The number of new entrants fell, and there was a drop in the value of corporate tax receipts from the sector. Up to September 2009, new licences were only a little more than half the number recorded in 2007 and 2008 (Figure 4).
The gap between the economy’s potential growth rate, which is currently 3,5 per cent, and its actual growth performance is an important factor in understanding the domestic economy. South Africa’s economic stability is further supported by a macroprudential framework that has adjustable limits to the foreign currency exposure of South African households and institutions.