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        <title>Polity.org.za | Econ3x3</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Econ3x3 is an independent forum for critical public debate on unemployment and employment, income distri­bution and inclu­sive growth in South Africa. It publishes accessible research based contribu­tions and expert commentaries.]]></description>
        <link>https://www.polity.org.za/page/econ3x3</link>
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            <title>How the legacy of apartheid geography shapes housing wealth</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/how-the-legacy-of-apartheid-geography-shapes-housing-wealth-2026-06-24</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Housing wealth accounts for up to 65% of the total assets of the average South African household, yet its potential to reduce inequality is reduced by the persistent “stickiness” of apartheid geography. Using 2008-2017 data, the authors find that over 90% of individuals from marginalised groups remain in areas historically designated for their race, and even those who move to formal urban centres face returns that are deeply stratified by race. As the absolute gap in housing wealth between white and African urban residents continues to widen, the research highlights the emergence of “spatial traps”—where state-provided housing offers physical shelter but fails as a wealth-building asset. Housing accounts for between 40 and 65 percent of the total assets of the average South African household. But whether rising property prices help reduce or reproduce inequality depends on the dynamics between housing markets in urban, rural, formal, and informal areas.]]></description>
            <author>Econ3x3  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:20:00 +0200</pubDate>
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            <title>Stuck at the start, 50 years on: Youth unemployment and exclusion in a low-growth, unequal, ...</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/stuck-at-the-start-50-years-on-youth-unemployment-and-exclusion-in-a-low-growth-unequal-changing-economy-2026-06-19</link>
            <description><![CDATA[On June 16, 1976, thousands of school students in Soweto took to the streets to protest against Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. But the grievances were far more deeply rooted: they were essentialy about inferior education and economic exclusion. Today, 50 years on, many young people still battle exclusion in spite of better education opportunities. And racial inequalities persist, as even those with education struggle to find meaningful jobs. This year marks 50 years since the June 16 ...]]></description>
            <author>Econ3x3  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:07:00 +0200</pubDate>
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            <title>Illicit alcohol trade: A growing problem or an industry narrative?</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/illicit-alcohol-trade-a-growing-problem-or-an-industry-narrative-2026-06-11</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The National Treasury has proposed substantially increasing excise taxes on alcohol. In response, the alcohol industry commissioned its own research arguing that the illicit alcohol trade has increased by 55% from 2017 to 2024. But the revenue figures from Treasury tell a different story. In the past few years, the alcohol industry has regularly warned that the illicit trade in alcohol is increasing. [1;2;3;4;5] The reasoning behind this is straightforward: if the industry can convince National Treasury that illicit trade is on the rise, it may weaken the Treasury's determination to raise alcohol excise taxes.]]></description>
            <author>Econ3x3  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:10:00 +0200</pubDate>
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            <title>Land reform that works: What successful farmers can teach us </title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/land-reform-that-works-what-successful-farmers-can-teach-us-2026-06-04</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A popular narrative holds that land reform has failed. But evidence from a study across four provinces tells a different story. Success is not about land reform alone, but about building capable farmers. More than three decades after the end of apartheid, land reform remains one of South Africa’s most politically charged and economically important policies. Since 1994, the government has sought to redress historical land dispossession through restitution, redistribution, and tenure reform. Yet public debate often frames land reform as a failure, pointing to underutilised farms, wasted public funds, and declining agricultural output.]]></description>
            <author>Econ3x3  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:38:00 +0200</pubDate>
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            <title>The city outside the city: governance and growth on the urban periphery</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/the-city-outside-the-city-governance-and-growth-on-the-urban-periphery-2026-05-28</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Millions of South Africans are opting for a "third way" of urban living: low-density, spacious housing on the urban periphery under traditional land tenure. These settlements are the product of "co-production" between residents, traditional leaders, and a fragmented state. While they offer a powerful aspirational vision for many, they also present a looming governance crisis characterised by a breakdown in the social contract and a "fiscal exit" from municipal land taxation systems. Addressing ...]]></description>
            <author>Econ3x3  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 09:16:00 +0200</pubDate>
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            <title>A national tax on online betting in South Africa</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/a-national-tax-on-online-betting-in-south-africa-2026-05-15</link>
            <description><![CDATA[National Treasury has proposed a national online gambling tax in addition to existing provincial taxes. This measure is intended to curb the rapid growth in online gambling activity and address its negative social harms. From 2021/22 to 2024/25, online and retail betting has more than tripled, while total gambling expenditure (which includes brick-and-mortar casinos, bingo, and limited payout machines) has more than doubled [1,2]. Terminology and legislation]]></description>
            <author>Econ3x3  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 09:22:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>721368</a_id>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>Why better access to agricultural finance is crucial for inclusive growth </title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/why-better-access-to-agricultural-finance-is-crucial-for-inclusive-growth-2026-05-05</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Many black smallholder and emerging farmers struggle to access the finance crucial for developing their businesses. The result is persistent inequality in the agricultural sector. What can be done to make it more inclusive?  Farming, like any other business, requires adequate start-up capital to finance production, manage risks, and expand operations. Access to credit is associated with bigger farms, more productivity, and more income from the farm. Yet many black smallholder and emerging farmers struggle to access credit. This imbalance reflects persistent structural challenges that continue to limit the participation of black farmers in the mainstream agricultural economy.]]></description>
            <author>Econ3x3  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 12:41:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>720559</a_id>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>Married women and work in post-apartheid South Africa</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/married-women-and-work-in-post-apartheid-south-africa-2026-04-30</link>
            <description><![CDATA[What has democracy meant for married women in the labour market? Married women are more actively seeking work but are still more likely to be unemployed than men. However, the expansion of education in the democratic era has significantly affected how she weighs up her potential wage and her husband’s earnings when deciding whether to look for work.  This month, as South Africa commemorates Freedom Day, it is worth pausing on what 1994 changed for women. ]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:32:00 +0200</pubDate>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>What if the formal economy can’t deliver the jobs we need?</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/what-if-the-formal-economy-cant-deliver-the-jobs-we-need-2026-04-22</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Over the past 10 years, South Africa has created only 130 000 new formal work opportunities on average a year – not nearly enough to absorb the 12 million work seekers currently unemployed. The size of the challenge is such that even if job growth in the formal sector were to grow to three percent per annum, it would take 50 years to wipe out unemployment. So, what are our options? Moving backwards]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:51:00 +0200</pubDate>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>Decades on, the labour distortions of apartheid persist</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/decades-on-the-labour-distortions-of-apartheid-persist-2026-04-14</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Each year South Africa commemorates Human Rights Day, marking the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, when police opened fire on people protesting against the pass laws. The day invites reflection on the many ways apartheid denied millions of South Africans their rights and opportunities. The passbooks are gone. Job reservation laws are gone. The racially tiered wage schedules are gone. But tax records and payroll data filed as recently as 2018 tell a more unsettling story: the labour market distortions ...]]></description>
            <author>Econ3x3  </author>
            <category>Econ3x3</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:11:00 +0200</pubDate>
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