BNIC#2 Deputy FinMin Ashor Sarupen: “No jobs without growth. No growth without reform”

At BNIC#2 in Hermanus, Deputy Finance Minister Ashor Sarupen delivered a stark warning: South Africa’s economy is stagnating and only deep structural reforms can turn it around. He identified three urgent priorities - fixing the broken energy system, unclogging ports and freight rail, and reforming dysfunctional municipalities. Without these, he said, South Africa cannot escape joblessness and poverty. With them, the country could realistically achieve 4–5% growth. “Growth is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” Sarupen concluded.