BLSA Reform Tracker will keep tabs on progress of government reforms
With some citizens wondering how we can ever keep track on all government's promised reforms, technology will now ensure that government and business can see what is working, what is stalled and what is needed to get a reform going.
Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) was the brain behind the innovation introduced today to follow the progress of government reforms. The BLSA Reform Tracker is an online platform designed to monitor and assess the progress of key government reforms that affect the business environment and economic growth.
It was developed by research consultancy Krutham and can be accessed at https://tracker.blsa.org.za/. It evaluates nearly 240 reform deliverables in criminal justice, governance and economic reforms. Each reform is reviewed quarterly and scored based on its progress to show whether it is on track, facing challenges, or encountering critical obstacles.
Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO of BLSA, says the Reform Tracker is a strategic tool to support government and business in understanding reform dynamics. It empowers business leaders to make informed decisions based on credible, up-to-date data.
The first quarterly review reveals encouraging momentum, with 26 reforms completed, 59 showing strong progress, 108 on track but needing attention, while 19 face major obstacles. Significant strides were made in electricity, the financial sector and governance reforms.
ALSO READ: BLSA's reform tracker will keep an eye on government reforms
Reform Tracker will complement Operation Vulindlela
Deputy minister of finance, Ashor Sarupen, said at the launch of the BLSA Reform Tracker that it will complement Operation Vulindlela's own public reporting. 'Transparency matters because it allows citizens, investors and social partners to hold us accountable.
'By providing an independent view of reform progress, the Reform Tracker will strengthen the culture of delivery that Operation Vulindlela seeks to embed in government.'
Operation Vulindlela was launched in October 2020 against the backdrop of deep structural constraints that held back South Africa's economic potential for too long, he said.
'Our starting point was a clear and deliberate diagnosis: we undertook a root-cause analysis of why our growth remained stubbornly low for over a decade. This analysis identified a handful of binding constraints that were holding back investment, limiting competitiveness and undermining productivity across the economy.
'The conclusion was that if we could tackle these constraints head-on, we could unlock significant private sector investment, drive job creation and place the economy on a more inclusive and sustainable growth path.'
Sarupen pointed out that Operation Vulindlela was designed to be pragmatic. 'It is a joint initiative of the presidency and National Treasury, drawing on a small but dedicated technical team embedded in both institutions.
'The model was to work alongside line departments, providing targeted capacity, problem-solving support and political momentum to accelerate delivery. Departments remained accountable for implementation, while Operation Vulindlela's role was to clear bottlenecks, maintain focus and ensure reforms stayed on track.'
ALSO READ: 'Operation Vulindlela update provides detailed progress' – Presidency
Success of government reforms in first phase of Operation Vulindlela
Phase I of Operation Vulindlela focused on five priority areas where reforms could deliver high economic impact, namely energy security and electricity market reform, freight logistics reform, water-use licensing and bulk water infrastructure delivery, release of high-demand spectrum and modernisation of telecommunications and the reform of the visa regime for skills, tourism and investment.
Sarupen said these were not chosen at random. 'Each was the result of detailed economic analysis showing that weaknesses in these areas were at the heart of South Africa's low growth trap.'
He said as phase I ended, the department convened a workshop with departments, the presidency, National Treasury and partners to reflect honestly on the progress, lessons and the road ahead.
'The message was clear: while much had been achieved, the work was far from done. The enabling conditions created by phase I reforms now needed to be deepened into systemic change and there were other priority areas where reform was urgently needed.'
ALSO READ: Housing, local gov and digital transformation at the forefront of Operation Vulindlela phase II
Government reforms in phase II of Operation Vulindlela
Phase II of Operation Vulindlela will see the deepening and expanding of the agenda and build on the achievements of the first phase, deepening reforms in the original priority areas while expanding into new domains that are essential for growth and inclusion.
Sarupen said the expansion of the agenda reflects the recognition that to more fully unlock South Africa's economic potential, we must also address local government capacity and basic service delivery, spatial integration and housing delivery, and digital public infrastructure.
'A distinctive strength of Operation Vulindlela has been its disciplined approach to tracking and reporting progress. Quarterly update reports are published, providing a transparent, evidence-based view of where reforms stand, what has been achieved, and where challenges remain. These reports are not simply internal documents.
