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Research Notes are more in-depth analyses undertaken by BER economists and consultants.
Brief note intended as a more regular interface with our clients.
In-depth analysis of important political developments in South Africa.
The Impumelelo Economic Growth Lab is a unit at the BER, focussing on generating policy-relevant work and capacity building to achieve economic success in South Africa. This work is freely available to access on our website.
The BER BCI (Building Cost Index) is widely used in the building sector as well as the finance and insurance sector. However, the index has come under some scrutiny over the last few years due to, among other things, the appropriateness of the items included in the index. This paper details a process which started at the end of 2020 to evaluate and, if possible, implement changes to the list of items (i.e. indicator items) included in the BER BCI.
Read MoreGlobal inflation accelerated through the second half of 2021, and by 2022, inflation in many advanced economies spiked to multi-decade highs and central banks scrambled to bring down inflation. South Africa was no exception to this trend and saw inflation accelerate to multi-year highs through 2022. However, unlike the historic experience, South Africa’s inflation remained below some of the advanced economies. This note unpacks some of the reasons behind the recent surge in global inflation and highlights why South Africa diverged from the historical trend.
Read MoreA historical overview of inflation outcomes in SA suggests that inflation targeting has served SA well as the major anchor of monetary policy, with targeted inflation trending lower over the past 20 years. This BER note reflects on the past two decades of inflation targeting in SA and how the SARB established credibility that resulted in better anchored inflation expectations.
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