Greatest challenge facing our economy

Bongiwe Msimanga

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very year, on April 27, South Africa celebrates Freedom day as a reminder of our first ever non-racial democratic election held in 1994. This day symbolises freedom for change, stability and growth for a better South Africa.

Seventeen years of democratic freedom and citizens of South Africa are still faced with many challenges that restrict development for the country. Amongst these challenges: too few South Africans are in work, the quality of school education for most black people in rural areas is sub-standard, performance of public service is uneven due to corruption and the unemployment rate marginalises the rich from the poor.

Unemployment is the highest amongst women, whilst one in two young South Africans are jobless according to the South African Institute of Race Relations. Also an increasingly large amount of citizens are relying on grants to sustain their families.

Ranked as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, high levels of unemployment are the most salient economic problems facing the country, which could tarnish and lead to the country unable to move off its feet from being under-developed. South Africa continues to struggle with one of its prominent battles the scourges the country.