Business + Economy – Views & Research

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, the country’s largest trade union federation, has been losing members. REUTERS/Rogan Ward

Has South Africa’s labour movement become a middle class movement?

Andries Bezuidenhout, University of Pretoria

The membership base of South Africa's trade union movement has undergone significant changes which begs the question: has it moved away from its working class roots to become a middle class movement.

Analysis and Comment

South African social media is giving consumers power to discipline corporations

Mlenga Jere, University of Cape Town and Raymond van Niekerk, University of Cape Town

Social media is here to stay and gives a platform to companies as well as consumers who hold the power to bring about change.

Hard bargaining, not another magic plan, will get South Africa’s economy growing

Steven Friedman, University of Johannesburg

South Africa needs to restore trust and effective bargaining mechanisms between key stakeholders to revive the ailing economy.

There’s still a gap between consumer protection and sustainability in Africa

Miemie Struwig, Nelson Mandela University; Laura Best, Nelson Mandela University, and Sibongile Muthwa, Nelson Mandela University

The rise of the middle class in Africa is fuelling consumer economies and protection policies. But they tend to be disconnected from sustainability issues.

The African middle class matters: but not for the reasons commonly put forward

Henning Melber, University of Pretoria

We should be wary of simplified and sweeping explanations about the scope for potential social and political reforms the middle classes can promote.

Why South Africa shouldn’t turn to the IMF for help

Misheck Mutize, University of Cape Town

The idea that South Africa must look towards the International Monetary Fund to rescue itself from the prevailing crisis must be dismissed.

South African business must own up to its part in the corruption scandals

Mills Soko, University of Cape Town

The Gupta email leaks have exposed the involvement of some big private corporations. in the unfolding corruption scandal thus challenging the private sector to do some introspection.

Why the quest for a single currency for West Africa won’t materialise soon

Tahiru Azaaviele Liedong, University of Bath

West African leaders have nursed the idea of a common currency for the sub-region since the turn of the century. But conditions for member countries to make this happen appear unattainable.

Africa’s cities face unique risks. What can be done to manage them?

Sarah Colenbrander, University of Leeds

Most African cities are expensive, informal and non-industrial. This has produced unique socioeconomic and environmental risks that must be carefully considered in policy development.

All bets are off as Magufuli’s resource nationalism moves up a gear in Tanzania

Dan Paget, University of Oxford

Until Acacia was served with $190 billion tax bill, it seemed as though Tanzania's president wanted a new settlement with the mining companies. Now it looks as though he wants new mining companies.

Should we be worried about Generation Z joining the workforce? Here’s why not

Linda Ronnie, University of Cape Town

Managers have barely got to grips with the challenges posed by Millennials. What are they going to do with Generation Z?

Explainer: why amendments to South Africa’s ‘Money Bills Act’ matter

Seán Mfundza Muller, University of Johannesburg

The amendments to South Africa's Money Bills Act don't go far enough - for one, they do not address incoherence in Parliament's oversight of taxes.

When women are surrogate mothers: Is that work?

Alana Cattapan, University of Saskatchewan; Angela Cameron, University of Ottawa, and Vanessa Gruben, University of Ottawa

As the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society urges the government to consider "compensation" for surrogacy, we need to talk about the implications of this rhetoric for women.

How corruption is fraying South Africa’s social and economic fabric

Sean Gossel, University of Cape Town

The political cost of corruption is reaching unacceptable levels in South Africa. Reversing the effects of state decay on the poor will take short and long term interventions.

South Africa needs a sensible debate about its Reserve Bank. Here’s a start

Vishnu Padayachee, University of the Witwatersrand and Bradley Bordiss, University of the Witwatersrand

There's a raging debate in South Africa about the role of its central bank. This is inevitable given that so much is changing in the world of central banking and in economic life.

What the World Bank’s shift from public to private funding means for development

Steven Friedman, University of Johannesburg

The World Bank has changed direction. It won't be giving up on public funding, but it will increasingly be trying to attract private investors to developing countries.

Why the World Bank’s efforts to marshal private capital won’t reduce poverty

Misheck Mutize, University of Cape Town

Africa should be concerned about news that the World Bank is looking to migrate from the model that largely relies on funding member states to become a broker of private capital.

More Analysis and Comment

Research and News

MasterCard survives £14 billion class action but more could follow

Joanne Atkinson, University of Portsmouth

A recent ban on charges for paying by credit or debit card could open the door to legal action for surplus fees paid in the past.

Modern slavery and tourism: when holidays and human exploitation collide

Joseph M. Cheer, Monash University; Kent Goldsworthy, RMIT University; Leigh Mathews, Deakin University, and Shivani Kanodia, Monash University

Good intentions, money and the desire to help are essential ingredients for the orphanage tourism industry. But tourists end up becoming agents in the exploitation of children.

The gig economy is nothing new – it was standard practice in the 18th century

Tawny Paul, University of Exeter

Prior to industrialisation in the 19th century, most people worked multiple jobs to piece together a living.

Online shopping: Retailers seek visibility in face of Google control

Michael J. Armstrong, Brock University and Anteneh Ayanso, Brock University

Online search ads are big business. Retailers have to work hard to compete for visibility in Google’s online searches as the company faces trouble in the European Union over its Shopping site.

Jeff Bezos has asked for charitable giving advice – here’s what he should do with his money

John Picton, University of Liverpool

An expert in the charity sector responds to Jeff Bezos's request for advice on how to give his money away.

