State, Business And Growth In Post-Apartheid South Africa

This paper explores the relationship between 'State-business relations' (SBRs) and pro-poor growth in South Africa. It provides a history of business organization and the role of the large corporations in facilitating the democratic transition and creating a momentum for the development of post-apartheid tripartite negotiating institutions notably the National Economic, Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). Nedlac, however, failed to live up to its promise as a forum for forging consensual socioeconomic policies. The authors suggest that this was because the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) was in an alliance with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and thus could by-pass Nedlac altogether and pursue its labour-market policy objectives directly with the Ministry of Labour.