South Africa as a nation has approximately 50% of its people
living below the poverty line but more interestingly and something that makes
me very happy to hear, it is also a country of small businesses and famous for
the innovative minds of those sick and tired for waiting for jobs that never arise
. If only this entrepreneurialism was the solution for the unemployment rate of
40% in the country and ultimately the poverty problem that emanates from this
lack of work.
A hard fact of life in South Africa is that several people
are relying on the All Pay system, the equivalent to the UK dole. This monthly government
pay-out is assisting those in desperate need of funds, allowing them to feed
their families and stay alive. Sadly however, because one can rely on this
support, there is a reluctance to find work for themselves in a lot of cases.
After the Apartheid era was abolished, I have learnt that people were starting
to expect work as a ‘right’ as opposed to the ‘privilege’ that we all
appreciate it should remain as.
Do we have this problem in the UK? Yes I think we do. We
hear about people living off benefits for the rest of their lives, living in
council flats and relying solely on the government to support them. In theory,
the dole system as well as the SA All Pay equivalent is a worthy thing, a way
out for some people and a solution to many people’s difficulties. Nevertheless,
‘in theory’ are the operative words here as we have heard of many examples that
‘in theory’ are positive. Communism springs to mind –make everyone equal was the
vision behind the ideology. But as we all know, this practice has failed miserably
in many areas of the world, as we are now seeing in both the ‘third’ and ‘first’
world examples.
Right so let’s return to being a bit more optimistic here. I
mentioned the entrepreneurialism in SA earlier and I have witnessed many
examples of this; something that is just wonderful to see. A minority of South
Africans are not waiting around for pay-outs but instead are putting what they
know to good use, and very successfully I may add. We met a family who were
living in what a lot of us would consider ‘squalor’ in a township just outside
of the town of Mogwase, but instead of feeling sorry for themselves, had set up
a small hairdressing salon that was providing them with reliable work. In Hondeklipbaai,
we encountered a middle aged guy who had decided to start selling his art work
out of a run-down Caravan, displaying his pieces on the side of the road. Maybe
he doesn’t sell very much in a month, but I applaud him for trying.
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Another thing I really find heart-warming is that people in
this country who are perhaps not as well off as they would like to be are attempting
to earn that extra few rand wherever they can. Unlike in the UK, SA petrol
stations are run by a team of staff who not only fill up your tank but if they’re
up for earning a few additional bucks, they will check your water, tyres and
clean your windscreen. There appears to be an approach in this country (among
some of the population) of ‘any excuse for work’. You see people on the side of
the road waving red flags to encourage people to slow down, instead of relying
on expensive signage that we have so often in the Western world.
I just pray that the next generation of South Africans can
finally leave Apartheid behind and concentrate on moving forward, not looking
back the entire time. We all appreciate the dreadful times of Apartheid and
will never dismiss it but during my short time here, I feel that a lot of
people are holding on to it as an excuse and I think this has to stop now. We
must encourage these children to realise their potential, understand what
opportunities are out there for them and to inspire them to apply the skills
that are 100% apparent in each and every one of them.
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