This study uses content analyses to examine 137 stakeholders' submissions to the Ports Regulator of South Africa from 2009/ 2010 to 2018/2019, classifying themes into two broad categories, namely port authority pricing and port governance, which together define South Africa's port doctrine. Results show that South Africa's system of eight commercial seaports is unique and is financed and managed using a mix of elements from the Anglo-Saxon and Asian doctrines and attempts to charge port tariffs according to the Anglo-Saxon doctrine. The paper critiques the port authority pricing methodology employed in South Africa and shows its inconsistency with sound pricing principles and global best practices. The governance structure and how it has persistently defied legislation, which served to promote anticompetitive behaviour and at worst accommodated years of corrupt activities that have recently surfaced, are also discussed. The recommendation is a swift incorporation of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) as a stand-alone entity outside of Transnet. Incorporation of TNPA would help to remove the present conflicts of interests, improve transparency, accountability and regulation as well as incentivise improved productivity and infrastructure spending, and attract private investments into the ports system.

South Africa’s (SA) ports do not have a clearly defined port doctrine. They have certain elements resembling the Anglo-Saxon port doctrine, others the Continental doctrine and still others the Asian port doctrine. Thus, SA encounters conflicting port objectives: it runs a complementary ports system where costs are not reflective of prices charged, and the revenues and costs allocated to various commodity types remain unjustified. This is against the backdrop of intra-port, inter-port and multimodal cross-subsidisation, which found justification in SA’s developmental objectives but has been viewed as unjustifiable under current economic conditions, giving rise to dissatisfaction among various port stakeholders regarding Transnet as a state-owned enterprise and Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) governance and pricing practices that have not been adequately addressed. Using content analysis, 18 stakeholders’ submissions on the 2013-2014 TNPA tariff application, 15 stakeholders’ submissions regarding the multi-year tariff application, and 16 submissions regarding the 2014-2015 tariff application were assessed. The focus was on finding links between challenges faced by stakeholders and whether solutions would be found through SA adopting a different port doctrine. The findings show that while the Asian doctrine is more aligned with SA’s developmental objectives, adoption of it may prove premature in view of the current and foreseeable economic conditions. The study shows that the local port system may not find a perfect fit into any of the known port models and established port doctrines, but, instead, that SA needs to articulate its own port doctrine.

Since the establishment of Central Banks, they have been responsible for their national economic stabilization. This paper explores how selected banks have responded to oil price shocks. Firstly, the paper provides a critical analysis of the effects of commodity price shocks using a version of the three equations – the New Keynesian model. Secondly, the paper chronologically investigates past responses to shocks from five central banks, emphasizing similar and extreme responses and their success. Lastly, the paper utilizes the historical analysis to formulate a recommended response for central banks today. The major outcome of this study is the culmination of a recommendation that proactively implementing contractionary monetary policy alongside expansionary fiscal policy, using conventional and unconventional policies is the most effective.

Since the establishment of Central Banks, they have been responsible for their national economic stabilization. This paper explores how selected banks have responded to oil price shocks. Firstly, the paper provides a critical analysis of the effects of commodity price shocks using a version of the three equations – the New Keynesian model. Secondly, the paper chronologically investigates past responses to shocks from five central banks, emphasizing similar and extreme responses and their success. Lastly, the paper utilizes the historical analysis to formulate a recommended response for central banks today. The major outcome of this study is the culmination of a recommendation that proactively implementing contractionary monetary policy alongside expansionary fiscal policy, using conventional and unconventional policies is the most effective.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of mobile money services on Zambia’s banking sector profitability. Profitability was proxied by Return on equity (ROE) and Gross interest income (GII). Using the Johansen Cointegration approach on quarterly data for the period 2012Q1 to 2021Q4, the results suggest a positive relationship between mobile money services and commercial banks’ profitability. Based on the results, the study recommends that there is need for commercial banks to continuously align their operational models with emergent innovative services in the sector while also appealing to regulators to collectively design regulatory frameworks that are responsive to developing sector trends.