Articles
South Africa could be another UAE
For South Africa to reverse this outflow and compete with jurisdictions such as the UAE, it needs to embark on reforms of exceptional depth and seriousness.
25 February 2026
For South Africa to reverse this outflow and compete with jurisdictions such as the UAE, it needs to embark on reforms of exceptional depth and seriousness.
Like many modern state organs, it no longer exists primarily to serve the public interest but to perpetuate itself.
Our regulatory state encompasses multiple authorities, each with law-making autonomy, each imposing its own distinct requirements.
The well recorded trajectory of Central and Eastern Europe since the fall of communism constitutes a powerful refutation of the notion that forms of socialism offer any kind of sustainable path to human welfare.
This grotesque scene is emblematic of the global anti-money-laundering apparatus.
The West once again seems divided and uncertain of its purpose.
Faced with this bureaucratic gauntlet, countless informal traders will simply disappear deeper into the shadows, avoiding registration and operating beyond the reach of regulation and taxation.
Political freedom was won while economic freedom was forsaken.
The state no longer exists to serve the citizen but to distribute jobs, contracts and influence to pals.
In short, KYC and FICA is not merely an inefficient regulatory burden.