While many are discussing the assumed downfalls and immediate effects after the World Cup, debating what will happen to the job and housing markets and the stadiums standing empty, others are more focused on discussing the long-term future of our country.
Creating positive perceptions
We have a new national brand in light of the World Cup coverage doing our country proud, but now we need to consider how to ensure the brand becomes a legacy to last for generations beyond our lifetimes.
Throughout the World Cup it is said that an estimated 28 billion TV audiences from around the world would have been watching, all eyes on South Africa, allowing viewers to define their own opinions and perceptions. This is invaluable exposure, as proven with the positive uprising experienced after the Olympics in Barcelona (1992) and Sydney (2000) as well as the previous FIFA World Cup held in Germany in 2006.
2010 is the year of South Africa and with this momentum we are in an ideal place to plan forward, raise our profile and enhance perceptions of South Africa as a ‘can do’ nation.
Future thinking
There exists a group of impassioned people – The South African Chapter of the World Future Society – who are looking further than 2010, past the next decade and beyond! They are posing the questions and applying the logic of future thinking with the aim to create a shared vision for South Africa 2030!
They call themselves future thinkers, futurists, strategists, scenario planners, change managers and future activists. Theirs is the business of foresight, trend mapping and future thinking. By definition, a futurist studies the emerging context and then looks at the objective and the available resources, thus defining foresight based decision-making. They do not predict the future, but they do plan for it.
The World Future Society is not a secret-handshake member’s only organisation, but rather a pro bono group of passionate individuals with the desire to encourage future thinking from community level to business and beyond. Like anything, it starts with a few individuals and grows with a shared vision and understanding, just as the path to South Africa 2030 requires shared values and principles with ongoing conversation and communication in order to achieve quality industry and policy foresight.
There is an old saying that luck is no more than preparation meeting opportunity. We encourage you to consider the ways in which you can be more aware and alert to the key areas requiring immense change and future consideration, so you can set the ‘luck’ machine in motion and engage your critical thinking to plan for a better more desirable future.
Considering the future
· How old will you be in 2030?
· Will you have dependants – in school, university or perhaps an old age home?
· Where do you see yourself living in 20 years time, could it be South Africa?
· What do you want to be doing with your life in 2030?
· How much will South Africa – and the world – have changed?
· How will your house be powered?
· How will you be consuming media and watching television?
· How much influence do you think you have in the future of South Africa?
· On a daily basis, how much of what you think about is based on routine and rote learning versus critical thinking?
· How can you adapt your mindset to think beyond today and tomorrow so as to actively engage in conversations about future opportunities?
· What kind of society must we be to meet the challenges of 2030?
Taking responsibility
To embark on a path of future thinking, we can all start to consider and comprehend the key challenge areas in South Africa – economics, education, environment, energy and ethics – and from there we can live in considered awareness and openness to opportunity.
We can start by speaking our truth, offering our skills, time and insight where we can and contributing to the collective conversation that needs to be happening.
South Africa needs empowered and enthusiastic citizens to get involved in the future of South Africa, whether living in SA or abroad. The kind of change that is needed to take South Africa forward is not to be left to government alone, but rather the kind of change that is needed is the work of a strong and vibrant civil society!
Government gearing for 2025
As part of the Presidency, the National Planning Commission (NPC) has been created to focus on 2025, an ambition beyond the election cycles with the intent to develop a draft long term vision and strategic plan for South Africa to ensure one national plan to which all spheres of government would adhere. The South African National Planning Commission as a vehicle for forward planning was started in 2009, with its members recently appointed in May under the leadership of Trevor Manuel, the previous Finance Minister. The process of developing this draft plan will include discussion and engagement across South Africa and will also provide opportunities for people to come forward with ideas and suggestions.
A positive future is not a spectator’s future, it is a participant’s future!
– Phillip Spies, University of Stellenbosch
