South Africa Is a Failing State, Harvard Economic Report Says

Poor governance by the African National Congress has caused services in the country to collapse, report states.

Soweto residents picket near the entrance to state entity Eskom Offices at Megawatt Park in Midrand, near Johannesburg, South Africa on June 9, 2021 due to the ongoing electricity disruptions. Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG—Decades of misrule by the African National Congress (ANC) have caused state services to essentially collapse in South Africa, pushing millions of people into poverty and despair, and possibly setting the scene for widespread social unrest in the near future, according to a new report from the Growth Lab at Harvard University.

The report, “Growth Through Inclusion in South Africa,” attempts to explain why South Africa’s economy has consistently failed to grow at the same pace as its peers, with “horrendous social consequences.”