Chris Hattingh is Executive Director at the Centre For Risk Analysis (CRA). With a special focus on trade, investment, and economic matters, as well as foreign policy, Chris serves on the Executive Board of the Global Trade and Innovation Policy Alliance, sits on the advisory council of the Initiative for African Trade and Prosperity and holds the position of Senior Fellow at African Liberty. Chris holds an MPhil (Business Ethics) degree from Stellenbosch University. In his role at the CRA, Chris leads strategic engagements and briefings to clients across South Africa, as well as globally.
[Letter] Dire ANC policies and excesses may well worsen
The ANC may begrudgingly take on reforms but these will be cosmetic at best and will not change the fundamental relationship between party and state
[Opinion] The end of social compacts?
This inevitably means that, when a party such as the ANC is in charge of state organs and tools, the default will be toward policies that increase centralisation, taxation, and power maximisation – all of which have wrought havoc on the economy, with a record-high unemployment rate and lower foreign direct investment flows as the prime examples.
[Letter] SA is not getting the basics of reliable trade infrastructure right
This means the country's fiscus will be more fragile in future.
[Opinion] Redistributionism or Growth?
Basic Income Grant (BIG) – added to the increasing number of other forms of welfare – represents a major risk to South Africa’s fiscal responsibility and growth prospects.
[Letter] Nationalising the Sarb won’t solve unemployment, energy insecurity
Simply discussing the possibility of nationalisation sends a signal to SA and international companies and investors that the institution may lose all credibility
[Opinion] Heightened risk of social unrest in second half of 2022
In the context of rising food and fuel prices, an official unemployment rate of 34%, and growth-depressing factors such as blockades of the N3 and persistent rolling blackouts, South Africa faces the prospect of more social unrest and instability over coming months.
[Letter] Wiser to ignore government
Inflation is likely to remain high given that there is little prospect that substantive structural reforms in both the policy and administered price areas will be implemented any time soon (“SA consumers at ‘tipping point’ as food inflation soars, says NielsenIQ”, July 27).
[Letter] State capture a feature of ANC ideology
There may be overtures to accountability and structural reforms, but for as long as the ANC adheres to the requirements and edicts of the NDR the incentives and pressures for corruption will persist.