SA seen as example in its labour practices

A RECENT trip to Italy for a conference titled “The Promotion of Decent Work in the Rural Economy”, made me realise that our paese (country) is not so bad after all – in fact, we are pretty

bellisimo (good/beautiful). Let me explain. Compared with our counterparts in other developing countries, we have created a strong movement for decent work in South Africa, even though much still needs to be done to grow the economy through entrepreneurship, fair labour practices and the diversification of our prominent entrepreneurial sectors.

In fact, attending the conference, hosted by the International Training Centre (ITC) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), made me proud to be South African.

We are constantly having those difficult conversations, we have the right policies and sound legal framework in place to create decent work for our citizens, and we can take pride in what has been achieved by our young democracy. Should we sit back and pat ourselves on the back, congratulate ourselves on a job well done?

Definitely not – we still have a long way to go, and we can certainly learn a lot from the best practices of our African counterparts.

Countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana are leading in the areas of access to technology in rural communities.

This is seen even in the cost of data in those countries against South Africa.

One of the site visits in Italy, part of the Decent Work Conference programme, included a trip to a pear and apple processing factory, on a small-scale farm near Turin.

Il Frutto Permesso has a waste station that powers the small factory on the farm.

Everything is done on the farm, from planting and harvesting to processing and packaging.

A restaurant on the farm served produce to visitors, adding the element of rural tourism.

We certainly have all the elements in South Africa to duplicate such a model in our rural economy – but this must be supported by youth and women development in science, technology, engineering and maths, which could result in a similar setup to that of the Italian farm in a place like the rural Eastern Cape

The province is an ideal location for several rural tourism and agro-processing facilities.

While women and youth development remain on the agenda of the South African economy, there must be more effort and activity to encourage this demographic to enter science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors and to produce solutions for rural problems.

This encouragement must be supported with conscious deliberate investment into youth, specifically from rural areas, to encourage them to reinvest in their communities.

Reducing urban migration is not possible without investing in rural development.

It will not happen overnight, but it can be done if the right measures are put in place and all the role players come together.

I was surprised to learn at the conference that South Africa is considered a benchmark – in particular our organised labour practices – for the movement for decent wages related to the work done by an employee (for example the recently improved rights of farm workers).

While unions do not always have the best reputation, their work is appreciated abroad.

Citizens need to take pride in our country and send more positive messages about it.

There are still so many misconceptions about South Africa.

Now is the time to believe in ourselves and our abilities, to support one another and to work towards decent employment for all.