In 'Money', David McWilliams explores ‘humanity’s greatest invention’. Yet this 'story of humanity' is a decidedly European one, I find. My review of 'Money', out today:
25.07.2025 09:03
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In 'Money', David McWilliams explores ‘humanity’s greatest invention’. Yet this 'story of humanity' is a decidedly European one, I find. My review of 'Money', out today:
My research unit at Stellenbosch is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. In today's post, I reflected, using two new studies, on the progress we've made in promoting the study of African economic history.
The ICC Test Championship final was a game for the ages. Sometimes, by simply turning up again and again, the impossible becomes possible.
@johanfourieza.bsky.social closes out our second session as he explores new incentives for enslaved runaways in South Africa in the 1830s.
#econsky #econhistory
Full essay (and my thoughts on the competiton), here: www.ourlongwalk.com/p/and-the-pr...
And we have a winner of the inaugural Our Long Walk Essay Competition!
It was this graph that got me hooked on the winning essay...
If I had to build a new university, this is what it would look like:
@tylercowen.bsky.social says university students know, on average, more about LLMs than do their professors.
I agree, but it will take a monumental effort for slow university systems to adapt to the AI revolution.
Here I propose three steps to start:
Adam Smith’s division of labour applies as much to universities as it does to factories.
My first of a three-part series on the future of the university ($).
Fantastic news!
@katemossewriter.bsky.social Kate Mosse's Joubert Family Chronicles conclude in Franschhoek, where she'll be speaking next weekend.
In this post, I traced the real life outcomes of some her historical characters in the eighteenth-century Cape Colony:
Really delighted to have arrived in Stellenbosch for this workshop on disseminating Economic History. Organized by @johanfourieza.bsky.social with keynote from @delong.social
What do Jacob Zuma and Donald Trump have in common? This essay maps two different threats to modern states – one captured, one feudal – and why the distinction matters.
Reminder: today is the submission deadline for the Our Long Walk Essay Competition!
To celebrate 31 years of political freedom in South Africa, I curated a ChatGPT-written short story:
If we as South Africans are serious about racial transformation, let’s not waste another decade. Let’s invest in understanding exactly what enables (black) entrepreneurial success.
How can a 19th-century Cape Colony coffee boom help to explain the hidden consequences of Trump’s new tariff war?
Economic History of Developing Regions needs a new editor!
Eight months ago, South Africa’s trade delegation returned from Washington with smiles and soundbites. This week, the mood changed.
In my latest post, I examine the economic justification for these tariffs, what they reveal about US politics, and how South Africa should respond.
If you're a (South) African student, what do you need to know about doing an Economics PhD in the US or Europe? My advice.
(To the economists on BlueSky based in the US or Europe, please add ideas or suggestions in the comments on the blog! Your inputs are much appreciated.)
Will AI lead to a proliferation of superficial publications that all compete in a race to the bottom and, most importantly, do little to advance knowledge or contribute to building a better society?
And another with @johanfourieza.bsky.social and Jonathan Schoots about culture and economics: bsky.app/profile/joha...
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And just like that, the first essay submission just arrived in my mailbox, a week after announcing the Our Long Walk Essay Competition!
If you know any African students 25 years or younger who is interested in the past, present and future of this wonderful continent, then please forward them this:
When the rules are changing, will Africa rewrite them or let others decide its fate?
My take on Africa and the new world order:
The Our Long Walk Essay Competition just launched.
Any African 25 or younger can apply.
The prize money of $500 is not massive. But it is a start. (I'm funding it myself.) And you get your ideas published on the blog.
Theme: 'Progress and Innovation in Africa's Past'.
Please spread the message!
How the Green Revolution shaped property rights – and what this means for South Africa's land reform process.
South Africa has a Presidential Economic Advisory Council. Understanding who these economists are, and the ideas they advocate, should tell us a lot about the country's future economic policy.
@drodrik.bsky.social @wandilesihlobo.bsky.social @haroonbhorat.bsky.social @antonioandreoni.bsky.social
VAT – despite its flaws – remains one of the least distortionary ways to raise revenue. For South Africa, the alternatives – cutting spending on education, healthcare or infrastructure, or taking on more debt – come with a high risk of being worse.
How far back should economic history go? Most textbooks start with agriculture, trade, and the emergence of states. But what if we looked further – beyond written records, beyond cities, beyond even the first farms?
A wonderful interview with Ola Olsson about the economics of prehistory!
