A pre-budget wish list

Averting a prolonged crisis in a South African economy already fragile before the outbreak of Covid-19 will require fiscal relief more directly targeted at individuals, small businesses and local governments, along with greater macro-economic policy coordination, in...

Unemployment reaches record level

South Africa’s unemployment rate of 32,5% is the highest since 2008, with the number of unemployed people increasing by 701 000 to 7,2-million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to the third quarter of 2020. This is according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey...
Maths, science passes down for matric class of 2020

Maths, science passes down for matric class of 2020

South Africa’s 2020 matric cohort recorded a 1,1 percentage point decline from 2019 – but the drop in absolute mathematics and physical science passes over five years has been more pronounced. Percentages hide the fact that the number of matric passes in...

5% drop in global smartphone sales

Global sales of smartphones to end users declined 5,4% in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to Gartner. Smartphone sales declined 12,5% in full year 2020. “The sales of more 5G smartphones and lower-to-mid-tier smartphones minimised the market decline in the...

Research confirms music is a must for young drivers

A new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers resulted in a nearly unanimous response: driving is “absolutely impossible” without music. “To young drivers 18-29 years old, music in the car isn’t just entertainment,...

Surge in bitcoin addresses holding $1m or more

The current bitcoin wave has attracted more millionaires as the asset continues to surge. Data from Finbold indicates that at least 109 952 addresses each have a bitcoin balance of about $1-million as of February 22, 2021. About 9 200 of the addresses each have a...