Residential shacks in the Alexandra township beneath the Santon skyline in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. Jobs were at the center of a post-virus reconstruction and recovery plan presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa last month, with the government committing 100 billion rand ($6.37 billion) to create public and social employment opportunities. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg
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Alec Hogg: ‘Lawless’ SAs getting on with life and economy benefits
BizNews founder Alec Hogg shares his rational perspective on the SA economy, which is recovering quicker than anticipated.
South Africans abroad love describing their homeland as akin to living in the Wild West. There's some truth in that. Laws here are often regarded as suggestions rather than obligatory, especially on the roads. Also, with modern day sheriffs overwhelmed by crime, many theft victims couldn't be bothered to officially report their losses.
There could, however, be some upside to living in the Wild West during this panic-ridden era of Covid-19. Although most South Africans do wear masks, for many that's the limit of their compliance with government directives. From my experience, handshakes are back as are in-person meetings.
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