South Africa Economy, Politics And Gdp Growth Summary The Economist Intelligence Unit

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Moolman described 2025 as a make-or-break year for achieving faster growth. “This year will determine whether we’re working towards a higher growth trajectory or being overly optimistic,” she said. There are few Countries in the world, which have had the self control over, their borrowing and social programmers.

Rivonia Parents Express Dissatisfaction With Joburg Water

The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), while often praised for governance in regions like the Western Cape, has also faced challenges, particularly at the metropolitan level. However, some economists remain skeptical about the ability of the newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU) to deliver on the promise of stability and reform, even though initial assessments are somewhat positive.

The World Bank in South Africa

Policy advancements, such as changes to work-permit regulations to attract skilled professionals and boost tourism, will also play a key role. A report out https://istorepreowned.co.za/ this week by Capital Economics says GDP growth is likely to exceed 2.3% this year, underpinned by the mining and retail sectors. This is well above National Treasury’s 1.7% forecast for 2025, and the International Monetary Fund’s 1.5% projection for the year.

Costlier services drive South African inflation higher

economic growth in south africa

Moreover, in recent years, the country has suffered from frequent power disruptions and rolling electricity blackouts (known locally as load shedding), which have weighed on economic activity. In October 2023, the World Bank approved agc motsepe a $1 billion Development Policy Loan which endorses a significant and strategic response to South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis and supports the country’s goal of transitioning to a just and low-carbon economy. The operation facilitates the restructuring of the power sector through the unbundling of Eskom, South Africa’s power utility.

Frequently Asked Question about South Africa’s Economy

According to Elna Moolman, head of macroeconomic research at Standard Bank, South Africa now has “a credible prospect of stabilisation” after years of economic deterioration. If we strip out the bloated employment in public service, I wonder what our real job (ie in the private sector) statistics are for this century. In this context, it will be a pleasant surprise to see economic growth of zero point one percent. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana projected a business-friendly, free market theme to attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Key economic indicators of South Africa" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics. According to StatsSA, from 2002 to 2023, 87% of households had access to improved water sources, though rural areas still face disparities.

  • With millions of young people excluded from the workforce, South Africa’s demographic dividend risks becoming a liability.
  • “If we implement all necessary reforms and secure a strong private sector response, we can achieve growth rates sufficient to reduce unemployment and government debt,” said Moolman.
  • South Africa remains a dual economy with one of the highest and most persistent inequality rates in the world, with a consumption expenditure Gini coefficient of 0.67 in 2018.
  • Additionally, issues like crime, corruption, and political uncertainty have an impact on the investment climate and economic stability.
  • Despite several challenges, sectors like logistics and manufacturing present opportunities.

The Climate Change Knowledge Portal (CCKP) provides climate data and climate-risk information for users to understand and communicate future climate change scenarios. Other structural challenges have also increased, including transport and logistics, which have deteriorated due to weak management of the state-owned enterprise Transnet, theft, and sabotage, constraining South Africa’s export capacity. Eskom expresses gratitude to all stakeholders, including the Minister of Electricity and Energy, the Eskom Board, the government and the National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM), for the collaborative effort in addressing the country’s electricity challenges. The population is currently growing by 1–2% per year and is forecast to rise by around five million between 2022 and 2027. While this boosts the size of the domestic market, boding well for private consumption, it also brings challenges relating to providing sufficient jobs and avoid bouts of social instability.

Sector Analysis

Its decarbonization and adaptation must be people-centered, creating jobs and protecting the poorest in the most unequal society in the world (a “just transition”), to build the necessary broad support in favor of reforms. Furthermore, climate engagement was built in as a key component of policy lending, with climate-related prior actions in african gold capital the South Africa COVID-19 Response Development Policy Operation as well as South Africa Sustainable and Low-Carbon Energy Transition Development Policy Loan II. A 100MWh Battery Energy Storage System (Hex BESS) was commissioned in November 2023 under the Eskom Renewables Support Program, the first and largest of its kind in Africa. The South Africa Financial Sector Development Program is a Bank technical assistance program, launched in September 2018, with support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. South Africa grapples with significant challenges, including high unemployment, poverty, and inequality, with the latter still marked by the legacy of apartheid. Additionally, issues like crime, corruption, and political uncertainty have an impact on the investment climate and economic stability.

Significant upgrades in electricity, transport, and logistics infrastructure are also expected to boost the economy. Kenneth Creamer, an economist at Wits University, highlighted how these improvements, combined with higher levels of fixed investment, will further aid growth. After more than a decade of sluggish growth, South https://fnb.co.za/ Africa’s economy is finally expected to turn the corner in 2025. Analysts project a growth rate of 1.7%, significantly higher than the 0.7% estimated for 2024 and well above the average growth of less than 1% over the past ten years. The growth rate in the money supply has pushed up the nominal GDP, in terms of a depreciating currency. Economic growth per citizen has been negative over that period, making every citizen poorer.