Key Points:

  • South Africans deliberated on the first decade of democratic rule during a set of workshops hosted by CDE. Participants acknowledged what had been accomplished, and thought aloud about the challenges we need to address if we are to achieve ‘a better life for all’ by 2014.
  • From the quality of our schooling to the competitiveness of our cities, the number of businesses we start and grow, and, above all, our attractiveness as a destination for investment, South Africa is being surpassed by its international competitors.
  • The overwhelming challenge facing South Africa is to increase economic growth and create more jobs.
  • Higher growth is essential if we are to deal with poverty, unemployment, and inequality. Yet the most important questions about economic growth do not feature prominently in the national debate.
  • Rather than continuing to formulate new policies, the government should concentrate on implementation. Mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating policy implementation should be introduced.

Press release: Challenges for South Africa’s second democratic decade