Other Publications

DPRU researchers regularly publish their work in both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed journals, books and reports.They also routinely deliver papers at conferences and seminars, participate in workshops and panel discussions, and occasionally contribute to blogs and online opinion forums

DPRU outputs include four published books:

"Africa's Lions: Growth Traps and Opportunities for Six African Economies", Brookings Press;
"Oxford Companion to the Economics of South Africa", Oxford University Press;
"Poverty and Policy in Post Apartheid South Africa", involving the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Cornell University, and Strategies and Analysis for Growth and Access (SAGA), and;
"Fighting Poverty: Labour Markets and Inequality in South Africa", sponsored by the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) and the South African Department of Labour.

Filter by Publication Type:

Covid-19, social protection, and the labour market in South Africa. Are social grants being targeted at the most vulnerable?

Haroon Bhorat and Tim Köhler
NIDS-CRAM Wave 1 Working Paper 2020/06, July 2020.

Forthcoming

Wage polarization in a high-inequality emerging economy: The case of South Africa

Haroon Bhorat, Kezia Lilenstein, Morné Oosthuizen, and Amy Thornton
WIDER Working Paper 2020/55, May 2020.

Structural transformation, inequality, and inclusive growth in South Africa

Haroon Bhorat, Kezia Lilenstein, Morné Oosthuizen, and Amy Thornton
WIDER Working Paper 2020/50, April 2020.

Job spells in an emerging market: Evidence from apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa

Robert Hill, Kezia Lilenstein & Amy Thornton
UNU-WIDER Working Paper: 2020/27, March 2020.

Employment creation potential, labor skills requirements, and skill gaps for young people: A methodological framework

Haroon Bhorat, Caitlin Allen, Zaakhir Asmal, Robert Hill & Christopher Rooney
Brookings AGI Working Paper #25, 4 March 2020

Building Economic Complexity in the South African Fibrous Plant Economy

Caitlin Allen, Haroon Bhorat, Robert Hill, Christopher Rooney & François Steenkamp
Working Paper: DPRU DSI-NRF CoP/WP20190, October 2019.

Labour Market Policy Responses amidst Globalisation: The Case of South Africa

Bhorat, H., Lilenstein, K. and Steenkamp, F.
In: Making Globalization more inclusive: Lessons from experience with adjustment policies, edited by: Bacchetta, M., Milet, E. and Monteiro, J. WTO: Geneva. Chapter 7,pp.163-182. October 2019.

Developing Capabilities to Build the Complexity of the Fibrous Plant Economy in South Africa

Hill, R. and Steenkamp, F.
Policy Brief: Development Policy Research Unit, DSI-NRF CoP/PB4 October 2019, UCT.

Developing a Fibre Micro-industry to Generate Economic Growth from Degraded Land Post-Mining

A Towards Resilient Futures Community of Practice Publication:
Policy Brief Booklet: DSI-NRF CoP/PBs1-4, October 2019, UCT.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s Manufacturing Sector: Building Complexity

Bhorat, H., Kanbur, R., Rooney, C. and Steenkamp, F.
In: The Quality of Growth in Africa, edited by: Kanbur, R., Noman, A. and Stiglitz, J.E. Columbia University Press. Chapter 8. August 2019.

Building Economic Complexity in Africa

Bhorat, H., Rooney, C. and Steenkamp, F.
IDRC|DPRU Report: 2019.

Economic Complexity and Employment Expansion: The Case of South Africa

Haroon Bhorat, Arabo Ewinyu, Kezia Lilenstein, Christopher Rooney, François Steenkamp and Amy Thornton
IDRC|DPRU Report: 2019.

Economic Complexity and Employment for Women and Youth: The Case of Ghana

William Baah-Boateng and Eric Twum
IDRC|DPRU Report: 2019.

An Export-led Growth for Kenya: Where is the niche?

Manaseh O. Oiro, Bernadette Wanjala, Rose Ngugi and Diana Lukalo Naudé
IDRC|DPRU Report: 2019.

