The Civil Engineering Contractor February 2018 | Page 41

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE environment where people worked together and used their diversity as strength— are now questioning what has happened, as that diversity is now being perverted.” Mfebe cites the current fixation along racial lines that pervades the climate, stoked by Bell Pottinger and its now infamous ' White Monopoly Capital ' slogan.
Threats and opportunities
“ We are sitting on a time bomb,” the CEO states flatly and adds,“ not only in South Africa but throughout Africa. The working population of Africa is getting younger while in the developed countries, the population is ageing. This presents two issues: a threat and an opportunity,” he points out.“ The threat is an agile, impatient, and educated youth that is politically savvy; the same youth that started the Arab Spring; the same youth that displaced incompetent rulers in Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt, mobilising through social media.” Mfebe cautions that the same groundswell could be happening in South Africa, with the Fees Must Fall movement— this is the threat.“ On the other hand, this presents an opportunity,” he adds. He goes on to describe that a“ younger, relatively educated, younger population can be accommodated if we diversify and expand the economy” through partnerships,“ because you cannot redistribute poverty”. He highlights the conundrum facing the country— the‘ chicken and egg’ scenario:“ Without the economy expanding, you cannot talk about radical transformation. You need to focus on those sectors of the economy where there is potential for diversification, for example beneficiation in mining. The products we sell to other markets increase in value, create jobs, and expand the economy.” He suggests that by“ fixing the policy environment”, doing business in South Africa will become easier, removing the need to go through a“ plethora of departments for approvals and procedures to set up a business”, Mfebe explains.“ However, despite the work being done to alleviate the situation, it is still difficult to do mygirlsquad. com business in South Africa; in fact, it serves as a deterrent.” Regardless of the many protocols to which the SADC region adheres, many countries“ stick to their sovereignty issues” he points out, creating bottlenecks at border posts and ports. To ease this congestion and become more productive, smooth transportation of goods and people across the borders needs to be addressed and sorted out, he states.“ If it is difficult for people to come into the country, it is strangling another potential revenue stream, namely, tourism.” The international norm is that for every eight foreign tourists visiting a country, one permanent job is created, Mfebe informs. Therefore, ease of border access is a priority, he says and clarifies:“ We are not talking economic refugees; we are talking about visitors from inter- Africa and globally. We need to promote tourism; it is a valuable revenue stream, both domestic and from within Africa, and we need to encourage tourists from outside of the continent.” With conviction, Mfebe claims that“ South Africa has an advanced infrastructure, to the shock of many international investors. We have beautiful roads, cities, and services like the Gautrain. They are amazed at our achievements, finding a‘ home away from home’ within our borders. We are a country endowed with natural resources. So too, South Africa is noted for its well-established financial system, including reliable, well-regulated banks in terms of international protocols—
Sandton CBD, Johannesburg – financial hub of South Africa.
and sophisticated financial markets, second to none,” he comments. The executive says that despite the diverse skills set, there are critical shortages that are being addressed through the SETAs. [ Although there is concern that money is paid without the necessary services manifesting.] Nevertheless, no other country [ in Africa ] compares to our skills base, he maintains, while cautioning:“ However, all these things that work to our advantage, combined, will come to nought if the political and policyuncertain landscape persists, as they will continue to bedevil our economic prospects,” he says. He urges democratic change“ through the ballot and not the bullet”, for the electorate to implement change in the 2019 election, and to hold the leadership to accountability.“ I think we can learn from the recent events in Zimbabwe,” Mfebe comments.“ Unless the [ South African ] leaders listen to the citizens and recognise that they are only in the positions of power because the citizens put them there, we run the same risk. If the leadership does not listen to the electorate, then that is a dictatorship. Dictatorship may be sweet to those in power, but as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, it will always have a bitter end,” he adds sombrely. If South Africa could harness its true potential, the country could once again become a force de résistance in this landscape of graft and corruption, once again attaining its lost status as the powerhouse of Africa. nn
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