[RU120] Celebrating 120 years with two new research collaborations at Rhodes University

Rhodes University’s RU120 celebrations furthered its impact through the launch of two new ARUA/The Guild Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoREs), which took place on 08 March 2024.

Top 100 recipient for GradStar 2023

The GradStar is a programme that recognizes the Top 100 students across the country based on leadership qualities and readiness for the workplace.

Africa-Europe research cluster on creative economies launched

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) have launched a new Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) on Creative Economies: Cultures, Innovation and Sustainability, which includes Rhodes University.

Many lives touched by visually impaired graduate's journey of resilience

Resilience is a theme in Mbongeni Shabangu's story. As a person living with a visual impairment, he had to constantly perform the arduous task of not allowing himself to be the product of his circumstances. At this year's March graduation ceremonies, Shabangu graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Computer Sciences and Economics) degree.

Changing the face of economics teaching

In a transforming society, the way we think about teaching economics needs to change. Economics lecturer, Mr David Fryer, won the Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2020 and presented his accompanying lecture last week, focusing on the potential to reconfigure undergraduate economics so that it is more in touch with the realities of students and the futures they face.

New data on the e-levy in Ghana: unpopular tax on mobile money transfers is hitting the poor hardest

Ghana’s introduction of a a 1.5% tax on mobile money transactions in May 2022 has been watched closely by policymakers across Africa. The proponents of the electronic transaction levy (e-levy) argue that taxes on mobile money — commonly referred to in Ghana as MoMo — present an opportunity for cash-strapped governments to raise funds in the complex post-pandemic context.

Rhodes University student selected for highly competitive training programme

Masters in Economics student Claire McCann was recently selected as one of thirty students to attend a highly competitive, fully-funded economics training programme.

Latest SACO report illustrates the significance of our creative industry

On 31 March 2022, the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) released its 2022 Economic Mapping Report of the Cultural and Creative Industries to a worldwide audience. This is the first comprehensive study of the contribution of the cultural and creative sector to the economy in the post COVID-19 environment.

Community Engagement student leader wins Rhodes Scholarship

Claire McCann, a Rhodes University Community Engagement student leader and joint Honours in Economics and Politics student, has been granted a Southern African Rhodes Scholarship to complete her Masters degree at the University of Oxford in England.

Rhodes University 2022 SRC elected

Botlhale Phurulla Modisaotsile has been elected as the Rhodes University Student Representative Council (SRC) President for 2022.

Winds of change blow at Rhodes University 2022 SRC

Rhodes University’s student body has entrusted 22-year-old Botlhale Phurulla Modisaotsile as the Student Representative Council (SRC) President for 2022.

ISER welcomes new Director, Prof Mbatha

Rhodes University’s Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) has welcomed its new Director, Professor Cyril Nhlanhla Mbatha, who assumed duties last month

Don’t let Covid-19 kill SA’s cultural sector and its economic value

Cultural and creative industries are being recognised for their contribution to GDP, job creation and innovation

Rhodes University honours late alumnus, philanthropist, Allan Gray

The Rhodes University community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Allan William Buchanan Gray. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Gill, daughter Jennifer, and his two sons, William and Trevor.

SA is creating jobs that lock out workers forever

Rhodes University staff member in the Economics department, Professor Gavin Keeton, discusses how South Africa needs to expand its job market to account for the number of unskilled workers in the country.

Murky nuclear plan no light at end of tunnel

THE government is committed to building 9.6 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power plants, but no one has any real idea how much this will cost

Greece is paying the price of excess spending

WHICHEVER way it voted on Sunday, Greece will still be faced with economic pain as the financially embattled country tries to adjust its domestic spending in line with what it can afford.

Global difficulties not to blame for SA’s slowdown

THE latest Reserve Bank Quarterly Bulletin confirms the sorry state of the South African economy. It also identifies strong headwinds that will hamper faster growth in the future

Rhodes University student scoops best innovative idea award

Young minds converged at the Southern Sun Hotel, OR Tambo International Airport, last week (18th-19th Sept) to compete in the 1st National Intervarsity Studentpreurship Challenge.

PhD candidate attends BRICS Network University meeting in Brazil

Rhodes University PhD candidate in the Department of Economics and Economic History, Nandi Fumbata, is attending the BRICS Network University (BRICS NU) Research Seminar and Winter School, currently underway at the University of Campinas in Brazil.

Nobel winner's story shows uphill battle for women

At the recent Jobs Summit, it was agreed that companies should annually disclose pay gaps between men and women employees.

Don't judge a book by its cover

The book industry – like many others – is under pressure from technological change. Can it re-invent itself leveraging off this technology?

Flouting economic laws is a recipe for disaster

ECONOMICS students are taught that "economics is about allocating the limited resources of societies to meet their unlimited wants".

South African Cultural Observatory Seminar on The Effectiveness and Impact of Subsidies to Film Industry

There is extensive literature across arts policy, economics and social science exploring at a conceptual level the relative merits and demerits of both direct and indirect subsidies to the arts generally and film industries specifically.

Regulate Supply Chain to Protect Rhinos

CLAIMING that legalising trade in rhino horn is the solution to the problem of poaching is too simplistic. Answers to tricky public policy problems are often never black and white but, rather like rhinos, tend to come in various shades of grey. Simplistic arguments that suggest environmental and social problems can be easily tackled either by state ownership or by unfettered free markets usually tend to be wrong.

OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND OTHER INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Dear Honourable Members, Ladies, Gentlemen It is possible for South Africa to exhibit sustainable high economic growth. This opportunity has been sorely neglected for decades (under the Nationalist and ANC governments), and unemployment, everyone’s central concern, remains one of the highest in the world.

Niki Cattaneo Selected to Attend VII BRICS Academic Forum in Moscow

Niki Cattaneo has been selected by the South African BRICS Think Tank as one of ten official delegates to the VII BRICS Academic Forum to be held in Moscow in May 2015.

Sam Munro Obtains MSc with Distinction as part of ENREFA

Congratulations to Sam Munro for being awarded her M Sc degree with Distinction for the research topic entitled " A WATER FOOTPRINT ASSESSMENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE LOWER SUNDAYS RIVER VALLEY CITRUS FARMS, EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA'.

Liziwe Ntshweza 1st Runner-Up in Old Mutual Budget Speech Competition

At a glittering post-Budget banquet on Wednesday 25th February, Rhodes 2014 Economics Honours graduate Liziwe Ntshweza was announced as the 1st Runner-Up in the postgraduate category of the prestigious annual Nedbank and Old Mutual Budget Speech competition.

Guest Speaker at Economics Postgraduate Conference

The Department of Economics and Economic History was privileged to have Prof Luc D’Haese as the guest speaker at the annual Postgraduate Conference.

Water Footprint Symposium/Workshop

Samantha Munro, a Masters student in the Department of Economics and Economic History, was invited to present a paper on her research at the Water Footprint Symposium/Workshop at the University of the Free State on the 3-4 September 2014.

If users are to pay, they must also have a say on big projects

THE recent decision by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to grant Eskom an additional tariff hike next year to compensate it for additional costs highlights the need for regulators to avoid passing on overspending on infrastructure projects to consumers.

Mining pay should reflect rise and fall of profits

THE five-month platinum strike is thankfully at an end. Producers and workers must now focus on recovering as best they can.

Rate hike shows policy makers' predicament

The decision by the Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee to increase interest rates by just 0.25%, rather than the 0.5% increments it has used in the past, highlights the difficulties policy makers face when rising inflation coincides with stagnant economic growth.