South Africa 2024 – a scenario perspective

The North-West University (NWU) Business School recently presented a Think Tank on the topic South Africa 2024 – a scenario perspective. Dr Frans Cronje, CEO of the Institute of Race Relations, and Dr Oscar van Heerden, Director Operations at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflections, made presentations. This particular Think Tank…

Ratings downgrades highlight need to change economic narrative

The latest decisions by both Fitch and Moody’s to cut South Africa’s investment grade rating further into junk status are not good news for the South Africa economy.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist at the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says it again highlights the urgent need for South Africa to change its economic…

Interest rates left unchanged as expected

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist at the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says the latest decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to again leave interest rates unchanged was widely expected, given the economic model on which the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is operating.

“Once again the…

NWU student featured as a Next Generation of the Brave nominee

North-West University (NWU) student Tebogo Matshehle Monogo has recently been featured as a Next Generation of the Brave nominee.

The Next Generation of the Brave is a programme that encourages and supports current and aspiring health care professionals through a mentoring programme. It also aims to show appreciation for them being…

Long and lean road to reviving South African Airways

lign="center">The North-West University’s Ofentse Mokwena, a transport economist, takes a look at South African Airways’ dire financial and management situation. He also elucidates on some possible solutions.

South African Airways (SAA) had hidden vulnerabilities while it was in Transnet Ltd up to the mid-2000s. But leading up to that, it…

US President-elect Joe Biden – possible economic implications for SA and the world

“The election of Joe Biden as United States (US) president-elect could eventually create an opportunity for South Africa to buttress its economic narrative with the US from both a trade and an investment point of view.”

This is according to Prof Raymond Parsons, economist at the North-West University (NWU) Business School.

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World Prematurity Day 2020 – turn awareness into action

For the past 10 years every 17 November is observed as World Prematurity Day. This day aims to highlight and raise awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide.

In South Africa 15% of all births, which equates to one in seven babies, are born preterm. Premature birth is the leading cause…

Researchers receive sought-after prize from ATKV

Two researchers from the North-West University (one posthumously) were awarded a prestige ATKV-SA Academy prize for an article that appeared in the South African Journal for Natural Sciences and Technology (Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie) in 2018.

Dr Christine Taljaard-Krugell and Prof Este Vorster from…

NWU researcher offers new considerations for Pharmaceutical Quality Control Labs

The impact of the international Covid-19 pandemic is severe and it remains the responsibility of all to prevent the spread of this virus.

This impact has clearly been detected in the workplace – with specific reference to the Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory (PQCL) – where increased rates of worker absenteeism, downsizing in…

What will determine the credibility of the latest Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS)?

According to Prof Raymond Parsons, economist at the North-West University (NWU) Business School, the difficulties and dilemmas facing Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni in the latest MTBPS must be acknowledged, and the credibility of the latest fiscal framework will now largely rest on the extent to which the growth plan and other structural…