[Opinion] When will SA own its mistakes and stop blaming everything else?

Despite winning the territory battle (60%), possession (52%), and having to make fewer tackles (109 vs 146), the Springboks’ own mistakes meant the All Blacks’ unbeaten streak at Eden Park held.

 

In international rugby — and even more so whenever the sport’s greatest rivalry takes place — the tiniest of margins can determine victory. The Boks missed 25 tackles to the 22 of New Zealand, and “only” won 14 of their own 18 line-outs.

 

Whenever the visitors entered the opposition 22m there was a sense of apprehension and uncertainty as to whether they would convert those opportunities. More often than not, they didn’t.

 

The Springboks’ defeat drew frustration and a fair amount of comment regarding the referee. This game, and the merits or otherwise of the referee’s performance notwithstanding, it is more important for the team that they learn from this game and take the lesson into next Saturday’s game in Wellington. And, longer term, towards the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

 

In our economic growth, quality of life and service delivery games the SA government has proven adept at finding excuses and scapegoats, consistently finding an opposition or referee to blame for the country’s declining prospects.

 

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If it’s not a global financial crisis, it’s declining commodity prices. If it’s not Covid-19, it’s an aggressive, transactional White House. The cause of SA’s 0.8% GDP average from 2012 to 2023 can seemingly never be the government’s chosen ideology and policies; there is always something else, external, to blame for what has befallen us.

 

Of course, during any game the referee can influence the game. But what do you do with those things in your control? How you handle the ball on attack, smart and contestable box kicks, winning your line-out throws, clean and efficient clean outs at every ruck. All are examples of the basics you and your team mates need to take care of. That’s before we get to the issue of ensuring you don’t overthrow your own jumper in your line-out in your 22 and gift the opposition a try.

 

Regarding the country’s economic prospects, for years the ANC’s policies put SA on the back foot time after time. US reciprocal tariffs did not cause the country’s manufacturing decline; the value of the contribution of manufacturing to the economy dropped from 23% of gross value added in 1994 to about 14% in 2014 and has remained at that level ever since. In six of the last 10 years manufacturing contracted.

 

How SA and the government deal with the repeated shocks administered to global trade and investment by the second Trump administration will determine the country’s medium- to long-term prospects. The numerous uncertainties and risks aside, there are guaranteed to be countless opportunities to attract new trade, investment and job creation — provided we can get the policy basics right.

 

It’s up to SA, and right now the government of national unity (GNU), to make the smart decisions on the policy field. Getting the basics right in electricity, ports and rail, combating crime and corruption, and municipal service delivery are non-negotiable. And no-one talks a bigger game about SA’s potential to grow and attract investment than President Cyril Ramaphosa; where are the policy reforms that break up vested political interests?

 

Of course, during any game the referee can influence the game. But what do you do with those things in your control?

What lessons should SA take from the bruising suffered so far during US President Donald Trump’s second administration? Do we fix our growth fundamentals? Or do we seek comfort with “partners” that will never question and criticise what we do, and hope we can find export markets and investors elsewhere?

 

When suffering any loss, it is incredibly psychologically and emotionally tempting to rage and shout, to cast about for excuses. SA’s choice is between short-term emotional salve vs long-term growth and resilience-building — decidedly politically difficult — policy reforms.

 

In briefings for international clients both in Washington last month and while back at home, the feedback to us at the Centre for Risk Analysis is that there continues to be great interest in SA’s growth and investment prospects. But absent meaningful reform we aren't giving said markets and investors reason to take a punt on SA.

 

How do we use defeat and difficulty to build our domestic policy environment to take advantage of the global disruptions that will continue for at least the next four years? A lot of focus will be on the outcome of the next local government elections, the 2027 ANC elective conference and the 2029 national election. SA needs to do the difficult work such that we can take advantage no matter what results the politics yield.

 

On September 13, we will see what lessons the Boks learnt from the Eden Park test. Over time, we will see whether South Africans and the government have taken the responsibility to own what is ours, those things within our control, to set up the country to take advantage of a new geopolitical and geoeconomic reality. 

 

Article originally appeared here.