Flexibility and staying positive are key to boosting tourism

A North-West University (NWU) academic at the School of Tourism Management is calling for fresh and innovative thinking to boost the local tourism sector, which has declined by almost 80% since 2019.

Prof Peet van der Merwe says there has recently been a slight increase in international visitors to South Africa, but nowhere near the…

Move to Adjusted Level 2 is positive, but economy not yet out of the woods

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on moving South Africa to Adjusted Level 2 of the lockdown is positive for the economy, whose prospects still need further reinforcement and confidence building.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the Business School of the North-West…

South Africa needs to build on widening the current economic recovery

The better news about South Africa’s growth performance in the second quarter of 2021 is welcome. It suggests a slow but steady recovery from the shocks experienced as a result of the further lockdowns and civil unrest that occurred earlier in the year.

Prof Raymond Parsons,…

Unemployment is now the “cruellest tax” on a vulnerable population

A new record high (34,4%) in the South African unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2021 confirms the destructive impact that the Delta variant of the coronavirus and the accompanying lockdown restrictions have had on the economy and the labour market.

Prof Raymond Parsons…

Reshuffled cabinet is an important step in the right direction

“The announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of a reshuffled cabinet on 5 August is a long-awaited important step in the right direction to help rebuild business confidence at a time when it has been badly shaken by recent events in South Africa.”

Prof Raymond Parsons, an…

Low borrowing costs are important for business and consumer confidence

The decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to keep interest rates unchanged again was in line with market expectations and similar to its approach at its previous meeting in May 2021.

Prof Raymond Parsons, an economist from the Business School of the North-West…

Bridging the digital divide

With the global community having moved into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Dr Kaizer Ndlovu from the North-West University (NWU) believes that there is a plethora of benefits that come with bridging the digital divide.

Dr Ndlovu currently teaches technology management in the NWU’s MBA programme, and says he is excited about…

NWU’s prospective chartered accountants shine

Despite the many challenges that students had to face during the Covid-19 pandemic, the prospective chartered accountants at the North-West University (NWU) did exceptionally well in their ITC (Initial Test of Competence).

The results from the South African Institute of Chartered…

Violence must be contained quickly

What is at stake for the South African economy if law and order is not restored soon, was starkly confirmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his address on 12 July.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the Business School of the North-West University (NWU), says the current cycle…

A look at SA’s Constitution

For many years the South African Constitution was seen as one of the best-written constitutions and examples of constitutionalism on the African continent.

Prof Koos Malan from the University of Pretoria’s Department of Public Law has challenged this assumption in his book titled: There is no Supreme Constitution – a critique…