Phase 3 of govt-business partnership to push growth, jobs
President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa’s economic reforms must now move from stabilising the economy to delivering higher growth, more jobs, and tangible improvements in people’s lives.
Ramaphosa spoke in Johannesburg on Thursday as he launched the third phase of the government-business partnership, which brings government, business, labour, and other stakeholders together to tackle the country’s economic challenges.
The partnership was established in 2023 amid rolling load-shedding, deteriorating rail and port performance, and pressure on investor confidence.
“Phase One was about stabilisation. Phase Two was about reform. Phase Three must be about growth,” said Ramaphosa.
Tourism is being positioned as a major job creator, with the government looking to improve air access, visa processing, tourist safety and investment. Ramaphosa also wants tourism benefits to reach townships, villages, and smaller towns.
AGRICULTURE AS A MAJOR FOCUS
Ramaphosa said the government wants to accelerate land reform, release more state-owned land, and provide farmers with title deeds.
“We are now releasing the land and farmers, small-scale farmers must now feel proud that they own the land, and they can go to the bank to borrow money based on the title deed they have, and we are going to speed up identifying more land that the government owns and release it to our people.
“Therefore, speed up the process of land reform, and we must connect smallholder and emerging farmers to finance, to technology, and to extension services.”
He confirmed that the government is planning to employ up to 10,000 extension officers to help farmers.
THE COUNTRY’S ELECTRICITY REFORM
The President also acknowledged that major reforms already underway still have gaps.
South Africa has now gone more than a year without load-shedding, while reforms have also targeted rail and ports, crime, and corruption, but Ramaphosa cautioned against declaring victory.
“We must not confuse the absence of load-shedding with the completion of energy reform," added Ramaphosa.
He reiterated that the country still needs to expand the electricity transmission grid, add new generation capacity, fix municipal electricity distribution, and make electricity more affordable.
CRIME AND CORRUPTION
On crime and corruption, Ramaphosa says South Africa’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list was an important achievement, but the work must now go further.
He added that he wants more successful investigations and prosecutions of serious commercial crimes, the recovery of stolen assets, and the dismantling of criminal networks.
Ramaphosa said youth unemployment remains the country’s greatest social and economic crisis and that the progress made through employment initiatives has not yet reached the scale required.
“For a young person who has never held a job, progress must mean an opportunity to work.”
The partnership has already contributed to more than 26 000 jobs in the global business services sector.
According to Ramaphosa, much more still needs to be done.
Ramaphosa also acknowledged the challenges facing Johannesburg, saying efficient municipal services are essential for businesses to survive and grow.
He added that Phase three must therefore be more than policy announcements, with clear targets, timelines, and accountable leaders.
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