The SA economy is set to grow in 2021. A bit. Recently, Rand Merchant Bank forecast a GDP growth rate of 3.3% for 2021, not enough to compensate for the catastrophic 7% fall that occurred in Covid-ravaged 2020.

SA industry needs help. A lot of it. Yet we saw a 2021 budget in which finance minister Tito Mboweni clearly signalled his intention to scale back the most effective and direct form of industrial support: the state’s industrial incentives...