From employees to employers: How SA's Indian community can help build the SADC Vision 2050

MINDSET SHIFT

Dr Andrisha Beharry-Ramraj, from left, Pemmy Majodina, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, and Dr Gwendoline Malegwale Ramokgopa, Treasurer General of the ANC, at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government at the Durban ICC.

Image: Supplied

I RECENTLY had the privilege of attending a SADC Public Lecture, and I left with a strong sense that the vision for our region cannot be achieved by governments alone. It requires ordinary citizens, communities, businesses, universities and young people to take ownership of the future we want to create.

As an Indian South African and an academic at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, I believe we, as the Indian community, have an important role to play.

The SADC Vision 2050 presents a vision of a peaceful, inclusive, competitive and prosperous region. But for this vision to become a reality, we need to ask ourselves: What are we doing as individuals and as a community to contribute to this future?

One area where I believe we need a major mindset shift is employment and entrepreneurship. South Africa continues to face extremely high levels of unemployment and poverty. These challenges cannot be solved simply by creating more people who are looking for jobs. We also need to create people who create jobs.

As an Indian community, we need to move beyond the mindset of “I need to find a job” and increasingly embrace the mindset of “How can I create an opportunity for myself and others?”

This does not mean that everyone must become a business owner. It means that we should encourage a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, problem-solving and economic participation. Our ancestors arrived in this beautiful country with very little. They faced enormous challenges, yet they built families, businesses, communities, schools and institutions. They worked hard, persevered and created opportunities where opportunities did not always exist.

We need that spirit again. Our young people should not only be encouraged to pursue qualifications that make them employable; they should also be encouraged to ask how their knowledge and skills within those qualifications can be transformed into businesses, services, innovations, and employment opportunities for others.

Universities have a particularly important role to play. Entrepreneurship education should not be limited to business students. Students in engineering, science, education, health, humanities and other disciplines should be encouraged to identify problems and develop solutions that can become sustainable enterprises.

How can we contribute to SADC Vision 2050?

There are many practical ways in which our community can help move the SADC agenda forward.

Firstly, we must strengthen entrepreneurship. We need to support young entrepreneurs through mentorship, networking, access to markets and business knowledge. Established businesses can play a major role by mentoring emerging entrepreneurs and opening opportunities within their supply chains.

Secondly, we must invest in skills. Digital skills, financial literacy, artificial intelligence, innovation and business management will increasingly determine who participates meaningfully in the future economy.

Thirdly, we must create opportunities for young people. Instead of asking only, “Where can my child find a job?”, we should also ask, “What problem can my child solve?” and “What business can my child create?”

Fourthly, we must support local enterprise. Every time we support a small business, mentor an entrepreneur or help someone develop a marketable skill, we contribute to economic development.

Finally, we must collaborate. The challenges facing South Africa and the SADC region are too complex for individuals or communities to solve alone. Business, government, universities, civil society and communities must work together.

Remember, the SADC Vision 2050 is not only about economic prosperity. It is about creating a future that is sustainable, inclusive and resilient. This means that development must take place in a way that allows our children and grandchildren to enjoy the same opportunities, resources and natural environment that we have today. Growth should not mean simply producing and consuming more. It should mean creating better, smarter and more sustainable ways of living and working.

As an Indian South African community, this is an area where we can make a meaningful contribution. Our history teaches us the importance of making the most of what we have. Many of our ancestors arrived in South Africa with very limited resources. They learned to work hard, build communities, support one another and create something from very little. Today, we have an opportunity to apply that same principle to sustainability: preserve what we have, use resources responsibly and create business solutions that will benefit generations to come.

The SADC Vision 2050 is not simply a government document. It is a call to action. As the Indian community, we have a proud history of resilience, enterprise, education and community building. We should use that legacy to contribute to the South African and SADC region we want our children and grandchildren to inherit. We must stop waiting for opportunities and start creating opportunities. Our ancestors came here and made it happen against incredible odds. Now it is our turn to make it happen again.

If we embrace entrepreneurship, understand the importance of sustainability, invest in our young people, create businesses and share knowledge, we can help build a more prosperous South Africa and, in doing so, help turn the SADC Vision 2050 from an ambitious vision into a lived reality.

Let us not simply talk about the future. Let us build it.

Dr Andrisha Beharry-Ramraj is a Senior Academic from the College of Law and Management, School of Commerce, Discipline of Management at UKZN.

*** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or *post.co.za

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