Development Talk: Can South Africa's Government of National Unity Deliver?

The Growth Lab's "Development Talks" is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries, regions, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.

Speaker: Ann Bernstein, Executive Director, Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE)

Moderator: Thabang Edwin Molapo, Harvard South African Fellowship Program Fellow, HKS MC/MPA Candidate

About the Talk: For the past year, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has been working on a major initiative, AGENDA 2024: Priorities for South Africa’s new government. It sets out to answer what is by far the most important question facing the country: What can the new government do to get the country back on track after 15 years of stagnation and decline? This initiative builds on the Growth Lab’s Growth through Inclusion in South Africa project that was supported by CDE between 2021 and 2023. In this talk, Ann Bernstein will discuss South Africa and the government of national unity (GNU) that was formed following the May 2024 general election.

About the Speaker: Ann Bernstein heads the Centre for Development and Enterprise, South Africa. An independent think tank CDE is South Africa’s leading development policy centre, with a special focus on growth, jobs, education, cities and the role of business. Member of the Transition Team, then the Board of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (1994 - 2001). Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy, Washington DC (2005). Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC, 2013. Board member Brenthurst Foundation 2007-2017. In 2008 and 2009 invited African faculty member, World Economic Forum, Davos. Invited Fellow Bellagio Center, Rockefeller Foundation 2016. Her book, The Case for Business in Developing Economies (Penguin 2010) received favourable reviews in South African media, the Economist, Financial Times, Forbes and elsewhere. The book won the Sir Anthony Fisher Award 2012, Atlas Research Foundation, Washington DC.