Many of our economic problems, epitomised in our record levels of unemployment and shrinking real income growth, preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, and left South Africa uniquely vulnerable to its effects.

To assess the likely trajectory of South Africa’s economy over the next few years and to outline the available options to restore and accelerate economic growth, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB),  International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) commissioned a series of research papers, presented as chapters in this book. Supported with funding from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Fund, this work began in late 2020 and concluded in 2021. The papers focus on current trends and developments in areas critical for economic growth and development, namely labour markets, trade, food price regulation, monetary policy and the environment. They present several alternative growth and policy scenarios. While these papers were intended to address the immediate implications of COVID-19, they all also inevitably point to the longer-term deterioration of the South African economy and provide some solutions.

To download the full Research Agenda click here