Government’s ambitious target to buy at least 75% of goods and services from South African producers is “eminently achievable”, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa told black business leaders last month.

In an address delivered at the Black Business Council’s annual general meeting gala dinner, Ramaphosa pointed to the solar water heater sector as an example of what could be achieved.

“In 2008, there was very little or no local manufacturing to support the production of solar water heating panels. Today we have a thriving solar water heating manufacturing industry. More than 60% of the content towards solar water heating panels is locally produced.”

But a lack of diversification and growth in the productive sectors of the economy had con- tributed towards deindustrialisation over the past 30 years. For this reason, the Deputy Presi- dent drew a direct link between the goal of eco- nomic transformation and the rebuilding of indus- try and the emergence of black industrialists.

Government would provide support by build- ing infrastructure, guiding sector strategies, improving basic education and skills develop-ment and using development finance institutions to increase access to affordable lending. How-ever, the private sector, which accounted for 70% of production and jobs, needed to invest, while citizens had to embrace entrepreneurship and enterprise creation.

While recognising the ongoing disadvantages faced by black entrepreneurs, Ramaphosa urged black business to refuse to be “victims” of past political and economic exclusion.

“We need a dynamic and entrepreneurial class of black industrialists. We need people who will take a long-term perspective, roll up their sleeves and drive the development of our productive capabilities from the shop floor up.”

Black business could, thus, not be content merely with waiting for the opportunities that government created.

“Black business must create its own oppor-tunities. It must develop its own agenda for radically transforming not only the complexion of South African business, but also the way in which business is conducted,” Ramaphosa said, while also arguing that the best preparation for any aspirant young businessperson should start at the family dinner table.

“It is here, from an early age, that children listen to their parents talking about business and become familiar with the basic principles of commerce. And they can become steeped in a particular entrepreneurial culture. Sadly, in South Africa, thanks to our apartheid past, there are precious few dinner tables where such discussions take place.”

The appointment of Lindiwe Zulu as South Africa’s first Minister of Small Business Devel-opment would “enable us to focus our efforts and concentrate our support where it will have the greatest impact”.

Speaking prior to the event, Zulu promised to deliver her plans soon for improving the environment for small business and enter-prise development, while also calling for entre- preneurship to become a “toyi-toyi of a different type” – using the energy previously directed towards resistance to spur economic and devel-opment opportunities.

Ramaphosa also promised to improve con-sistency in legislation and regulations that affected business. “We are creating capacity in The Presidency to conduct thorough impact assessments of new and existing legislation and regulations to ensure alignment with the National Development Plan.”