The long walk to economic freedom after apartheid, and the road ahead

Stellenbosch Working Paper Series No. WP11/2016
 
Publication date: 2016
 
Author(s):
[protected email address] (Department of Economics, University of Stellenbosch)
 
Abstract:

As South Africa moves further away from the political transition of 1994, the economic history of the post-apartheid era is coming up for debate. The optimism generated by the ANC’s early successes must now, after more than two decades of democracy, be tempered by its conspicuous failures. Not all is lost, though. African growth, technological innovation and private-sector participation in public sector services offer credible opportunities for accelerated development, but will only be effective if policy-makers are cognizant of the political realities. The long walk to economic freedom for many will, unfortunately, continue along a rocky gravel road.

 
JEL Classification:

O55, N17

Keywords:

South African economy, democracy, post-apartheid, poverty, inequality, growth, development, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Trevor Manuel

Download: PDF (210 KB)

BER Weekly

25 Jul 2025 Budget hurdle cleared, but US tariff implementation remains a risk
It was another big week on the local political front, but with some constructive momentum. On the trade front, ahead of next week’s 1 August deadline, Trump announced another “massive” trade deal with Japan. The upcoming week is busy, with a slew of global and domestic data releases and several monetary policy decisions, including the SARB....

Read the full issue