South Africa needs a new generation of political leaders capable of dealing with a rapidly changing world.
That’s according to Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane, who spoke to 702 about leadership, youth disengagement and the future of politics in the country.
Maimane said many political leaders were still trying to solve problems rooted in the past while failing to prepare the country for the future.
“The rate of change in the world is so profound that we need to almost have a long-term vision coupled with immediate strategic thinking,” he said.
He argued that South Africa’s political system was struggling to keep up with issues like digital transformation, artificial intelligence, climate change and economic inclusion.
‘Fresh thinking’ needed
Maimane said the country’s leadership challenges now required different skills and approaches.
“With now digitising the world, the pace of change is so fast,” he said.
He added that Parliament was often debating issues that no longer reflected the concerns of ordinary South Africans.
“When I reflect on Parliament, I think sometimes Parliament is having discussions that have long gone by, where citizens are asking fresh and new questions about tomorrow.”
The former DA leader also questioned whether political parties were adapting quickly enough to changing forms of political engagement.
“Modern-day branches are on WhatsApp, communities are defined differently, citizens are globally integrated,” he said.
Youth disengagement from politics
Maimane said many young South Africans felt disconnected from formal politics because political parties were not addressing the issues that mattered most to them.
He said young people were entering a digital economy while political parties continued to push outdated economic ideas.
“If you are having an education that’s still teaching you about whatever industrialisation is on the table, and actually you’re not doing coding, robotics, whatever AI future is, you’re not going to participate and believe the political system can solve your problems.”
Maimane said young people were still politically engaged, but often outside traditional party structures.
“They want to be able to go, talk to me about my mental health and then we can enter a discussion about how that links to politics and how you can solve my problems.”
He also said younger South Africans wanted leaders they could relate to.
“Young people are looking at that and kind of asking themselves the question, are they leaders of tomorrow or leaders of today?”
Unite for Change project delayed
Maimane also addressed the future of Unite for Change, the political cooperation initiative involving BOSA, Rise Mzansi and GOOD.
The alliance was announced last year as a possible alternative political force ahead of local government elections.
However, Maimane said confusion around branding and ballot papers made it difficult to implement fully before the elections.
“Voters can’t tell which party they should vote for. Do they vote for BOSA? Do they vote for Unite for Change? Because it feels like two different things.”
He confirmed BOSA would contest the upcoming local government elections independently.
Maimane said cooperation between political parties was still important because South Africa’s political landscape had become too fragmented.
“Politics actually needs consolidation, so that you eliminate this confusion of having hundreds and hundreds of parties.”
