We are told, ours is among the most progressive constitutions in the world. Yet, many do not seem to experience most benefits of rights enshrined in our Constitution. From an economic perspective, “we have it all” in South Africa: the Industrial Development Programme, Black Economic Empowerment, Automotive Investment Scheme, Film and Television Production Incentive schemes, just to name, but a few. But there are many more such programmes, mainly offered by the public sector.

One department alone, promotes many more such programmes. Visit theDTI website to see how progressive many of government’s well-intentioned incentive programmes there are. These programmes aim to provide support in resources and technical expertise across different sectors of the South African economy.

Notwithstanding, there many other organisations such as the Public Investment Corporation, the Land Bank and Development of South Africa, among others also offering some form of assistance.

Despite the vastness of progressive intervention programmes, our economy is not performing and unemployment and poverty levels are worsening daily.

What is the problem? Why is there so much support yet so little improvement in many ordinary people’s welfare? Why, in the era of unprecedented number of graduates in the history of South Africa, do we still have so many unemployed? By Nimroth Gwetsa, 31 October 2017.

Let’s hope our woes aren’t the “resource curse” Richard Auty referred to in his 1993 thesis.

For now, let us look beyond corruption and our education system to understand possible causes of our woes.

Economists keep telling us growth and job creation will come mainly from small businesses. Others believe transformation of big business may unlock opportunities. Others maintain that funding of entrepreneurs in general and youth in particular holds the key. Some strongly believe changing our political system from capitalism to socialism, for example, could stimulate job creation, economic growth and ultimately quality of everyone’s life.

Perhaps therein lie our answers. My fear is that we might be invoking “intervention curse”. This being my adaptation of the resource curse, that our awareness of available interventions such as those from the DTI among others, might be more of an economic curse than a blessing to us.

Let us ponder, for now, some real challenges we would need to prepare for, to ensure solutions punted as key to unlocking our economic development are effective.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Big business, understandably, resents competition from and dependence on small companies. No one appreciates threats to their welfare. We defend ourselves against perceived threats and no one will knowingly groom a monster to devour them one day.

Small businesses competing with big businesses should not expect any help or collaboration from them if they do not want to be absorbed by big business. Small businesses should look to teaming with noncompeting businesses in other sectors for growth. At best, if they have similar products as big business, and want to team up, services provided should at least be targeted at different client segments, not within the scope and target of big business they wish to team with.

Big business resents competing with small businesses. It prefers to buy them out to access their skills, resources or whatever it is of value that small businesses have and big business lacks. We know what monopoly affords businesses to do. Big business desires to be a monopoly.

But small businesses are not exempt from wanting all to themselves. Whenever one small business depends on services of another small business, the dependence arouses two ills: the desire to “lord it over the other” or take over operations of the other. Usually, this stems from their need to reduce critical dependencies and managing risks.

Maintaining operational control depends on effective elimination of single points of failure to ensure predictable provision and continuity of services.

But sometimes the desire to collaborate with the other could be from wanting to benefit from shared growth, so one’s success can filter through to the other. They say if you hate paying high fuel prices, buy shares in fuel supply companies so you could get some money back through dividends.

Now we understand why businesses desire to absorb others: to retain some benefits even if it means exclusively.

HUMAN NATURE

Companies are run by human beings with feelings and aspirations. They too, would not willingly and knowingly groom their “slayer”. Thus, whenever the role of one seeking help does not threaten that of one providing help, the seeker is likely to receive the help needed. Same goes with many charitable deeds. It’s uncommon hearing people volunteering to help the rich without expectations of some reward or favour. But it is easier to find people sacrificing their lives to help the poor or those perceived to be more vulnerable. Very rarely would we see the likes of Biblical John the Baptist, happy to “diminish” so their competitors could be greater.

Unless by divine grace, we should not expect unconditional help from others. Yes, it is not good neighbourliness to receive help from others and while withholding giving yours to others.

There are exceptional few doing greatly in providing unconditional support to others. But they are the exception, not the norm. It is perhaps for this reason BEE and other empowerment initiatives haven’t succeeded in uplifting most people’s lives. It remains an effective tool for uplifting the few. Majority would have to find something else or fend for themselves, or remain trapped in hopelessness.

TRANSFORMATION

Few people would acknowledge grace as reason for their success. Some even receive grace pridefully, believing there’s something special about them to have earned them grace. To them grace is not what is supposed to mean, that it is out of unmerited favour, nothing to do with the beneficiary but the giver of grace.

It’s easy to hear people say: “I worked damn hard to achieve success”, “I studied hard”, “My parents worked hard to leave a great legacy for me”, “I hustled hard” and the list goes on. Few genuinely and deeply look back and say, “I was favoured. I do not deserve this. There is no way I could have achieved this all by my effort and wisdom.”

Because of this reluctance to regard oneself lower than one ought to be and to acknowledge the big favour and privilege one was accorded in life, there will be reluctance to uplift others without expectations of a personal gain or feeling a sense of loss. Those in need would be seen as lazy, foolish or unlucky and somewhat deserving of their hardships in life for not having what it takes to attract success.

Fronting is rife despite there being laws and harsh penalties against the practice. Situation isn’t made any better when there are others keener to “cream off the spoils” without exerting much effort. People are in a rush for “quick-wins”, characteristic of our era where time is measured in milliseconds to separate the gold from the silver winner.

People easily and quickly reach the ceiling of their careers when their next career progression threatens that of their superiors.

THE FOLLY OF QUICK-WINS

The pain of losing something you worked hard for is greater than that of losing something obtained easily. “Easy come easy go.” Sustainability comes after persistent effort, and persistent effort after diligence. The relationship explains why those who achieved “the hard way” do not easily waste resources on frivolities, but see deeper meaning and purpose of life through generosity to others.

The irony of life is that the more generous and diligent accumulate more than receivers, despite giving away most of their wealth. Why could Patrice Motsepe, Bill Gates and many others donate half, if not most of their wealth, and remain among the richest in the world? I’d like them to share their secrets with us. The generous are content and those obtaining things easily are seldom “quenched”. The lack of contentment results in increased consumption spending leading to easy loss of what they received easily.

While others can make a success of what they receive easily, many cannot make the most of what they have.

POWER FROM WITHIN

Political system of governance and quality education can alleviate the plight of many. To avoid the “intervention curse”, it might be best to rely mainly on one’s effort, diligence, patience, endurance and “the hustle to earn a living” and experience a change in fortunes than spend energy pursuing interventions from others.

You’d stand a better chance of succeeding and finding external interventions more favourable to you now that you are self-reliant. It would be like banks pursuing you to give you credit facilities when you don’t need them. Such would be life of freedom and choice.

Nothing can extinguish the fire burning inside you to succeed more than waiting for external interventions. Understandably, not everyone can endure hardships to attain success when there is a relatively easy and legal way out from available interventions. This does not point to people’s laziness, or ineptitude or bad luck. We do not have the same threshold of pain or circumstances to keep us motivated and focused on achieving set goals.

Let us acknowledge the grace that enabled us to endure hardships and achieve success that eludes many, and in gratitude, be like the Motsepes, Gates and Buffets in “reaching out” to others and see our welfare always improving for the better.