation pushes for a rate respite to inject cash into the struggling economy. The monetary policy committee (MPC) of the SA Reserve Bank (Sarb) is wid...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Lessons To Be learnt From Ghana’s Excess Electricity Shambles

Access to energy plays a critical role in economic development. But bad government policies have affected energy security in many developing countries.It is estimated that two out of three households (almost 600 million people) in sub-Sa...

Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie·over 4 years ago

Inflation is proving particularly stubborn – but jitters over banking failures, softening economy complicate Fed rate decision

The Federal Reserve is facing a rather sticky problem. Despite its best efforts over the past year, inflation is stubbornly refusing to head south with any urgency to a target of 2%.

Christopher Decker Professor of Economics, University of Nebraska Omaha·about 1 year ago

Understanding the Political Economy of Maize in Kenya

Maize is the cheapest source of calories among the cereal grains, making up about 65% of total food calories consumed by households in Kenya. To meet this demand, maize is produced on 40% of the total crop area – mainly by smallholders. ...

Timothy Njagi Njeru·almost 5 years ago

Nigerians Can Now Get Google Directions in a Local Accent

We all know Nigerians are proud of their unique accent. So technology giant Google has given Nigerian drivers an option to hear travel advice in a local voice when they use Google Maps. The new feature with the local accent is also avail...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

Ghana Hopes to Benefit From Hosting Africa’s Free Trade Area Secretariat

Ghana has been chosen by the African Union (AU) to host the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area. It beat other competing countries including Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar and Senegal to win the bid. As a...

Adu Owusu Sarkodie·almost 5 years ago

Why Abandoning the CFA Franc Would be A Risky Operation

The controversy over the CFA Franc gets revived on a regular basis by African politicians and intellectuals. The currency gives rise to both passionate debate and simplistic, sweeping political declarations. The CFA franc is one of two r...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

South Africa’s State Owned Companies: A Complex History That’s Seldom Told

The problems of South Africa’s state owned enterprises are in the headlines every day. Yet many have existed for over 80 years. Why were they established in the first place and how have they survived this long? Their histories provide cl...

Nancy L Clark·almost 5 years ago

Zimbabwe on the Brink, Again?

The past few months for the landlocked country of Zimbabwe have been eventful, to say the least. Battered by a severe drought that has affected agriculture, a power utility unable to meet the minimum required demand, and a doubling in an...

Neo Sithole·almost 5 years ago

SA Reserve Bank Cuts Repo Rate

The South African Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee has cut the benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.5% from 6.75%. This is the first time since March 2018 that the benchmark interest rate has been cut. The central bank's g...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Mboweni to Present Bill on R230bn Rescue Plan for Eskom

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is expected to table a Special Appropriations Bill to outline the key funding of cash-strapped Eskom. The tabling of the bill on Tuesday followed the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of a R230billio...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

IMF Raises Nigeria's Growth Forecast to 2.3%

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday raised the growth forecast of Nigeria's economy for the 2019 financial year by 0.3 per cent to 2.3 per cent. It disclosed this in its July update on the World Economic Outlook with the them...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

South Africa's Unemployment Rate Jumps to 29%, the Worst Since 2008

SA's official unemployment rate jumped to 29% in the second quarter of the year, the highest jobless rate since the start of 2008. The unemployment figures were published by Stats SA on Tuesday morning. The country's unemployment rate wa...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

Shocking R57.5bn Budget Deficit a Sign of More Woes for SA

Data from the National Treasury shows that the budget deficit for the three months of the 2019/20 financial year ballooned to R57.5 billion from a deficit of R27.59bn in the comparative period of the 2018/19 fiscal year. The shortfall wa...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

How Liquefied Natural Gas Could Change South Africa’s Fortunes

The development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) could help transform the South African economy, spur re-industrialisation, reduce the country’s over-reliance on coal-fired power stations, and contribute to increased regional trade. South ...

Marie Blanche Ting·over 4 years ago

Ramaphosa Should Focus on Inequality Rather Than Squeezing Poor People

South Africans are still to see what the new dawn promised by its President Cyril Ramaphosa will bring, or if it will even break. Long jail sentences for those that have looted the country would be a good thing. But it’s not yet clear if...

