South Africa’s economic growth agenda took an important step forward with the launch of the BLSA Reform Tracker, a powerful new tool designed to track and accelerate policy reforms.
Wesgro was honoured to co-host the Cape Town leg of the launch at The Forum, Embassy Hill recently. The engagement brought together leaders from the public and private sectors, all committed to driving urgent, measurable reforms for the country’s economy.
BLSA’s Reform Tracker offers a data-driven view of the implementation of South Africa’s most critical reforms. By highlighting areas of progress and pinpointing where bottlenecks persist, it promotes transparency and accountability across sectors.
The event featured addresses by Deputy Minister of Finance, Ashor Sarupen, Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, Wesgro CEO, Wrenelle Stander, and BLSA CEO, Busisiwe Mavuso.
Reflecting on the role of transparency in strengthening governance, Deputy Minister Sarupen noted: ‘‘Transparency matters because it allows citizens, investors, and social partners to hold us accountable. By providing an independent view of reform progress, the Tracker will strengthen the culture of delivery that OV seeks to embed in government.”
During his provincial address, Premier Alan Winde underscored the critical role of policy reforms in driving economic growth, emphasising the value of the tracker by stating: “As the Western Cape Government, we welcome this initiative. It will hold not just the national government but our government too, accountable for implementing the structural reform policies our country and region so desperately need to achieve stable and sustainable economic growth.”
Winde further noted: ‘‘Through the Reform Tracker, all stakeholders and role players across the Western Cape and South Africa’s economies will have more of a say in how critical policies should be implemented and better utilised to return efficiency to vital logistics networks to strengthen growth and boost job creation.”
Highlighting the impact of the reform tracker, BLSA CEO Busisiwe Mavuso said: “One of our main aims is to provide further support to government. The tracker enables both government and business to understand the mechanics of what drives reform momentum, but also to identify why a reform may be stalling and what is needed to overcome the blockage.”
‘‘The tool will also support business leaders in making informed decisions based on accurate information. We believe it will be an important contribution to the national effort to achieve our growth ambitions.”
Also speaking at the launch, was Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander who emphasised: “Reform is no longer optional — it’s urgent. Every delayed energy project keeps the lights off and factories idle. Every permit backlog, every stalled infrastructure plan costs jobs, confidence, and competitiveness. The Tracker matters because it strips away the fog and shows, with data, where reform is real and where it is stuck. We must reform our way forward.”
A panel discussion moderated by seasoned media personality, Stephen Grootes, featured Stander, Rudi Dicks (Operation Vulindlela), Busisiwe Mavuso (BLSA CEO), and Lisette IJssel de Schepper (BER Chief Economist). Under the theme: ‘‘Why Do Policy Reforms Matter? ”, the panel explored the urgency of implementing reforms to unlock growth, reduce unemployment, and improve service delivery, and highlighted that reform is a shared responsibility and the foundation for sustainable growth.
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