Middle East crisis: Why aren’t oil prices much higher?
/ 26 January 2024

Middle East crisis: Why aren’t oil prices much higher?

Lower prices are good insofar as inflation is concerned but they suggest that economic troubles lie ahead

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Hawkish Reserve Bank sees South Africa edge towards a rates hike
/ 21 October 2021

Hawkish Reserve Bank sees South Africa edge towards a rates hike

Analysts say the Reserve Bank could start tightening monetary policy as early as next month

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/ 29 May 2008

PPI jumps, points to possible big rate rise

South Africa’s producer price inflation (PPI) accelerated unexpectedly to 12,4% year-on-year in April, increasing the possibility of a bigger than previously expected interest-rate hike in June. Statistics South Africa said on Thursday headline PPI — which represents domestic output — accelerated from an upwardly revised 11,9% in March.

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/ 27 May 2008

GDP slows due to contraction in mining

South Africa’s economic growth rate slowed to 2,1% in the first quarter of 2008 on a seasonally adjusted and annualised basis, official data showed on Tuesday, citing a sharp drop in mining due to a power crisis. Statistics South Africa said Q1 GDP slowed from 5,3% in the fourth quarter of 2007.

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/ 27 March 2008

February PPI ‘a shock to the system’

South Africa’s producer price inflation (PPI) accelerated above forecasts to 11,2% year-on-year in February from 10,4% in January, official data showed on Thursday.
Statistics South Africa said the headline number, representing domestic output, stood at 1,3% on a monthly basis, compared with 1% previously. Economists polled last week forecast that annual PPI would come in at 10,7%, while the monthly rate of increase was seen at 0,8%.

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/ 28 February 2008

Inflation surge boosts rate-hike chances

South Africa’s consumer inflation, which jumped unexpectedly in January, raised the risk of further monetary tightening despite worries over slowing economic growth. Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday that targeted CPIX (consumer inflation less mortgage costs) stood at 8,8% year-on-year in January compared with 8,6% in December.

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/ 18 February 2008

Power crisis likely to wipe out surplus

The goal posts for Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s spending plans in Wednesday’s national budget were carefully placed last October when he revealed his medium-term expenditure framework. However, political change and the dramatic change in economic outlook caused by the electricity crisis have set the posts whirling.

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/ 31 January 2008

Govt: No investment threat from power cuts

South Africa’s crippling power crisis will not put off investors nor limit its ability to stage the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said on Wednesday. Rolling power cuts have plagued homes, businesses and the mining industry in South Africa for weeks and are likely to continue for about five years, according to state power utility Eskom.

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/ 11 January 2008

Kenya opposition to resume mass action

Kenya’s opposition said on Friday it planned to restart protests across the East African nation against President Mwai Kibaki’s disputed re-election after the failure of African Union mediation. Kibaki’s government has made clear it will not tolerate opposition marches. Previous protests have led to bloody clashes between opposition supporters and security forces.

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/ 2 January 2008

Fears that Kenya chaos could halt economic boom

The bitter dispute over the Kenyan presidency could have long-lasting economic repercussions, observers warn, fearing that financial turmoil could quickly derail an, until now, booming economy. Considered an investor-friendly haven of relative stability on its way to becoming an ”African Tiger”, Kenya is experiencing its worst political unrest in 25 years.

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/ 19 December 2007

SA inflation jumps, backs rate rise

South African consumer inflation raced further away from the central bank’s band in November, backing the case for another interest rate rise, despite a slowdown in retail sales. The targeted CPIX gauge — which strips out mortgage costs — jumped to 7,9% year-on-year from 7,3% in October.

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/ 5 December 2007

ANC race stirs economic concerns

South Africa’s economic boom looks set to persist but concerns linger over the direction of policy after the crucial African National Congress (ANC) conference, which seems likely to choose Jacob Zuma as the ruling party’s new leader. Economic growth jumped to 5,4% in 2006 — its fastest rate since 1981 — and wealth is spreading to a burgeoning black middle class.

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/ 27 September 2007

PPI slows to ‘better than expected’ 9,4%

South Africa’s producer price inflation (PPI) slowed to 9,4% year-on-year in August, below forecasts, after a 10,3% increase in July, official data showed on Thursday. On a monthly basis, PPI increased by 0,7% after a 1,6% rise in July. Economists had forecast that annual PPI come in at 9,7%, while the monthly rate of increase was seen at 1%.

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/ 2 September 2007

Gloomy numbers cloud SA economic optimism

A string of gloomy data has clouded some of the optimism surrounding the South African economy, raising fears of another interest-rate hike and casting doubt on government growth forecasts. Figures released on Tuesday showed that growth had slowed by 0,2 percentage points to 4,5% in the second quarter of 2007.