For the life of me I can’t understand the thinking of the present South African government.
The amount of money and effort that goes into keeping economically hungry, capable, non-South Africans out of South Africa – is just plain madness.
I’m a firm believer that opportunity favours those who are hungry for it. Great entrepreneurs who create globally successful enterprises are, more often than not, immigrants who have the deep desire to make a better life for themselves. In the past and still today, these fortune seekers head to countries like the USA where they know there is the structures, legal frameworks and the support for their ideas to flourish and become successful business enterprises that can radically transform an economy. It’s the basic principle that made the US the world’s leading economy.
South Africa is the one country in Africa that has the same mix of generally working civil infrastructure, world-class universities, a largely functional legal framework and the private capital availability to be Africa’s ‘land of opportunity’. Why we are not doggedly pursuing and welcoming those who are wanting to set up a new business, attend university, contribute to our economy – is completely beyond me. It’s economics 101 and in a world where the opportunity exists in this region for a country to start being that ‘land of opportunity’, not taking that gap now is a policy decision, which will come back to haunt this country for generations to come.
Fear of foreigners taking non-existent jobs and plain ignorance are the only real things between our present reality and a thriving, dynamic economy. Questions really need to be asked of the present administration as to why this is being ignored. We are literally denying the next Google, the next Uber, the next Naspers from calling South Africa its home base.
A better life for all will remain just a pipe dream slogan at the end of electioneering propaganda unless we start seeing the opportunity of welcoming visionary immigrants into this country.
Ke nako South Africa, ke nako.