SA is wasting talent by putting the wrong hands at the till
South Africa’s failure to recognise and develop ability is wasting talent, weakening institutions and keeping the country stuck at a crossroads.
South Africa's failure to recognize and nurture talent is squandering human potential, undermining institutions and keeping the nation at a standstill. Themba Dlamini, a pastor and chartered accountant, reflects on his childhood experience in Zinqamu, where he learned the value of counting quickly and accurately. Despite being a teenage boy in Mandla's shop, Themba could count faster than the shop's elder, yet his contribution went unnoticed.
This same issue plagues South Africa as a whole, with its institutions relying on outdated processes that fail to capitalize on the abilities of its people. The Auditor-General's report on local government audits reveals that only 15% of municipalities achieved a clean audit, while spending eight times as much on consultants for financial statements that should have been prepared by in-house staff.
The country's educational system also fails to identify and foster the abilities of its learners, focusing instead on superficial metrics like pass rates. This systemic inefficiency wastes taxpayer money and perpetuates inequality, particularly affecting disadvantaged groups.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