Senegal’s International Competitiveness and Employment Creation for Women and Youth. The Product Space Analysis and Fieldwork Findings

Stephen Golub, Ahmadou Aly Mbaye and Anastasia Vasilyeva
IDRC|DPRU Report: 2019.

New Technology, Entrepreneurship and the Revival of Manufacturing in Africa: Opportunities for Youth and Women?

Wim Naudé
IDRC|DPRU Report: 2019.

The Services Industry and its Potential for Youth and Women Employment in an African Context: A review of the literature

Franque Grimard
IDRC|DPRU Report: 2019.

Minimum Wages and Labor Supply in an Emerging Market: The Case of Mauritius

Asmal, Z., Bhorat, H., Kanbur, R., Ranzani, M. and Paci, P.
Policy Research Working Paper 8681. World Bank Group Poverty and Equity Global Practice: December 2018.

Counting Women’s Work in South Africa: Incorporating Unpaid Work into Estimates of the Economic Lifecycle in 2010

Morné Oosthuizen
Counting Womens' Work Working Paper - CWW WP8 South Africa (November 2018)

Economic Growth and Pursuit of Inequality Reduction in Africa

Haroon Bhorat and Karmen Naidoo
G-24: Growth and Reducing Inequality Working Paper Series: 29 October 2018

Counting Women’s Work in Mauritius: Household Production across the Lifecycle in 2003

Morné Oosthuizen & Kezia Lilenstein
Counting Womens' Work Working Paper - CWW WP7 Mauritius (October 2018)

Counting Women's Work in South Africa: Estimates of Household Production across the Lifecycle in 2000

Morné Oosthuizen
Counting Womens' Work Working Paper - CWW WP6 South Africa (September 2018)

Time Use and Gender in Colombia

Tovar, J.A. and Urdinola, B.P.
Counting Womens' Work Working Paper - CWW WP5 Colombia (July 2018)

Measuring the Gendered Economy

Donehower, G.
Counting Womens' Work Working Paper - CWW WP4 (July 2018)

Modelling Labour Markets in LICs with Imperfect Data

Haroon Bhorat, Kezia Lilenstein, Morné Oosthuizen and Matthew Sharp
GLM|LIC Policy Brief No. 20 (March 2018)

The Distribution of Paid and Unpaid Work among Men and Women in Ghana: The National Time Transfer Accounts Approach

Amporfu, E., Sakyi, D., Boakye Frimpong, P., Arthur, E. and Novignon. J.
Counting Womens' Work Working Paper - CWW WP3 Ghana (May 2018)

Intergenerational time transfers and their contribution to Mexico's economy in 2014

Estela Rivero
Counting Women's Work Working Paper - CWW WP2 Mexico (January 2018)

Challenges to increase female labor force participation: Gender inequality in Cost Rica

Pamela Jiménez-Fontana
Counting Women's Work Working Paper - CWW WP1 Costa Rica (September 2017)

Sub-Saharan Africa’s Manufacturing Sector: Building Complexity

Haroon Bhorat, Ravi Kanbur, Chris Rooney and Francois Steenkamp
In: INDUSTRIALIZE AFRICA Strategies, Policies, Institutions, and Financing, African Development Bank (AfDB), Chapter 4, pp. 103-35

Modelling Labour Markets in Low Income Countries with Imperfect Data

Haroon Bhorat, Morné Oosthuizen, Kezia Lilenstein, Matthew Sharp and Derek Yu
GLM|LIC WORKING PAPER NO. 39, December 2017

Income Inequality Trends in sub-Saharan Africa: Divergence, Determinants, and Consequences

Ayodele Odusola, Giovanni Andrea Cornia, Haroon Bhorat and Pedro Conceição

Book: United Nations Development Programme: Regional Bureau for Africa
Read More

Firm-level determinants of earnings in the formal sector of the South African labour market.

