There is a shortage of jobs but no shortage of work to be done in our communities. What would it mean to design a strategy to address joblessness that is centred around the work that needs doing for the common good, rather than focusing only on the work that markets find valuable?
Zak Essa, Kate Philip, Mapaseka Setlhodi, Mokgadi Matuludi, Tshego Walker, Akosua Koranteng
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Pippa Green
Latest Articles
Zak Essa, Kate Philip, Mapaseka Setlhodi, Mokgadi Matuludi, Tshego Walker, Akosua Koranteng
Latest Articles
Zak Essa
There is a shortage of jobs but no shortage of work to be done in our communities. What would it mean to design a strategy to address joblessness that is centred around the work that needs doing for the common good, rather than focusing only on the work that markets find valuable?
Andrew Donaldson
The Presidential Economic Advisory Council appointed last year has released its January Advisory Briefs. In support of South Africa’s G20 leadership, the Council focused on both global and domestic aspects of the transition to a green economy and fiscal debt issues. It has not yet brought its considerable expertise to bear on South Africa’s pressing investment, growth, employment and social development challenges.
Mahlatse Mabeba
What impact did South Africa’s nationwide curfew of December 2020 have on COVID-19 cases? The evidence, based on daily case data, shows a sharp and immediate decline in infections following the curfew’s implementation. The findings highlight the value of targeted restrictions, particularly when combined with alcohol bans, and offer policy lessons on timing, communication, and equity in designing effective public health interventions.
Thando Tenza
Village chickens are a pathway to alleviating poverty in resource-poor communities. Improvements to the informal poultry value chain, such as access to the market, commercialization, training, and land, would assist in improving food security.
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Editor's Corner
In the latest edition of Econ3x3 we feature two new articles: one measures the effects of the December 2020 curfew instituted nearly nine months after the initial hard lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic; the other is a robust critique of the most recently published batch of Advisory Briefs issued by the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The first, by Mahlatse Mabeba, asks whether the curfew imposed just before traditional new year celebrations at the end of 2020 had the desired effect of curbing the spread of COVID-19. South Africa was facing a “sharp surge” in cases during the pandemic’s second wave in December 2020 when the government imposed a strict nighttime curfew combined with an alcohol ban. The move prompted criticism from many quarters – people argued that it was a blunt instrument that targeted many who posed no risk. It also adversely affected informal traders and workers in the hospitality, retail and transport industries.
But measured in terms of the significant drop in infections, Mabeba argues that the short, targeted lockdown achieved its purpose.
Our other piece is a thoughtful reflection on what exactly the Presidential Economic Advisory Council has delivered. The focus of the Advisory Briefs, writes Andrew Donaldson, is more on aspects of the green transition than on some of the pressing employment and investment problems facing South Africa.
Although the green transition is an important long-term issue, the government already has the Presidential Climate Commission to guide policy on this. But more importantly, if the economy continues to falter on growth and employment, we risk not having the resources to deal with the green transition issues in the future.
Pippa Green