SAMNet

In this initiative with Prof Nicola Viegi, Head of the Department of Economics and South African Reserve Bank Chair in Monetary Economics at the University of Pretoria, we are a small team that created and manages the South African Modelling Network (SAMNet). SAMNet is a platform that promotes the development and sharing of modelling and forecasting tools for the South African economy. The goal is to stay in touch with recent developments in the macroeconomic scene at the global level. This is achieved by pooling resources in order to connect national policymakers and academic researchers with global trends.

SAMNet is founded on three main pillars:

(i) Model development: Promote the development of new modelling and forecasting tools to enrich the toolbox available to policy makers.

(ii) Code sharing: Facilitate the sharing of model codes and provide a platform for economists interested in economic modelling to engage with each other on model development techniques.

(iii) Training: Promote training opportunities with a focus on forecasting and modelling to set the standards on the use of models in policy analysis.

SAMNet is affiliated with Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) and we frequently organize workshops. For more information, visit SAMNet.