Positive mindset is vital to get South Africa to move the dial

THIRTY years ago, if you told someone you were optimistic about the future of South Africa, they would lecture you about being a 'realist'. Well, now that we're in the future, it's time for this unrepentant optimist to engage in a little lecturing.

- IVAN BOOTH

The reality of 2025 is that South Africa is today an upper middle income country.

Our gross domestic product (GDP) has doubled in 20 years and is similar to that of Bulgaria, Hungary and Serbia combined. Our national debt to GDP ratio is heading towards a manageable 75%. The richest nation on earth, conversely, is very good at dropping bombs but clearly hasn’t figured out how to pay for them as it heads towards a debt to GDP ratio of 125%.

While attention on mining fixates like it’s still the only show in town, the last few decades have seen South Africa cement its successful transition from a primary, minerals-based economy to a services-based economy that contributes much more to GDP than mining.

The City of Gold might as well now be called eRingRing for the proliferation of services-based contact centres.

Inflation dropped below 3% this year. Unemployment is our bugbear but finally questions are being asked about how we measure this metric.

It has never made any sense to me how a country can function with a third of workers not working. The truth is, more people are working and earning than is recorded.

More South African children attend school now than at any point in our history. Our military is in bad shape because the biggest share of our budget goes to education and health.