David Dickinson·over 4 years ago

Fitch Ratings Revised Outlook on Debt Adds to Country’s Woes

The myriad problems facing South Africa’s economy compounded on Friday after Fitch Ratings revised the outlook on the country’s sovereign debt downwards from stable to negative, a move that usually precedes a rating downgrade. The rating...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

African Education System Not Aligned to Economic Needs - Ramaphosa

African economies are unable to absorb a significant proportion of young people because the education system is not aligned to needs, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. In a speech prepared for delivery at the Associ...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

Africa's Rising Public Debt Sparks Jitters

African Central Bank Governors are convening in Kigali beginning tomorrow to among other subjects deliberate on rising African sovereign debt levels and its implications on the monetary policy as well as financial stability. Debt levels ...

Collins Mwai·over 4 years ago

Rand Weakened After Moody's Scathing Warning on Eskom Bailouts

Market analyst Andre Botha said on Wednesday that the scathing statement by ratings agency Moody' Investor Services on Eskom's bailout has caused the rand to weaken even further, trading near R15 to the dollar on Tuesday. The local curre...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

A Cash Crunch Heaps Even More Pain On Zimbabweans

Walker Ishmael Gombingo sits on the concrete pavement outside a bank in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. Elderly and looking dejected, he is one of a growing horde of people forming a line on and off the pavement in the late morning sun.

Chris Muronzi·over 4 years ago

What Is An Inverted Yield Curve? Why Is It Panicking Markets, and Why Is There Talk of Recession?

Since President Trump tweeted about imposing new tariffs on China, global equity markets have gone into a tailspin. Trump’s more recent announcement that the new tariffs would be delayed has not calmed the markets, with recent days seein...

Mark Crosby·over 4 years ago

South Africa’s Construction Industry Could Become Safer. Here’s How

Construction is tough, sometimes dangerous work. Globally, the construction industry accounts for about 7% of employment. But it’s responsible for between 30% and 40% of all work-related fatalities. The figure is at its highest in develo...

Patrick Nwabueze Okonkwo·over 4 years ago

AGOA - Good for Africa, Warts and All?

The African Trade and Opportunities Act (AGOA), established by the United States government on May 18, 2000, has been described as the cornerstone of the U.S. economic engagement with sub-Saharan Africa, where it has invested more than U...

Esther Rose·over 4 years ago

South Africa’s Finances Are In Bad Shape. It’s Running Out of Time to Fix Them

South Africa’s public finances are in a perilous state. There are four main reasons for this. First, economic growth is low or non-existent. Second, tax revenue collection is repeatedly below forecasts. Third, debt levels have risen rapi...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

Perceptions About Retirement Can Inform Whether Black South Africans Save Or Not

Every person who is younger than retirement age is encouraged to plan and consistently save for retirement. However, few individuals actively plan for their retirement. This results in most South Africans becoming poorer during their ret...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

Why Buhari’s Long-Awaited Cabinet Leaves a Lot to be Desired

It took President Muhammadu Buhari 54 days after his second term began to send a list of ministerial nominees to the Nigerian Senate for screening. This is a better record than his first term, which began in May 2015. Then Nigerians had ...

Ini Dele-Adedeji·over 4 years ago

Rwanda's Kagame Rejects FT Report On 'Cooked Poverty Figures'

For the second time in a week, Rwandan president Paul Kagame has responded to a recent report by the Financial Times, FT, that poverty figures were manipulated in 2015. The president’s latest response was at a press briefing in Namibia w...

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban ·over 4 years ago

Mozambique Case Study Shows That Poverty Is About Much More Than Income

What does it mean to be poor? On the face of it, this may not sound like a very difficult question. In developed countries, almost all official and everyday definitions refer to poverty in income terms. In this sense, low consumption pow...

Sam Jones & Inge Tvedten·over 4 years ago

South Africa Is Caught In The Global Hype Of The Fourth Industrial Revolution

South Africa is caught up in the global hype of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This is distracting it from the unfinished business of redressing inequality and creating the preconditions for an inclusive digital economy and soci...

