STEERING TRUE NORTH Through BRICS South Africa has access to the global market and access to capital. And the Business Council plays a crucial role. It is there to ensure that, as a country, South Africa can channel Foreign Direct Investment from across t

WHEN you identify an opportunity grab it, steer it and keep it on course with everything you have. I believe in steering true north, and now we have an opportunity to chart a new course for the great SAS South Africa.

As the chairperson of the BRICS business council, South Africa chapter; as an innovative entrepreneur and businessman, and above all else, a South African, I have many concerns.

Our high unemployment rate, educating our youth, equipping them with relevant skills, building infrastructure, our GDP and attracting Foreign Direct Investment are high on my agenda.

There is no argument that we are dealing with one of the most important destructive apartheid legacies, second-class education – which led to a myriad of social evils. The results of which needs more than just two decades to repair.

We have to credit our government for realising the goal for SA to be a partner in this multi-national forum. The State continues to amend policies and laws to create attractive conditions to draw investments.

It was after intense lobbying with economic giants and wealth-creating nations – Brazil, Russia, India and China – that we joined the partnership seven years ago. We set ourselves on a course and to roll back centuries of economic drought.

BRICS gives us an opportunity to create jobs, and work in tangent with the partnership to reskill and upskill our workforce.

Job opportunities are needed for all South Africans who have no work, but of more concern is that more than half of our young people do not have jobs.

The danger of young people living in poverty with no prospects is alarming, and so too is the concern that this can lead to social upheaval.

The International Labour Organisation estimates 52.3 percent of young people aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed, making us the second highest in the world. The global figure hovers around 13 percent.

It is not up to the government alone to fix this. The State is not a creator of a lot of jobs. This is where the private sector has a role to play, to work hand-in-hand with the government.

It is without question – for our economy to grow, we need to create jobs for millions of young people, SA participates in many multi-national institutions, like the United Nations, the African Union, and the G20.

Our partnership with BRICS is not meant to be at the exclusion of other investment partners like the EU and North America. It is intended to augment the partnership and draw increased investment.

But, protectionism politics from traditional trading partners like the Uited States and some European countries have had immediate negative economic consequences for South Africa and the