Five ways South Africa can reclaim global business respect

To my mind, there is no currency more valuable than perception. If you can change how you are perceived, you can achieve redemption.

- Jon Foster-Pedley

Right now, South Africa needs to be redeemed. Businesses see us as an increasingly unattractive investment destination, and the bad press the country has received at the hands of US President Donald Trump is exacerbating the difficulties we face.

Rising global tensions around trade and tariffs are threatening to derail our one shot at building a more favourable perception of SA on the global stage: the hosting of the global business forum for the G20, the B20. Instead of focusing on ways to boost African development, we are scrambling to negotiate exemptions and favourable agreements as a 30% tariff on South Africa takes effect.

The B20 offers us an opportunity to speak up about what Africa needs. Here are five things I believe we need to do to not squander this opportunity.

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