NOBUNTU HLAZO-WEBSTER: SA cannot afford another policy that maintains the status quo

The R100bn Transformation Fund, recently introduced by the government of national unity (GNU), promises to support black businesses. On the surface, this appears to be a step towards economic transformation. However, given the ANC’s track record with broad-based BEE, we must question whether this fund will genuinely broaden the economy or simply become another vehicle for elite enrichment. 

Some years back I had the opportunity to play a version of the board game Monopoly called Unequal, designed to illustrate economic disparity. I did not expect it to be such an emotional experience, but as we played I felt a deep frustration that mirrored my own experiences as a South African navigating inequality. 

In the game the first group of players was allowed to roll the dice, move, accumulate property and build wealth for two full rounds before anyone else could play. Then came the second group — the group I was placed in — who finally got a turn, but with restrictions: we rolled the dice but couldn’t move.

We could see the opportunities ahead — properties, businesses, wealth — but the system did not allow us to participate. When we were eventually allowed to play we were still barred from buying houses or hotels, forced to make do while others continued growing. 

It mirrored apartheid’s economic policies: black South Africans were prohibited from owning land or participating fully in the economy. And then, after a while, the rules changed. We were told: “Now, the game is equal. Everyone can play freely.” Just like democracy on April 27 1994: “Now you’re all equal.” 

But by then the gap was already big. The first group had acquired assets, built wealth and gained an insurmountable advantage. No matter how well we played from that point on we were constantly behind. It was in that moment that I realised: this wasn’t just a game. This was SA’s economic reality. 

I know this frustration first-hand. Born in the 1980s, my parents fought against the odds to ensure I had access to opportunities that were never meant for black children at the time. They enrolled me in what were then private, predominantly white schools, because during apartheid private schools were among the few that allowed black students to attend.

Every day I travelled between two completely different worlds: the township where I lived and the suburb where I went to school. I saw in stark detail the differences in the quality of education, the conditions people lived in, and the kinds of jobs that existed for white people versus black people. 

In the suburbs people owned businesses, managed companies and worked in high-income professions. In the township, most people worked as domestic workers, labourers or small-scale traders. The disparity was overwhelming and no amount of personal effort could erase the systemic obstacles that kept people from progressing. 

The game Unequal captured this reality perfectly: even when the rules officially change, the effects of past injustices remain deeply embedded in the system. 

This is why Build One SA (Bosa) has always advocated for economic expansion rather than mere redistribution. BBBEE’s fundamental flaw is that it tries to integrate a few black South Africans into an already concentrated economy, rather than expanding economic opportunities to include more people. 

Instead of merely pushing for equity ownership in existing corporations, we should be creating new businesses, new industries and new economic hubs, particularly in townships and rural areas. This means: 

• Industrialising townships and rural areas. Instead of concentrating economic activity in historic commercial hubs, we must create new centres of industry and commerce where people live. This will reduce commuting burdens and bring opportunities directly to communities. 
• Unlocking small, medium and micro enterprises-driven growth. Declaring key sectors as SMME priority industries will allow new businesses to enter markets, rather than only benefiting politically connected firms that already have access to resources. 
• Cutting red tape. Simplifying business registration, tax compliance and funding access will allow more entrepreneurs to formalise and scale their businesses. 
• Ensuring transformation funds are transparently allocated. The GNU’s Transformation Fund must not become another looting vehicle. Transparency and public accountability mechanisms must be put in place to ensure funds reach real entrepreneurs, not a select political elite. 

Bosa is committed to economic justice that goes beyond rhetoric. We will use our platform in parliament and the Gauteng legislature to ensure that transformation initiatives actually expand the economy and benefit real entrepreneurs, not just a politically connected few. 

We cannot afford another flawed policy that claims to empower people while maintaining the status quo. The goal should not be to squeeze a few more people into an already limited space but to break open new economic frontiers where opportunity is abundant for all. 

SA needs a new approach, one that truly levels the playing field — not just for the privileged few, but for every hard-working entrepreneur who has been waiting for their turn to roll the dice and move forward. 

• Hlazo-Webster, an MP and Bosa deputy leader, sits on parliament’s trade, industry & competition portfolio committee.