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A strong forint worth a good few baht

'It's probably something like the Vietnamese dong," sighed Michael Power, an Investec analyst, when I ask him which currency is the strongest in the world. "There are certain currencies we just wouldn't pick up on." There are three different kinds of currencies: free-floating, managed, and fixed.

The true measure of a latté

The flush Mail & Guardian reader might not mind spending almost R40 in Angola on his or her favourite weekly newspaper, but he or she would get better value in Malawi, where the paper is only R12,96. In South Africa the M&G costs R14,90. Looking at the purchasing power of different currencies can provide a more meaningful understanding of how they compare than the official exchange rate.

Not the right route for SADC

The development of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), like many regional integration arrangements in Africa, has a clear roadmap: a fully operational free trade area by 2008, a customs union in 2010, a common market in 2015, monetary union in 2016 and the introduction of a single currency in 2018.

Single currency for Southern Africa?

The same currency will be traded from Kinshasa to Kimberley, if the vision of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is realised. The SADC hopes to create a free trade area by 2008, a customs union by 2010, a common market by 2015 and an economic and monetary union by 2018. As envisaged, the monetary union would resemble the European Union.

Ahmadinejad's 'gift to his pals'

Iran's financial system suffered a fresh jolt last month with panic selling on the stock market after the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, abruptly ordered banks to cut interest rates sharply, despite surging inflation. The order, which Ahmadinejad issued by telephone during a visit to Belarus and which flew in the face of expert advice, has triggered warnings of a financial crisis.