Page 9 - IRMSA Risk Report 2020

Ours is a tale of two countries. Where we find ourselves at a crossroads: despite our progress over the last 25 years, we are
struggling to deal with the combined impacts of slow economic growth, widespread unemployment, sharp inequalities,
and a fragile social fabric. We are at a point in time where our ability to prosper as a nation should be our paramount focus,
irrespective of the government of the day. Our actions as a nation from here onwards will determine the future we face. At
IRMSA, we believe that our success as a country is dependent on “big-picture” and “far-horizon” and “sustainability” thinking
to ensure a prosperous future for all our people. This requires the inclusion of as many stakeholders as possible to create a
positive, but realistic, national narrative aimed at finding collective solutions that are underpinned by visionary leadership
and technical competence. One such competency is the ability to manage our risks and create a resilient country that
can deal with the uncertainties we face. The provision of a quality risk report to leaders in the public, private, labour and
civil society sectors of our economy is a privilege that is not available in many other parts of the world. In fact, most other
regions rely on the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, whereas in South Africa this is overlaid with our very own
risk insights.

As our team interviewed experts on the top risks that we have identified, one key area became clear: the cross-cutting
concern that relates to our country’s ability to deliver on large mega projects, in a sustainable manner. In this regard, three
themes were revealed:

OUR EC ONOMIC WELL-BEING DEPENDS ON OUR ABILIT Y T O UNDIL UTEDLY
FOCUS ON PR O VIDING ELEC TRICIT Y (ENER GY) T O OUR EC ONOMY ; GR O W
OUR GR OSS DOMESTIC PR ODUC T ; AND PR O VIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
M AR GINALISED INDIVIDU ALS T O P ARTICIP ATE IN THE EC ONOMY ;

OUR SOCIAL WELL-BEING DEPENDS ON OUR ABILIT Y T O SUC CESSFULLY
IMPLEMENT THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSUR ANCE PR OGR AMME AND
RESPONSIBLY REDISTRIBUTE L AND , BO TH OF WHICH C OULD HA VE
MULTIPLE BENEFIT S FOR THE REST OF OUR EC ONOMY ;

THE ABO VE (AND M AN Y O THER CRITIC AL PR OJEC T S IN OUR C OUNTR Y)
DEPEND ON OUR ABILIT Y T O PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT JOBS .
AS ONE EXPERT EXPL AINED , “ IT IS NO T THAT WE DO NO T HA VE THE
SKILLS , IT IS THAT WE ARE UNABLE T O UNLEASH THEM IN THE RIGHT
R OLES T O BUILD OUR FUTURE .”

In this context, the IRMSA Risk Report takes a different shape this year. We have structured a storyline that we hope will
guide our readers in considering their own contributions in our country:

1. The IRMSA President, Berenice Francis outlines what is required from IRMSA to support a risk-resilient South Africa;
2. The Key Message from the 2019 IRMSA Annual Conference positions what we face as a nation and how we should
move forward;
3. We analyse various scenarios for our country (developed by eminent experts) to position IRMSA’s perspective on the
scenarios our country may face should we continue to do what we do now; which is tantamount to admiring our risk,
without taking real action.
WE ARE HERE WE ARE GOING HERE

PERPE TU AL F AKE IT TILL WE SPRING OF HOPE
HANGO VER M AKE IT . . . OR
N OT ?
Short-termism, social Taking individual and
IRMSA
bankruptcy, ultimate Lofty goals, not prepared to collective charge of our
implosion of the State make tough calls, ignoring future, building a new
the elephant in the room, national consensus to drive
hoping for the best a resilient society

T A B L E 1 : I R M S A ’ S S O U T H A F R I C A S C E N A R I O S .
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