A report released this week by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which investigates governance strategy throughout the continent, ranked African countries on a total of 86 indicators. Despite some good press for South Africa, including the fact that the report calls South Africa’s constitution the best in the world, the overall result was deeply disappointing. Not only has the quality of governance in South Africa “deteriorated” since the last report in 2006, it also received the worst ranking in personal safety, coming in 44th out of 54 countries.
However, it wasn’t all bad news: It ranked 5th overall. South Africa did get the best possible score for both public management and its business environment, due in large part to recent investment by retail heavyweights such as Walmart. All of this data goes to show what industry experts have said for years; that businesses investing in South Africa from abroad still do so at some risk, both financially and to the safety of the employees they bring in.
With outside investment vital to keeping the economy ticking over, it is in the best interests of local business collaborators to invest in health and safety in South Africa. By giving their staff high level health and safety training, bosses can establish themselves as businessmen who demand international-level standards from their employees and colleagues. As well as improving the image of South African business, this could also help bring in new business partners, bolster the economy, and tackle unemployment and poverty in inner-city areas. Small business owners looking for substantial funding from abroad could do worse than to invest in world-class health and safety training. Prioritising health and safety in South Africa could help businesses stay afloat, as well as improving the international image of South African business markedly; entrepreneurs, take note.
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