Alison Gillwald·over 4 years ago

South Africa Is Close To ‘Junk Status’ From All Three Rating Agencies. What Could Follow?

The rating agency Fitch recently revised the outlook on South Africa’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating down from “stable” to “negative”. A credit rating outlook indicates the potential direction of the country’s rating o...

Misheck Mutize & Sean Gossel·over 4 years ago

Nigeria: Govt Outlines Strategy to Lift 100 Million Out of Poverty

The Minister of Science and Technology Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, yesterday said the Federal Government would deploy science, technology and innovation to actualize President Muhammadu Buhari's promise of freeing 100 million Nigerians from the po...

Emmanuel Elebeke·over 4 years ago

South Africa: In His Policy Paper, Mboweni Demands Urgent Action to Improve and Grow Economy

Tito Mboweni on Tuesday published proposals to boost economic growth by an additional 2.3 percentage points above forecast over the next decade — and create at least a million jobs. Still, the economic policy paper’s release was an intri...

Marianne Merten·over 4 years ago

Nigeria Approves Spectrum for 5G Trial

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved the spectrum for the trial of 5G services in the country. The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Umar Danbatta, disclosed this at the opening of the maiden International T...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

The African Free Trade Zone Can’t Ignore Continent’s Security Issues

The new African free trade zone came into effect at the end of May 2019. All of the African Union’s (AU) member states are now legally bound to allow African goods to be traded without restraint throughout the continent. But there are so...

Christian Abadioko Sambou·over 4 years ago

Court Stops Construction of Kenya’s Coal Power Plant. Here’s Why

Kenyan judges have stopped plans to construct the country’s first ever coal-powered plant near the coastal town of Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tribunal ruled that the National Environment Management Authority had failed to do...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Why Ghana Is Likely To Go On Needing the IMF – However Difficult the Relationship

The relationship between Ghana and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is, to many Ghanaians, a difficult one. Most Ghanaians are of the view that the country should divorce itself from the international body. A look at sentiments e...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Success Not Final, Failure Not Fatal: Tito Mboweni’s Fiscal Goliath

On 28 October 2020, the Minister of finance, Tito Mboweni delivered the medium-term budget statement that lays out the country’s fiscal framework for the next 3 years and provides a readjustment to government expenditure, revenue, and...

Musa Mdunge ·over 3 years ago

Smallholder Crop Farming is On the Decline in South Africa. Why it Matters

Over half a million households in South Africa’s former homelands disengaged from farming between 2011 and 2016, according to Statistics South Africa. This represents a loss of one in five crop farming households. The former homelands...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

US Aid of $600 000 to Help Zimbabwe Farmers Rebuild Lives

Zimbabwe’s smallholder farmers in Chimanimani District are to be provided with an additional $600 000 to help them recover and rebuild their lives following March’s deadly Cyclone Idai which wrought massive destruction across Malawi, Moz...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Rwanda: Fuel Prices Ease Slightly

The government has announced a slight reduction in fuel prices for both petrol and diesel. According to a communique from utility regulator, Rwanda utility Regulatory Agency (RURA), effective today, a litre of petrol will cost Rwf1,080, ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Only One in 10 State Firms Submitted B-BBEE Reports in 2018, Says Oversight Body

Only one in ten state entities submitted their broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) reports for 2018, according to the B-BBEE Commission.The oversight body on Wednesday released a report on the status and trends of B-BBEE for ...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Three reasons why the US Federal Reserve Bank holds the world in its hands

The World Bank estimates the number of Africans living in extreme poverty will increase from 424 million in 2019 to 463 million this year

Danny Bradlow- University of Pretoria ·over 1 year ago

Cameroon Fines Main Local Telecom Companies

The local mobile telecom companies Orange and MTN in Cameroon have been fined over $160 million for failing to pay taxes on games and gambling services. The Central African country corruption board announced on Wednesday.