'They are a public accountability tool and the Reform Tracker launched today draws directly on this body of work. This ensures that government, business and the public are working from the same set of facts and it reinforces the shared responsibility for delivery.'
ALSO READ: Decisive intervention needed for municipal performance — BLSA
Government finalising delivery plans for phase II government reforms
The department is now working closely with departments to finalise detailed delivery plans for each phase II reform. These plans will set clear milestones, assign responsibilities and define the support needed from Operation Vulindlela to remove obstacles.
'Reforms are not an academic exercise. They are the most direct route to raising South Africa's potential growth rate, increasing competitiveness and creating jobs. The benefits of reforms are already being felt in areas like new energy investment and improved efficiency in key freight corridors.'
Research by the Bureau for Economic Research suggests that fully implementing the original phase I reforms could raise South Africa's potential GDP growth rate by around 1.5 percentage points above the baseline of approximately 2%.
Treasury is undertaking its own modelling to estimate the combined impact of phase II reforms on growth, investment and employment. 'This evidence will be critical in maintaining political will and securing the sustained effort required for reform.
'The reforms we are implementing now will define our economic trajectory for the next decade. They demand persistence, collaboration and an unwavering focus on outcomes. Operation Vulindlela is a vehicle for that focus, which is pragmatic, data-driven and relentlessly geared toward unlocking growth.'
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BLSA launches 'Reform Tracker' to monitor progress of government reforms
Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has officially launched an online platform to monitor the reforms that government is implementing. The Reform Tracker follows the reforms that matter most for the business environment 'across criminal justice, governance and economic categories'. These are key to unlocking economic growth, says BLSA. The platform is accessible to anyone on the BLSA website and will enable both the public and private sectors to quickly track the progress of reforms and see where there are blockages. BLSA CEO Busisiwe Mavuso says they are tracking more than 240 reforms right now. "The Tracker shows what is moving, what is stalling and what needs urgent attention; helping policy makers, business leaders and investors map the road to reform in real time." Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO - Business Leadership SA
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
BLSA Reform Tracker will keep tabs on progress of government reforms
The Reform Tracker will make it easier to see which reforms are working and where there is help needed to accelerate reform. With some citizens wondering how we can ever keep track on all government's promised reforms, technology will now ensure that government and business can see what is working, what is stalled and what is needed to get a reform going. Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) was the brain behind the innovation introduced today to follow the progress of government reforms. The BLSA Reform Tracker is an online platform designed to monitor and assess the progress of key government reforms that affect the business environment and economic growth. It was developed by research consultancy Krutham and can be accessed at It evaluates nearly 240 reform deliverables in criminal justice, governance and economic reforms. Each reform is reviewed quarterly and scored based on its progress to show whether it is on track, facing challenges, or encountering critical obstacles. Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO of BLSA, says the Reform Tracker is a strategic tool to support government and business in understanding reform dynamics. It empowers business leaders to make informed decisions based on credible, up-to-date data. The first quarterly review reveals encouraging momentum, with 26 reforms completed, 59 showing strong progress, 108 on track but needing attention, while 19 face major obstacles. Significant strides were made in electricity, the financial sector and governance reforms. ALSO READ: BLSA's reform tracker will keep an eye on government reforms Reform Tracker will complement Operation Vulindlela Deputy minister of finance, Ashor Sarupen, said at the launch of the BLSA Reform Tracker that it will complement Operation Vulindlela's own public reporting. 'Transparency matters because it allows citizens, investors and social partners to hold us accountable. 'By providing an independent view of reform progress, the Reform Tracker will strengthen the culture of delivery that Operation Vulindlela seeks to embed in government.' Operation Vulindlela was launched in October 2020 against the backdrop of deep structural constraints that held back South Africa's economic potential for too long, he said. 