Charlize Theron is many things. She’s a high-profile South African who’s done her nation proud and has even managed to get Afrikaans heard for the first time on Saturday Night Live. Beyond her beauty she’s ridiculously multi-talented (okay – she can’t sing) and to add to her many skills, now we find out she plays a role (albeit an oblique one) in how we perceive the state our nation’s infrastructure development.

Economist JP Landman delivered the keynote address at yesterday’s SAPPMA’s annual conference, Pipes VIII, and being a numbers man, has some interesting ways in which to ground his analysis and forecasts in reality. He calls it ‘Charlize Theron thinking’ – a simple gauge which he uses to distinguish fantasy from reality; to banish wishful thinking.

So in applying this iconic metaphor, what does Landman’s ‘Charlize Theron thinking’ have to tell us?

• Actual spending on infrastructure over the last year equates to 7.4% of GPD – China’s is at 8%
• Economic growth targets of 6% DO constitute ‘Charlize Theron thinking’ – between 2 % and 3% IS the more sober view
• Adjusted for population growth and inflation, SA’s economic growth shows sustained, albeit humble, growth.

Reality check

Busting the fantasy of 6% growth targets might seem like a bitter pill. But just as Landman has to face the fact his own fantasies about Charlize Theron are just that – fantasies – in reality, he’s a happily married man. The South African reality is not so different. Landman’s numbers DO show consistent, if humble, growth. And growth is growth. Small increments deliver big results over time. Our infrastructure spend, as per centage of GDP, exceeds other developing nations by roughly 4 per cent. Can we be happy with that?

What needs to change?

To extend the metaphor, it could be said that it’s the marriage between private and public sectors that could do with some marriage-counselling. As Landman points out, the public sector has to address the shortage of skilled professionals. For its part, the private sector would do well to figure out a way of helping out. Two major constraints to growth appear to be being addressed: significant agreements have been reached with labour in the mining and engineering sectors, and more power is coming on line, not just via Eskom, but through private sector investment as well.

Working it out

Far from going backwards, South Africa continues in the right direct, albeit veiled by the spectres of corruption and unrest. The challenges have been identified, and we have the skills and the abilities to solve them. Yes, we need the political will, but we also need find the willingness from all sectors to take the Charlize Theron challenge, and consider whether, in the sober light of day, our reality remains one of growth and opportunity.