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

4 Jul 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act passes as tariff pause deadline looms
This week brought a flurry of data releases alongside a heavy dose of political drama, both locally and globally. Yesterday’s stronger-than-expected US jobs report was the standout global data release. Domestically, tensions persisted in the DA-ANC relationship. On the international stage, headlines were dominated by the passage of the One Big Beautiful...

Read the full issue
 

BER Weekly

4 Jul 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act passes as tariff pause deadline looms
This week brought a flurry of data releases alongside a heavy dose of political drama, both locally and globally. Yesterday’s stronger-than-expected US jobs report was the standout global data release. Domestically, tensions persisted in the DA-ANC relationship. On the international stage, headlines were dominated by the passage of the One Big Beautiful...

Read the full issue