Dr Adrian Enthoven emphasised the importance of 'thriving businesses' and social cohesion for South Africa's growth, at the Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert (FVZS) Institute's 5th annual honorary lecture. Dr Enthoven, Executive Chairman of private investment group Yellowwoods, was the guest speaker at this year's event held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) on 4 August.
"No social progress is possible without economic growth. Business has a very significant positive impact on society through the people it employs," said Enthoven.
"Our greatest challenge is arguably economic exclusion," he added, pointing to the need for more educated workers and a "war-like effort to fix education".
"But South Africa today is significantly more transformed than it was in 1994. The question is how we build on the successes of the past 20 years and pay attention to the areas where progress has been particularly slow."
The annual FVZS honorary lectures focuses on the state of democracy and the role young people can play in South Africa, said Dr Leslie van Rooi, Head of the FVZS Institute. It pays tribute to the legacy of political analyst and businessman Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert, leader of the Progressive Federal Party (PFP) during apartheid. Van Zyl Slabbert, who passed away in 2010, was Enthoven's mentor, inviting him to attend the Dakar talks when Enthoven was 17 and helping him land a vacation job at Vrye Weekblad with Max du Preez.
During his lecture, Enthoven argued that it's necessary to rebuild a 'strong political centre that is anchored in the Constitution', in order to prevent state capture, encourage business growth and advance national social cohesion.
"The Constitution is the only thing that stands between us and a 'thug state' where we take our chances in the 'prison yard'," Enthoven continued. "We cannot stand by and allow the systematic raid of our institutions to succeed. The South African democratic project is not a project of a political party, government or parliament. It is our project. As citizens, we collectively own and are the ultimate custodians and guardians of our democracy."
Businesses need to engage more with others and reflect deeply on its role in society and "what it needs to do differently", according to Enthoven.
"I think there are significant numbers of people – leaders, organisations – who are keen to engage in a different way from the past," he concluded. "What I experience in the projects and initiatives I'm involved in, is a real openness to partnership and coming together. We just need to be much more coordinated and organised."
Van Rooi commented on Enthoven's lecture. "I thought he was focused and clear about the path we need to be on as a country, if we want a better South Africa."
Enthoven was invited as guest speaker because of his contribution to youth employment and social justice in South Africa, Van Rooi said. Yellowwoods is heavily involved in projects such as Harambee, "a youth employment accelerator that matches and transitions economically marginalised young people into formal jobs".
"Enthoven helped us understand the value of cohesion if we want to keep the South African dream alive. The University and the FVZS Institute will have to work harder to build bridges," Van Rooi added.
The lecture was also attended by Rector and Vice Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (the event's sponsors), and family of Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert, including his wife Jane and daughter Tania.
"I know how much my father meant to you," Tania told Enthoven. "If he was sitting here today, he would be very touched and proud of everything you've achieved."
From left to right: Dr Beryl Botman, Me Ellen Tise, Dr Adrian Enthoven (speaker), Me Dominique Enthoven, Prof Wim de Villiers, Me Jane Slabbert and Dr Leslie van Rooi. Photographer: Henk Oets
