South Africa’s economic growth will accelerate to 1.3 percent in 2019 from an estimated 0.9 pct in 2018, the World Bank said on Tuesday citing the implementation of structural reforms announced last year. The World Bank projects South Africa’s economic growth at 1.7% in 2020, and 1.8% in 2021. Economic growth would be supported by the implementation of structural reforms such as relaxed visa regulations, establishment of an infrastructure fund and progress on the Mining Charter, the bank said. The Washington-based bank said higher growth in 2020 reflects the expectation that the government’s structural reform agenda will gradually gather speed, helping to boost investment growth, as policy uncertainty recedes and investor sentiment improves. Eskom’s debt has grown to nearly 15 times its Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization).

Source: The North Africa Journal January 22, 2019 12:38 UTC