Without doubt, the continuing war in Ukraine, stubbornly high inflation and our own domestic challenges have made doing business in South Africa significantly more complex than in prior years. This has placed additional demands on South Africa’s C-suite, requiring greater resilience and fortitude than before.

Economic data released last week by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that China’s economy experienced a noticeable loss of momentum in the second quarter. Although headline real GDP growth stands at a decent level of 6.3%, it was distorted by a low base effect stemming from lockdowns over the same period last year. Two-year average year-on-year growth, which effectively eliminates such effects, only reached 3.4%, down from 4.7% in the first quarter. The softening momentum is echoed in the slowdown of seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter growth, which reached just 0.8%.

Shifting regional realities, an emphasis on pushing forward with developing the Emirati non‑oil economy and securing markets for its hydrocarbons exports, as well as the diminishing role of the UAE’s traditional main security guarantor, the US, are leading to a significant reshaping of the country’s foreign‑policy stance. 

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Gen Z and the four-day workweek – Report Download

When Premier Li Qiang announced this year’s economic growth target of about 5% at China’s annual policy making meeting back in March, the market consensus was way above that figure. However, is the 5% growth target really a conservative one?