Category: ECONOMIC GROWTH/ANTI-GROWTH FACTORS

Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA), Anti-business, Anti-poor, Black economic empowerment (BEE), Black-owned businesses, ECONOMIC POLICY AND STRATEGY, Entrepreneurial activity, Job creation and unemployment, Land reform, Preferential procurement, Processors

Ready to choose a San hunter rather than a Sherpa guide for mountaineering? Dlamini-Zuma on Radical Economic Transformation

When Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced her Manifesto for Change, she reminded me somewhat of the stern Mother Abbess singing “Climb every Mountain” for Maria (Julie Andrews) in The Sound of Music.

Definitely not her voice, but her words… Dlamini-Zuma summoned support for Radical Economic Transformation (RET): “We must know which hills to tackle next. …(t)hese are the mountain of economic transformation, the highland of land redistribution and the summit that must see us educating and skilling our people. If not, the negatives will swallow the gains we have made.”

Mother Abbess

Marvellous libretto…

Continue reading “Ready to choose a San hunter rather than a Sherpa guide for mountaineering? Dlamini-Zuma on Radical Economic Transformation” →

Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA), Black economic empowerment (BEE), Black-owned businesses, Developmental state, ECONOMIC GROWTH/ANTI-GROWTH FACTORS, ECONOMIC POLICY AND STRATEGY, Enterprise regularities, Population size, Pro-growth strategies, Urban economy and growth, White monopoly capital theory

A Cyril Swallow does not make a Summer of Growth: How business friendly is Ramaphosa’s New Deal?

“We need to massify the creation, funding and development of black-owned small businesses, township businesses and co-operatives.” Cyril Ramaphosa’s New Deal for South Africa (14 Nov 2017).

This quote from Ramaphosa’s 10 point plan manifesto to get the economy growing forms part of the action steps under Point 5: “we must accelerate the transfer of ownership and control of the economy to black South Africans.“

At first take the creation of an immense number of enterprises sounds like a pro-business approach. But is this objective realistic? Will it render the desired outcome? Even more basic: is it sound economics?

The New Deal is silent on how this enterprise factory that will mass-produce black-owned businesses would work. Whilst the manifesto was announced in the context of the ANC leadership contest, the “we” that Ramaphosa refers to is clearly Government and its administrative institutions. Continue reading “A Cyril Swallow does not make a Summer of Growth: How business friendly is Ramaphosa’s New Deal?” →

Corruption, Eastern Cape, ECONOMIC POLICY AND STRATEGY, Enterprise friendly environment, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Municipal efficiency, North West, Northern Cape, Public service delivery, Western Cape

Fragmentation of South Africa: Is the ANC succeeding where the NP failed?

“Remember, South Africa as a unitary state is a recent experiment and the jury is still out to assess its success or failure…” These words by Lawrence Schlemmer, one of the foremost analytical minds in SA during the latter quarter of the 20thC are today far more relevant than when he uttered them in 1996 when we were enjoying a drink whilst waiting at the late Jan Smuts Airport on delayed flights. Having just read Jacques Pauw’s The President’s Keepers I was starkly reminded of Lawrie’s words.

Lawrie Schlemmer

South Africa is unravelling…

I had the privilege of meeting Lawrie when he was a strategy advisor to the Urban Foundation in the years 1987 onwards. His sharp intellect and wit made him an impressive debater. He was totally independent – apart from his utter dependence on nicotine.

Continue reading “Fragmentation of South Africa: Is the ANC succeeding where the NP failed?” →

Culture and development, Religion and economics/Ideology and economics

A stand against hierarchical tyranny: Luther’s protest has changed the world

Luther 500A small minority of people will be remembered and known beyond four generations (100 years): mostly by grandchildren and great grandchildren. A significantly smaller number of people will be remembered 100 years after their death for the impact they have had on developments in their countries. The fact that Martin Luther’s protest half a millennium ago against Papal indulgences and Roman Catholic theology and the Emperor was celebrated last week in Germany and most countries with a significant number of Christian believers, testifies to his role in breaking the mould of Medieval society contributing to the dawn of the Modern Era. Continue reading “A stand against hierarchical tyranny: Luther’s protest has changed the world” →

Anti-business, Business and economic indexes, Competitiveness, Cooperatives, Crime against business, Enterprise friendly environment, Job creation and unemployment

Zuma, Gigaba & Zwane contribute to SA’s slippage on WEF’s Competitiveness Index… in “favouritism in public decisions” SA ranks amongst the worst

Were it not for the relative good performance of South Africa’s private sector, the slippage by 14 places on the WEF’s World Competitiveness Index would have been much much worse. And there is strong evidence that Jacob Zuma, Malusi Gigaba and Mosebenzi Zwane each pulled their weight in efforts to contribute to lower rankings on some of the indicators… Continue reading “Zuma, Gigaba & Zwane contribute to SA’s slippage on WEF’s Competitiveness Index… in “favouritism in public decisions” SA ranks amongst the worst” →

Anti-business, Credit risk ratings, ECONOMIC POLICY AND STRATEGY, Investment/Divestment, Job creation and unemployment, Pro-growth strategies, State Owned Enterprises (SOEs)

South Africa: from Flavour of the Month to a Bad Taste in the Mouth…

Brand South Africa’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kingsley Makhubela is wrong: SA’s decline in the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Index cannot be ascribed to low GDP growth. Makhubela is confusing outcome with cause. Continue reading “South Africa: from Flavour of the Month to a Bad Taste in the Mouth…” →