Public-private partnerships, rule of law and infrastructure investment will spark economic growth, experts tell ActionSA

14 June 2023

Public policy experts, economists and academics encouraged ActionSA to consider expanding private participation in the economy through public-private partnerships (PPPs), professionalising the public service, restoring the rule of law in the country, liberalising international trade, ensuring private property protection and expanding infrastructure investment to ignite economic growth in South Africa.

These were just some of the suggestions put forward at ActionSA’s second Policy Expert Discussion Panel on Economic Prosperity held in Johannesburg today. South Africa is currently facing an economic crisis with the broad unemployment rate now at 42.4% - meaning that nearly half of South Africans are unemployed.

The engagement featured ActionSA Chief Strategist, André Coetzee, ActionSA Policy Director, Johann Krige, and National Spokesperson Lerato Ngobeni. Presentations were delivered by myself, PPP Training Online’s André Kruger, South African Institute of Civil Engineering’s Steven Kaplan, ActionSA Chief of Governance, Dr Nasiphi Moya, and Efficient Group’s Dawie Roodt.

The lively conversation put forward tangible solutions on how to tackle the economic crises faced in South Africa, and to create jobs to improve the lives of our people. I proposed that South Africa’s economy cannot grow in the absence of the rule of law or while draconian labour laws are in place. Kruger said that PPP’s offers the opportunity of increasing public infrastructure spending and improving their performance which would lead to job creation.

Kaplan lamented the poor state of South Africa’s public infrastructure which has been in decline in the past decade and proposed that more effort should be made to retain highly skilled public servants to train graduates to improve infrastructure delivery. Moya, who has vast experience in public service, said that metropolitan areas should be the engine of economic growth in South Africa by professionalising the public service. Roodt said there are a couple of quick wins to attract economic growth such as stimulating free trade, solving the country’s electricity crisis and sound fiscal policy.

Today’s expert panel – the second in a series of 11 such panels – forms part of ActionSA’s broader policy engagement process ahead of our inaugural policy conference in September where we are also asking experts, our members, and the people of South Africa for solutions to the most pressing issues in our society.

ActionSA believes that solutions on how to fix South Africa won’t come from politicians but will come from experts and ordinary citizens who are most affected. Together we will be able to provide a clear alternative for South Africans and usher in change in the 2024 elections. Submissions can be made on ActionSA’s public platform here.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President, 14 June 2023