GOOLAM BALLIM, CHIEF ECONOMIST, STANDARD BANK

Loading player...
South Africa's unemployment rate increased to 27.6% in the first quarter of 2019, Stats SA announced this morning. The jobless rate at the end of the fourth quarter of 2018 was 27.1%, meaning the rate has increased by half a percentage point. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter, there are 16.3 million employed people and 6.2 million unemployed people between the ages of 15 and 64 years in South Africa. The unemployment figures were broadly in line with the estimates of analysts.
14 May 2019 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Clicks Taps Into South Africa’s Township Economy

Clicks CEO Bertina Engelbrecht breaks down the launch of KwaMakhi a new township‑focused retail format designed for high‑density, lower‑income communities. She explains why Clicks is expanding beyond traditional malls, how KwaMakhi differs from standard stores, and what this means for healthcare access in areas like Alexandra, Soweto, Tembisa and Khayelitsha.
27 Aug 12PM 10 min

Grindrod’s Record Volumes & Rail Future: CEO Kwazi Mabaso on H1 2026

Grindrod CEO Kwazi Mabaso unpacks the Group’s strong interim performance — including record 8.4 million tonnes at the Port of Maputo, a 52% surge in EBITDA, and resilient drybulk throughput across SA terminals. We explore safety improvements, logistics challenges, locomotive redeployment, and major strategic projects like the Matola expansion and…
27 Aug 12PM 14 min

Real Salaries Lift — But Households Still Under Pressure

July brought rare relief as nominal net salaries edged up to R21,642 and real salaries improved for the first time in nine months. But with year‑to‑date salary growth at just 1.6% and real earnings still 2.2% below last year, households remain stretched. Elize Kruger breaks down wage trends, inflation dynamics,…
26 Aug 1PM 10 min

Inside Absa’s Tech Leap: AI, Speed & 99.97% Reliability

Absa’s digital transformation is delivering real‑world outcomes: SME account‑opening times have collapsed from two days to under 30 minutes, credit decisioning now takes just four hours, and AI is reshaping customer service, debt review and employee productivity. Johnson Idesoh unpacks how Absa achieved 99.97% availability, boosted Rewards membership by 430,000,…
26 Aug 12PM 15 min

Andile Khumalo on the Truth Behind Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneur and KhumaloCo CEO Andile Khumalo sits down with Gugu to unpack his new book Things I Wish I Knew. A raw, story‑driven look at the real cost of building a business — from cash‑flow panic and leadership pressure to failure, resilience, and personal sacrifice. A powerful conversation for aspiring…
25 Aug 1PM 35 min