Africa
South African inflation remains well above target
Inflation in South Africa remained well above the central bank's target for inflation in June. It was the third consecutive month that inflation, as measured by the central bank's target measure CPIX index, breached the South African Reserve Bank's (SARB…
Zimbabwe can't join rand monetary union - Mboweni
Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank, says Zimbabwe was far from being ready to join the rand common monetary area (CMA), which currently includes South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.
Australia also wants wider net for Fund leader
Peter Costello, the Australian federal treasurer, has joined the international chorus urging a departure from tradition in the selection of the next head of the International Monetary Fund.
Monetary integration in Southern Africa
This IMF working paper finds that the current Common Monetary Area (CMA) agreements between South African, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia, although not a full monetary union, have delivered many benefits of a full monetary union.
South African reserves approach $26 billion
The South African Reserve Bank has announced that net gold and foreign exchange reserves rose last month to $25.94bn from $28.28bn at the end of May. The central bank said gross reserves were up at $28.28bn from $27.85bn the previous month, and net…
SARB raises rates as inflation soars
The South African Reserve Bank raised the key repo interest rate by 50 basis points to 9.5% on 7 June, after inflation surged through the upper band of the central bank's 3% to 6% target range in April.
South Africa's reserves surge in one month
New data from the South African Reserve Bank has revealed that net gold and foreign exchange reserves rose to $25.48bn in May from $24.59bn the previous month. Gross reserves were also up to $27.85bn from $27,02bn.
Inflation breaches SARB's target
South Africa's targeted CPIX inflation has breached the South African Reserve Bank's 3% to 6% inflation target for the first time since August 2003.
The benefits of the SARB's transparency
This IMF Working Paper suggests that the increased transparency of monetary policy in South Africa since the late-1990s has helped to improve the accuracy of inflation and interest rate forecasts.
South Africa's Mboweni outlines inflation threats
Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank, has identified union-driven salary disputes and increasing food and oil prices as the main threats to the current inflation outlook in the country.
SARB's Guma on SA debt market
In this speech, Dr X.P. Guma, the Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank argues that sovereign debt markets will need to address the inability of adjacent emerging and developing to raise financing in their own currencies beyond their own…
If China's market bubble flattens, will SA pop?
This article, from the South African "Business Report", examines what the possible outcome to the country will be if Chinese stock markets undergo a sudden correction.
SARB Monetary Policy Review, May 2007
The South African Reserve Bank published its Monetary Policy Review for May 2007 on Tuesday 15 May. South Africa's targeted inflation should remain within its range, but the target could be threatened by adverse developments and a poor response to past…
SARB's Mboweni on the global economy
In the speech 'Risks and challenges facing the global economy' given on 4 May Tito Mboweni of the South African Reserve Bank said currently the world economy is characterised by generally strong growth and low inflation.
SARB Financial Stability Review, March 2007
The South African Reserve Bank published the March 2007 edition of its Financial Stability Review on 25 April. In its latest report the SARB said the South African financial system was assessed as sound, with overall confidence in the financial services…
National Payment System South Africa 95 to 05
The National Payment System Department of the South African Reserve Bank published a document on Wednesday 18 April entitled The National Payment System in South Africa - 1995 to 2005.
SARB says SA credit not immediately inflationary
South Africa's central bank governor Tito Mboweni said on Thursday 12 April the country's household spending and credit were not immediately inflationary but warned that bank lending remained "uncomfortably high".
SARB's Mboweni criticises takeover - report
South Africa's central bank governor has criticised the 2005 takeover by Barclays Plc of South African retail bank Absa, the Financial Times reported on Thursday 29 March.
Mboweni says RBZ can't be blamed for economy
South African Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni said on Tuesday 27 March that Zimbabwe's central bank can do little to curb rampant inflation as the causes are largely political.
Mboweni on the World Cup and the SA economy
In the speech 'The benefits of being a good host - the FIFA World Cup and the South African economy' given on 20 March Tito Mboweni of the SARB said South Africa's current account deficit widened sharply in the fourth quarter of 2006 and the central bank…
Mboweni on the role of the SARB and consumers
In the speech 'The role of the South African Reserve Bank in the protection of consumers' given on 15 March Tito Mboweni of the South African Reserve Bank said that while the central bank aimed to achieve price stability and low and sustainable inflation…
SARB's Guma on Swaziland and monetary union
In a speech given on 1 March Xolile Guma of the South African Reserve Bank said Swaziland needs to address a number of issues in regard to its position in the establishment of a regional monetary union.
Liikanen on regional economic integration
In the speech 'Regional economic integration and monetary cooperation' given on 1 February Erkki Liikanen of the Bank of Finland said the role of monetary integration has been of decisive importance in the European context.
Sources of inflation in Sub-Saharan Africa
This IMF Working Paper explores the sources of inflation in Sub-Saharan Africa by examining the relationship between inflation, the output gap, and the real money gap.