Haroon Bhorat, Morne Oosthuizen, Kezia Lilenstein and François Steenkamp
WIDER Working Paper 2017/25, February 2017
Read More

Minimum wages in sub-Saharan Africa: A primer.

Haroon Bhorat, Ravi Kanbur and Ben Stanwix
World Bank Research Observer, 32(1), February 2017 pp: 21-74
Read More

Exploring the relationship between crime-related business insurance and informal firms’ performance: a South African case study.

Haroon Bhorat and Karmen Naidoo
REDI3x3 Working paper #25; February 2017
Read More

Counting Women’s Work:Measuring the gendered economy in the market and at home

Counting Women's Work
Bulletin #11; January 2017
Read More

COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE PAPER: Rethinking the effect of informality on inclusive growth: lessons from Colombia and South Africa for their regions

Morné Oosthuizen, Kezia Lilenstein, Leonardo Villar, Cristina Fernandez, Juan Camilo Medellin and Francisco Fernandez
ELLA Research Paper Series: Economic Development: Informality. January 2017.
Read More

Demographic, employment, and wage trends in South Africa

Bhorat, H., Naidoo, K., Oosthuizen, M. and Pillay, K.
Brookings/AGI Working Paper #45, June 2016
Read More

Africa’s Manufacturing Malaise

Bhorat, H., F. Steenkamp, and C. Rooney
UNDP Working Paper: UNDP-RBA/WPS 3/2016
Read More

Understanding And Characterizing The Services Sector In South Africa: An Overview

Bhorat, H., F. Steenkamp, C. Rooney, N. Kachingwe and A. Lees
WIDER Working Paper 2016/157. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER
Read More

Partial minimum wage compliance

Haroon Bhorat, Ravi Kanbur and Ben Stanwix
IZA Journal of Labor & Development: Special Collection: Thematic series on Reforming Minimum Wage and Labor Regulation Policies in Developing Economies (2016)
Read More

Growth, Poverty and Inequality Interactions in Africa: An Overview of Key Issues

Haroon Bhorat, Karmen Naidoo and Kavisha Pillay
UNDP - Working Paper: UNDP-RBA/WPS 1/2016
Read More

Higher education, Employment and Economic growth: Exploring the interactions

Haroon Bhorat, Aalia Cassim and David Tseng
Special Issue: Development Southern Africa, Vol 33, Issue 3 pp: 312-327, June 2016
Read More

Informality and Inclusive Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Morne Oosthuizen, Kezia Lilenstein, Francois Steenkamp and Aalia Cassim
ELLA Regional Evidence Paper, 2016
Read More

Demographic, employment, and wage trends in South Africa

Haroon Bhorat, Karmen Naidoo, Morne Oosthuizen and Kavisha Pillay
UNU-WIDER Working Paper: WP 2015/141
Read More

Status Of Women In The South African Economy

DPRU
Report commissioned by the Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Women, August 2015
Read More

Minimum Wages in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Primer

Haroon Bhorat, Ravi Kanbur & Benjamin Stanwix
IZA Discussion Paper Series IZA DP No. 9204, July 2015
Read More

Nonincome Welfare and Inclusive Growth in South Africa

Haroon Bhorat, Benjamin Stanwix and Derek Yu
Brookings Institution, Africa Growth Initiative Working Paper #18, March 2015
Read More

Skills-biased labour demand and the pursuit of inclusive growth in South Africa.

Haroon Bhorat, Sumayya Goga, and Benjamin Stanwix
UNU-WIDER Working Paper: WP/2014/130, October 2014
Read More

Is low fertility really a problem? Population aging, dependency, and consumption.

Ronald Lee et al. (inclu Oosthuizen, M.)
Science 346, 229 (2014); pp. 229-234
Read More

Bonus or Mirage? South Africa's Demographic Dividend

Morne Oosthuizen
The Journal of the Economics of Ageing. Available online 11 October 2014
Read More

Poverty, inequality, and prices in post-apartheid South Africa

Finn, A., Leibbrandt, M. and Oosthuizen, M.
UNU-WIDER Working Paper, WP/2014/127; October 2014
Read More

Growth, Employment and Skills: The New Growth Path Revisited

Bhorat, H., and Tian, N. LMIP Report 3; September 2014.

