South Africa: Growth, Jobs, and the Future of Democracy

More than two decades after apartheid, South Africa’s unemployment and poverty rates remain high and concerns about the country’s trajectory are spreading. South Africa’s considerable achievements as a young democracy are threatened by the political, social, and economic consequences of low growth, mass unemployment, poverty, and inequality.

For the past two years, Ann Bernstein has led the Centre for Development and Enterprise, South Africa (CDE) on a major project to identify national priorities for accelerating economic and employment growth. To foster rapid, inclusive growth, the CDE has argued for a fundamentally new approach that is urban-led, private sector-driven, enabled by a capable state, and aimed at mass employment.

On July 29, Hudson Institute hosted Ann Bernstein for a conversation on economic development in South Africa and the CDE’s targeted recommendations for getting the country back on track. Hudson Senior Fellow Jeremiah Norris moderated the discussion.