Getting initiatives under way that help job creation, narrow inequality and reduce poverty are all crucial, irrespective of their magnitude or composition. Every bit helps.
It was extremely encouraging to see Patrice Motsepe’s Motsepe Foundation and 33 religious and faith-based organisations launch the R100-million Job Creation, Skills and Training Fund in response to South Africa’s 29% unemployment rate and 55% youth unemployment rate.
It was equally inspiring to witness Anglo American and Exxaro get alongside the Council for Scientific and industrial Research, World Vision International and the Limpopo provincial government in launching the multisector Impact Catalyst initiative aimed at creating economic prosperity beyond mine life.
Wonderful, too, for this country are President Cyril Ramaphosa’s investment conferences, labour summits and forays into Africa and the world to improve interaction, economic momentum and goodwill.
In truth, the going is really tough and South Africans are soldiering on, inching their way back to fuller employment, less inequality, reduced poverty and, hopefully, a vibrant new spirit of collaboration and collective resolve.
No country, least of all South Africa, can expect a stable future with excessive unemployment, huge income gaps and a lack of outreach to the destitute.
The Impact Catalyst identifies socioeconomic development opportunities with the greatest potential in a region through spatial planning and analysis, which creates a catalyst for partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including community representatives, faith groups, businesses and entrepreneurs, government, academic institutions and nongovernmental organisations.
In the short term, South Africa must build on its agriculture, mining, industry, construction, tourism, telecommunications, automotive and finance sectors and remove obstacles to growth and investment in key sectors, in line with its announced stimulus and recover plan.
The country is holding thumbs that visa restrictions will be removed before year-end and electronic visas will lift tourist numbers.
Telecommunications must become globally competitive, renewable energy must be allowed to flourish, obstacles to mining investment must be removed and high-level capacity to better manage expenditure on public infrastructure must be put in place.
There must be no doubt about what is required to do business and land redistribution must be accelerated at the same time as overall commitment to property rights is reinforced.
As has been indicated, expropriation without compensation should be enthusiastically implemented where land and buildings have been abandoned.
Third-quarter unemployment increased to 29.1%, the highest joblessness percentage since 2003.
South Africa now has the joint fourth-highest unemployment rate out of 182 countries.
A turnaround is absolutely essential.
South Africa must have a fair, open and clear legislative environment that is nondiscriminatory.
Legitimate public interest objectives must be observed and there must be an amicable approach to getting things going.