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Research Briefs

Can paid maternity leave improve childhood health? by Neryvia Pillay Bell

Evidence from California shows that paid maternity leave leads to improved health outcomes among elementary school children.

Efficiency in South African water utilities: a comparison of estimates from DEA, SFA and StoNED by Genius Murwirapachena, Jugal Mahabir, Richard Mulwa and Johane Dikgang

Climate change has brought renewed and increasing attention to the productivity and efficiency of the water sector.

Who benefits from being self-employed in urban Ghana? by Adeola Oyenubi

The income gap between the self-employed and wage earners is of interest particular in developing countries.

Latest Publications

The Origin of Extractive States in Africa: The Case of the British Cape Colony, 1834-1909 by Abel Gwaindepi and Johan Fourie

The majority of African states continue to be regarded as extractive states. We use the Cape Colony's public expenditure to account for the emergence of extractive states in Africa.

Monetary policy in a model with commodity and financial market by Vo Phuong Mai Le and Ruthira Naraidoo

This paper builds a small open economy model for a net commodity exporter to consider financial frictions and monetary policies in order to investigate the main determinants of business cycles.

Who benefits from South African Child Support Grant: The role of gender and birthweight by Adeola Oyenubi

Stunting (low height-for-age) is known to be a good proxy for a child’s wellbeing.

Efficiency in South African water utilities: a comparison of estimates from DEA, SFA and StoNED by Genius Murwirapachena, Jugal Mahabir, Richard Mulwa and Johane Dikgang

Climate change has brought renewed and increasing attention to the productivity and efficiency of the water sector. This has stimulated interest, which has manifested itself in the increased application of statistical tools to measure the productivity and efficiency of water utilities.

Who benefits from being self-employed in urban Ghana by Adeola Oyenubi

This paper explores the earnings gap between the self-employed and wage earners in urban Ghana.

Latest Journal Publications

Teacher Pay and Educational Outcomes: Evidence from the Rural Hardship Allowance in Zambia by Grieve Chelwa, Miquel Pellicer, Mashekwa Maboshe
South African Journal of Economics (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/saje.12227)

This paper studies the effect of unconditional teacher salary increases on teacher and student outcomes. To study the issue, we evaluate the rural hardship allowance in Zambia, which corresponds to a salary increase of 20%.

The household effects of very large electricity tariff hikes in Zambia by Mashekwa Maboshe, Akabondo Kabechani and Grieve Chelwa
Energy Policy 126 (2019) 108-117 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421518306967?via%3Dihub)

This paper simulates the real household expenditure effects of electricity price increases in Zambia. First, we find that electricity subsidies are highly regressive.

Is Democracy Eluding Sub-Saharan Africa? by Carolyn Chisadza and Manoel Bittencourt
The Social Science Journal: Volume 56, Issue 2 (https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Z4IH1IOdvH-ai)

This paper analyses the modernisation hypothesis in the sub-Saharan African region.

Birth Order Effects on Educational Attainment and Child Labour: Evidence from Lesotho by Ramaele Moshoeshoe
Education Economics (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09645292.2019.1610157)
This paper examines the effect of birth order on educational attainment and child labour in Lesotho.
Regional economic effects of changes in South Africa's electricity generation mix by Bohlmann, H.R., Horridge, J.M., Inglesi-Lotz, R., Roos, E.L. & Stander, L.
Energy Policy (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421519300783)

This paper examines the long-run regional economic effects within South Africa of changing the electricity-generation mix away from coal. We use a regional CGE model of South Africa to conduct our analysis.