'Our starting point was a clear and deliberate diagnosis: we undertook a root-cause analysis of why our growth remained stubbornly low for over a decade. This analysis identified a handful of binding constraints that were holding back investment, limiting competitiveness and undermining productivity across the economy. 'The conclusion was that if we could tackle these constraints head-on, we could unlock significant private sector investment, drive job creation and place the economy on a more inclusive and sustainable growth path.' Sarupen pointed out that Operation Vulindlela was designed to be pragmatic. 'It is a joint initiative of the presidency and National Treasury, drawing on a small but dedicated technical team embedded in both institutions. 'The model was to work alongside line departments, providing targeted capacity, problem-solving support and political momentum to accelerate delivery. Departments remained accountable for implementation, while Operation Vulindlela's role was to clear bottlenecks, maintain focus and ensure reforms stayed on track.' ALSO READ: 'Operation Vulindlela update provides detailed progress' – Presidency Success of government reforms in first phase of Operation Vulindlela Phase I of Operation Vulindlela focused on five priority areas where reforms could deliver high economic impact, namely energy security and electricity market reform, freight logistics reform, water-use licensing and bulk water infrastructure delivery, release of high-demand spectrum and modernisation of telecommunications and the reform of the visa regime for skills, tourism and investment. Sarupen said these were not chosen at random. 'Each was the result of detailed economic analysis showing that weaknesses in these areas were at the heart of South Africa's low growth trap.' He said as phase I ended, the department convened a workshop with departments, the presidency, National Treasury and partners to reflect honestly on the progress, lessons and the road ahead. 'The message was clear: while much had been achieved, the work was far from done. The enabling conditions created by phase I reforms now needed to be deepened into systemic change and there were other priority areas where reform was urgently needed.' ALSO READ: Housing, local gov and digital transformation at the forefront of Operation Vulindlela phase II Government reforms in phase II of Operation Vulindlela Phase II of Operation Vulindlela will see the deepening and expanding of the agenda and build on the achievements of the first phase, deepening reforms in the original priority areas while expanding into new domains that are essential for growth and inclusion. Sarupen said the expansion of the agenda reflects the recognition that to more fully unlock South Africa's economic potential, we must also address local government capacity and basic service delivery, spatial integration and housing delivery, and digital public infrastructure. 'A distinctive strength of Operation Vulindlela has been its disciplined approach to tracking and reporting progress. Quarterly update reports are published, providing a transparent, evidence-based view of where reforms stand, what has been achieved, and where challenges remain. These reports are not simply internal documents. 'They are a public accountability tool and the Reform Tracker launched today draws directly on this body of work. This ensures that government, business and the public are working from the same set of facts and it reinforces the shared responsibility for delivery.' ALSO READ: Decisive intervention needed for municipal performance — BLSA Government finalising delivery plans for phase II government reforms The department is now working closely with departments to finalise detailed delivery plans for each phase II reform. These plans will set clear milestones, assign responsibilities and define the support needed from Operation Vulindlela to remove obstacles. 'Reforms are not an academic exercise. They are the most direct route to raising South Africa's potential growth rate, increasing competitiveness and creating jobs. The benefits of reforms are already being felt in areas like new energy investment and improved efficiency in key freight corridors.' Research by the Bureau for Economic Research suggests that fully implementing the original phase I reforms could raise South Africa's potential GDP growth rate by around 1.5 percentage points above the baseline of approximately 2%. Treasury is undertaking its own modelling to estimate the combined impact of phase II reforms on growth, investment and employment. 'This evidence will be critical in maintaining political will and securing the sustained effort required for reform. 'The reforms we are implementing now will define our economic trajectory for the next decade. They demand persistence, collaboration and an unwavering focus on outcomes. Operation Vulindlela is a vehicle for that focus, which is pragmatic, data-driven and relentlessly geared toward unlocking growth.'
