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Bureau for Economic Research (BER)

Name: Bureau for Economic Research (BER)
Address: Stellenbosch, ZA
Telephone: +27218089755

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Bureau for Economic Research (BER)

The Bureau for Economic Research (BER) is a research unit at Stellenbosch University.

The BER monitors and forecasts economic trends, and identifies and analyses factors, both locally and internationally, that affect South African businesses. The BER primarily focuses on the South African macro economy and selected economic sectors. It monitors and forecasts macroeconomic economic and sector trends, and identifies and analyses local and international factors that affect South Afric

an businesses. The organisation has built up and continues to expand its business tendency surveys and macroeconomic forecasting capabilities. Both are used for analysing and projecting South African macroeconomic trends. The BER uses a variety of internationally accepted methodologies and econometric models for the generation and analysis of the data, as well as techniques developed specifically for the unique South African environment. Other activities include commissioned research, courses, conferences and training. The BER's respected economic analysis and forecasting services are used by a wide range of clients, ranging from small to medium sized firms up to very large JSE listed companies, as well as public sector bodies and NGOs. Financial and investment companies, local and overseas banking groups, multilateral organisations and academic bodies, all make use of the impartial economic information available from the BER.

28/08/2026

This week’s 𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 looks at the US escalation of its economic campaign against Iran, tentative progress towards reopening the 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝘇, and why 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 nevertheless remain vulnerable to renewed disruption. We also assess the continued strength of 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 following Nvidia’s latest results, persistent pressure in 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀, the escalation in 𝗨𝗦-𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, and the r𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘌𝘙 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘌𝘙 𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴.

👇Read it at the link in the comments

21/08/2026

𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵.

In this week’s BER Weekly Review, we look at the US Treasury’s move to increase long-dated bond buybacks, why global borrowing costs remain elevated, and what firmer oil prices could mean for the inflation outlook.

Closer to home, July inflation surprised slightly on the downside, while Phase 3 of the Government-Business Partnership puts greater focus on mining, agriculture and agriprocessing, and tourism as potential growth engines. We also unpack the latest domestic and international data, and what to watch in the week ahead.

𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

13/08/2026

🗓️ 𝗪𝗘𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥 - 𝟰 𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗔𝗧 𝟭𝟭𝗛𝟬𝟬

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦?

Municipalities across South Africa continue to face real pressure. Financial strain. Governance issues. Big questions about reform and accountability.

The City of Johannesburg is a key case study here, especially with the next electoral cycle on the horizon.

Join Roy Havemann, Natasha Marrian, Nomvuyo Guma and Thendo Rose Murunzi on 𝟰 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭:𝟬𝟬 for a discussion drawing on the BER's recent research notes on municipal reform and the City of Johannesburg.

𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿:

• Municipal problems and the challenges facing local government
• A deep dive into the City of Johannesburg, including its electoral prospects
• Progress with municipal reform

👉 This webinar is open to everyone. Please share the invitation with colleagues and contacts who may be interested.

Click here to register: https://shorturl.at/HtEsj

10/07/2026

One photo. Two successful PhD defences. 🎓🎉

Congratulations to our colleague Nadia Matulich on the successful defence of her PhD dissertation at Stellenbosch University.

Coming just a few weeks after Katrien Smuts successfully defended her own PhD, we're delighted to celebrate another remarkable academic achievement at the BER.

Nadia's research explores how media sentiment can improve our understanding and forecasting of economic activity, while Katrien's research provides fresh insights into how inflation expectations are formed and how they influence economic decision-making.

These achievements reflect the curiosity, dedication and analytical rigour that underpin the work we do every day. We are fortunate to have colleagues who continue to push the frontiers of economic research while contributing to work that informs better policy and business decision-making.

Congratulations, Nadia and Katrien, on this well-deserved milestone. We are incredibly proud to have you as part of the BER.

22/05/2026

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲. 𝗦𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁. 🔥

This week's BER Weekly Review unpacks it all! From Strait of Hormuz disruptions and Beijing's diplomatic balancing act, to Johannesburg's fiscal squeeze and what Thursday's SARB rate decision means for you.

