A Simple Look at Rudi Dicks’ Conversation on Reform
A Country at a Turning Point
South Africa is at a critical moment. Years of weak growth, political uncertainty and deep social pressures have created a situation that can no longer be ignored. Communities feel the pain of unreliable electricity, failing local municipalities and a struggling job market. Businesses, both big and small, feel trapped by slow reforms and unpredictable service delivery. In this environment, the conversation between the Centre for Development and Enterprise and Rudi Dicks offers important clarity. Dicks explains that South Africa is not helpless. It has the ability to rebuild itself, but it must act with urgency, focus and honesty about the scale of the challenge.
He reminds the audience that South Africa’s challenges did not appear overnight. Many years of slow decline built up, and while some progress has been made, the gap between what the country needs and what the state can deliver remains wide. Still, Dicks insists that progress is possible and is already happening in key areas.
What State Capture Really Broke
Dicks speaks openly about how state capture weakened government far beyond financial loss. It hollowed out the public service. Talented officials who knew how to run complex systems left. Decision-making became slower, and confidence inside government dropped. Even when policies were approved, they failed because the machinery of the state had lost the people who could make things happen.
He argues that this loss of capability is one of the main reasons South Africa struggles with implementation. Plans exist. Policies exist. Strategies exist. What is missing is the technical, managerial and leadership strength to turn those plans into real outcomes. Fixing this will take years of rebuilding, training, promoting honest officials and removing those who resist professionalism.
Reforming and Rebuilding at the Same Time
Despite these difficulties, Dicks warns that South Africa cannot afford to pause reforms while waiting for capacity to improve. The country is in too much economic trouble to delay action. Operation Vulindlela was created to fill this gap. It brings experts from different sectors into government to help push reforms through. These experts help departments understand complex issues like electricity markets, private investment rules, logistics pricing, network access and visa systems.
Dicks also explains that reform is more complicated than simply changing a law. For example, unbundling the electricity sector requires understanding Eskom’s debt, the structure of the grid, the pricing system, and the rules that will govern private generators. The same is true for rail, where the infrastructure is old, under-maintained and expensive to repair. Reform must therefore move forward while the public service slowly rebuilds itself. Waiting for a perfect state is not an option.
Escaping the Low-Growth Trap
Dicks believes South Africa is stuck in a low-growth trap because confidence is low. When investors expect slow growth, they hold back on spending. When businesses hold back, the economy does not grow. It becomes a cycle that reinforces itself. But reforms can break this cycle by removing constraints and creating opportunities.
The electricity reforms are the best example of this. Once rules were changed to allow private power generation and trading, the private sector responded immediately. Investment proposals multiplied. Banks began approving loans for renewable energy projects. Developers prepared land, arranged equipment and began construction. Dicks describes seeing a “boom” in applications and registrations as soon as the rules changed. This shows that South Africa is full of potential only if the environment is right.
However, he also emphasises that private sector investment cannot replace the need for public investment. South Africa’s investment levels remain below what is needed to support strong growth. Public infrastructure, roads, rail, ports, water and electricity must also improve. The work is far from finished.
Choosing the Right Priorities
Dicks explains that while many issues matter, government cannot attempt to fix everything at once. Basic education, policing, mining, land administration and public health all require serious reform. But without energy, transport and water infrastructure, the entire economy struggles. That is why Operation Vulindlela began with these sectors. They are the backbone of growth. Getting these areas right lays the foundation for future reforms in education, crime and social development.
Dicks highlights that the success of Operation Vulindlela has created a methodology that can now be applied elsewhere. Government can use the same focused, collaborative approach to tackle crime, improve basic education or strengthen local government. The challenge is ensuring that new priorities do not dilute the focus on existing reforms.
Why Reforms Still Feel Slow
Even though progress is happening, many South Africans feel that it is happening too slowly. Dicks accept this criticism. He explains that reforming large state-owned companies, introducing competition, creating new regulatory systems and rebuilding institutions takes enormous effort. It is not simply about signing a document. It requires legal work, technical design, coordination between departments and political agreement.
He also points out that the private sector itself is sometimes cautious. Businesses want certainty before investing. They want clear timelines, stable regulations and confidence that the rules will not change after they commit money. Building this trust takes time.
Still, Dicks believes the pace can and must increase. He says speed is now the most important ingredient for South Africa’s economic recovery.
Who Is Accountable for Reform?
Dicks is clear that ministers and their departments hold the responsibility for delivering reforms. Operation Vulindlela supports, tracks and accelerates the work, but it does not replace government departments. The Presidency has strengthened accountability through new performance agreements and regular reviews. But ultimately, ministers must lead the work.
A Difficult Road, but the Right One
In closing, Dicks paints a picture of a country facing real challenges but also making real progress. South Africa is not where it needs to be, but it is moving in the right direction. The path forward requires urgency, focus, professionalism and collaboration. If South Africa continues to push reforms and rebuild state capacity, it can escape the low-growth trap, restore confidence and create a path to shared prosperity.
