Evidence-based policy requires high quality data and research. A key constraint to evidence-based policy is a lack of independent analysis. Much of the policy-relevant research that is produced by South African research institutions and think tanks is not independent, with funders playing a role in the topics considered and positions taken. Though there is a lot of high quality private sector analysis, this is usually not in the public domain.
Codera Analytics is private, independent and democratising access to data, analytics and policy research. We apply leading-edge frameworks to a range of economic and financial policy issues to answer the questions that matter to the South African public.
We are pleased to publish a new Policy Paper on industry estimates of productivity in South Africa.
- We show that national total factor productivity estimates mask significant heterogeneity across industries. Our estimates imply that there has been broad-based decline in productivity since the global financial crisis, particularly for mining, manufacturing and construction.
- While we highlight challenges to measuring productivity in South Africa, we show that our estimates are broadly similar to estimates from other international agencies.
- Our estimates have profound policy implications, highlighting the impact that electricity and logistical constraints, rising regulatory compliance costs, policy uncertainty and municipal mismanagement.
The paper is publicly available here.
For those interested in our policy research, data pipelines and tools for automated analytics, feel free to contact us for a demonstration.
