Economic analysts play a vital role in producing credible economic forecasts.

The winner and two runners-up of the 2023 BMR/Unisa Economist of the Year competition will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held in Pretoria on 20 June 2024. These individuals provided the most accurate and consistent economic forecasts during 2023.

The Economist of the Year competition has for a long time occupied the centre stage of economic thinking and growth projections in the country and is subject to an independent adjudication process. The BMR in collaboration with Unisa has hosted the Economist of the Year competition since 2022, following decades of sponsorship by Media24. This competition provides a unique opportunity for more than thirty of South Africa’s top economists to produce economic estimates for eight economic variables every month including inter alia economic growth, consumer price inflation, interest rates and the Rand-Dollar exchange rate.

The South African economy continues to face a multitude of challenges which makes any form of economic forecasting a hazardous exercise. Because such challenges to the economy contributed to large-scale economic uncertainties during 2023, the accuracy with which the winner and two runners- up predicted 2023 economic outcomes should be applauded as reflecting an in-depth understanding of the South African economy.

Given the current uncertainties and volatilities in the economy, economic analysts’ in-depth understanding of economic dynamics is crucial to producing economic forecasts of greatest likelihood. The Economist of the Year competition champions such rigorous economic analysis, which benefits all stakeholders who use such information for planning, strategic decision-making, and policy development purposes.