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Addis Ababa’s Street Hustlers Helped Build the City – Now They’re Being Pushed Out

The population of Africa is booming, but as long as productivity and employment remain unsteady, “global experts” and economists contend, African cities could descend into conflict and disorder. From their perspective, activities like st...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Ghana Aims for Safer Skies with New Aviation Laws

Ghana recently spent $275 million expanding and modernising Kotoka International Airport located in the capital city, Accra. This is part of its plan to attract eight million tourists annually by 2027. A significant increase from the 1.2...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

10 Potential Benefits of AfCFTA

On Sunday, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. The signing of the agreement brought to an end several months of wait by stakeholders in the Nigerian economy. With a GDP of about $...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Social Compact For Growth And Jobs Must Make A Lasting Difference

To turn our economy around and create the millions of jobs needed is something that cannot be achieved by government alone. A comprehensive programme will require the mobilisation of all social actors

President Cyril Ramaphosa·over 1 year ago

MTN is the Most Valuable Brand in SA for 2019 - Report

Brands that feature in the Brand Finance South Africa 50 report are defying the South African economy and recording healthy brand value growth, according to the latest report. These brands are outpacing the country’s GDP, with the top 50...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Zim Power Blackouts Trigger Turmoil in Telecom Sector

Zimbabwe's mobile network connectivity was in a bad state over the last weekend, with callers and the transacting public reporting challenges in making calls and getting mobile money transactions to go through. The disruptive service una...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

SI 142: The Zimbabwean Dollar’s Enforcer

It has been a little over two weeks since the Zimbabwean Minister of Finance and Economic Development had announced that only the Zimbabwe dollar, previously known as the Real Time Gross Settlement dollar that had been introduced early t...

Neo Sithole·almost 5 years ago

Economists Say Interest Rates Cut Expected to Bring Relief to Consumers

Economists have said that the decision by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to reduce its repurchase rate (repo rate) by 25 point basis would bring some much-needed relief to consumers. SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago announced on Thu...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Turning Ramaphosa’s Growth and Jobs Promises Into Reality

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first State of the Nation Address after the election was received with some scepticism. Some of his political opponents questioned his dreams and urged him to face reality. Sceptics aside, the president made c...

Vuslat Bayoglu·almost 5 years ago

Land Reform Panel's Final Report to Be Released on Sunday - Mthembu

A report by a panel of experts appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to make recommendations to government on its policy direction on land reform is complete and will be released in due course, Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu...

Joburg Post·over 4 years ago

The Way That Minerals Are Mined Affects Conflict in Eastern Congo

Strong evidence links the mining of minerals to local conflict in several African countries. This is because minerals are prized by rebel groups and are a source of their financing. Examples include the “blood diamonds” that were used to...

Marijke Verpoorten, Nik Stoop & Peter van der Windt·over 4 years ago

Constitutional Court Ruling Ushers in New Era for Energy Regulation in South Africa

A recent judgment of South Africa’s Constitutional Court involving the country’s energy regulator signals a new found willingness by the courts to scrutinise the way regulators set prices and tariffs. This added level of regulatory accou...

Stephen Labson·over 4 years ago

What patents and publications reveal about China-Africa science collaboration

China has enjoyed a close economic relationship with a number of African countries for many decades. It has been particularly involved in supporting African countries’ infrastructure projects. As far back as the 1960s it helped build the...

Swapan Kumar Patra & Mammo Muchie·over 4 years ago

5 steps you can take to manage a hike in interest rates

Many households are feeling the financial pinch caused by the rising cost of living. Low-income households are the most vulnerable to high food costs. But middle-income earners don’t fare any better

Bomikazi Zeka- University of Canberra ·over 1 year ago

Hustling in Joburg: How To Register Your First Business

With the current official unemployment rate in South Africa sitting at an unprecedented 34.4%, it is safe to say that the job market is not looking too great for the average South African. Even for those currently employed, there seems t...

Msimeki Nkatingi·over 2 years ago

Restore the legitimacy of the state to revitalise our economy

A lot has been said about the so-called triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality besetting South Africa. The one problem that is not being mentioned is that the country suffers from the erosion of the legitimacy of th...

