I first wrote this article 7 years ago. It wasn’t an
article originally. It was a response to a question posed to me by the convenors of the
National Student Summit held at the University of the Free State all those
years ago. A friend of mine nudged me to produce an article of what was then a
few paragraphs. Upon reflection, I have managed to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard, depending on how much of a purist you are). Upon reading this, she may be pleased to know that I have
obliged. It has been edited, but the DNA of the original text remains... My ideal
South Africa.
The voices of my education impress upon me the idea that
as human beings, our resources are limited, there is an opportunity cost for
every decision made under the sun. The eternal optimist in me yearns for
something that is on the extreme end of the continuum: Freedom! I envision a
land in which all are born free and live a life of freedom in their hearts and
minds, spiritually, politically and, most importantly, economically.
My Ideal South Africa is one in which all are economically liberated. I
define economic liberation as being an owner of factors of production, (being a
surplus economic unit) or being able to attain intellectual capital with
relative ease, for it is knowledge and qualifications which allow an individual
to prosper. If one does not possess physical wealth, he should be in a position
to attain, uncategorically, intellectual capital, regardless of whether this be
in the form of education at tertiary institutions, training colleges,
technikons, FET colleges and Business Schools. This should then be followed by
perfect competition in the workforce and in the marketplace for entrepreneurs.
Developmental Economics poses a number of pertinent
questions for emerging market economies such as South Africa. Fortunately, the economic
growth and prosperity envisioned in South Africa has been attained by nations
such as Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea in Asia, nations which are dubbed
as Growth Miracles by Economists. The South Korean economy, in particular, has
shown incredible mobility over the past five decades. South Korea has moved
from being one of the poorest nations in the world in 1950 to being one of only
a few nations which have a GDP in excess of $ 1 Trillion US, one of the 20
largest global economies in 2012.
Marine City in Busan, South Korea
Institutions of higher education and learning should
prioritise producing quality research for policies in education and actively
participate in eradicating illiteracy of all citizens, regardless of age,
gender, colour or creed. This will ensure an upward mobility of all in the
land.
The announcement by State President Jacob Zuma to provide free tertiary education ought to be lauded as a progressive stroke by policymakers of a developmental state, if it can be implemented sustainably in order to foster growth, given South Africa’s highly skewed wealth ownership and income patterns.
Adam Smith, known as the Father of Economics, shares some interesting
views in his 1776 classic, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth
of Nations, in a version edited by Edwin Cannan in 1904 opines,” The discovery
of America, and that of a passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope,
are the two greatest and most important events recorded in the history of
mankind.” I shall not waste time on the validity or accuracy of the above
statement. How do you ‘discover’ a land which already had inhabitants and its own
civilisation?
Smith continues,”Their consequences have already been very great; but, in the short period of between two and three centuries which has elapsed since these discoveries were made, it is impossible that the whole extent of their consequences can have been seen. What benefits or what misfortunes to mankind may hereafter result from those great events, no human wisdom can forsee.” Shortly thereafter, Smith proceeds to provide some details of the results of the interaction between the abovementioned and what could prevail in the future,” At the particular time when these discoveries were made, the superiority of force happened to be so great on the side of the Europeans that they were enabled to commit with impunity every sort of injustice in those remote countries. Hereafter, perhaps, the natives of those countries may grow stronger, or those of Europe may grow weaker, and the inhabitants of all the different quarters of the world may arrive at that equality of courage and force which, by inspiring mutual fear, can alone overawe the injustice of independent nations into some sort of respect for the rights of one another. But nothing seems more likely to establish this equality of force than that mutual communication of knowledge and of all sorts of improvements which an extensive commerce from all countries to all countries naturally, or rather necessarily, carries along with it.”
Smith continues,”Their consequences have already been very great; but, in the short period of between two and three centuries which has elapsed since these discoveries were made, it is impossible that the whole extent of their consequences can have been seen. What benefits or what misfortunes to mankind may hereafter result from those great events, no human wisdom can forsee.” Shortly thereafter, Smith proceeds to provide some details of the results of the interaction between the abovementioned and what could prevail in the future,” At the particular time when these discoveries were made, the superiority of force happened to be so great on the side of the Europeans that they were enabled to commit with impunity every sort of injustice in those remote countries. Hereafter, perhaps, the natives of those countries may grow stronger, or those of Europe may grow weaker, and the inhabitants of all the different quarters of the world may arrive at that equality of courage and force which, by inspiring mutual fear, can alone overawe the injustice of independent nations into some sort of respect for the rights of one another. But nothing seems more likely to establish this equality of force than that mutual communication of knowledge and of all sorts of improvements which an extensive commerce from all countries to all countries naturally, or rather necessarily, carries along with it.”
South Africa is not the only
country to emerge from colonialism. Singapore is a former British colony. It
gained independence in 1965. Under the stewardship of its first prime minister,
Mr Lee Kuan Yew,
Singapore had a GDP per capita income of $ 53,629.74 US
in 2015, according to data from the World Bank. This was comparable to the USA,
which had a GDP per capita income of $ 56,207.04 US in 2015. Malaysia broke
free from the shackles of colonialism in 1965, it had a GDP per capital income
of $ 9,643.64 US in 2015. South Korea is a former Japanese colony, gaining independence
in 1948. It had a per capita income of $ 27,105.08 USD in 2015.
GDP per capita
is an important metric because growth is a mirage if it is not inclusive. South
Africa’s potential today as an emerging market economy is immense. The growth
of peers in Asia has shown, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that upward mobility
is a realistic and attainable goal. Returns on investments in education, research,
technology, innovation, good governance and policymakers which can effect
positive change are invariably key tools in lubricating the machinery of
development.
To quote one of the greatest statesmen of our time, Nelson Mandela,”Let
there be work, bread, water and salt for all." A democratisation of access to opportunity, markets and the mutual sharing of knowledge and commerce as stated by Adam Smith, will yield a South Africa of the people, for the people, by the people.
