South Africa’s unemployment rate, currently at 32,9%, represents not merely a statistical indicator but a profound socio-economic crisis with far-reaching human consequences. For our nation, 32.9% means that 8.2 million people, including 62.4% of young South Africans aged 15 to 24, are unable to support themselves or their families. It means millions of our youth, our breadwinners, our graduates, and our entrepreneurs are locked out of the economy growing at a paltry 0.8%.
And yet, in the midst of this socioeconomic pressure, South Africa’s offshore petroleum potential remains largely untapped. This is not due to lack of resource, capability, or need, but because of a global narrative that increasingly penalises countries like ours for trying to grow.
This must change.
Before 1949, Qatar was one of the poorest nations in…