Swipe through for the highlights ➡️

📩 Subscribe to the full Weekly Review: https://www.ber.ac.za/Documents/Index/Weekly-Review

12/05/2026

𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗥'𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘!

South Africa’s road to stronger growth remains uncertain - shaped by politics, policy choices, business confidence and global volatility.

On 2 June 2026, the BER Conference returns to The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, bringing together leading policymakers, economists and political analysts to unpack the forces shaping South Africa’s economic trajectory.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲:

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝟯%: 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀

The programme includes:

• A keynote address by Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank
• A political discussion on “The battle for Johannesburg” featuring the
Democratic Alliance's Mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille, with Gareth van Onselen and Natasha Marrian
• The live release of the 2026 Q2 RMB/BER Business Confidence
Index
• BER’s latest macroeconomic outlook presented by Lisette IJssel de Schepper, Shannon Bold and Roy Havemann

👉𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 + 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲: 𝗥𝟮,𝟲𝟱𝟬

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀:
• A full conference ticket
• A 12-month BER Essential Insights subscription (This includes the Weekly Review)

Purchased separately, these amount to R3,200, saving R550.
For decision-makers who rely on rigorous economic intelligence and independent analysis, this is a valuable investment.
Seats are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register now: https://shorturl.at/KkwMz

📍 The Maslow Hotel, Sandton
📅 02 June 2026
⏰ 08:00 – 13:30

𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚: 𝘉𝘌𝘙 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 (3) 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘌𝘙 𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘚𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦-𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦.

17/04/2026

⛽ FUEL PRICE EXPLAINER | Answering your questions

The Strait of Hormuz closed. Diesel is up. Petrol is up. And May's price adjustment could hurt.

We unpacked the full picture in today's BER Weekly Review. This post gives you the outline:

🔹 Why a Middle East war is moving SA fuel prices
🔹 Why fuel prices are rising faster than crude (and diesel faster than petrol)
🔹 What to expect at the May price adjustment
🔹 Whether prices will come down soon
🔹 Whether we'll see pre-war levels again this year

👉Not a Premium Insights client or BER Essential Insights subscriber yet? Find out more here https://www.ber.ac.za/ProductOffering

17/04/2026

⛽ FUEL PRICE EXPLAINER | Answering your questions

The Strait of Hormuz closed. Diesel is up. Petrol is up. And May's price adjustment could hurt.

We unpacked the full picture in today's BER Weekly Review. This post gives you the outline:

🔹 Why a Middle East war is moving SA fuel prices
🔹 Why fuel prices are rising faster than crude (and diesel faster than petrol)
🔹 What to expect at the May price adjustment
🔹 Whether prices will come down soon
🔹 Whether we'll see pre-war levels again this year

Not a Premium Insights client or BER Essential Insights subscriber yet?

👉 Subscribe to Essential Insights to read the Weekly Review: https://www.ber.ac.za/ProductOffering

👉 Premium Insights client? Log in to your profile to access the full version of the explainer

10/04/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 - 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗱.

This week’s ceasefire between the US and Iran triggered a relief rally, yet oil prices, shipping flows and sentiment remain highly sensitive to how the situation evolves from here. In that sense, markets continue to react more to headlines than fundamentals.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸’𝘀 𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄, 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸:

👉 Why the ceasefire is fragile in practice

👉 How oil remains the key transmission channel for global markets

👉 What this means for South Africa’s outlook

👉 And key domestic political developments, including public service reform, shifting coalition dynamics and expectations of a Cabinet reshuffle later this year

𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘌𝘙 𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 (𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘙210/𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. https://www.ber.ac.za/Documents/Index/Weekly-Review

❗ 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝘉𝘌𝘙 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘌𝘙 𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦.

👉 𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. https://www.ber.ac.za/ProductOffering

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Tuesday	08:00 - 16:30
Wednesday	08:00 - 16:30
Thursday	08:00 - 16:30
Friday	08:00 - 16:00

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+27218089755

Website

http://www.ber.ac.za/

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