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Alan Hirsch

Professor and Director of the Graduate School of Development Policy, University of Cape Town

I have been director of the Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice at University of Cape Town (UCT) since 2013. I was born in Cape Town and educated in Economics, Economic History and History at UCT, Wits and Columbia. After economic research and teaching at the University of Cape Town, I joined the South African Department of Trade and Industry in 1995, managing industry and technology policy. I moved to the Presidency in 2002. I managed economic policy in the South African Presidency, represented the Presidency at the G20, and was co-chair of the G20 Development Working Group. I have served or serve on several boards, and am associated with a range of policy research initiatives including the TIPS, the International Growth Centre for which I was until recently the Zambia Country Director, and the European Centre for Development Policy Management where I am a board member. I was a visiting scholar at the Harvard Business School, a regular visiting professor at the Graduate School of Governance at Maastricht University and a member of the OECD Secretary-General’s Inclusive Growth Advisory Group. I write about economic development issues, including Season of Hope - Economic Reform under Mandela and Mbeki and recently co-edited The Oxford Companion to South African Economics.

Free movement of people across Africa: regions are showing how it can work

Jan 24, 2023 07:58 am UTC| Business Economy

The end of January 2023 will mark five years since the African Union Free Movement of Persons protocol was signed by the African Union. A parallel initiative to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, it was designed...

South Africa has a new presidential advisory unit. Will it improve policy?

May 20, 2019 22:36 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa is establishing a unit in the presidency which he hopes will improve policy development and coordination. This is an important initiative designed to help him address the huge...

The free movement of people is an AU ambition: what's standing in its way

Aug 01, 2018 14:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The African integration project took several major steps this year. One of them was the African Unions adoption of a protocol on the free movement of people. The move has been widely welcomed. The free movement of...

South Africa's Reserve Bank is in the eye of a storm. Academics quiz the governor

May 16, 2017 16:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy Central Banks

Central banks everywhere play a critical role in shaping the direction of a countrys economy. The South African Reserve Bank is the central bank of South Africa. Its main mandates are to ensure financial and economic...

Africa is poised for sustainable growth and development. But there are risks

Jan 08, 2017 23:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views

As we know, growth accelerations are pretty commonplace among developing countries. Economist Ricardo Haussman and his colleagues identified 83 growth accelerations of eight consecutive years at 2% higher than the...

Economy

Canada-USMCA Review 2026: No Collapse Expected Despite July 1 Deadline

Canadas top trade negotiator to the United States, Janice Charette, has signaled that the upcoming July 1 deadline for reviewing the USMCA trade agreement should not be viewed as a breaking point for North American trade...

Paraguay Holds Interest Rate at 5.5% as Inflation Remains Stable Amid Global Uncertainty

Paraguays central bank has decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 5.5% for the second straight month, signaling confidence in the countrys stable inflation outlook despite ongoing global economic...

Rising Jet Fuel Costs from Iran Conflict Push Airfare Higher Across Europe

Disruptions to global oil supplies linked to the Iran conflict are driving a sharp increase in jet fuel prices, adding significant costs to air travel across Europe. According to analysis from campaign group Transport ...

UK Wage Growth Slows to 3.6% as Inflation Pressures Complicate Bank of England Outlook

British wage growth showed signs of cooling, though not as sharply as analysts had anticipated, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Regular pay, which excludes bonuses, rose by 3.6%...

US-Iran Peace Talks Fuel Market Optimism Amid Ongoing Tensions

The United States has expressed renewed confidence that peace talks with Iran could resume soon in Pakistan, raising hopes of easing geopolitical tensions that have disrupted global energy markets. A senior Iranian...

Politics

Trump Administration Files Fraud Charges Against Southern Poverty Law Center Over Informant Payments

The Trump administration has filed criminal charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a prominent civil rights organization known for tracking extremist groups, accusing it of defrauding donors through its...

Global Military Talks in London Aim to Reopen Strait of Hormuz and Protect Shipping

Military planners representing more than 30 countries are gathering in London for two days of high-level discussions focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and strengthening maritime security in one of the worlds most...

Sharif Welcomes Trump’s Ceasefire Extension in U.S.-Israel-Iran Conflict

Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed appreciation to former U.S. President Donald Trump for agreeing to extend the ceasefire in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran. The decision aims to...

Argentina’s Milei Pushes Electoral Reform to End Mandatory Primaries

Argentine President Javier Milei announced plans to introduce a sweeping electoral reform bill to Congress, aiming to reshape the countrys political landscape and voting system. The proposal, set to be submitted on...

Iran Warns U.S. Ceasefire Extension Could Signal Surprise Military Strike

Tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate after an advisor to Irans parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, claimed that U.S. President Donald Trumps ceasefire extension may be a strategic move...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Florida Investigates OpenAI and ChatGPT Over Alleged Role in FSU Shooting

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the state has launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI and its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, following a deadly shooting at Florida State University last year. The...

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell Earns $85.8M as IPO Buzz Grows

SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell earned $85.8 million in total compensation last year, according to details from the companys S-1 filing, positioning her among the highest-paid executives in the...

John Ternus Signals Apple’s Future with Product-First AI Strategy

Apples incoming CEO John Ternus is already shaping expectations for the companys future, and his stance on artificial intelligence reveals a clear direction. Unlike competitors such as Microsoft and Google, which are...

Jeff Bezos Eyes $10 Billion Funding Round for AI Venture Project Prometheus

Jeff Bezos is reportedly closing in on a massive fundraising deal for his artificial intelligence startup, signaling a major move in the rapidly expanding AI industry. According to a Financial Times report citing sources...

Apple Stock Dips as Tim Cook Steps Down, John Ternus Named Next CEO

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares slipped more than 1% in after-hours trading Monday following a surprising leadership transition announcement. The tech giant revealed that longtime CEO Tim Cook will move into the role of...