A both serious and fun look at why Joburg will always do better in the long-run than Cape Town
George Philipas
A deep-dive into President Ruto’s first year in office following his election in August 2022 Kenyan presidential and parliamentary elections. Focus on President Ruto’s economic record and foreign policy scorecard.
A look at why inflation may not have been tamed in the coming months as is now widely-believed, with substantial drops in food and energy prices, leading the way. The expiry of the Russia-Ukraine grain deal and most of all the unpredictable yet ominous onset of this year’s El Nino could well see prices start…
A deep-dive into the mysteries of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Looking at its origins – shrouded by the mists of forgotten history. And trying to understand what makes it so idiosyncratic from other better-known branches of orthodox christianity.
A comprehensive analysis of why inflation might remain high over the coming decade – even if there is a lull ih the second half of 2023 – and how high interest rates might take swathes of the global economy and public finances over the edge of a debt ticking time bomb that has been slowly…
A look at the secretive Liberian Corporate and shipping registry that continues to be a tax haven, especially for the shipping industry. And alludes to the ultimate beneficiaries behind the scheme.
There has been a lot of negative coverage about the forthcoming gen elections in Kenya on 9th August 2022.
The Economist's article below a few months back is typical:
It fairly cites a lack of a viable choice and focuses on the cynicism of Kenyan politics; Where politicians change allegiances and political parties - usually one-election vehicles for whatever frontrunner is in current fashion - more often than they change their expensive imported Versace and Armani suits; Of which they can easily afford a warehouse-load on a Kenyan politician's ludicrously-inflated salary when compared to even those in the most powerful countries in the west.
Sure, the curse of tribal politics is nowhere more visible than in Kenya on the continent. A curse that always comes at the cost of actual viable social and economic policies that are almost an afterthought and hard to discern between the two current frontrunners - Raila Odinga and William Ruto:
Both candidates aspire to "bottom-up economics", whatever that actually means, and a vague promise of subsidies on fertilisers. Ultimately they both inspire nothing more than apathy in the Kenyan electorate.
But that is missing a trick.
The supply-side mayhem caused by pandemic and war and that sparked a bout of global inflation for the first time in a generation; Whether transitory or not, what is certain is that it is a dry-run for the persistent and much higher inflation or even stagflation we were always likely to face later in the decade.
A 4-day 1000-mile trek through Cape Town’s hinterland for the Cape 1000 vintage car rally in early March 2022. A journey that took its participants through old, Dutch, colonial towns that time forgot through to epic mountain passes.
A focus on Russian interference in the southern African region reveals it is deeper and more ingrained than many might realise.
And how the underhanded tactics of disinformation and the targeting of weak undemocratic leaders might pose a problem for South Africa itself – exacerbating an already, increasingly unstable region.