The New Founding Podcast South Africa: Ground Zero for Global DEI – Piet le Roux | #73
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Nov 7, 2025 Piet le Roux, CEO of Sakeliga, brings over 15 years of expertise in economic policy to discuss South Africa's critical challenges. He dives into state-proofing strategies, aimed at safeguarding businesses amid political instability. The conversation explores extensive DEI policies like BEE and the impact of infrastructure collapse. Le Roux also addresses land expropriation without compensation and migration dynamics affecting regional stability. His insights on U.S.-South Africa partnerships highlight the importance of resilience in a turbulent geopolitical landscape.
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Mixed Reality: Excellence And State Failure
- South Africa combines pockets of excellence with significant state incapacity, producing a mixed outcome of functioning communities and failing infrastructure.
- The ANC-era transition replaced apartheid but shifted to race-prioritizing policies while administrative competence dropped.
Adopt State Proofing Now
- Do 'state proofing' by planning for hostile or incapable state scenarios in ventures, businesses, and communities.
- Design operations to handle water, electricity, security, and legal collapse to preserve material requirements and resilience.
On-the-Ground Infrastructure Decay
- Nathan observed stripped rail lines, collapsed roads unrepaired after illegal mining, and copper wire theft causing degraded infrastructure.
- Piet confirmed wide variation by community strength and described towns where local businesses are restoring order.