A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF SA
- BEE NEWS
- Sep 19
- 3 min read
Koketso Molepo | 18 September 2025
Poverty is one of the greatest curses that a human being can suffer, and our government has created poverty for many of our people in this country while enriching only the connected few.
My introduction contains a painful truth. As a young South African, I have seen first-hand how mismanagement, misplaced priorities, and outdated policies continue to rob our people of dignity, hope, and opportunity. South Africa is blessed with resources, talent, and resilience, yet too many of our citizens remain trapped in cycles of poverty. If we are serious about building a thriving nation, we must confront these realities with courage, urgency, and vision.
The Burden of Laws that Strangle Growth
Instead of creating an environment for innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment, our country has chosen to impose restrictive laws that inhibit growth.
• B-BBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment): While designed to correct historical injustices, in practice it has become a gatekeeping mechanism that benefits a politically connected elite. It discourages investment, especially from foreign companies who cannot navigate its bureaucracy.
• Rigid Labour Laws: South Africa’s labour market is among the most restrictive in the world. Businesses fear hiring because retrenchment is a legal nightmare. This strangles job creation and leaves millions unemployed.
• Expropriation Without Compensation: The very idea undermines investor confidence. No one will pour money into land, factories, or infrastructure if tomorrow it can be seized without fair recourse.
These laws, though born from certain ideals, are suffocating our future. To attract capital, we must embrace policies that encourage wealth creation, entrepreneurship, and competition.
Lessons from the Health Sector
Our public hospitals tell a heartbreaking story. I lost my brother, Khutso Molepo and my sister Tebogo, at Edenvale Hospital, not because of a lack of will from doctors and nurses, but because of a lack of resources, staff, and infrastructure. It is a tragedy repeated across South Africa.
Yet, on the other side, our private hospitals are some of the best in the world. Why are we not actively engaging the heads of Netcare, Life Healthcare, and Mediclinic to transfer knowledge and systems to the public sector? Imagine what could happen if our government swallowed its pride and asked, “How can we replicate your excellence for the benefit of all South Africans?” That collaboration could save lives, just as it could have saved Khutso and Tebogo.
The Path Forward: Growth, Investment, and Friendship
Our future must be built on growth. Poverty cannot be wished away, it is only eradicated when people have jobs, when businesses thrive, and when opportunities multiply. To get there, we must:
• End destructive policies like B-BBEE and expropriation without compensation.
• Reform labour laws to encourage businesses to hire freely and expand.
• Offer bold incentives to global investors. Imagine telling millionaires and billionaires of the world: “Come to South Africa. Build here. Grow here. For the first 5 or 10 years, your investments will be tax-free.” The message would spread globally that South Africa is open for business.
At the same time, we must make friends with rich nations—not by begging, but by offering partnerships that benefit both sides. The world is searching for growth markets.
South Africa can be that place, but only if we create certainty, stability, and opportunity.
The curse of poverty must not define South Africa’s destiny. We must face the truth: policies that were meant to empower us are instead impoverishing us. We must be bold enough to tear down the barriers to growth, wise enough to learn from those who have succeeded, and brave enough to invite the world to invest in our future.
I see a South Africa where no child dies in a hospital corridor because of neglect. I see a South Africa where investors flock because they know their money is safe. I see a South Africa where hard work, not political connection determines success.
The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now.
‘Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’.