The world is changing fast and to keep up you need local knowledge with global context.
For almost 28 years, Cees Bruggemans served as chief economist at leading South African bank FNB. Often the voice of rationality in a noisy, tumultuous world, he shares a Dutch lack of diplomacy with his forebears, telling it straight especially during times when pundits tend to over-exuberance or excessive pessimism. He is now a consulting economist at Bruggemans & Associates, writes prolifically and, if anything, is even more direct than before he became self-employed. Contact Cees via [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @ceesbruggemans
There’s no way to predict where the tornado’s heading, or if it will in fact dissipate, but what Cees Bruggemans is sure about, it paints a worrying picture.
1994 was the ‘Rainbow’ era, apartheid had been abolished, and change was in the air. Now, enter the ‘Age of Decay’ where weaknesses intruded and the nation was no longer served.
Cees Bruggemans looks at the global ‘what ifs’. What if things do go to the next level. He clarifies that these aren’t forecasts or predictions, just questions – with uncertainty the big winner.
Cees Bruggemans looks into his crystal ball and can’t see anything breaking South Africa’s current downward trend, anytime soon.
Cees Bruggemans questions the US recovery since 2008, China’s ‘potential’ bigger than expected fall and why fracking can come to South Africa’s rescue.
Cees Bruggemans says the recent Chinese commodity supercycle is being replaced by an impending US Dollar supercycle (2016 elections dependent).
Cees Bruggemans questions the South African government’s 9-point plan, 7 months later and not much progress bar a few meetings, can Deputy President Ramaphosa kickstart the process?
Bloomberg surveyed 113 economists, pointing to a narrow majority for rates to be kept on hold, while Cees Bruggemans votes for a lift off.
Cees Bruggemans unpacks SARB’s second quarterly bulletin and plays it up against the second quarter GDP data and concludes it’s not only Chinese data that’s questionable.
Cees Bruggemans says government and business should do something and stop shifting blame onto external forces for the situation South Africa finds itself in.