Springboks supporters at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre's fan park during the 2023 Rugby World Cup final when South Africa beat New Zealand 12-11.Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
The South African rugby squad's clinching of the Rugby World Cup title by a single point proved very powerful.
For a moment South Africans wiped their tears which demonstrated the deep pain caused by the various economic pitfalls the country keeps on falling into.
For a moment, South Africans stood up from wherever they were to scream, laugh, cry and dance in celebration.
One might be tempted to ask what were the people of this nation celebrating because when they wake up again the next day, there will still be poverty, unemployment and deep inequality.
It is true that households that were struggling to keep up with their basic bills will still do.
I concede that the businesses that were folding because they can no longer endure the financial onslaught of low or no profits, high debt-servicing costs and higher operating expenses will still be facing doom.
Those whose livelihoods depended on these businesses will still be devastated.
But despite this, South Africans celebrated.
They celebrated hope.
Many celebrated the return of hope because for most, hope had been lost.
The celebration of hope is rather short-lived.
And when hope that has been rekindled by such a victory, cannot last forever, then we are in a very dangerous terrain.
As we celebrate such a great feat, we should ask ourselves as a nation how do we sustain the prevailing hard-earned hope.
The only way South Africa can sustain the current hope is through fixing its economy.
Currently, South Africa's economic performance does not only fail to inspire citizens hope, it also fails to inspire investor confidence. The reality is that all the things which are broken in our economy can be fixed and should be fixed. Right now most are not being fixed as a fast enough pace.
The country is battling very high unemployment especially among women and the youth because they are not in education or training nor participating in the economy by being employed or in self-employment.
As the matric class of 2023 sits for their final exams this week, some who passed matric earlier this year have not been able to secure space or funding to further their studies at the country’s available tertiary institutions.
This happens while various companies and government institutions are in dire need of skills that such matriculants can learn or enhance for the nation's economic benefit.
South Africa needs to undertake more programmes that ensure more 18 to 35-year-olds get economically prepared and set up.
Poverty continues to wreak havoc in both rural and urban households.
The families that have some income, have been found unable to withstand the economic pressures brought about on their household income by higher interest rates and higher fuel prices that push the cost of living or operating a business higher in the shortest time.
The input cost for producing food has been high for businesses.
For households, it can only be worse.
With the country’s inequality continuing to widen by the days, it is becoming even more difficult to address.
The further apart those who can afford to make ends meet are from those who cannot, the harder it will be for the country to sustain hope.
Successfully defending the Rugby World Cup title and winning it for a record four times is indeed historical.
But then, this history that we are making is also a challenge for the entire nation.
We are being called on to make history that will usher in a new economic era in to our country.
South Africa is challenged to start making history that will inspire, replicate and sustain hope for all its citizens.
Just as South Africans of all colours, backgrounds and creeds pulled together to prove worthy of this world title as they beat the world, they will still have to pull together to beat themselves challenge by challenge to rekindle their economy that is create educational and entrepreneurial opportunities, counter runway cost of living and bridge the gap of inequality.
And to do this, we need to ensure that every single South African is able to bring to the table whatever point they can bring. We should ensure that if they are unable to come to the table, then we take the table to them rather than leave them out. It will take every single South African's point to claim the inclusive economic victory.
Given Majola is a journalist at Business Report.
BUSINESS REPORT