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In his first state of the nation address, newly elected President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa encouraged South Africans to ‘seize this moment of hope and renewal.’

“We will be initiating measures to set the country on a new path of growth, employment and transformation. We will do this by getting social partners in our country to collaborate in building a social compact on which we will create drivers of economic recovery,” said President Ramaphosa.

National priority areas mentioned by President Ramaphosa included but were not limited to the pursuance of higher levels of economic growth and investment, firming up measures to address challenges of youth unemployment and inequality, job creation and poverty alleviation as well as reinforcing sustainable measures of basic and higher education systems.

Brand South Africa’s CEO, Dr Kingsley Makhubela said: “A new era has dawned upon South Africa, it is time for South Africans to collectively rise to its challenges and move the country forward. President Ramaphosa mentioned accelerating progress in building a more prosperous and equitable society.

“We at Brand South Africa stand ready to heed this call and we committed to working with all sectors of society to ‘contribute to greater economic growth, reduce poverty, reduce inequality, enhance earnings and increase the competitiveness of our economy.’”

Dr Makhubela concluded: “Feedback from opposition political parties during the debate on the President’s State of the Nation Address is also testament that there is a growing consensus and a paradigm shift that sees South Africa on the cliff of an economic-take off --- a much needed response to the creation of more jobs and transformation.”

“It therefore, incumbent upon each one of us, in both the public and private sectors to ‘jointly, boldly, and strategically’ champion and cultivate the development agenda to improve the socio-economic state of South Africans. We have to so this collectively, because we owe it to ourselves and those whom we represent.”

Issued by Brand SA