Estimating the Impact of Minimum Wages on Employment, Wages, and Non-wage Benefits: The Case of Agriculture in South Africa

Bhorat, H., Kanbur, R. and Stanwix, B., American Journal of Agricultural Economics 2014; October 2014 96 (5), pp. 1402-1419.

South Africa's Strike Activity: Data Corner

Jacobs, T. and Yu, D.
Figures & Tables:

Working Days Lost
Working Days Lost per Formal Employment
Proportion of Working Days Lost by Industry
Working Days Lost by Province
Main Cause of Disputes
Top 5 Trade Unions on Strikes
Top 10 Trade Unions on Strikes
Time-Loss Ratio by Industry

Pro-poor growth and social protection in South Africa: Exploring the interactions

Bhorat, H., Tseng, D. and Stanwix, B.
Development Southern Africa, Volume 31, Issue 2, pp. 219-240 February 2014
Read More

A Note on Measuring the Depth of Minimum Wage Violation.

Bhorat, H., Kanbur, R. and Mayet, N.
LABOUR: Review of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations. Volume 27, Issue 2, pp. 192–197 June 2013
Read More

The Gender Wage Gap in Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Re-examination.

Bhorat, H. & Goga, S.
Journal of African Economies, Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 1–22, March 2013
Read More

The Impact of Sectoral Minimum Wage Laws on Employment, Wages, and Hours of Work in South Africa.

Bhorat, H., Kanbur, R. and Mayet, N.
IZA Journal of Labor and Development, Vol. 2, Issue 1. January 2013
Read More

Estimating the Causal Effect of Enforcement on Minimum Wage Compliance: The Case of South Africa.

Bhorat, H., Kanbur, R. and Mayet, N.
Review of Development Economics (Special issue: Informality, Illegality and Enforcement). Vol. 16, Issue 4, pp.608-623. November 2012
Read More

Minimum wage violation in South Africa.

Bhorat, H., Kanbur, R. and Mayet, N.
International Labour Review (Special Issue: Low-Paid Work in Emerging Economies), Vol. 151, Issue 3, pp. 277–287. September 2012
Read More

Institutional Wage Effects: Revisiting Union and Bargaining Council Wage Premia in South Africa.

Bhorat, H., van der Westhuizen, C. and Goga, S.
South African Journal of Economics (Vol 80, Issue 3, pp.400–414) September 2012
Read More

Low pay in South Africa.

Oosthuizen, M.
International Labour Review (Special Issue: Low-Paid Work in Emerging Economies) Vol. 151, Issue 3, pp. 173–192, September 2012
Read More

Estimating a Poverty Line: An application to free basic municipal service in South Africa.

Bhorat, H., Oosthuizen, M. & Van der Westhuizen, C.
Development Southern Africa Vol. 29, Issue 1, pp.77-96. February 2012
Read More

The Silent Successes of Public Assets and Social Assistance in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Bhorat, H. & Cassim, A.
UPCOMING: STILL TO BE PUBLISHED, 2013

Labour Demand Trends, Inequality and Social Protection in South Africa. An Overview, in Aligning economic and social goals in emerging economies.

Bhorat, H., Mayet, N. and Van Der Westhuizen, C.
SBN: 9788171889938 Academic Foundation. Chapter 5, page 121-158, 2013

A Nation in search of jobs: Challenges in Employment creation in the South African labour markert and policy suggestions

Bhorat, H. and Mayet, M.
State of the Nation South Africa, ISBN 978-0-7969-2422-3 HSRC PRESS, Chapter 9, pp. 273 – 300, 2012-2013

An Emerging Market in an Emerging Continent: The Case of South Africa

Bhorat, H.
Oxford Companion to the Economics of Africa. Oxford University Press, pp. 576-583, January 2012

Poverty, Inequality and the Nature of Economic Growth in South Africa

Bhorat, H., Van der Westhuizen, C.
In: Misra-Dexter, N., and February, J. Testing Democracy: Which way is South Africa going? pp. 46-70, March 2010

Student graduation, labour market destinations and employment earnings.

