One in three, or 32.9%, of adults in South Africa are unemployed, highlighting that the economy is suffocating under the weight of structural inefficiencies that reforms could fix, says business organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso.

“The question is whether we can deliver reforms fast enough. If we maintain current momentum while accelerating lagging areas, growth rates above 3% become achievable within 24 months, which is when unemployment numbers start declining, investment increases and South Africa reclaims its economic potential,” she says in her weekly newsletter.

At current growth rates below 1%, the country is condemning millions to economic exclusion while its working-age population continues to expand. Without growth exceeding 3% a year, job creation cannot outpace new entrants to the labour market.

“The mathematics are unforgiving,” she emphasises.

The newly launched BLSA Reform Tracker tool monitors 240 reform deliverables across government to create an independent scorecard that business and government leaders can use to accelerate progress.

“The tracker represents our commitment to transforming intentions into measurable outcomes.”

While the tracker's reform scorecard shows encouraging green shoots alongside troubling delays, the country is moving too slowly in critical areas, such as with its ports remaining under single-operator control, which is an anomaly that creates systemic risk.

“While performance is improving incrementally, we need fundamental restructuring through private concessions that introduce competition and investment. The stalled Durban container port concession, bogged down in litigation, exemplifies how poor process management undermines sensible reforms,” Mavuso says.

Focused urgency can help South Africa accelerate its reforms. For example, Germany and the Netherlands responded rapidly to the disruption of energy supply caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Germany built its first liquefied natural gas terminal in under 200 days and cut regulatory barriers to replace 55% of its gas supply previously sourced from Russia, while the Netherlands moved even faster to build liquefied petroleum gas infrastructure, she points out.

When facing existential threats, governments can compress timelines from years to months by eliminating bureaucratic obstacles and empowering decision-makers, emphasises Mavuso.

“The social and political consequences of prolonged economic stagnation extend far beyond statistics. High unemployment fuels inequality, undermines social cohesion and erodes faith in democratic institutions.

“We are not merely discussing policy preferences; we are racing against time to preserve South Africa's stability and prosperity,” she emphasises.

Success requires cultural transformation across government, by moving from accepting business as usual to demanding urgent execution. South Africa needs to be intolerant about delay and excuses, which must be replaced by relentless focus on measurable outcomes, she asserts.

“The building blocks exist, namely capable public servants committed to change, business sector expertise and resources and clear reform priorities. What we need now is unwavering leadership that treats economic transformation with the urgency Germany brought to energy security.”

Loadshedding's virtual elimination proves dramatic change is possible, but partial progress isn't enough. South Africa requires comprehensive reform implementation that gives businesses confidence to invest without fearing infrastructure collapse, she adds.

Meanwhile, the green shoots arising from reforms, as seen on the Reform Tracker, include loadshedding having effectively ended, which had seemed impossible 18 months ago when up to eight-hour blackouts occurred daily.

Additionally, South Africa's ports and rail systems are showing some improvement, visa processing for skilled workers has accelerated and the country is on track to exit the intergovernmental anti-money laundering organisation Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list by the end of the year, she notes.

“The BLSA Reform Tracker aims to inject accountability into the reform process,” Mavuso points out.

The tool is updated quarterly, or more frequently when significant developments occur, and provides real-time visibility into which reforms are advancing and which face obstacles. Users can access heat maps showing progress across all 240 tracked initiatives, she says.

Deputy Finance Minister Ashor Sarupen and Western Cape Premier Alan Winde have confirmed that they have consulted the tracker to focus their teams on underperforming areas.

Planning Minister Maropene Ramokgopa welcomed it as complementing existing government monitoring systems.

“The transparent, independent assessments provided by the tool should create healthy pressure for delivery while celebrating genuine progress.

“The Reform Tracker will measure whether we're serious about this timeline, or whether we will allow another generation to become spectators in their own economy. The choice and the urgency are ours.”