Business confidence in South Africa: how a 70-year-old survey has given early signals of the economy’s pulse

By Johann Kirsten, Director of the Bureau for Economic Research, Stellenbosch University
Lisette IJssel de Schepper, Chief Economist Bureau for Economic Research, Stellenbosch University

Business tendency surveys provide very useful indicators of trends within an economy. The information is available well before the official statistics, such as GDP growth, and provides insights into business dynamics that cannot be found elsewhere.

For 70 years the Bureau for Economic Research at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University has been conducting business tendency…

Read complete article

~	Politics with Michelle Grattan: Richard Holden says no interest rate fall likely for 12 months

~	At 2.7%, Australian inflation is back within the RBA zone. Here’s why that matters

~	Uruguay: More Support Needed for Independent Living

~	Indigenous People defend traditional farming in northern Thailand

~	Octopuses work together with fish to hunt – and the way they share decisions is surprisingly complex

~	How do women with disability and LGBTQIA+ people experience menopause?

~	Why is the Reserve Bank independent from government, and why does it matter?

~	With The Puzzle, David Williamson shows his continual capacity to satirise the middle-class

~	What are ‘rent tech’ platforms? Action on reining in these exploitative tools is long overdue

~	Swing and a miss? Why golf in Australia is struggling to attract women and girls