Helmo Preuss
Guest Author
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/ 5 December 2005

SA property price rise eases

The South African residential property market continues to be buoyant, although the growth in house prices has eased substantially from last year’s peak, Standard Bank economists Elna Moolman and Gina Schoeman said in the latest residential
property gauge. The economists noted that the macroeconomic environment and consumers’ sound balance sheets remain supportive of a firm housing market.

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/ 30 November 2005

Cape power cuts ‘not Koeberg’s fault’

The electricity supply to consumers in the Western Cape was interrupted twice in November — but the Koeberg nuclear power station was not the cause of the supply interruptions, the Department of Public Enterprises said on Wednesday. ”On both occasions, Koeberg reacted exactly as it was designed to do,” the department said.

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/ 25 November 2005

Stable rand forecast against dollar

The rand is forecast to remain stable against the dollar over the next three years, but depreciate on a trade-weighted basis, as the United States current-account deficit leads to dollar weakness, Econometrix economist Azar Jammine told a media briefing on economic prospects on Friday, hosted by Noah Financial Innovation.

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/ 18 November 2005

The risk of ‘horrendous’ youth unemployment

The unemployment rate for youths aged between 16 and 25 is 52% in South Africa, while in the Western Cape it is 49%, compared with a national average for all ages of 26,5%, Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel said on Thursday evening in Cape Town. "A large chunk of the answer to unemployment lies in upgrading the available skills," he said.

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/ 31 October 2005

December petrol-price cut seems likely

The Department of Minerals and Energy is likely to announce a cut of 22 cents per litre cut in the retail petrol price for the month of December, if the rand exchange rate and international petroleum prices remain at Friday’s levels. The retail petrol price is adjusted monthly on the first Wednesday of the month.