South Africa is running out of time. Power and water outages, crumbling infrastructure unemployment, corruption – the challenges keep stacking up. The big question is: can business step in where government is failing and help put the country back on solid footing?
South Africa’s economic and governance crisis took centre stage at Podcast Party’s latest Democracy Unplugged episode. Moderated by acclaimed journalist and author Justice Malala, the episode brought together an exceptional panel: Moeletsi Mbeki – Political economist and author; Professor Bonang Mohale – Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Corporate leader and transformation advocate; Herman Mashaba – Entrepreneur, former Mayor of Johannesburg, and ActionSA founder; and Piet le Roux – CEO of Sakeliga, a vocal proponent of a resilient, business-led approach to protect markets and strengthen civil society.
A deep mistrust of government framed a bigger question: can business step in where leadership has failed, or is it part of the problem?
“Is business right to continue helping government to deliver electricity, fix railways, fill potholes and so much else?’ asks Justice Malala, “Does this help South Africa or does it give a free pass to the ANC not to do the job it was elected to do? Just what is the right amount of help? The relationship between government and business will become increasingly complicated and controversial as the political landscape changes, and it will need careful consideration and handling for it to continue to be a positive for South Africa.”
Rina Broomberg, founder of Podcast Party, an independent content platform producing live events and current affairs podcasts, said: “We created the Democracy Unplugged series to unpack South Africa’s toughest issues openly and intelligently. Conversations like these matter because they challenge complacency and push business, government, and citizens to step up and shape the future.”
Panellists shared honest opinions about what isn’t working, and debated the conditions for a genuine partnership between the private sector and the state, one that drives growth and rebuilds public trust.
Watch the full conversation here: