Economy is Care: Learning Brief
Five months of public dialogues, community radio, and cultural programming asked what happens when care, not GDP, anchors how we talk about the economy. The key finding: people engage readily once given accessible language and real invitation, and culture (music, poetry, storytelling) isn’t decoration — it’s how ideas land.
So, whose economy is it anyway? Who gets to define the economy, whose interests does it serve, and what must shift to make it care for people and the planet?
This Policy Digest distils insights from the four Economy is Care dialogues to confront a central question: whose economy is it, and who does it serve? Drawing together reflections on GDP, debt, taxation, and monetary policy, it considers how South Africa’s economic architecture could evolve to advance both collective wellbeing and financial stability. By examining […]
Money power: Who pulls the levers?
This Policy Digest unpacks how the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and National Treasury (NT) shape fiscal and monetary policy, and how their decisions affect people’s lives. It explores the balance between independence and accountability, and what “prudence” really means for social well-being. Drawing on South Africa’s experience and global lessons, it argues for financial […]
Taxing fairly, spending justly: Models for truly progressive taxation
This Policy Digest explores the reclamation of taxation as a democratic act of care rather than a burden of compliance. Drawing on South Africa’s experience and comparative global lessons, the authors interrogate who bears the burden of revenue raised under a deeply imbalanced global financial architecture, and how advocacy for tax reform can create conditions […]
Debt and discipline: What does fiscal policy look like in a post-austerity future?
South Africa’s rising debt is often framed as a crisis, but the real question is: debt for whom, and to what end? This digest unpacks the structural drivers of debt, the human cost of austerity, and the possibilities for using public borrowing to enable inclusive development, green industrialisation, and long-term economic resilience.
Beyond GDP measuring what matters: Measuring what matters in an inclusive economy
GDP dominates headlines, yet tells us little about people’s wellbeing, care burdens, or ecological health. This digest examines why South Africa needs new indicators that value dignity, equity, and sustainability. It outlines alternative measurements from well-being indices to nature-positive measures that can guide budgets, policies, and national priorities toward real progress.