Trumps show how damaged personal brands can harm the business

Fang Wan, University of Manitoba

The Trump brand has taken a hit since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency. The mistake? Failing to separate the businesses from the personalities.

The G20 summit shows a world divided in its attitudes toward globalisation

Jennifer Johns, University of Liverpool

Differences in attitudes toward globalisation makes cooperation between the world's leading economies extremely difficult.

Management lessons from ‘The Walking Dead’

Delphine Minchella, École de Management de Normandie – UGEI

If the plot of the television series doesn't promise much more than gory entertainment, in fact it provides interesting lessons on styles of organisation and management.

How to stop your lunch break damaging your health

Jeff Bray, Bournemouth University and Heather Hartwell, Bournemouth University

Seven million workers are missing out on information which keep keep them healthier.

Why market competition has not brought down health care costs

Gerald Friedman, University of Massachusetts Amherst

GOP lawmakers say their bills to replace the Affordable Care Act would do a better job than the ACA of controlling rising health care costs, but 40 years of deregulation show it just won't work.

More Research and News

Rest of the world

If your baby has a rare disease, should we put a limit on how much to spend on the drug that may save her? Chaikom/Shutterstock.com

The price of a miracle: Should we limit spending on lifesaving drugs?

C. Michael White, University of Connecticut

Specialty prescription drugs are responsible for countless medical miracles, but their high price tag is the main reason health care costs are out of control.

Research and Expert Database

Popular: food, water, transport, health, and energy.

Editors’ Picks

U S Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist st Class Eric L Beauregard/Released/Wikimedia Commons

Piracy

Cooperation is the key to defeating pirates – here’s why

Mark Chadwick, Nottingham Trent University

Piracy has risen and fallen with the ages, but international cooperation is the common factor behind their defeat.

Eggs containing toxic levels of pesticide, being destroyed at a poultry farm. PATRICK HUISMAN/EPA

Food safety

Contaminated eggs show continuing problems with supply chain

Lisa Jack, University of Portsmouth

Even a fraction of a penny per egg over hundreds of thousands of eggs can mean being able to survive as a business, so the temptation to cut corners is huge.

Online frauds on credit cards are on the rise especially during holidays. Mighty Travels/Flickr

Banking

Credit card fraud: what you need to know

Bruno Buonaguidi, Università della Svizzera italiana

Cyber financial crime is on the rise globally. Here's how you can stay safe.

Electric cars

Aston Martin: an unlikely ambassador for electric cars

Chris Ebbert, Nottingham Trent University

Aston Martin has rarely been considered an eco-friendly brand, but it has announced an electric car of considerable heft.

Slow but steady decline in home ownership continues as 23.6% of all Australian households now rent privately. David Gray/Reuters

Property

Home ownership remains strong in Australia but it masks other problems: Census data

Wendy Stone, Swinburne University of Technology; Margaret Reynolds, Swinburne University of Technology, and Terry Burke, Swinburne University of Technology

The latest 2016 Census data assesses what the national home ownership and rental rates are and how these vary location. It also gives us a picture of mortgage and rental costs.

Farming

The real reasons why British workers won’t pick fruit

Caroline Nye, University of Exeter

It's about housing, transport, benefits, pay, and the culture of work.

Job titles

Calling all ‘Time Ninjas’: let’s put a stop to ludicrous job titles

Cary Cooper, Lancaster University

Silly labels for well-paid roles just add another layer of elitism.

Jeff Bezos (right), now the world’s second-richest person, is charting a different course for his philanthropy than Bill Gates (left), the richest, and Warren Buffett (center), who has fallen to third place. Reuters/Jim Tanner

Philantrophy

What Jeff Bezos gets wrong (and right) with his populist philanthropy

Ted Lechterman, Stanford University McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society

Amazon's founder turned to Twitter to crowdsource ideas for his charitable giving. This populist approach and his preference for short-term results set Jeff Bezos apart from other mega-donors.

It was supposed to bring us all together. Rokas Tenys/Shutterstock.com

ICT

The iPhone turns 10 – and it’s isolated us, not united us

Jean Twenge, San Diego State University

How has the first generation of kids to grow up with the iPhone been affected?

A toxic corporate culture may begin at the top, but it doesn’t end there. AP Photo/Eric Risberg

Leadership

Fixing a toxic culture like Uber’s requires more than just a new CEO

Katina Sawyer, Villanova University and Christian Thoroughgood, Villanova University

Ethical scandals at Uber and Fox have focused attention on the leaders of the organizations, but the problems of a toxic culture often embed deep within an organization.

Automotive

How did the VW camper turn into a £90,000 icon?

Chris Ebbert, Nottingham Trent University

Auctioneers have put a record price tag on the ultimate symbol of 60s counterculture and vintage nostalgia.

A student learns to operate a mill in an advanced precision machining class. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

Education

How Trump’s harsh education cuts undermine his economic growth goals

Shaun M. Dougherty, University of Connecticut

The Trump administration's cuts to social programs like career and technical education would deal a blow to its efforts to boost economic growth.

Most students graduate with a ton of debt, which makes it harder to save for a home or retirement. Reuters/Fabian Bimmer

Education

Poor and middle-income families need a better way than 529s to save for college

Robert H. Scott III, Monmouth University and Steven Pressman, Colorado State University

More than half of American families aren't able to save a dime to cover the cost of college, and the 529 college savings plan has done almost nothing to change that.