SA invests 14 cents of every rand it earns – meaningful growth needs twice that
South Africa spent 13.9% of its national income on new buildings, machinery and equipment (gross fixed capital formation as a percentage of GDP) in 2025.
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Embassy upgrades and diplomatic spats: where to, South Africa?
South Africa's diplomatic properties have recently become the subject of a familiar argument: with the country facing persistent economic and fiscal pressures, should it really be spending hundreds of millions of rands upgrading embassies and other overseas properties? The Department
In search of peace in the Middle East: three years since the October 7 massacre
Israel today marks the third anniversary of the brutal cross-border surprise attack by Hamas, which left 1,200 people dead, 250 abducted and taken into the horrific and unhealthy conditions of Gaza’s tunnels as hostages, and property burned and destroyed. The
SA slips further in global economic freedom ranking
Ongoing erosion of economic liberty in South Africa is reflected in its further decline from 83rd to 87th place out of 165 countries and territories ranked in the latest Economic Freedom of the World index. The Economic Freedom of the
The best industrial policy picks no industries
Some economists accuse business of an “investment strike”. Investors don’t strike. They respond to conditions that only government can fix. A year ago, the Stellenbosch economic historian Johan Fourie sat in a meeting room at the Department of Trade, Industry
Business confidence and rampant corruption
Busy seasoned readers of the Daily Friend will know that they may need to be enticed into a “long read”. This offering is a long read. It seeks to establish the connection between low business confidence and high rates of
The death of tragedy … and the birth of happiness
Sixty-five years ago, George Steiner published his seminal work, The Death of Tragedy. Should so recondite a title command the attention of economists and politicians today? Well, yes, is the counterintuitive answer to that question, for as the mordant cult
FMF’s welcome embrace of a frontiersmen mindset
From: Ernst van Zyl Head: Public Relations, AfriForum The Free Market Foundation (FMF) recently announced a liaison and fact-distributing (as opposed to fact-finding) mission to the United States. Except for a few commentators flinging the tired left-wing pejorative “AfriMAGA” at
