Economic Research Southern Africa

Welcome to ERSA’s Podcast Series. In these conversations, we explore topical economic issues and see how they affect our daily lives here in South Africa. Speaking to experienced and knowledgeable...more

Latest Episodes

Isaah Mhlanga on SA Budget 2021: Good news from SA’s 2020 Monetary and Fiscal Policy Decisions

February 19, 2021

Isaah Mhlanga on SA Budget 2021: Good news from SA’s 2020 Monetary and Fiscal Policy Decisions

Joining ERSA’s host in this podcast is Isaah Mhlanga, a Chief Economist at Alexander Forbes. Together they discuss expectations for the upcoming 2021 Budget...

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00:36:33

Dr Biniam Bedasso on managing Public Finances: where does a quarter of the IMF’s Capacity Development Budget go?

December 21, 2020

Dr Biniam Bedasso on managing Public Finances: where does a quarter of the IMF’s Capacity Development Budget go?

In this podcast, ERSA’s host speaks to Dr Biniam Bedasso about Public Finance Management, which plays a significant role in reducing inequality in an...

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00:27:44

Dr Filippo Taddei on Structural Reforms in Italy: what can South Africa learn?

December 09, 2020

Dr Filippo Taddei on Structural Reforms in Italy: what can South Africa learn?

After its sovereign debt crisis in 2011, Italy experienced its worst recession since World War II. With the labour market heavily dependent on the...

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00:27:22

Dr Biniam Bedasso on immigration and political preferences in South Africa: how has voting behaviour evolved?

November 13, 2020

Dr Biniam Bedasso on immigration and political preferences in South Africa: how has voting behaviour evolved?

During the past week the buzz word has been ‘voting’, given the nail-biting US elections that have recently taken place. In this podcast, ERSA’s...

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00:22:11

Dr Daan Steenkamp on nowcasting: how economists benefit from machine learning and big data

October 30, 2020

Dr Daan Steenkamp on nowcasting: how economists benefit from machine learning and big data

With the unprecedented level of uncertainty in the economy, the ability to adapt has never been more important. This is especially true in the...

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00:13:37

Prof Scott Baker on measuring economic policy uncertainty: yes, measuring uncertainty

October 23, 2020

Prof Scott Baker on measuring economic policy uncertainty: yes, measuring uncertainty

Levels of uncertainty have existed throughout time yet measuring uncertainty in the past has posed many challenges. An Associate Professor of Finance from Kellogg...

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00:20:35