(Reuters) – Credit Guarantee Insurance Corporation’s Luke Doig was named Thomson Reuters South Africa Economist of the Year on Tuesday – for being the most accurate forecaster of the country’s data. This is the second time Doig has won the award, after clinching it in 2011.
Analysts were ranked according to their accuracy and the frequency of their participation in the monthly Reuters Econometer, a long-term economic survey for SA. The Econometer is a measure of economic sentiment based on a poll of forecasts from leading economists, think-tanks, and universities in SA and abroad.
The survey, which looks two years ahead, covers key indicators including gross domestic product (GDP) growth, consumer and producer inflation, the current account, and the repo rate. Up to 35 economists from banks, fund managers, think-tanks and other corporations took part in the competition, now in its 16th year.
Previous SA Economist of the Year winners include four-time winner, the Bureau for Economic Research (2014), Industrial Development Corporation (2013), Dennis Dykes of Nedbank (2012) and Dave Mohr of Citadel (2010). Shilan Shah of Capital Economics in London was named best forecaster for predicting the end-2014 repo rate level and the team at the Industrial Development Corporation was best forecaster of inflation.
Here are the top 10 ranking of economists:
1. Credit Guarantee Insurance, Luke Doig
2. Standard Bank ,Kim Silberman
3. Meganomics, Colen Garrow (now at Lefika Sec)
4. Vunani Securities, Ilke van Zyl (now at RMB)
5. Capital Economics, Shilan Shah
6. NKC African Economics, Christie Viljoen
7. Barclays Africa, Peter Worthington
8. Rand Merchant Bank, Carmen Nel
9. Standard Chartered, Razia Khan
10. Macquarie Securities, Elna Moolman
