‘BBBEE will not help us one bit if this economy is not growing’ - DA
The Democratic Alliance is calling for an overhaul of South Africa’s transformation policies. We interview the party’s national spokesperson, Willie Aucamp.
DA leader John Steenhuisen speaking at they Pary's 25th Anniversary celebrations at Hanover Cottages in Hanover Park on Tuesday, 24 June 2025. Picture: Carlo Petersen/ EWN.
Tshidi Madia (in for Clement Manyathela on 702) speaks with Willie Aucamp, National Spokesperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Listen below:
The DA is proposing sweeping regulatory reforms to establish a ‘business-friendly environment’ in South Africa.
Party leader John Steenhuisen stated at a media briefing that Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and racial quotas have failed in their goals and have created an environment that deters investment and job creation.
The party has put forward alternatives to BBBEE, the Employment Equity Act, and the Expropriation Act, saying these three acts are obstacles to economic growth.
Aucamp says the party is in favour of transformation, but that the current policies in place do not work and have harmed the economy.
“Over the last 15 years, the GDP per capita has shrunk by 10%. Unemployment has climbed from 22% to nearly 33%... It is clear by these statistics that the government's transformation efforts did not work.”
- Willie Aucamp, National Spokesperson - DA
He says research suggests only a select few of the politically collected elites are benefiting from transformation policies and not the general public.
Statistics released by Professor William Gumede suggest that around R1 trillion intended for Black Economic Empowerment moved between 100 people, he continues.
“If you take R1 trillion, instead of distributing that amongst 100 individuals, you could have given a R50,000 startup for companies, or money for companies to expand their businesses, to 20 million South Africans. That would have been Broad-Based Economic Empowerment.”
- Willie Aucamp, National Spokesperson - DA
However, economist Duma Gqubule says this statistic is not true at all and says there are so many fake statistics that make measuring BBBEE accurately challenging.
He says to fully judge BBBEE, we need to ensure we are measuring from the same point.
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The DA is arguing that we need to have fair and inclusive alternatives that allow the private sector to thrive.
“BBBEE will not help us one bit if this economy is not growing.”
- Willie Aucamp, National Spokesperson - DA
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