It is a pass. That is the conclusion of a panel of experts that was hosted by the North-West University (NWU) Business School on whether the 2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) should receive a “fail” or a “pass” rating.

On Wednesday, 26 October, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the MTBPS, with generally favourable reactions.

During the Business School’s PITSO Webinar, titled The 2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement – certainty on where we are heading, or slowly going nowhere?, the panel discussed topics such as what lessons the recent UK economic and political drama had for South Africa’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement speech, how these events will shape the tough choices facing Minister Enoch Godongwana and what the Finance Minister’s financial priorities and strategies should be.

The discussion was moderated by Dr Piet Croucamp and the panel consisted of Dr Elna Moolman, head of South African macroeconomic, fixed-income and currency research at Standard Bank, Khanyi Nzukuma, CEO of Glacier, Sanlam, Mamokete Lijani, senior sales trader capital markets, ABSA, and Professor Raymond Parsons,an economist at the NWU Business School.

Here are their ratings out of 10:

• Dr Elna Moolman – 6,5

• Khanyi Nzukuma – 6

• Mamokete Lijani – 7

• Prof Raymond Parsons – 7