Learning from South Africa's Failure to Address Historical Injustices

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After the transition in South Africa, instead of empowering a new technocratic elite, the government ended up rewarding cronies who sought personal gain. This led to a toxic situation where corrupt executives and politicians were enriched, while a nationalist ideology was used to perpetually scapegoat the old regime. The Truth and Reconciliation process in South Africa did not truly occur, unlike in Rwanda where efforts were made to unify the population and not punish all complicit individuals to avoid breaking the state. South Africa, in attempting to redress historical injustices and implement regime change, ended up facing severe consequences.

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss Africa as the potential "next China," its corrupt governments, and Botswana's leadership example. They also touch on the Indian Ocean's geopolitical significance, what it means for the global Islamist movements and migration trends towards China, and the need for strong local governance to avoid pitfalls like civil war and kleptocracy. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://www.shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period.

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LINKS:

Samo’s Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Intro

(00:25) What's happened in Africa over the past 20 years

(05:26) Nigeria and Ethiopia without the civil war.

(08:30) Make the new states of Africa become wealthy

(10:00) Botswana as an example of a well-run presidential democracy

(12:40) Diamond mining in Botswana and partnership with De Beers

(15:20) Nigeria's Economic growth

(22:24) Sponsor - Shopify

(23:59) Bullish case for Africa rests more on the development projects of Ethiopia

(35:44) Africa's importance in the broader geopolitical struggle among great powers

(41:10) Lessons from South Africa's deep history

(49:05) On countries becoming decolonized and independent and becoming sustainable

(54:11) Challenges faced by the regions of Africa

(56:28) Wrap

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.