One of the great challenges facing the government of national unity (GNU) is the declining quality of infrastructure. Finding new sources of funding for investments in, as well as maintenance and building of, infrastructure should be one of government’s top priorities.
But some issues, such as National Health Insurance, could cause bigger ructions and possibly hard splits
South Africa’s young, growing population presents a substantive opportunity for the country’s future; a skilled workforce, a growing middle class with aspirations, and an expectation for satisfactory government and private sector services and offerings.
Taking the date on which President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his latest cabinet – 30 June 2024 – 8 October marks 100 days of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
On 31 August Springboks (and a few All Blacks) fans took newly cleaned PRASA trains from Park Station to Ellis Park stadium (now Emirates Airline Park). The preceding Sunday, Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy also took the trip, as part of an initiative to increase awareness of the work being done by PRASA to get its train fleet back up and running. Positive stories of the experience filled social media; the home team rewarded those fans who attended with a 31-27 victory.
Both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson have expressed their desire to ‘turn South Africa into a construction site.’ To unlock the level of GDP growth rate the country needs – between 4% – 6% per annum – one of the economic sectors to get right is that of construction.
According to the National Treasury, South Africa’s GDP growth has averaged 0.8% per year since 2012. As CHRIS HATTINGH reports, most of the major causes behind this severe underperformance are well-documented: electricity shortfalls, onerous bureaucratic systems and inflexible labour markets, corruption from national to municipal levels, and numerous logistics inefficiencies.
An economic crisis that began under Hugo Chávez has accelerated under Nicolás Maduro.
THE recent trip by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, and Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Washington, DC, US, has turned out quite well.
The IMF’s July World Economic Outlook highlights the risks posed by “trade tariffs, alongside a scaling up of industrial policies worldwide”, generating “damaging cross‐border spillovers, as well as trigger retaliation, resulting in a costly race to the bottom”.
Tariffs run risk of entering ‘tit-for-tat’ territory.
Health minister Joe Phaahla recently told South Africans, “medical aid schemes are still there. So keep your medical aid. Everything will be transparent. Please, don’t throw away your medical aid schemes and stop your debit order.”
The National Health Insurance (NHI) Act provides for the following (among others): “The [NHI] Fund must determine payment rates annually for healthcare service providers, health establishments and suppliers in the prescribed manner and in accordance with the provisions of this act,” and, “account to the minister on the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers.”
In this newsletter from the Centre for Risk Analysis, we discuss voter turnout in light of the national and provincial elections later this month.
Deputy finance minister David Masondo underestimates the momentum that a coalition — even if it proves to be unstable — could afford President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “reform agenda”.
If the deal goes ahead Anglo American will have to split off its SA platinum and iron ore units.
Administered prices can have dire consequences when charged by dysfunctional state-owned entities, warns Chris Hattingh.
Chris Hattingh discusses latest Port of Durban developments with Business Times.
In South Africa, families have undergone a significant transformation over the past few decades. One noticeable change is the size of families.
Is enough being done to rein in administered prices and excess costs caused by infrastructure failures?
Can Transnet be fixed? This won’t happen overnight, but CHRIS HATTINGH reveals that some positive steps are finally being taken.
Trade, industry & competition minister Ebrahim Patel has highlighted the negative consequences of inefficient rail and ports systems, especially for new and emerging businesses (“Patel bemoans failed SOEs hobbling black industrialists”, March 18).
Will the declining average levels of basic service delivery influence voter behaviour in the 2024 National and Provincial elections?
This new index shows how low-income consumers battle to afford nutritious food for their families as food price inflation soars.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been big on promises, but will he follow through on these promises with any real action? Chris Hattingh has his doubts.
When we examine public opportunities to make grand, sweeping statements (such as State of the Nation Addresses and, in an election year, party manifestos) versus most citizens' everyday reality of life on the ground, we can better understand whether, if implemented, ideas and policies contained in said manifestos will produce better or worse outcomes, writes the author.
As South Africa navigates its complex socio-economic landscape, one of the most telling indicators of demographic shifts is the median age.
Challenges facing consumers a reflection of the state of governance in SA.
SA must urgently deal with problems hurting the economy.
The longer SA focuses on short-term ‘fixes’ its trade potential will be hobbled