Bhorat, H., Mayet, N.
In: Letseka M., Cosser M., Breier M., and Visser, M. Student Retention & Graduate Destination: Higher education & labour market access & success. Paul & Company Pub Consortium. Cape Town, South Africa: HSRC Press, pp. 97-123, 2010

Higher Education and the Labor Market in Post-Apartheid South Africa.

In: David L. Featherman, Martin Hall & Marvin Krislov (Eds), The Next 25 Years: Affirmative Action in Higher Education in the United States and South Africa, The University of Michigan Press. pp. 137-143, 2010

Employment shifts and the 'jobless growth' debate.

Bhorat, H., Oosthuizen, M.
In: Andre Kraak, Karen Press (Eds). Human Resources Development Review 2008, Education, Employment and Skills in South Africa, 2008

Skills Mismatch Crisis: Can We Stem the Tide?

In: Ben Turok (Ed), Wealth Doesn't Trickle Down: The Case for a Developmental State in South Africa, Cape Town: New Agenda: South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy, pp. 183-191, 2008

10. Chapter Nine: The nine commandments – a South African case study identifies roles for applied research institutions.

In: Elias T. Auk and Mohamed Ali Marouani (Eds), The policy paradox in Africa: strengthening links between economic research and policymaking, Africa World Press, Inc. International Development Research Centre, Canada. pp. 185-200, 2008

South African Market Labour Trends: An Analysis of 1995 and 1999 Labour Statistics.

In: Diversity in Africa the Coming of Age of a Continent. Kurt April and Marylou Shockley (Eds). 2007. Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007

Introduction: Poverty and Well-Being in South Africa.

Bhorat, H., Kanbur, R.
In: Haroon Bhorat and Ravi Kanbur (Eds), Poverty and Policy in Post Apartheid South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: HSRC Press, pp. 1-17, 2006

Evolution of the Labour Market: 1995-2002.

Bhorat, H., Oosthuizen, M.
In: Haroon Bhorat and Ravi Kanbur (Eds), Poverty and Policy in Post Apartheid South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: HSRC Press, pp. 143-200, 2006

Labour, Work and the Informal Economy: Labour Supply and Demand Constraints on Employment Creation: A Microeconomic Analysis.

In: Vishnu Padayachee (Ed), The Development Decade? Economic and Social Change in South Africa, 1994-2004. Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 273-323. ISBN: 0-7969-2123-7, 2006

Links between Education and the Labour Market: Narrowing the Mismatch between Demand and Supply.

Bhorat, H.
In: Marcus Powell (ed.), Skill Formation and Globalization. United Kingdom, Ashgate Publishing Company pp. 145-160, 2005

Labour Market Trends.

Bhorat, H.
In: Trish Gibbon (Compiler), Higher Education and Development: Reflecting on the Challenges. Cape Town, CHET Publication Series, 2005

The Development Challenge in post-apartheid South African education.

Bhorat, H.
In: Linda Chisholm (ed.), Changing Class: Education and Social Change in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Cape Town, HSRC Press, pp. 31-55, 2004

Employment and Labour Market Trends.

Bhorat, H., McCord, A.
In: Human Resources Development Review. Education, Employment and Skills in South Africa. Research Programme on Human Resource Development, HSRC. Paarl, Paarl Print, pp. 112-141, 2003

A Universal Income Grant Scheme for South Africa: An Empirical Assessment.

