South Africa: The economic and political decline of the country

This briefing discusses the economic and political decline of South Africa, referencing an article from The Economist and statements by political figures. It highlights failures in education, rising inequality, and systemic corruption within the ruling ANC, while noting the government's counter-claims regarding health and infrastructure successes.

• South Africa's education system is among the worst in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, with the World Economic Forum ranking the country 132nd out of 144 for primary education and 143rd in science and maths. It is estimated that only 15% of children can read and write at minimally prescribed levels by age 12.
• Income inequality and unemployment have increased since 1994. The Gini Coefficient rose from 0.59 in 1993 to 0.63 in 2011, and the official unemployment rate grew from 20% in 1994 to 25% in 2012, though the real unemployment rate is estimated to be closer to 40%.
• South Africa's economic growth has stagnated at an annual GDP growth of 2% over the last decade, compared to an average of 6% in countries north of the Limpopo River. Projections suggest Nigeria may surpass South Africa as Africa's largest economy within ten years.
• The political environment is described as a de facto one-party state dominated by the ANC, where political roles are viewed as a "ticket for the gravy train" to access public funds. This has led to blatant corruption and the looting of state resources under President Jacob Zuma, including the use of R238 million in taxpayers' money for upgrades to his private homestead in Nkandla.
• Despite economic and political decline, the government cites successes including the 50% decrease in the child mortality rate, an increase in average lifespan from 48 to 54 in 2011, and the inclusion of South Africa as the first African country in the Citigroup World Government Bond Index (WGBI).

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). South Africa: The economic and political decline of the country. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-the-economic-and-political-decline-of-the-country

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. South Africa: The economic and political decline of the country. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-the-economic-and-political-decline-of-the-country.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=South Africa: The economic and political decline of the country |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-the-economic-and-political-decline-of-the-country |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndsouth, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{South Africa: The economic and political decline of the country}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-the-economic-and-political-decline-of-the-country}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }