Johannesburg - The "strongish" rand is helping to keep inflation in check in SA, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Monday.
Rising food and oil prices are starting to add upward pressure to inflation both locally and globally. The effect on SA, however, has been fairly muted.
The SA Reserve Bank and many economists expect inflation to remain within the 3% to 6% target band in 2011, but have noted that higher food and oil prices are a concern.
On the nature of the South African state, the finance minister said: "We don't want to be a welfare state. We want to be a state of people who work."
President Jacob Zuma is expected to meet with business and labour in the next few weeks to discuss, among other issues, job creation.
Rising food and oil prices are starting to add upward pressure to inflation both locally and globally. The effect on SA, however, has been fairly muted.
The SA Reserve Bank and many economists expect inflation to remain within the 3% to 6% target band in 2011, but have noted that higher food and oil prices are a concern.
On the nature of the South African state, the finance minister said: "We don't want to be a welfare state. We want to be a state of people who work."
President Jacob Zuma is expected to meet with business and labour in the next few weeks to discuss, among other issues, job creation.