A view that appears to be gaining traction in some policy circles is that African countries need a benevolent dictator. The argument runs along the lines of suggesting that we’re not quite ready for democracy: Due to democracy’s apparent inability to produce economic...
Southern African nations are at it again. Nyasha Chingono reported in late May that those “hosting the largest elephant populations in the world made a fresh pitch…to be allowed to sell their $1bn ivory stockpiles”, purportedly to allocate it towards conservation. How...
If you’ve had a conversation with anyone recently returned from the Kruger National Park (KNP), you’re likely to hear: “It was lekker, but there are too many elephants! The damage to the trees is crazy.” The idea is often linked to thinking that suggests we should...
The South African Government’s Reviewed National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2024) continues to promote trophy hunting as a conservation tool. This policy briefing challenges this approach, arguing that trophy hunting, particularly of endangered species, should be...
Late last year, a colleague and I published a peer-reviewed journal article trying to identify whether southern Africa was afflicted by “premature deindustrialisation”. Harvard economist Dani Rodrik (2016) identified this pattern of manufacturing decline in developing...
It can seem trite to state that corruption has deleterious effects on economic growth and development. But it does. The key question, of course, is how best to generate incentives that move people away from engaging in corruption, and credible deterrents that...
Budgets are the single most important signal that a government can send to the market. The prevailing wisdom in international finance is that the optimal signal for governments to send is one of fiscal prudence. In other words, demonstrating discipline with respect to...
The 30th Invest in African Mining Indaba was held in Cape Town this week. It is no secret that Africa is abundantly blessed with mineral resources. It is, similarly and sadly, no secret that in too many contexts on the continent, mineral wealth is correlated with...
The United States remains the most powerful country in the world in terms of "hard power"—economic and military might. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (the final value of goods and services produced within one year) was US$20.93 trillion in 2022, measured in constant...
A new class action lawsuit being brought against Exarro puts the role of coal in our society firmly in the spotlight. Depending on how one measures it at any given time, South Africa depends on coal for over 80 percent (or 42GW) of its electricity needs. The national...
A view that appears to be gaining traction in some policy circles is that African countries need a benevolent dictator. The argument runs along the lines of suggesting that we’re not quite ready for democracy: Due to democracy’s apparent inability to produce economic...
Southern African nations are at it again. Nyasha Chingono reported in late May that those “hosting the largest elephant populations in the world made a fresh pitch…to be allowed to sell their $1bn ivory stockpiles”, purportedly to allocate it towards conservation. How...
If you’ve had a conversation with anyone recently returned from the Kruger National Park (KNP), you’re likely to hear: “It was lekker, but there are too many elephants! The damage to the trees is crazy.” The idea is often linked to thinking that suggests we should...
The South African Government’s Reviewed National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2024) continues to promote trophy hunting as a conservation tool. This policy briefing challenges this approach, arguing that trophy hunting, particularly of endangered species, should be...
Late last year, a colleague and I published a peer-reviewed journal article trying to identify whether southern Africa was afflicted by “premature deindustrialisation”. Harvard economist Dani Rodrik (2016) identified this pattern of manufacturing decline in developing...
It can seem trite to state that corruption has deleterious effects on economic growth and development. But it does. The key question, of course, is how best to generate incentives that move people away from engaging in corruption, and credible deterrents that...
Budgets are the single most important signal that a government can send to the market. The prevailing wisdom in international finance is that the optimal signal for governments to send is one of fiscal prudence. In other words, demonstrating discipline with respect to...
The 30th Invest in African Mining Indaba was held in Cape Town this week. It is no secret that Africa is abundantly blessed with mineral resources. It is, similarly and sadly, no secret that in too many contexts on the continent, mineral wealth is correlated with...
The United States remains the most powerful country in the world in terms of "hard power"—economic and military might. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (the final value of goods and services produced within one year) was US$20.93 trillion in 2022, measured in constant...
A new class action lawsuit being brought against Exarro puts the role of coal in our society firmly in the spotlight. Depending on how one measures it at any given time, South Africa depends on coal for over 80 percent (or 42GW) of its electricity needs. The national...