Archive of month: August 2018

The government’s commitment to structural reforms seemed to carry over into the post-election period, with the Macroeconomic Stabilization Program which includes economic policies and anticorruption efforts underway. On 16 August the government announced the launch of a new petroleum and gas agency which is set to handle oil concessions starting from 2019. The agency is […]

The ongoing global risk-off sent the rand into a freefall in early August and looks bound to fan inflationary pressures over the coming months. Meanwhile, a quarter-on-quarter contraction in the first quarter—held back by a fall in investment and moderating household spending—highlights the economic hurdles facing Ramaphosa as next year’s general election looms.

While Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is on a more solid trajectory, challenges to the outlook remain. Nonetheless, growth is expected to come in at a four-year high in 2018 as higher commodity prices, a healthy global economy, improved agricultural output and solid government spending are seen supporting the economy.