A rejuvenated township economy is key to job creation

Covering the recent two-day SA Investment Conference (SAIC) was refreshing – not because a significant R363 billion was raised in pledges made by local and foreign investors, but because I was impressed by an honest assessment made by delegates on how best we could improve the country’s troubled economy.

While a delegate attending the small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) leg of the SAIC felt that to refer to businesses in the traditionally black townships of Alexandra, Soweto, Mdantsane, Zwide and Gugulethu as “a township economy” sounded “belittling”, “patronising” or “an exclusion from the mainstream economy” – another made it clear: “In creating the much-needed new jobs, it would be important to ensure that we bring jobs to the people in the townships, so that they do not need to travel long distances to work.”

For me the latter view makes a lot of sense.

In a country of the very wealthy in Sandton and the poor in Alexandra, bridging the gap means bringing meaningful opportunities – training, jobs, investments and businesses – to the downtrodden and not to the already-wealthy or the well-connected few who constitute the political elite.

Redressing the impact made by decades of apartheid planning and policies, which benefitted whites to the exclusion of the black majority, is a legacy which we will have to deal with head-on and in a bold fashion – without sounding racist.

The fact is that apartheid spatial planning ensured that black townships and former homelands for years remained mere reservoirs of cheap labour for the rich. Today we still suffer the aftermath of the planning – factories, industries and most workplaces are still situated far away from where workers live.

They do not only travel long distances, but spend a sizable chunk of their hard-earned wages on transport.

There are parents who leave for work by 4am and only come home by 8pm. Once home, they are expected to prepare supper for the family and assist children with homework.

These are consequences of the many divides and struggles that we continue to endure, 25 years into democracy.

These need to be closed if we are to heal as a nation with a divided past.

We have been left with many economic disparities which cannot only be addressed by the government but by all key stakeholders, including organs of civil society, communities, labour and business.

The urban-rural divide also continues to lead to a migration of people from far-flung rural areas to big cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban in search of work opportunities.

Coming back to the SAIC, President Cyril Ramaphosa underscored the importance of rejuvenating township economies through investments and job creation. But he can’t do it alone.

In his address before investors in Soweto, Ramaphosa pushed all the right buttons, reminding all that the time was upon us “to re-ignite the township economy for the purpose of growing an inclusive economy”.

While we cannot fault him on his vision, those next to him have to realise that time is against us.

Brian Sokutu.

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