TRAVEL
Tourism has the ability to pull the economy and society out of the mire
The public and private sectors must work together with the people for this key industry to realise its potential
The South African economy has been hit by a perfect storm of rising unemployment, a widening budget deficit and credit ratings downgrades, and has recently entered a technical recession. This is happening in a world that is struggling to regain some form of socioeconomic and political equilibrium. The situation in SA is compounded by an unacceptable political environment of state capture, corruption and succession debates, which is causing continual internal focus rather than parties taking a global view of competitiveness and economic growth. Consequently, business and investor confidence are at their lowest levels since 2008. Although the ANC’s national policy conference wrapped up in June, the leadership infighting and the consequent "introspection" are likely to continue given that its elective conference in December, as well as the 2019 general election, are on the horizon. In such an environment, the prognosis for the economy — and consequently the levels of unemployment, pove...
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