By Jonathan Jansen Why does South Africa not fall off the precipice? Economists are clear that if this economy does not grow soon, the prospects of new jobs are dismal and rising unemployment will be our fate. Educationists are clear that if the decline in education qualify and the high drop-out rates continue, schools and...Read More

Is SA is becoming a nation of three countries — along class, not racial lines? by Mikhail Moosa We talk all the time about poverty, inequality and unemployment. Inequality is mostly referred to as a black/white issue, and sadly whites are often presented as the ‘bad guys’. The Bell Pottinger campaign around ‘white monopoly capital’...Read More

The importance of storytelling and using our culture in creating content Last week we published “Changing the world – one story at a time” as our weekly blog. This week we have a wonderful story that does just that! I often say that our national narrative is informed at three levels. First, what we hear...Read More

GETTING SOUTH AFRICA BACK ON TRACK Conversations on South Africa’s ‘moment of hope’. As South African President Cyril Ramaphosa approaches his first 100 days in office, it’s undeniable that the mood of many a conversation around the nation’s dinner tables and water coolers has lifted considerably, after a decade of doom and gloom. Corruption is...Read More

GETTING THE FACTS RIGHT, GETTING THE STATS DEFINED By Steuart Pennington I was interested to see that Minister Dlamini-Zuma is reported as saying “credible statistics are necessary to ensure a better life for all South Africans” when tabling her budget vote for Stats SA “because policymakers and implementers use the data produced to inform decisions,...Read More

EDUCATION IN SA A Centre for Risk Analysis Report ‘Education the single greatest obstacle to socio-economic advancement in South Africa’, the April edition of Fast Facts from the Centre for Risk Analysis, seeks to provide a definitive assessment of the quality and output of the South African education system. The report finds that, while there...Read More

TRANSFORMATION IN SPORT: ARE WE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS? – (I HAVE FIVE THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED) By Steuart Pennington Writing for the Mail and Guardian Luke Feltham writes, “there is a glimmer of hope at the end of a long sports transformation tunnel. This was the message delivered at the release of the...Read More

SA man pays tribute to friend through school refurbishment programme Duncan Alfreds, News24 Contributing to a school refurbishment programme seemed like the perfect way for Rob Broster to honour the community service legacy of his friend. Even more so when he roped in several good Samaritans along the way. Broster’s friend Ian Macdonald, affectionately known...Read More

By Derek Carstens That the ANC would lay claim to Madiba’s legacy was never in doubt. And rightly so. However I am not sure the same can be said in terms of the ANC being the sole, rightful heir to Winnie’s legacy. Madiba’s ‘brand’ and Winnie’s ‘brand’ are very different Make no mistake, as Madiba’s legacy...Read More

CEOs cheer up after ‘Ramaphosa rally’ A quarterly poll of CEOs done by Merchantec Capital found that business leaders are as optimistic now as they were in 2012 The “Ramaphosa rally” did not just perk up the rand, but caused CEO confidence to jump from a pessimistic 38.4 points in the fourth quarter of 2017...Read More