This study explores the on-going development of a global digital economy through a case-study analysis of its impact on and prospects in South Africa. It argues that four factors are key to understanding the impact of the digital economy on a developing country: (i) the level of technology,...

This study examines the role of politics on decentralization and service delivery in South Africa, with a specific focus on Johannesburg and Cape Town. The research delineates how national decentralization has affected service delivery responsibilities and resources, determines whether service...

In many countries, especially poor countries, a heavy burden of taxes, bribes, and bureaucratic hassles drives many producers into the informal sector. Is this situation explicable only as a consequence of either the ignorance or the ineptitude of the state authorities? On the contrary this...

The status of public services is one of the most hotly debated issues surrounding the GATS. There are two approaches to distinguish such services from any other services: an institutional approach that focuses on the legal and institutional conditions governing supply (e.g. ownership status,...

Die Sicherstellung der Versorgung in Bezug auf das menschliche Dasein umfasst neben Aufgabenbereichen wie Energie, Wasser oder medizinischer Versorgung zunehmend auch digitale Infrastrukturen und Angebote. Ländliche Räume stehen dabei infolge geringerer Siedlungsdichte und des demografischen...

Der Beitrag diskutiert Effekte digitaler nachbarschaftlicher Kommunikation auf das lokale Zusammenleben im ländlichen Raum. Dazu werden Daten aus einer Befragung sowie leitfadengestützte Interviews mit Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner in Metelen im Kreis Steinfurt ausgewertet. Die...

Using census data for 1996, 2001 and 2007 we study the labor market effect of immigration to South Africa. The paper contributes to a small but growing literature on the impact of South-South migration by looking at one of the most attractive destinations for migrant workers in Sub-Saharan...

This paper analyses the food price trends in South Africa during two periods of rapid food price inflation that occurred in the decade 2000 - 10 and unpacks the political reaction and policy responses to the food price crises in these two periods. Based on personal recollection of events during...

South Africa is considering introducing carbon taxes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We evaluate potential impacts using a dynamic economy-wide model linked to an energy sector model. Simulation results indicate that a phased-in carbon tax that reaches US$30 per ton of CO2 by 2022 achieves...