South Africans Will Strongly Support the Government’s Proposal for Labour Market Reform

The Common Sense has reported that South Africa’s government is considering sweeping reforms of the country’s labour laws. 

The two most prominent reforms include that during the first three months of employment, employees may be dismissed without the need for a formal hearing, and that new small businesses will be exempt from bargaining council agreements for their first two years of operation. 

These are very welcome measures as they will help to price poor people into work, which is a necessary step towards putting the pin back into the national political stability hand grenade, which exists in an unemployment rate of over 30%, with that for young people at above 50%. 

Too often myths abound that sound reforms like these cannot be introduced because the public will rebel. That is usually nonsense peddled by influencers who want the reforms to stall – as the data in this case again reveals. 

Social Research Foundation (SRF) polling from as early as 2023 revealed that 80% of South Africans strongly agree that the country's labour laws make it difficult to create jobs and that these laws should be relaxed to allow more people to find work. Additionally, 5% somewhat agree, bringing total support for reform to 86%. 

Support for reform is consistent across demographic groups: 

• 81% of black respondents; 

• 79% of coloured respondents; 

• 87% of Indian respondents; and 

• 74% of white respondents. 

Political parties also show significant support: 

• 83% of ANC supporters; 

• 73% of DA supporters; and 

• 87% of EFF supporters. 

South Africans are not the rigidly dogmatic, business-hating fundamentalists that many left-wing actors wish them to be. They don’t feel the need for the state to protect them from employers. Quite the opposite is true, and they want the state to get out of the way so that more people can find work, learn skills, and earn their own income.