Virtually, 28 January 2021 (ECA) – The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa held today a virtual validation meeting on a study report on State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa titled “Governance of State-Owned Enterprises in South Africa: Enhancing Performance, Efficiency and Service Delivery.” The validation meeting focused on the context of SOEs in South Africa using case studies of the main SOEs in the country, the challenges and opportunities as well as brief presentations of SOEs challenges and solutions in Lesotho and Mauritius.
SOEs play a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of every country’s economy, noted the Acting Director of ECA’s Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa, Mr. Sizo Mhlanga during his welcome remarks at the validation meeting while underlining the importance of corporate governance of SOEs to ensure financial stability and sustainable global growth. “We are here to address a present-day challenge that we continue to battle with in our region - the issues facing State Owned Enterprises in South Africa, the largest economy in the region not only affect the country but the entire region and beyond and this gathering presents an opportune stepping stone towards addressing these issues,” he noted.