The Citizen
6 days ago
- The Citizen
BLSA's reform tracker will keep an eye on government reforms
It is hard for citizens and other stakeholders to keep up with all government's reform programmes and monitor progress. Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) is launching its Reform Tracker this week, which will keep an eye on government reforms to ensure that they are successful. It will monitor hundreds of government reforms online to assess progress and highlight blockages. Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), says in her latest newsletter that the fortunes of businesses are tied to those of government. 'If government fails, the country fails. If the country fails, business fails. This is not sentiment, it is economic reality.' She says that is why organised business, including the BLSA, spends substantial resources on supporting government to deliver reforms that improve the business environment, enabling economic growth and employment. 'Let me be clear about what we are confronting. Youth unemployment affects two out of three young people in this country, which is a ticking time bomb. The July 2021 unrest was not just a rule-of-law crisis but a poverty and exclusion problem. 'When millions of people stand on the sidelines watching others participate in the economy, it creates a foundation for instability that no amount of private security can contain.' ALSO READ: 'SA's star rising,' Ramaphosa says, as CEOs pledge support for economic reform [VIDEO] Businesses cannot operate in failing state, therefore we need to keep eye on reforms Mavuso warns that businesses cannot operate effectively in a failing state. We saw this over the past decade with load shedding costing us billions, port inefficiencies limiting export potential and crime driving up operational costs. She points out that the test of economic reforms must be whether they actually change things. 'Do they make it easier and cheaper to do business? When government systems fail, business carries the cost through higher security expenses, backup power generation, alternative logistics arrangements and lost productivity. 'Ultimately, that renders us uncompetitive as an economy, compounding our problems by leaving us unable to compete in global markets.' However, she says, by working with government, we saw tangible progress. 'The GNU cleared visa backlogs that were costing us tourism revenue and skilled workers. We largely ended load shedding through collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors. Our efforts were not charitable endeavours but investments with measurable returns. 'But every rand we spend supporting government and reform is a rand not invested in core business operations, expansion, or innovation. Our shareholders and stakeholders rightly question why business should subsidise government failures. There is an opportunity cost to deploying our best people on fixing state problems rather than growing our businesses. 'We must also be clear that we do not desire a permanent state of dependency. Our interventions have been focused on dealing with the legacy of state capture, which destroyed so much of our institutional capacity in government and set us back many years. Our efforts must have an endpoint.' ALSO READ: Business partnership with government shows results – BLSA Reform Tracker will track government reforms and successes Therefore, she says, we must ensure that where we deploy resources, there is a clear pathway to conclusion. This is where the BLSA Reform Tracker will fulfil its role as a new public resource, an online tool that tracks hundreds of different government reforms and assesses progress, noting successes and highlighting blockages. 'We will share much more about this initiative at the launches being held with members and the media on Thursday in Johannesburg and on Friday in Cape Town. Available to everyone, the tool will enable both the public and private sectors to quickly track the progress of reforms and empower all of us to better work together to deliver an improved business environment. It will track many reforms – not only those that business has partnered government on, and will, I hope, help accelerate progress to ensure that reforms conclude. 'Business is ready to invest in infrastructure and skills, but we need a government equally committed to reform and delivery. This partnership must be properly structured with clear objectives, timelines and accountability mechanisms. We need sprint targets, measurable outcomes and regular evaluation of progress. The BLSA Reform Tracker will support that effort.' ALSO READ: Housing, local gov and digital transformation at the forefront of Operation Vulindlela phase II Electricity reforms working, but litigation undermining reform effort Mavuso says one critical area of reform is the electricity system in South Africa. 'We've already made much progress, but recently the licensing of electricity traders faced legal challenges from Eskom. The litigation can undermine the reform process, and last week, BLSA and Business Unity South Africa published a joint statement strongly condemning Eskom's efforts to undermine the reform effort. 'I want to commend Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa for his swift response. On Friday, he published a statement urging Eskom to drop its legal challenge. The minister acknowledged Eskom's concerns that an electricity market must be rules-based and fair to all. 'Nersa [National Energy Regulator of South Africa] is engaged in an accelerated three-month process to establish the framework, and the minister has urged Eskom to delay any legal action pending that process. The minister demonstrated his commitment to the reforms and is providing the leadership needed to ensure they stay on track.' ALSO READ: Remote Work Visitor Visa: Home Affairs introduces reforms to boost economic growth Must focus on concluding reforms, not slow them down with litigation She emphasises that the reform process government is leading is clear and positive. 'Business has strongly supported the plan, which already led to private investments in new electricity capacity worth billions of rands. Eskom must align itself with the reform momentum. 'We must focus on urgently concluding the reforms, not trying to stymie progress through litigation. The planned reforms will enable electricity trading in South Africa, with multiple generators supplying electricity to multiple customers across the grid. 'This is vital to ensure electricity security, but also to start bringing down electricity prices in the country after so many years of dramatic increases. Eskom was the first entity to receive a trading licence, and subsequently, five further licences have been granted to private sector operators. 'Eskom's transmission subsidiary is going to become an independent systems operator that will manage the grid to connect generators to customers. This should be the focus – providing the grid capacity to support the competitive electricity market that is developing.'
