Growth without redistribution? The case of post-apartheid South Africa. Political feasibility of an alternative path towards employment-centred and inclusive growth.

Abstract

This research paper assesses the viability of a social democratic alternative towards employment-centred and inclusive growth in South Africa today. It more concretely assess the political feasibility of the most ambitious attempt to develop a model that to a substantial extent draws on lessons from the Scandinavian model that is argued to be both relevant and possible to implement in the Global South today, Combating Poverty and Inequality, Structural Change, Social Policy and Politics (UNRISD 2010). This research paper argues that as of today UNRISD s alternative model is not a politically feasible solution in the South African context. Currently, too many barriers stand in the way of successfully establishing a South African social pact that would be conductive to implementation of UNRISD s model. Weak political leadership, policy inconsistency, and trade unions inability to represent South Africa s growing portion of informal and causal workers are barriers that have to be broken before South Africa can more towards an employment-centred and inclusive growth path in the future.