GROWTH!

THIS will be the key in the second phase of Operation Vulindlela

Launching the next phase of this important initiative at the Union Buildings, on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, emphasised that this new phase is aimed at driving rapid and inclusive economic growth for the benefit of all South Africans. 

“We need growth that is both rapid and inclusive. We need growth that serves the millions of people in our country who remain unemployed, and the young people who cannot see a way into the labour market. 

“And we need growth that improves people’s daily lives by fixing the infrastructure that is broken. That is why, in the next phase of Operation Vulindlela that we are launching today, we will implement reforms in three new areas,” the President said.

The three new areas are: tackling the legacy of spatial inequality, enhancing local government performance and accelerating digital transformation. 

He stressed that if these reforms are implemented swiftly and boldly, they will put South Africa firmly on the path of economic recovery and renewal. 

He acknowledged that the process of reform is never easy, and it is often contested, especially by those with vested interests.

“Yet we have a simple choice to make. If we do not reform our economy, it will not grow and we will not create jobs. Unemployment will rise and poverty will increase. On the other hand, if we implement these reforms – if we do so swiftly and boldly – we will place our economy on a path of growth and renewal. 

“There is a generation of South Africans that does not know what it is to live in a country that is growing. They have never experienced rising incomes, increasing jobs, thriving businesses and expanding opportunities. 

“It is our intention to ensure that every South African feels the benefits of rapid, sustained and inclusive economic growth,” he said.

Operation Vulindlela was established in October 2020 as a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms.

It was initiated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating economic impact on the country and around the world. 

In its first phase, Operation Vulindlela focused on reforms in five key areas namely energy, logistics, telecommunications, water, and the visa system. Source: SAnews.gov.za