Black Economic Empowerment in your dreams

I saw this ad on TV a few times during my recent trip down to South Africa. The commercial, for South African beer Hansa Pilsener, riffs on the South African government’s Black Economic Empowerment policy, which far from creating opportunities for small businesspeople, have increasingly resulted in a few rich, politically connected billionaires, white owned companies fronted by blacks or what locals refer to as “tenderpreneurs.”

Vuyo stands a better chance of getting a free beer.

Further Reading

Whose progress?

A new documentary reveals how Ethiopia’s manufacturing push redistributes land, labor, and opportunity—delivering gains for some while displacing others.