Econ3x3
Land reform that works: What successful farmers can teach us
4th June 2026 A popular narrative holds that land reform has failed. But evidence from a study across four provinces tells a different story. Success is not... →
The city outside the city: governance and growth on the urban periphery
28th May 2026 Millions of South Africans are opting for a "third way" of urban living: low-density, spacious housing on the urban periphery under traditional... →
A national tax on online betting in South Africa
15th May 2026 National Treasury has proposed a national online gambling tax in addition to existing provincial taxes. This measure is intended to curb the rapid... →
Why better access to agricultural finance is crucial for inclusive growth
5th May 2026 Many black smallholder and emerging farmers struggle to access the finance crucial for developing their businesses. The result is persistent... →
Decades on, the labour distortions of apartheid persist
14th April 2026 Each year South Africa commemorates Human Rights Day, marking the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, when police opened fire on people protesting against... →
Illicit cigarettes make up more than half the market
1st April 2026 A nationally representative survey of South African smokers confirms that illegal cigarettes made up roughly 60% of the total market in 2021. This... →
Is competition the missing piece in South Africa’s port reform puzzle?
13th March 2026 In his 2026 budget speech, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana highlighted the need to remove bottlenecks in South Africa's ports. This follows the... →
What economists see in South Africa’s 2026 Budget
5th March 2026 Delivering the budget speech last Wednesday, Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana said South Africa had reached a “turning point” in its finances.... →
A new focus
24th February 2026 In Part 1 of this article, we argued that inequality in South Africa is a core structural constraint on economic growth. Despite sustained income... →
Inequality is the binding constraint to growth
24th February 2026 Inequality is not only a moral and political issue in South Africa but a core structural constraint on economic growth. Despite significant... →
How alcohol excise tax can reduce harm
10th February 2026 South Africa's alcohol taxation system requires urgent strengthening to address the devastating public health burden of harmful alcohol... →
Factories going quiet: how industrial stagnation in South Africa erodes competitiveness
27th January 2026 South Africa’s competitiveness debate is often framed around short-term constraints: exchange-rate volatility, electricity shortages, or weak... →
The crisis of missing jobs in a country full of work
19th November 2025 There is a shortage of jobs but no shortage of work to be done in our communities. What would it mean to design a strategy to address joblessness... →
Green - but hardly fresh: the PEAC’s 2025 Advisory Briefs
29th September 2025 The Presidential Economic Advisory Council appointed last year has released its January Advisory Briefs. In support of South Africa’s G20... →
Did South Africa’s curfew policy reduce Covid-19 cases? Evidence from December 2020.
29th September 2025 What impact did South Africa’s nationwide curfew of December 2020 have on COVID-19 cases? The evidence, based on daily case data, shows a sharp and... →
Casting some light: how Free Basic Electricity has improved household welfare
27th August 2025 Expanding access to electricity has been a major achievement of post-apartheid South Africa, yet affordability remains a persistent challenge for... →
Fiscal consolidation: facing up to reality
7th March 2025 If tax increases are to be avoided in this year’s revised Budget, there will have to be clear commitments to expenditure adjustments. In this... →
South Africa must push agricultural exports within Brics
23rd October 2024 South Africa has an export-led agricultural sector, with exports having been a major catalyst in the sector’s growth over the past three decades.... →
The Just Energy Transition and the labour market in South Africa
12th September 2024 How will the Just Energy Transition affect livelihoods in households dependent on the coal industry in South Africa? Here is a measure of how many... →
What does Saudi Arabian membership of BRICS mean for South African agricultural exports?
7th June 2024 The inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the BRICS alliance presents a significant opportunity for South Africa to expand its livestock exports,... →
Inclusionary housing: A novel approach to building integrated cities
9th February 2024 Inclusionary housing policy offers a new way of addressing the urban housing crisis in South Africa. It involves private developers contributing to... →
How does malaria impact education and gender equality? Evidence from Rwanda
25th January 2024 The recent Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the negative socioeconomic impacts associated with disease. But malaria has impacted the health and... →
What has happened to the personal income tax base since 2011?
5th December 2023 The number of personal income taxpayers and aggregate taxable income increased strongly between 2011 and 2017 despite a slowing economy. These both... →
Realizing socioeconomic rights with a limited budget
24th November 2023 The South African constitution is considered progressive and transformative in intention due to its inclusion of socioeconomic rights, such as the... →
Will the avian influenza fuel food inflation?
8th November 2023 The avian flu currently spreading across South Africa has raised concerns about the potential uptick in food inflation. However, it may be too... →
Why the township economy matters
24th August 2023 Nearly half the working-age population and nearly two-thirds of the unemployed live in areas designated as townships under apartheid spatial laws.... →
How to tackle low labour utilisation in South Africa
11th August 2023 South Africa’s low labour utilisation rate is a stark outlier by international standards, made even more unusual because achieving job creation and... →
Why SA needs to boost exports
28th July 2023 South Africa’s exports have lagged behind the rest of the world over recent decades, and this has likely constrained overall economic growth. To... →
New vaping tax misses the mark
11th July 2023 The vaping industry has vociferously opposed a new tax on vaping products. But only the largest containers of e-liquid will feel hefty price... →
The Social Relief of Distress Grant: how it stimulated local economies
9th June 2023 The Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant was a key policy mechanism introduced to mitigate the effects on vulnerable groups of the COVID pandemic... →
The Covid-19 TERS policy saved at least 2-million jobs – but not without some unintended results
26th May 2023 About three years have passed since the South African government introduced the COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) in... →
Special Covid-19 grants not only provided income relief: they also improved labour-market outcomes
30th March 2023 The Social Relief of Distress grant was the first in South Africa to target unemployed adults. Its main aim was to provide income support in a time... →
How South Africa may leverage the BRICS chair for agribusiness
16th March 2023 Despite BRICS not being a trade bloc, its economic cooperation arrangement offers South Africa a strategic platform to advance its trade interests.... →
Education is improving but the message is hard to convey
2nd March 2023 South Africa’s improvements in international standardised tests have been exceptionally steep, albeit off a low base, for some 15 years. Six... →
The creative spark of a public employment programme
17th February 2023 The Presidential Employment Stimulus has created more than one million jobs and livelihood opportunities since its inception two years ago. In the... →
Integrated urban services can boost regional development in Africa – this is how
3rd February 2023 Urbanisation provides a unique opportunity to accelerate economic and social development across Africa. South Africa has some of the technical... →
How trade restrictions affect consumers: the case of frozen chicken
19th January 2023 Trade protection in South Africa has increased overall since 2014. This has manifested in a rising incidence of tariffs covering intermediate... →
Budget pressures erode capacity of the criminal justice system
2nd December 2022 The criminal justice system faces severe challenges: as organised crime has risen, the capacity of the system has diminished. A close look at... →
How agro-processing can boost regional integration – and development
22nd September 2022 Regional integration in Africa is underway but progress requires that the gains are widely spread. South Africa’s huge regional trade surplus in... →
How big is the illicit cigarette market in South Africa?
8th September 2022 In August 2022, British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) announced the illicit cigarette trade in the past year comprised 70% of the local... →
How land reform can boost inclusive agricultural growth
7th July 2022 Land reform is not only politically important: it could be a key catalyst for inclusive growth and employment creation. But policymakers need to... →
