REON BARNARD AND NJABULO SITHEBE: A national dialogue will help fulfil the promise of a better SA

Soon after the government of national unity (GNU) was formed, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised a national dialogue in the interests of crafting a common vision for SA and fostering co-operation.

He said in his speech at the opening of parliament in July that “through this national dialogue we are called to be agents of change, to be champions of inclusive growth, to be creators of opportunity”.

This was a welcome commitment considering that the complex challenges we now face demand our collective attention and a co-ordinated response.

While few updates have been communicated about the national dialogue, we believe it is an important endeavour and a unique opportunity to chart a clear way forward. It could serve as the ideal platform for South Africans to engage, refine our collective thinking, identify innovative solutions, and ultimately confront the realities before us — specifically in the areas of education, national assets, transport and infrastructure, energy and a just transition, and SA’s geopolitical position, specifically foreign policy.

We need to make it happen, and soon. For one thing, we believe there is only a relatively narrow window of opportunity to capitalise on GNU-phoria and build on the positive momentum sparked by the election result. Furthermore, we have just a few months left before SA starts hosting a series of global conferences, such as the Group of Twenty (G20) meetings, which will leave little room for new domestic summits.

The engagement with the global community in forums such as the G20 , the AU and Brics would be enhanced by the outcomes of a national dialogue. In short, we need to strike while the iron is hot and co-create a vision for the nation that everyone can buy into.

SA has a fantastic opportunity to right the ship. If the new government moves decisively to dismantle the obstacles that have stifled progress, a bright future beckons. However, achieving this will require collaboration between all social partners: government, business, labour and communities.

A national dialogue must tackle SA’s biggest stumbling blocks, including the dire state of education, red tape that deters investment and ageing infrastructure. The education system remains deeply unequal, with millions of young people left behind due to a lack of resources and inadequate teaching support. At the same time, corruption has hobbled the public service, while the private sector continues to grapple with regulatory hurdles that stifle entrepreneurship and capital investment.

We will need to work together to build the plane while it’s flying — with an eye on greater inclusivity and economic justice. If we fail to move the needle soon the very fabric of our nation remains at risk of starting to unravel. At present, the social contract is under severe strain. This is why presenting a common vision is so important. And as we have seen, sometimes all that’s required is a slightly different way of thinking.

Encouragingly, a growing number of senior officials are receiving economic governance training in China, while SA’s recent state visit to that country yielded an agreement to expand co-operation on the scientific and technological revolution and on industrial transformation. This will provide opportunities to harness advanced technologies and boost value-added production. We are also seeing a number of collaborative initiatives by the EU and other trading partners to increase our response to emerging opportunities presented by the energy transition.

We cannot ignore China, particularly after Beijing pledged funding of $51bn over three years for Africa. But we cannot ignore the US either — our duty-free access to that market is hugely beneficial.

China’s own experience with reform and opening up of the economy, as well as lifting millions out of poverty, should serve as an example of what is possible with determination, focus and aligned efforts.

Meanwhile, building new productive capacity is certainly achievable but requires effective enabling actions, policies, capital and programmes. The national dialogue offers an opportunity to agree on the route forward.

Adopting a solutions-orientated approach to SA’s most pressing challenges should be the order of the day. While we work to get the basics right we can also position the country to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities.

For instance, we can position ourselves to benefit from the surge in demand for metals that are critical to the global energy transition, such as manganese and ferrochrome, while also developing adjacent value-added industries. Our policy choices must mobilise more resources to seize these opportunities.

Then there is the immense opportunity presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area, which seeks to promote intra-continental trade and should be leveraged to give the entire region greater clout in the global market. The Pan-African Payment & Settlement System, which was launched in 2022, could be transformative as well.

As Africa’s most advanced economy, SA is perfectly placed to become a key supplier of goods and services to the rest of the continent. By deepening regional integration and capitalising on intra-continental trade, the country can enhance its economic standing and simultaneously drive growth across Africa.

We could also grow our share of global trade as supply chains are rewired amid conflict in the Middle East and tensions between the US and China.

Fixing what is broken while positioning ourselves for the future is perfectly possible, so long as all stakeholders commit to playing their part.

Big business needs to step up. Labour must step up. Communities must mobilise and we all must meet the moment. The partners in the GNU must act with maturity as they seek to get SA back on track. The promised national dialogue would be a great place to start, but it needs to happen soon.

• Barnard is CEO of African investment company Tabono, and Sithebe is an economist.