Properly targeted empowerment laws remain vital for helping disadvantaged South Africans gain skills, secure work, and access the opportunities needed to move into the middle class.

The promise of South Africa’s democracy rests on giving every citizen the chance to escape poverty and build a better life. Empowerment laws, when well crafted and effectively implemented, are essential tools for breaking down historic barriers and enabling the poor to join the ranks of the middle class. These policies open the door to skills training, career advancement, and business ownership for millions who have long been excluded from the mainstream economy.

At the same time, there is broad recognition that policy must focus on genuine disadvantage and expand opportunity, not just tick compliance boxes. Empowerment that is grounded in real outcomes, skills, jobs, and business growth, can transform lives and build a bigger, more resilient middle class. Critically, empowerment laws are most effective when they reward the companies and entrepreneurs that create jobs and invest in the economy. This approach ensures that the intended beneficiaries see real opportunity and that the policy drives broader national prosperity.

Economic evidence supports this approach. Countries that expand educational access, training, and entrepreneurial opportunities see faster upward mobility and lower rates of poverty. In South Africa, effective empowerment laws can help more families move out of dependence and into the circle of those who can save, invest, and contribute to a growing economy.

Empowerment is not about replacing one elite with another, but about expanding the middle. Laws that unlock talent, reward job creation, and encourage investment will drive growth, strengthen social cohesion, and deliver a better future for all.