Bhorat, H.
In: G. Standing & M. Samson, A Basic Income Grant for South Africa. Cape Town, UCT Press, pp. 77-101, 2003

South Africa: Policy-Orientated Research on Labour Markets and Poverty.

Bhorat, H.
In: L.C. Phillips & D. Seck, Fixing African Economies: Policy Research for Development. Colorado, Lynne Rienner Publishers, pp. 183-207, 2003

Introduction.

Bhorat, H., Leibbrandt, M., and Van der Berg, S.
In: Bhorat, H., Leibbrandt, M., Maziya, M., Van der Berg, S., and Woolard, I. Fighting Poverty – Labour Markets and Inequality in South Africa. Cape Town: UCT Press, pp. 1-20, 2001

Understanding Contemporary Household Inequality.

Correlates of Vulnerability in the South African Labour Market.

Bhorat, H., Leibbrandt, M.
In: Bhorat, H., Leibbrandt, M., Maziya, M., Van der Berg, S., and Woolard, I. Fighting Poverty – Labour Markets and Inequality in South Africa. Cape Town: UCT Press, pp. 74-105, 2001

Modelling Vulnerability and Low Earnings in the South African Labour Market.

Public Expenditure and Poverty Alleviation – Simulations for South Africa.

Bhorat, H.
In: Bhorat, H., Leibbrandt, M., Maziya, M., Van der Berg, S., and Woolard, I. Fighting Poverty – Labour Markets and Inequality in South Africa. Cape Town: UCT Press, pp. 155-170, 2001

Poverty and the Labour Market.

Bhorat, H., Torres, L., Leibbrandt, M., and Cassim, F.
In: May, J. (ed.) Poverty and Inequality in South Africa: Meeting the Challenge. Cape Town: David Philip, pp. 73-96, 2000

Understanding South Africa's Inequality.

Bhorat, H., Leibbrandt, M., and Woolard, I.
In: Elbadawi, I. & Hartzenberg, T. (Eds), Development issues in South Africa. London: Macmillan, pp. 14-50, 2000

Understanding Unemployment.

Bhorat, H. and Leibbrandt, M.
In: Baskin, J. (Ed), Against the Current: Labour and Economic Policy in South Africa, Ravan Press, pp. 143-164, 1996

Poverty and Policy in Post-Apartheid South Africa.

Haroon Bhorat, Ravi Kanbur (eds)
2006
Read More

Fighting Poverty: Labour Markets and Inequality in South Africa.

Haroon Bhorat, Murray Leibbrandt, Muzi Maziya, Servaas van der Berg and Ingrid Woolard
2001
Read More

The Political Economy of Monetary Policy in South Africa: Real Economy Outcomes.

Bhorat, H. and Hirsch, A.
The G-20 and Central Banks in the New World of Unconventional Monetary Policy, Brookings Institute, August 2013
Read More

National Transfer Accounts South Africa Country Brief, Capturing South Africa's Demographic Dividend.

Oosthuizen, M.
March 2013
Read More

Changes in Income Poverty and Inequality using Household Income Data: 1995 – 2010

Van der Westhuizen, C.
March 2013

The Silent Success: Delivery of Public Assets Since Democracy

Bhorat, H., van der Westhuizen, C. and Yu, D.
February 2013

Inequality in South Africa: A Consideration of Trends: 2005 – 2010

Bhorat, H., van der Westhuizen, C. and Tseng, D.
Input paper into the Budget Process, February 2013

Temporary Employment Services in South Africa: A Brief Note

Bhorat, H. and van der Westhuizen, C.
Background Paper for The World Development Report, 2013
Read More

A Labor Market Overview of Zambia: A Multi-sector Model Approach

Van der Westhuizen, C.
2012

Feasibility Study for the Establishment of BCPA

Bhorat, H., van der Westhuizen, C. and Tseng, D.
December 2012

Predicted Impacts of Expanding the Community Works Program in South Africa: An Analysis of Income Poverty & Inequality

Van der Westhuizen, C. and Stanwix, B.
November 2012
Read More