Professor Tshilidzi Marwala·over 3 years ago

Joburg protects employees from loan sharks

We know that the lockdown led to severe financial pressure on many Johannesburg families, who either lost breadwinners or were faced with seriously reduced household incomes. Sadly, many had to resort to unsecured lending to make ends ...

City of Joburg by Councillor Leah Knott ·over 1 year ago

The Best Paying Industries in South Africa - and the Industries Most Likely to Pay Below the Minimum Wage

Banking and IT are the best paying industries in South Africa, but only employs 8% of the country’s junior to medium-skilled workforce, a new report by digital recruitment platform Giraffefound. Giraffe’s South African junior-medium skil...

Joburg Post·almost 5 years ago

Jobs figures show our economy is on the road to recovery

Economic growth cannot be realised and jobs cannot be created without undertaking the difficult but necessary structural reforms that will improve the business and investment climate

President Cyril Ramaphosa·over 1 year ago

South African GDP declines by 0,7%

The devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal and load shedding contributed to the decline, weakening an already fragile national economy that had just recovered to pre-pandemic levels

Stats sa·over 1 year ago

Job creation in South Africa: the president’s advisors discuss what it will take

At the end of 2021, South Africa recorded its highest unemployment rate since the dawn of democracy, at 35.3%. The figure has marginally dropped but there is still concern about how the country will tackle this issue

Dorrit Posel - Professor in the school of Economics and Finance, University of Witwatersrand·over 1 year ago

“The impact of a changing geopolitical landscape on the global economy and finances "

As a consequence, global supply chains are being re-configured leading to possible disruptions which could negatively affect established global trade patterns

Enoch Godongwane- Minister of Finance ·over 1 year ago

How It Could Be Done – Thoughts On Social and Economic Transformation

As our intention is to transform the economy and society, we need more discussion on how such transformation is to be done

Dr Kenneth Creamer·almost 2 years ago

Presidency Reflects on the State of South Africa's Economy

President Cyril Ramaphosa, chaired the meeting of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) on 11 January 2023. This was the first meeting of the PEAC for the year where the country's economic prospects and advancements were disc...

Tshegofatso Makola·over 1 year ago

Reform Momentum Must Be Increased To Deal With Jobless Crisis.

Tomorrow sees the release of South Africa’s second-quarter unemployment figures, which will provide a picture of our long-term jobless crisis that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated. The first quarter’s reading of 32.6% was the highes...

Busi Mavuso·over 2 years ago

Record unemployment will worsen if we can’t unlock infrastructure promise

If we thought we had a jobs crisis on our hands before this pandemic, we now we have something much, much larger than we had ever imagined. The first thing that came to mind as I went through the second-quarter unemployment statistics re...

Busi Mavuso·over 2 years ago

President Ramaphosa to address women economic assembly

The Assembly arose from one of the pillars of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on Gender-based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), which advocates the economic empowerment of women

The Presidency·over 1 year ago

Why is Tax Day on April 18 this year? And how did early spring become tax season, anyhow?

Mid-April has arrived. And along with the spring sunshine, that means the often dreaded civic duty of finishing off one’s taxes. It’s an arduous time for many, characterized by navigating increasingly confusing rules to arrive at the be...

Thomas Godwin Assistant Professor of Accounting, Purdue University·about 1 year ago

"We are committed to transforming the City of Joburg's public transport system" - Kenny Kunene

During the three-day C40 workshop that was hosted by the City of Johannesburg earlier this week, Joburg's MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene has reiterated that they are committed to transforming the city’s public transport system.

Neo Poho·3 months ago

Positive turn for petrol prices in South Africa

The latest available data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) shows that recoveries in fuel in South Africa have pulled back slightly but a crash in the rand will keep the pressure on in the final week of February 2024.

Neo Poho·about 2 months ago

Young people have a chance to better their future

Youth leadership specialist and strategist Matsetsebale Tleane believes it’s high time the youth of South Africa take a stand and change the status quo for the sake of their future.

Hosea Ramphekwa·29 days ago