Johann Fedderke

Bio: Johann Fedderke is an academic researcher from University of Cape Town. The author has contributed to research in topics: Gross domestic product & Gross private domestic investment. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 166 citations.

An analysis of economic infrastructure investment in south africa

Abstract: This paper analyses long-term trends in the development of South Africa's economic infrastructure and discusses their relationship with the country's long-term economic growth. A database covering national accounts data, railways, roads, ports, air travel, phone lines and electricity was established for this purpose, and may facilitate further quantitative research. PSS (Pesaran, Shin and Smith, 1996, 2001) F-tests are used to identify directions of association between economic infrastructure and economic growth. These indicate long-run forcing relationships from public-sector economic infrastructure investment and fixed capital stock to gross domestic product (GDP), from roads to GDP, and from GDP to a range of other types of infrastructure. There is also evidence of potential simultaneity between specific types of infrastructure and GDP. The evidence suggests three main findings. Firstly, the relationship between economic infrastructure and economic growth appears to run in both directions. Inadequate investment in infrastructure could create bottlenecks, and opportunities for promoting economic growth could be missed. Secondly, South Africa's stock of economic infrastructure has developed in phases. Policymakers should focus on choosing or encouraging the right type of infrastructure at the right time. Thirdly, the need for investment in economic infrastructure never goes away. The maintenance and expansion of infrastructure are important dimensions of supporting economic activity in a growing economy, provided that individual projects are chosen on the basis of appropriate cost-benefit analyses. JEL: H54, L91, L92, L93, L94, L96, L98, N47, N77, E62

Infrastructure and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa-super- †

Abstract: An adequate supply of infrastructure services has long been viewed by both academics and policy-makers as a key ingredient for economic development Sub-Saharan Africa ranks consistently at the bottom of all developing regions in terms of infrastructure performance, and an increasing number of observers point to deficient infrastructure as a major obstacle for growth and poverty reduction across the region This paper offers an empirical assessment of the impact of infrastructure development on growth and inequality, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa The paper uses a comparative cross-regional perspective to place Africa's experience in the international context Drawing from an updated data set of infrastructure quantity and quality indicators covering more than 100 countries and spanning the years 1960--2005, the paper estimates empirical growth and inequality equations including a standard set of control variables augmented by infrastructure quantity and quality measures, and controlling for the potential endogeneity of the latter The estimates illustrate the potential contribution of infrastructure development to growth and equity across Africa Copyright The author 2010 Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Centre for the Study of African Economies All rights reserved For permissions, please email: journalspermissions@oxfordjournalsorg, Oxford University Press

Infrastructure and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract: An adequate supply of infrastructure services has long been viewed by both academics and policy makers as a key ingredient for economic development. Sub-Saharan Africa ranks consistently at the bottom of all developing regions in terms of infrastructure performance, and an increasing number of observers point to deficient infrastructure as a major obstacle for growth and poverty reduction across the region. This paper offers an empirical assessment of the impact of infrastructure development on growth and inequality, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper uses a comparative cross-regional perspective to place Africa's experience in the international context. Drawing from an updated data set of infrastructure quantity and quality indicators covering more than 100 countries and spanning the years 1960-2005, the paper estimates empirical growth and inequality equations including a standard set of control variables augmented by infrastructure quantity and quality measures, and controlling for the potential endogeneity of the latter. The estimates illustrate the potential contribution of infrastructure development to growth and equity across Africa.

Infrastructure and Growth in South Africa: Direct and Indirect Productivity Impacts of 19 Infrastructure Measures

Abstract: Empirical explorations of the growth and aggregate productivity impacts of infrastructure have been characterized by ambiguous (countervailing signs) results with little robustness. This paper, utilizing panel data for South African manufacturing over the 1970–2000 period, and a range of 19 infrastructure measures, explores the question of infrastructure endogeneity in output equations. The paper develops an instrumentation strategy generalizable to other contexts. Controlling for the possibility of endogeneity in the infrastructure measures renders the impact of infrastructure capital not only positive, but of economically meaningful magnitudes.

South Africa's export performance: determinants of export supply

Abstract: In 1994, the new democratically elected government inherited an economic system characterized by declining economic and employment growth In response to these pressures, the government initiated a number of policy reforms to stimulate growth, employment, and redistribution This paper evaluates the extent to which the composition and level of manufacturing exports have responded to these initiatives in the 1990s The paper also investigates the determinants of South African manufacturing export performance using estimated export supply and demand functions Section 2 of the paper presents a very brief review of South Africa's trade regime, the increased openness in the 1990s, the changing composition of South Africa's exports, and its dynamic export performance in comparative perspective Section 3 develops the export model used to identify the determinants of export performance and then discusses the results Section 4 contains concluding remarks and some policy implications