Historically, South Africans have proven themselves to be great innovators.
Coupled with their productivity and work ethic, they shaped the country into Africa’s powerhouse.
Be it in the scientific, medical, agricultural, transport infrastructure, sport or any other meaningful spheres, South Africa led the way and became the envy of the continent.
We can still strut around the world stages with puffed up chests because the perception of greatness still holds.
The question is, for how long? To what extent are we trapped in a false sense of superiority, our past excellence blinding us to the erosion taking place?
A Zululander’s encounter with two enterprising young South Africans on a flight to Nairobi last week serves to illustrate the point.
Involved in major IT and training projects, their talents are not being harnessed here, but in central black African states. Both shared the sentiment that countries like Kenya and Nigeria are ‘cooking’. The focus is on development and progress and the people have a common purpose to achieve these, giving credence to recent statements that Nigeria is poised to take over SA’s mantle as the continent’s economic pacesetter.
And then the two young professional commuters’ telling assessment – ‘the only country taking steps backward is South Africa’.
Individual perceptions perhaps, but they work at the coalface and are well versed in what’s happening on the ground..
But there are more concrete examples.
Economic realities
Only last week BMW, the world’s largest maker of luxury vehicles, announced it is halting expansion plans in South Africa following the endless crippling labour strikes.
This is a telling development for a country where unemployment is rife – one of the most critical dilemmas threatening our future.
A Business Day article pointed out that more South Africans are on the State’s payroll than in the United States, a country with six times the population and GDP (Gross Domestic Product) 45 times bigger than ours. Government employs more people than the private sector.
The cost of Public Service (and we’ll not debate the efficiency of it here), is proportionally the highest in the world – 12% of GDP (Russia 3.7%, Brazil 4.4%, Nigeria (4%).
Corruption is rampant (R30-billion a year) and consultancy fees to cover for incompetency cost taxpayers about R100-billion a year.
While our transport infrastructures, medical, educational and general public service facilities are collapsing spectacularly, the custodians and protectors of South Africa’s ‘greatness’ have proven to be incompetent to the core, their obscene salaries and flashy lifestyles having nothing to do with efficiency, but rather jobs-for-pals gluttony.
Make no mistake, South Africans are no less innovative and productive, but their expertise is being swamped by the takers, while political gamesmanship continues to drive key professionals (black and white) to foreign shores.
While we trumpet entrepreneurship and job creation as priorities, more restrictive policies are introduced to prevent it.
The question is not if the path we are on is sustainable. Rather it is when will it finally become unsustainable.
And then?
All over the world, Germany, USA, and here in Australia too, people are recognising the need to have their salaries cut in order to keep companies sustainable and to keep their jobs. Those who obstruct this process end up losing their jobs. People have to accept that in tough times, sacrifices have to be made by one and all to benefit the whole of society by securin a better future for all through sustainability of businesses.