An Econometric Model of the Rand-US Dollar Nominal Exchange Rate

Modeling the nominal exchange rate has been one of the most difficult exercises in economics. This paper attempts to estimate the nominal rand-USD exchange rate under the Dornbusch(1980) and Frankel (1979) overshooting model using the Johansen cointegration technique. The overshooting model fits the data well and that commodity prices are sticky in South Africa. Thus any monetary policy strategy to strengthen or weaken the rand by means of raising or cutting interest rate does the opposite in the short-run.