The South African dream and the three stumbling blocks

Abstract

Most South Africans nurture a strong hope for a better future. The South African economy, however, has considerable problems with respect to both growth and employment, which in turn reduce the scope for redistribution of the national income. This article deals with a number of stumbling blocks that the political and economic decision makers may be tripped by and which may make the South African dream nothing but a dream. These are: obstacles to growth, increasing economic and social differences, and unfavourable political development.

Post-Apartheid South Africa: An Economic Success Story?

“…Elsewhere (Lundahl and Petersson 2004), we identify three potential stumbling blocks: economic stagnation, increased tension between social classes and increased redistribution out of a cake that grows only slowly. The notoriously high crime rate, emigration of skilled whites, widening income disparities, overly restrictive economic policies and increased incidence of HIV/AIDS all have a negative role to play in this scenario.…”