I grew up in a rural village under one of the harshest bantustan regimes, where any open resistance was swiftly crushed. But even in that climate of fear, the seeds of hope and critical thought took root. My first taste of political awareness came through the “African Writers Series” — books that opened a window to Africa’s broader struggle for freedom, self-determination and dignity.
In 1982, as a high school student at Ngaka Maseko High, my peers and I refused to be passive. We organised a student protest against school management and the bantustan’s inferior education system — a brave act for teenagers in those times. I even launched a handwritten, unofficial newsletter, The Fortune, to give a voice to the voiceless. Through Staffrider, Skotaville Publishers and Ravan Press, my political imagination grew. So did my conviction that the ANC’s vision — a united, non-racial, non-sexist and economically inclusive South Africa — was worth standing for.
When I arrived at the University of the North (now Limpopo) in 1984 — then known as the most militant university in the country — I joined a student organisation rooted in the Congress tradition. By 1985, I was part of the ANC’s underground. Like millions of South Africans, I believed in the ANC’s brand then. I still believe in what it can be: a living promise of shared prosperity, not just political freedom.
Today, for the investor community, understanding Brand ANC is more than a political curiosity — it is a vital barometer of South Africa’s policy stability, institutional resilience and economic trajectory.
At its core, branding in politics is not about colours or slogans — it is about credibility and trust. The ANC remains one of the world’s most iconic liberation brands: a movement that ended apartheid and laid the constitutional foundations for Africa’s most advanced economy. This legacy is still its strongest asset. But as a governing party, the ANC must constantly prove that it can translate its liberation heritage into modern, investment-friendly governance.
For investors, the dichotomy is clear: a liberation movement that inspires hope, yet a governing party that must tackle potholes, power cuts, policy drift and corruption scandals that erode confidence. Mismanagement and corruption by some of its deployees too often blur the line between party failures and the institutions of state. The result? The perception that the whole system is beyond reform — a perception that spooks capital, scares off skills and undermines the long-term certainty investors crave.
Yet the story is not one of despair alone. Since 1994, the ANC has overseen undeniable social progress: millions now have housing, water, electricity and basic education. A growing black middle class, a constitutionally protected judiciary, a free press, and robust institutions remain pillars of stability in a turbulent region. South Africa’s core fundamentals — strong banks, deep capital markets, a sophisticated private sector — were built on this stable democratic foundation.
To sustain and expand this, Brand ANC must move boldly from rhetoric to action. Investors want certainty that cadres are deployed to serve, not self-enrich. They want professional, apolitical state institutions that deliver on infrastructure, energy security, crime prevention and policy clarity. They want a state that lives within its means and aligns its ambitious constitutional promises with real fiscal sustainability — not an “unfunded mandate” that breeds social frustration and fiscal risk.
Encouragingly, the ANC still has the tools and the goodwill to pivot. Its renewal must be visible: cleaner audits, fewer tender scandals, clear energy transition pathways, and credible action against those who loot the state. It must protect the rule of law fiercely, so that courts and regulators remain independent buffers that reassure investors that South Africa is open for business and governed by predictable rules, not shifting political winds.
Brand ANC is at a crossroads — it is, it is not, and it is always becoming. For the investor community, its next chapter will determine whether South Africa remains a compelling destination for long-term capital, talent and innovation.
If the ANC listens to citizens and markets alike, acts decisively and aligns its liberation promise with a modern growth agenda, it can reintroduce itself to the world — not just as Africa’s moral beacon, but as a credible partner for shared prosperity.
Tujenge Afrika Pamoja! Let’s Build Africa Together!
Enjoy your weekend.
Saul Molobi (FCIM)
PUBLISHER: JAMBO AFRICA ONLINE
and
Group Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
Brandhill Africa™
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