South African Inflation Expectations: Sensitivity to Surprises
Stellenbosch Policy Brief No. 03/2010Publication date: 2010
Author(s):
How responsive is inflation expectations in South Africa are to unexpected shifts in key macro-economic variables? In theory, transparent and credibile policies pave the way for less aggressive policy adjustments to maintain price stability, since markets should believe that inflationary spikes are transitory. Since market players keep their expectations of long-term inflation at modest levels, they would not adjust their market decisions in a way that adds upward inflationary pressure.The empirical findings for South Africa, compare favourably with those of other countries and this supports the view that inflation targeting is a useful framework for the management of private sector expectations. If it is correctly applied, it improves the predictability of monetary policy, thereby facilitating the anchoring of inflation expectations.
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Upcoming Seminars
Monday 21 July 202512:00-13:00
Izak Odendaal: Old Mutual Wealth Chief Investment Strategist
Topic: "Diverging fiscal policies and what it means for markets"
12:00-13:00
Dr Neil Rankin: Ceo Of Predictive Insights & Stellenbosch University
Topic: "TBC"
12:00-13:00
Prof Willem Boshoff: Stellenbosch University
Topic: "Two competing approaches in South African competition policy: merger control and anti-cartel enforcement over the past 30 years"
BER Weekly
27 Jun 2025 Another setback for the GNU, but oil markets breathe a little easierThis week was marked by heightened tensions both domestically and internationally. At home, friction intensified between the two largest parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU), the ANC and the DA, following the firing of one of the DA's deputy ministers. Internationally, the US conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities using...
Read the full issue