How to Fix (unf*ck) a Country: Six things to reboot South Africa

by Roy Havemann

After state capture, South Africa is f*cked not in a good place. The system is down. How do we reboot?

Our is not the first country to find itself in a difficult spot. China, India, South Korea, Vietnam and many others have gone from being economic basket cases to powerhouses, lifting millions out of poverty. So how can we pick ourselves up and fix things? In this book, Roy Havemann argues that right now we need to focus on six basic 'E' Eskom, Education, Environment, Exports, Equality, and Ethics.

Havemann lays out how we can practically bring in lessons from other countries and learn from their achievements and mistakes, for example, how China, Greece and Colombia solved load-shedding, how different South American countries are dealing with inequality and how Brazil and Kenya are upgrading their education systems.
He shows that we are slowly moving in the right direction. Our own 'Operation Vulindlela' delivery unit, which is a joint initiative of the Presidency and the Treasury, is implementing change where it's needed but more can be done to accelerate reforms to make South Africa a success. Sometimes the solutions to our problems are right here in our very own country – all that is needed is for us to recognise and harness them.

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Alistair Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, clear, easy to read, well researched and, despite outlining just how bad things are in areas like education in SA, or corruption, refreshingly optimistic about our ability to get back on track.

[Michael Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a recent event for this book, Dennis Davis (former High Court judge, presenter of the television show Judge for Yourself and progressive intellectual) said that every cabinet minister, Parliamentarian and voter should read this book. I agree. While Havemann and I may not be on the same sides of many economic ideological debates, this book is undoubtedly a simple recipe to get South Africa moving in the right direction. As Havemann readily acknowledges, there is nothing sexy or ground breaking in these recommendations - most are even government policy - but our inability to implement them is holding us back. Let’s hope Dennis Davis’ words are heeded.

[Jané · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone that is not a fan of keeping up with South Africa's political shenanigans I found this book equally hopeful and useful. When debates arise on how the country is doomed, I frequently find myself brining up topics and ideas from the book. It also helps to fight the doomscrolling on Twitter.

Havemann explains it so that even a simpleton like me can understand what is going on and how we can go about fixing it.

[Jonah Naidoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtfully written, insightful with practical actions. I loved the way Roy breaks down economic policy and remains optimistic on SA ✊🏽