Development Economics I

Economic development is a process of structural change that facilitates a sustained rise in the living standards of the population as a whole. From this follows that structural change (and thus discontinuities) rather than economic growth alone are emphasised, and that the distribution of the gains from economic growth is a central issue.

This course provides an introductory overview of current economic development issues (i.e. structural economic issues) as they are encountered particularly in South Africa or in other African countries The debate about the nature of apartheid and its legacy and about the post-apartheid economy is naturally central to any course on economic development in South Africa.

Module presenter: Servaas van der Berg

Course outline

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BER Weekly

25 Jul 2025 Budget hurdle cleared, but US tariff implementation remains a risk
It was another big week on the local political front, but with some constructive momentum. On the trade front, ahead of next week’s 1 August deadline, Trump announced another “massive” trade deal with Japan. The upcoming week is busy, with a slew of global and domestic data releases and several monetary policy decisions, including the SARB....

Read the full issue
 

BER Weekly

25 Jul 2025 Budget hurdle cleared, but US tariff implementation remains a risk
It was another big week on the local political front, but with some constructive momentum. On the trade front, ahead of next week’s 1 August deadline, Trump announced another “massive” trade deal with Japan. The upcoming week is busy, with a slew of global and domestic data releases and several monetary policy decisions, including the SARB....

Read the full issue