Moving SA forward and accepting the ‘new’ normal

Opinion by Howard Betts

Chairman: Betts Townsend Taylor

There is a lot of despondency around at the moment about the state of South Africa. Infrastructure is crumbling, unemployment is high, and people are emigrating in droves. So, what is there to make a person want to stay here? Someone like me, for instance…

As a business owner, I am invested here – so it would take me a lot longer to wrap up my affairs and leave the country than it would for many others. For another thing, my Rands are worth more here than they are if I exchange them for Pounds, US Dollars or Euros – especially at current exchange rates. But that isn’t why I stay.

I stay because not only am I financially invested, but I am also personally invested. I care about the people that work in my business – about their families and their futures. Betts Townsend Taylor has a staff trust which gives everyone in this company a piece of ownership in the business, so any success is shared. Such gains enable people to educate their children and open up better opportunities for them in future, and it is fulfilling to be part of that in some way.

There are definitely frustrations that come with an ailing infrastructure – load shedding, potholes in the roads and burst water pipes are part of the daily experience. Yet, out of all this comes the usual South African inventiveness and ability to work around things. It’s true that in the case of both business and individuals, moving to alternative energy sources or going off grid has been accelerated by our power problems – but those problems have given rise to a new business sector focused on alternative energy solutions.

People are sinking boreholes or reinstating unused ones on their properties, and I can even foresee a time where neighbours will get together and agree to share water, solar or wind power resources and become like their own mini-utilities.

I find it interesting that when the traffic lights go out (mostly during load shedding), it has now become the norm for the vagrants and beggars that hang around them to get stuck in and direct the traffic. I’ve heard people complaining about them because they aren’t qualified to direct traffic, and it sometimes causes accidents – but I honestly believe they are doing a service and that there would likely be more accidents without them there. I have no problem handing them a few bucks as I drive past for seeing the need and doing something about it.

I also have a bit of a different perspective on the taxi drivers. Yes, I know they cause havoc in the traffic, but as a motorcyclist I’ve also noticed that they are far more considerate towards people on motorbikes than most other drivers. Just a word of caution: never trust a green traffic light!

The business environment, too, is not what it could be. We can blame all kinds of factors, from international events beyond our control to our own government and how much better they could do. Don’t get me wrong – I believe that they can and should do better, that corruption and incompetence should not be sanctioned anywhere. And it’s easy to look back on better times in SA when things worked better and when we felt as though we had direction as a country.

I do believe that one of our biggest risks as a country at the moment is the message we are sending to international investors. Despite what the reality may be on the ground, investors get spooked by things like talk about land grabs and the July 2021 lootings. They are also far less interested in BEE than we are, and in some cases they are also put off by having to comply with its requirements.

But then let's take a step back and see what we have on our doorstep. We have an abundant labour force looking for work, we have minerals, we have wildlife, we have great weather, we have an infrastructure (possibly in need of a little TLC), we have great people, and we are the Rugby World Cup champions!

Maybe we should look at what foreign investors are being “spooked” by, focus on fixing those issues, and then exploit the positives mentioned here! We’d be the best country in the world and people would want to come!

Nevertheless, unless one is going to leave, we each have to find our own way to make peace with the country’s imperfections and help to move it forward. Passing on my knowledge and skills in construction and project management is one way I can do that. Keeping people employed is another. We are grateful to be busy with a number of projects around the country at the moment, which means that things can continue.

It isn’t a perfect situation, but there are plenty of examples of other countries where people enjoy a good quality of life despite the drawbacks. Kenya’s infrastructure has been in a state for years, but it is also a beautiful country where plenty of people still choose to live – and they have a pretty good life for the most part. Similarly, South Africans living a country with enormous and diverse natural beauty, far more living space than many people living in first-world countries have, and opportunities for those who are prepared to get stuck in. Like so much in life, it really comes down to mindset and whether one is willing to live with some discomfort and be part of the solution, in order to enjoy the good things.?

#thegoodlife #bettstownsendtaylor #newnormalsa