Welcome to the Department
Welcome to the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University. We are one of the oldest Economics departments on the continent and one of the largest in the university. We are dedicated to quality research and teaching, with a focus on economic issues pertaining to South Africa and Africa. For any information not on this site, please contact the [protected email address] .
Stellenbosch sends three finalists to the 2011 Budget Speech Competition
Wilondja Mubangu, Pierre Vercueil and Kate Rich are Stellenbosch University's top 10 finalists in the 2011 Nedbank and Old Mutual Budget Speech Competition. Wilondja is representing the Department of Economics at the postgraduate level of the competition while Pierre and Kate are undergraduate finalists.
The 2011 finalists will be hosted at a banquet in their honour on the eve of the Budget Speech on the February 2012 where they will engage with some of South Africa's prominent business people, government officials and the South African Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan.
Wilondja Mubangu is currently enrolled as an Honours student in Economics and earned his BA in Economics from the University of Kinshasa in 2006, and also completed extra third-year subjects at the University of the Cape Town. He is interested in doing research in fiscal and monetary policy, international finance and econometrics.
Pierre Vercueil hopes to complete his BA degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the end of this year, after which he is contemplating studying French and mathematics before returning to study for an Honours degree in economics. According to Pierre, being part of this year's Budget Speech Competition has granted him the opportunity to investigate and understand certain areas of the South African policy-making process, and the primacy of politics over economics for which it often allows.
Kate Rich plans to enrol for an Honours degree in Economics in 2012. She is interested in development economics, and particularly economics of education. Kate believes that a more effective education system is essential for greater economic growth and human development in South Africa.
Economics professor wins Outstanding Alumnus award
Professor Rachel Jafta of SU's Department of Economics and founder of Rachel's Angels was the guest speaker at the Rector's Awards For Outstanding Achievement held at the Wallenberg Research Centre at STIAS on Wednesday (12 October). She received the SRC Award for Outstanding Alumnus. In the photo, prof Jafta receives the award with Jan Greyling, former SRC Chairman, and prof Russel Botman, rector. (Photo: Hennie Rudman)
PhD student wins top prize
Carlos da Maia, a PhD student in the Department of Economics, was awarded a prestigious prize by the Banco Central de Moçambique (The Mozambican Central Bank) for one of the best research papers in the field of financial and monetary economics in May 2010.
The paper was written in response to a public competition of research papers on the economy of Mozambique, in honour of the 35th anniversary of the Central Bank.
As part of the award the Bank sponsored the publication of his winning paper. In the photo, Carlos holds a copy of the published paper, which translated reads "Inflation Targeting: Is the Central Bank ready for it?"
Marisa Coetzee receives Schumann medal
Marisa Coetzee, a PhD student in the Department of Economics, was awarded the prestigious Schumann medal last week for the best postgraduate student in the Economic and Management Sciences Faculty in 2010. According to Prof Andrie Schoombee, chair of the Department, Marisa boasts an excellent academic record. She has completed her Bachelors degree (BComm Law), an LLB, an Honours in Economics (at UNISA) and a Masters in Economics all cum laude. Her final Masters average was an impressive 84%. Marisa has also received two academic awards as an honours student at UNISA and a highly contested ERSA bursary in 2010. In the photo, Marisa receives the Schumann medal from the Dean, Prof Johann de Villiers.
Three African Economic History research fellows appointed
Julius Agbor, Leigh Gardner and Martine Mariotti have been appointed as Research Fellows in the Department of Economics from September 1. All three appointees are trained in African economic history and will resort under the new African Economic History Group within the Department.
Julius Agbor completed his Masters degree at the University at the Western Cape in 2004, and then a PhD from the University of Cape Town in 2010. His dissertation explored the political economy of 20th century colonisation and decolonisation in Africa. He is currently an African Research Fellow at the Africa Growth Institute at the Brookings Institute, Washington.
Leigh Gardner completed her PhD in Economic History at Oxford University in 2009. From 2009 she was appointed as Lecturer at the University of Cape Town, and in 2010 she moved to the British Museum. Her research interests include African economic history and development, the political economy of the British Empire, and the origins of economic and political institutions. She joined the London School of Economics in August 2011.
Martine Mariotti completed a Masters degree in Economics at the University of the Witwatersrand and then a Masters and PhD in Economic History at the University of California in 2008. She is now a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. Her most recent publication is an investigation into labour markets during South Africa's Apartheid regime.
Prof van Zanden's first lecture to address South Africa's long-run economic performance
Prof Jan Luiten van Zanden will on Monday, September 26 present his first lecture in the Department on the long-run economic performance of the South African economy. Prof Van Zanden is since 2010 honorary professor in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University and is also professor of Global Economic History at the University of Utrecht and president of the International Economic History Association. The title of his lecture is: "South African economic growth in the very long run in global perspective, 1700-present". To attend, please contact [protected email address] .
On nationalisation: Prof du Plessis delivers ESSA presidential address
On 7 September, prof Stan du Plessis delivered the ESSA presidential address to a packed audience at Stellenbosch University. In his introduction, he noted that he had written a first version of the speech on the use of statistical inference in economics, but had decided to change topic given the recent debate in the media about the possible nationalisation of the mines. His lecture - Nationalising the South African mines: Back to a prosperous future, or down a rabbit hole? - discussed the potential benefits and costs of nationalisation from an evidence-based perspective. In short, Prof du Plessis concludes that "nationalising the mining sector will cost the government more than it receives". His full speech is available as a Working Paper: http://www.ekon.sun.ac.za/wpapers/2011/wp172011
Prof Freytag to give first public lecture as honorary professor
Prof Andreas Freytag is to give his first public lecture in the Department of Economics on 8 September. Prof Freytag, appointed honorary professor in 2010, is professor of Economics at the Friedrich-Schiller University in Jena, Germany.
His research is policy-oriented with a focus on Africa which is supported by his affiliation to the African Division of the IMF and the South African Institute for International Relations. Prof Freytag has previously taught a Public Choice course for postgraduate students in the Department and has also collaborated with senior staff members in research projects.
For more information about the public lecture, please contact [protected email address] .
A new way to view the South African economy
The Bureau for Economic Research (BER) at Stellenbosch University recently launched a new graphical summary of the state of the South African economy. This economic snapshot will be updated every month on the BER's website. View it here.
Policy briefs to disseminate research
The Economics Department formally released its first policy brief on Thursday. The Policy Brief initiative is aimed at creating a wider audience for the research of the Department of Economics. The policy briefs are intended to be a jargon-free summary of a selection of research studies that are policy-relevant or closely linked to public debates. As a rule, the research would be recent work that is not yet published in a journal or a book.
If you are interested in receiving notifications of the release of a new policy brief, please send an email with your name and affiliation to Carina Smit (carina@sun.ac.za). The first policy briefs are available under Research, Policy Briefs or, alternatively, follow the link http://www.ekon.sun.ac.za/policybriefs/2010/
The countdown to Stellenbosch 2012 begins
Stellenbosch 2012 was proudly launched at the final plenary session of the World Economic History Congress in Utrecht, the Netherlands on the 7th of August. In a promotional DVD inviting guests to the next World Economic History Congress, the rector and vice-chancellor Russel Botman and Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu invited participants to "explore the roots of development" at the 2012 conference, which is hosted by the Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University and the Economic History Society of Southern Africa. Find more information at www.wehc2012.org.
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