There may be overtures to accountability and structural reforms, but for as long as the ANC adheres to the requirements and edicts of the NDR the incentives and pressures for corruption will persist.
Within the context of a tightening global business environment, foreign investment in countries such as South Africa may decline, or head towards more friendly climates. Higher interest rates also mean tighter credit, and so businesses that want to expand may be faced with higher risk and credit costs.
Monopolising the management of healthcare — even if it is done only incrementally over a long period — will add yet more layers of bureaucracy and control over doctors and nurses, and concentrate resources in the hands of the state. In so doing it will add incentives for cronyism and corruption.
Considering the consistently below-average performance of the country’s ports, it comes as no surprise that the Port of Maputo is emerging as an alternative to its nearest South African competitors, a point confirmed by Chris Hattingh, senior policy analyst at the Centre for Risk Analysis.
The Centre for Risk Analysis says conditions at local ports are costing Transnet and the economy billions, due to years of neglect.
Despite South Africa’s continuous improvement in its Human Development Index value for nearly three decades, the country’s overall rank has been declining over the past three years.
South Africa’s recent attempts at structural reform tinker at the margins and do little to resolve barriers to investment and employment, especially regarding labour markets.