Codera has posted over 2000 blog posts, a large share of which involve significant data analysis or modelling. We are passionate about democratising data and analytics, and our posts provide insights about industry and macroeconomic trends and contribute to public discussion about important policy issues. Below is a summary of our most popular blog posts since we launched almost four years ago:
Which lotto number should you pick?
Today’s post shows that there are no lucky lottery numbers. If you HAVE TO play the lottery, one thing that is worth remembering is to avoid picking consecutive numbers.
Wine ratings and prices
South African red wines are good value by international standards. Our reds are priced competitively relative to their ratings, with reds with ‘Outstanding’ ratings (i.e. 90-94) generally slightly more affordable than those from most major wine producing countries. Read more
How have bank market shares changed in SA since the pandemic?
This post assesses the extent to which new banks have gained market share in South Africa’s banking sector. Read more
National Population Pyramid for South Africa
The male-female population pyramid in South Africa historically showed a broad base, indicating a young population with high birth rates, but over time, it has become more column-like as birth rates have declined and life expectancy has improved. Read more
Taxpayers numbers in South Africa
While South Africa has approximately 5.2 million taxpayers above the tax free threshold, over a million of those are government employees. The latest available data show that the roughly 200 000 taxpayers who earn over R1 million per year pay about 45% of the total personal income tax take, with around 40 000 of those taxpayers working for government. Read more
Assessing SA’s fiscal landscape: Automated analytics of trends, risks and options
This chartpack assesses South Africa’s fiscal landscape, demonstrating how EconData’s Public Finance module can be used to keep sophisticated public finance analysis up to date. See slides
How much does SA’s president travel? A lot.
Over the last 90 days the presidential aircraft has flown 24 flights – mostly between Cape Town and Pretoria (about 8 return flights) and about 5 return international flights.
Phillips curve steepening post pandemic in SA
Estimates from the IMF suggest that the slope of the Phillips curve has steepened in South Africa post-pandemic, with a decrease in economic slack being associated with a larger increase in inflation, for example. The IMF estimates are consistent with our assessment of the implications of capacity pressure for inflation and interest rates in this pre-pandemic paper and our analysis that suggests that inflation expectations are less well anchored in South Africa than in other countries. Read more
World Rugby Rankings over time
Bank-level interest rate pass-through in South Africa
Our paper that assesses the degree to which changes in the SA policy rate are passed through to individual bank lending and deposit rates is now available in the Journal of Macroeconomics. Read more
City property prices in South Africa
Are property prices keeping up with inflation? Read more
Which car brands have the lowest mileage on
Does SARB follow the Fed?
Every time the Federal Reserve changes its policy rate economists speculate about whether the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) will follow suit. This post shows that the coincidence between US and SA monetary policy has varied a lot over time. Read more
How many hours of work required to invest in the JSE?
An individual earning the average monthly wage in South Africa (just under R30 000 per month) would need to work approximately half an hour to afford one JSE Top 40 index tracker to get exposure to the index. This has only increased slightly since 2008. Read more
Second hand car price and mileage
This post shows that cars.co.za have generally has lower milage, higher price vehicle listings. Read more
South African university patent activity
This post shows that there has been a big increase in patent applications by South African universities over the first decade and a half of the 2000s, with Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town and Witwatersrand University with the most applications. Read more
Gambling Revenue and Taxes in SA
Between 2022/23 and 2023/24 South Africa’s gambling industry grew more than 25%, driven by sport betting (representing 2/3rds of turnover). Read more
Which areas in Cape Town have the most expensive median listings?
The suburbs surrounding Rondebosch-Newlands-Constantia-Tokai have the highest median Airbnb listing rates in Cape Town. Read more
Provincial unemployment rates in SA over time
Provincial unemployment rates in South Africa show significant variation. Read more
How far will R100 get your VW Polo in SA?
For R100 spent on petrol, your VW Polo now gets you less than 80 kilometers, compared to 220 kilometers in 2010. Read more
