ISSN 2636-9184, e-ISSN 0128-259X © 2022 Global Academy of Training & Research (GATR) Enterprise. All rights reserved.
GATR Journal of Business and Economics Review
Journal homepage: http://gatrenterprise.com/GATRJournals/JBER/vol7_2022_issue3.html
J. Bus. Econ. Review 7(3) 178 – 193 (2022)
Analysing the rising oil price shock driven by Russia-Ukrainian
tensions - effect on inflationary pressure in South
Africa
Jan Roan Neethling
1*
, Abigail Stiglingh-Van Wyk
2
1,2
North West University, Vanderbijlpark Campus, 1900, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
ABSTRACT
Objective – The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the CPI, the brent crude oil price, and the PPI
for final manufactured goods as well as the Rand/Dollar exchange rate during the past year. The study used South
Africa as a proxy for developed countries. The objective is, therefore, to evaluate the effects of the increase in
commodity prices on inflation and other macroeconomic variables.
Methodology –The study utilised a quantitative methodological approach through the assessment of an econometric
model that employed monthly data from January 2017 to May 2022. The paper utilized variables such as CPI, brent
crude oil prices, PPI for final manufactured goods as well as the Rand/Dollar exchange rate.
Findings – Short- and long-run relationships were established between the variables using the vector error correction
model (VECM) and the Johansen co-integration equation methods. The long-run conclusions showed that high brent
crude oil prices, high sunflower oil, a depreciating exchange rate and increasingly high PPI levels will lead to an
increase in the CPI (Inflation). The results also indicated that oil prices still influence the basic prices of goods and
services since all things need to be transported.
Novelty – The results of the study showed that a perpetual international and national macro-economic environment is
crucial to prevent inflationary pressures and price shocks, while volatile exchange rates unsteady PPI’s and significantly
high oil and commodity prices causes cost-push inflation. Policy certainty and political stability is important to keep
inflation stable and economic growth positive, which could lead to a more self-sufficient economy which are is reliant
on political instability as an obstacle for positive future economic growth.
Type of Paper: Empirical
JEL Classification: E31, E37, E60, E63
Keywords: Russian-Ukrainian conflict, economic growth, Brent crude oil prices, PPI, CPI, exchange rates, sunflower
oil.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Neethling, J.R; Wyk, A.S.V. (2022). Analysing the rising oil price
shock driven by Russia-Ukrainian tensions - effect on inflationary pressure in South Africa, J. Bus. Econ. Review, 7(3),
178–193. https://doi.org/10.35609/jber.2022.7.3(3)
__________________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
The short-term effects of war are shocking since there are losses in human lives, physical infrastructure
gets damaged, and it has a significant negative impact on the physical infrastructure and it also negatively
influences the political and economic institutions (Barceló, 2021).
_____________________________
*
Paper Info: Revised: October 31, 2022
Accepted: December 31, 2022
*
Corresponding author: Jan Roan Neethling
E-mail: roanneethling5@gmail.com
Affiliation: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Northwest University, South Africa