The vision presented in this national development plan is a step in the process of charting a new path for South African. The plan envisages an economy that serves the needs of all South Africans, rich, poor, black and white, skilled and unskilled, those with capital and those without, urban and rural, women and men. The overall of this plan is that in 2030, the economy should be close to full employment, equip people with the skills they need, ensure that ownership of production is less concentrated and more diverse, and be able to grow rapidly, providing the resources to pay for investment in human and physical capital. Regarding the reduction the rural poverty, the strategy of the plan is that, by 2030 South Africa’s rural communities should greater opportunities to participate fully in the economic, social and political life of the country. These opportunities will need to be underpinned by good quality education, health care, transport and other basic services. To achieve that, the plan proposes the following multipronged approach: (i) to create a million jobs through agricultural development based on effective land reform, and the growth of irrigated agriculture and land production, (ii) basic services that enable people to develop the capabilities they need to take advantage of economic opportunities throughout the country and contribute to the development of their communities through remittances and the transfer skills. This includes food security and empowerment of farm workers. To enable inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, a number of key strategies will be implemented in order to increase employment and growth include the following: (i) raise exports, focusing on those areas where South Africa already has the endowments and comparative advantage, such as mining, construction, mid-skill manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, tourism and business services, (ii) increase the size and effectiveness of the innovation system, and ensure closer alignment with companies that operate in sectors consistent with the growth strategy, (iii) improve the functioning of the labour market to help the economy absorb more labour, through reforms and specific proposals concerning dispute resolution and discipline, (iv) support small businesses through better coordination of activities in small business agencies, development finance institutions, and public and private incubators, (v) improve the skills base through better education and vocation training, (vi) increase investment in social and economic infrastructure to lower costs, raise productivity and bring more people into the mainstream of the economy, (vii) improve the capacity of the state to effectively implement economic policy. In the context of governance, this proposed plan will only achieve its objectives if it enjoys broad social support and will only work if there is strong leadership and focused implementation. Government and society as a whole are responsible for improving and implementing national development plan.
South Africa · 2011-01-01