Transformation is in our (remote) control

I WOULD like to understand the role of black people when it comes to transformation, “It’s simple: prejudice blocks transformation” (May 14).

I work for a company involved in developing engineering projects, and I look at figures for the preparation of a bankable feasibility study. Some of these are in the R100-million range for a multibillion-rand project that can sustain lives for generations to come.

Is it possible for black people to come up with R100-million for such a project? Well, let’s consider their expenditure on a non-life-threatening event like DStv, which raked in R36-billion from its customers in the last financial year.

How much of that would you say came from black people? I would suggest it’s not less than 50%. Let’s say R18-billion; that is R1.5-billion monthly.

If black people were to save one month of their DStv payments, they would be able to fund 12 bankable feasibility studies annually and even fund the actual project costs.

My take? Black people must redirect the funds they use on entertainment to uplift themselves and form their own companies. That is the only “radical” transformation that will solve their economic woes. — Kay Mbayise, by e-mail