Foreign Policy Blogs

Feeling Nice at Mr. Price

Another example of a ray of hope in the South African economy comes in the news from the bargain retailer Mr. Price, which reported that its third quarter earnings rose more than 20%. Most of this impressive (and perhaps counterintuitive) growth came through clothing sales. Clearly South Africans are being careful with their money, but are still spending on necessities so that even when high-end retailers suffer, places such as Mr. Price can thrive.

 

Author

Derek Catsam

Derek Catsam is a Professor of history and Kathlyn Cosper Dunagan Professor in the Humanities at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. He is also Senior Research Associate at Rhodes University. Derek writes about race and politics in the United States and Africa, sports, and terrorism. He is currently working on books on bus boycotts in the United States and South Africa in the 1940s and 1950s and on the 1981 South African Springbok rugby team's tour to the US. He is the author of three books, dozens of scholarly articles and reviews, and has published widely on current affairs in African, American, and European publications. He has lived, worked, and travelled extensively throughout southern Africa. He writes about politics, sports, travel, pop culture, and just about anything else that comes to mind.

Areas of Focus:
Africa; Zimbabwe; South Africa; Apartheid

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