The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its World Economic Outlook, which projects global growth to moderate from 5.9% in 2021 to 4.4% in 2022, reflecting a half a percentage point decrease from the October 2021 World Economic Outlook[5]. South Africa, as an emerging market and developing economy, is forecasted to experience a growth rate of 2.0% in 2023, following a 0.1% growth rate in 2021 and an expected 1.8% growth rate in 2022.
The uncertain outlook for South Africa and other emerging market and developing economies is attributed to multiple factors. The financial sector faces turmoil, while high inflation rates persist. The ongoing effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also contribute to the uncertainty, as well as the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that has spanned three years[10].
Globally, the growth projections for emerging market and developing economies have been marked down for 2021, with a particular emphasis on Emerging Asia[2]. The downward revision for 2021 also reflects a downgrade for advanced economies, in part due to supply disruptions, and for low-income developing countries, primarily due to worsening pandemic dynamics[7].
The World Bank echoes these concerns, stating that the global economy is expected to expand by 5.6% in 2021, marking the fastest post-recession pace in 80 years. However, many emerging market and developing economies continue to struggle with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic[9].
In conclusion, South Africa’s emerging market and developing economy face significant challenges and uncertainties as it navigates a tumultuous global landscape. The country’s growth projections for 2021, 2022, and 2023 are modest, reflecting the various obstacles such as financial sector turmoil, high inflation rates, geopolitical tensions, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.