The Reform Tracker will make it easier to see which reforms are working and where there is help needed to accelerate reform.
With some citizens wondering how we can ever keep track on all government’s promised reforms, technology will now ensure that government and business can see what is working, what is stalled and what is needed to get a reform going.
Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) was the brain behind the innovation introduced today to follow the progress of government reforms. The BLSA Reform Tracker is an online platform designed to monitor and assess the progress of key government reforms that affect the business environment and economic growth.
It was developed by research consultancy Krutham and can be accessed at https://tracker.blsa.org.za/. It evaluates nearly 240 reform deliverables in criminal justice, governance and economic reforms. Each reform is reviewed quarterly and scored based on its progress to show whether it is on track, facing challenges, or encountering critical obstacles.
Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO of BLSA, says the Reform Tracker is a strategic tool to support government and business in understanding reform dynamics. It empowers business leaders to make informed decisions based on credible, up-to-date data.
The first quarterly review reveals encouraging momentum, with 26 reforms completed, 59 showing strong progress, 108 on track but needing attention, while 19 face major obstacles. Significant strides were made in electricity, the financial sector and governance reforms.
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Reform Tracker will complement Operation Vulindlela
Deputy minister of finance, Ashor Sarupen, said at the launch of the BLSA Reform Tracker that it will complement Operation Vulindlela’s own public reporting. “Transparency matters because it allows citizens, investors and social partners to hold us accountable.
“By providing an independent view of reform progress, the Reform Tracker will strengthen the culture of delivery that Operation Vulindlela seeks to embed in government.”
Operation Vulindlela was launched in October 2020 against the backdrop of deep structural constraints that held back South Africa’s economic potential for too long, he said.
“Our starting point was a clear and deliberate diagnosis: we undertook a root-cause analysis of why our growth remained stubbornly low for over a decade. This analysis identified a handful of binding constraints that were holding back investment, limiting competitiveness and undermining productivity across the economy.
“The conclusion was that if we could tackle these constraints head-on, we could unlock significant private sector investment, drive job creation and place the economy on a more inclusive and sustainable growth path.”
Sarupen pointed out that Operation Vulindlela was designed to be pragmatic. “It is a joint initiative of the presidency and National Treasury, drawing on a small but dedicated technical team embedded in both institutions.
“The model was to work alongside line departments, providing targeted capacity, problem-solving support and political momentum to accelerate delivery. Departments remained accountable for implementation, while Operation Vulindlela’s role was to clear bottlenecks, maintain focus and ensure reforms stayed on track.”
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Success of government reforms in first phase of Operation Vulindlela
Phase I of Operation Vulindlela focused on five priority areas where reforms could deliver high economic impact, namely energy security and electricity market reform, freight logistics reform, water-use licensing and bulk water infrastructure delivery, release of high-demand spectrum and modernisation of telecommunications and the reform of the visa regime for skills, tourism and investment.
Sarupen said these were not chosen at random. “Each was the result of detailed economic analysis showing that weaknesses in these areas were at the heart of South Africa’s low growth trap.”
He said as phase I ended, the department convened a workshop with departments, the presidency, National Treasury and partners to reflect honestly on the progress, lessons and the road ahead.
“The message was clear: while much had been achieved, the work was far from done. The enabling conditions created by phase I reforms now needed to be deepened into systemic change and there were other priority areas where reform was urgently needed.”
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Government reforms in phase II of Operation Vulindlela
Phase II of Operation Vulindlela will see the deepening and expanding of the agenda and build on the achievements of the first phase, deepening reforms in the original priority areas while expanding into new domains that are essential for growth and inclusion.
Sarupen said the expansion of the agenda reflects the recognition that to more fully unlock South Africa’s economic potential, we must also address local government capacity and basic service delivery, spatial integration and housing delivery, and digital public infrastructure.
“A distinctive strength of Operation Vulindlela has been its disciplined approach to tracking and reporting progress. Quarterly update reports are published, providing a transparent, evidence-based view of where reforms stand, what has been achieved, and where challenges remain. These reports are not simply internal documents.
“They are a public accountability tool and the Reform Tracker launched today draws directly on this body of work. This ensures that government, business and the public are working from the same set of facts and it reinforces the shared responsibility for delivery.”
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Government finalising delivery plans for phase II government reforms
The department is now working closely with departments to finalise detailed delivery plans for each phase II reform. These plans will set clear milestones, assign responsibilities and define the support needed from Operation Vulindlela to remove obstacles.
“Reforms are not an academic exercise. They are the most direct route to raising South Africa’s potential growth rate, increasing competitiveness and creating jobs. The benefits of reforms are already being felt in areas like new energy investment and improved efficiency in key freight corridors.”
Research by the Bureau for Economic Research suggests that fully implementing the original phase I reforms could raise South Africa’s potential GDP growth rate by around 1.5 percentage points above the baseline of approximately 2%.
Treasury is undertaking its own modelling to estimate the combined impact of phase II reforms on growth, investment and employment. “This evidence will be critical in maintaining political will and securing the sustained effort required for reform.
“The reforms we are implementing now will define our economic trajectory for the next decade. They demand persistence, collaboration and an unwavering focus on outcomes. Operation Vulindlela is a vehicle for that focus, which is pragmatic, data-driven and relentlessly geared toward unlocking growth.”