South Africa Sees Fresh Start for Economy, With the Same Challenges
“The crucial issue for South Africa is jobs and growth,” said Ian Goldin, who served as a senior economic adviser to Nelson Mandela when he was president of South Africa,
and is now a professor of globalization at the University of Oxford in Britain.
In the nearly quarter-century since apartheid ended in South Africa, the dominant African National Congress
party has lost some of its moral authority as a vessel for lifting the fortunes of black people.
Mr. Ramaphosa, 65, may champion new initiatives aimed at generating economic growth, yet he finds himself relying
on his party brethren to execute his visions, with no certainty that the money will land where intended.
“You’re going to need a lot more than taking out the guy at the top.”
Above all, Mr. Ramaphosa must contend with the structural defects that have long constrained South Africa’s economy, a legacy of apartheid.