Featured Research: Economy & Business

Talking Point

Op-Ed: Foreign doctorates are attractive – but don’t write off homegrown PhDs

Introducing more skilled employees into the economy is an important path to development for many middle income countries. That’s why increased and improved training at the top end of the education level – PhDs – is considered so vital.

Talking Point

Poor consumers let down by ineffective listeriosis messaging

More than two months have passed since the World Health Organisation confirmed that the listeriosis outbreak in SA was the biggest globally, and consumers in the country were cautioned about the dangers of consuming contaminated products.

Talking Point

Why manufacturing a key vaccine in South Africa is so important

South Africa has been granted a licence to manufacture one of the world’s most important vaccines. It’s the first time the country will be able to do so since the mid-1990s, and is news that will result in many positive spin-offs for the country.

Story

A new indigenous personality test for South Africa

Psychological assessments for employees have been controversial in South Africa because of the country's troubled past. Cognitive ability and personality tests, for example, were originally developed for white, English speakers, but have been applied to other language groups as determined by Apartheid laws.

Talking Point

Alternative currencies are the future: why it matters for development

When I began to teach in 2012, I decided to start my course with an analysis of how money affects social order. What my students found particularly fascinating was the then-nascent world of cryptocurrencies, which I described at length as a crucial feature in the future of money.

Stories

Memorable moments: What makes a tourist experience?

Tourism is one of the few sectors of the economy that is growing in South Africa, thanks in part to our unique and world-class natural and cultural resources.