January 2020

31 January 2020 – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) published the outcome of its Article IV Consultation with South Africa, which was held from 6 – 21 November 2019. Part of the surveillance function, as prescribed in the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, requires that the IMF visits each member country twice a year to conduct […]

30 January 2020 – The number of liquidations in South Africa increased by 10.7 percent in 2019 compared with 2018, the national statistics agency has said. The sharp rise follows annual declines in liquidations in the two previous years, Statistics South Africa said in a report released on Tuesday. Company liquidations were up 11 percent

29 January 2020 – South Africa’s government will tell President Donald Trump’s administration that its review of a preferential trade agreement that could put as much as $2.4 billion (R34.9 billion) in exports at risk is premature and potentially damaging for both economies. The US Trade Representative will start public hearings on Thursday to review

28 January 2020 – Structural constraints and deteriorating public finances are impacting SA’s growth prospects negatively, with the International Monetary Fund revising down growth projections for the country. The IMF on Monday published its world economic outlook for 2020. South Africa’s growth has been revised down by 0.3 of a percentage point to 0.8%, compared

27 January 2020 – The downgrade of the Landbank to junk status by credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Services will deal a crippling blow to the already reeling agricultural industry, says commercial farmers’ organisation (TLU SA) President Louis Meintjes. “Not only are our farmers struggling to keep their heads above water because of challenges like

23 January 2020 – Annual consumer inflation edged up to 4,0% in December from November’s 3,6%. The main contributors to the 4,0% rate were food and non-alcoholic beverages; housing and utilities; transport; and miscellaneous goods and services. The food and non-alcoholic beverages category recorded an annual rate of 3,9%, slightly higher than the 3,5% recorded

22 January 2020 – The SA Reserve Bank’s composite leading business cycle indicator declined on an annualised basis for the 14th consecutive month in November, according to data published by the central bank on Tuesday. The fall of 0.9% continues the streak of declines for the year. On a month-on-month basis it rose 0.5%. The

21 January 2020 – A new United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) report estimates that foreign direct Investment (FDI) flows to Africa rose by 3% to $49-billion ($47-billion) in 2019, with South Africa consolidating on the recovery it recorded in 2018, when inflows more than doubled from $2-billion to $5.3-billion. Unctad’s latest Global

20 January 2020 – The United States and China signed an initial trade deal on Wednesday that will roll back some tariffs and boost Chinese purchases of U.S. products, defusing an 18-month row between the world’s two largest economies but leaving a number of sore spots. The “phase one” trade deal between Washington and Beijing

17 January 2020 – Trade conditions remained in negative territory in December, with the Trade Activity Index, compiled by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci), having remained below the neutral 50-point level, at 44. The index had, however, improved by one point in December. “All components of trade activity declined in December