Government’s attitude to business can best be described as antagonistic with very little trust left, said Ryan Ravens, CEO of Accelerate Cape Town. Speaking during a panel discussion on how the Western Cape can counteract the recent credit ratings downgrades, Ravens said the downgrades reflected the seriousness of the situation. “The problem with the political chaos we find outselves in is that there is no certainty where the policy is going.” He said it remained extremely difficult for business to operate in such an environment. “South Africa, however, is still the most viable value proposition in Africa, with good infrastructure and an excellent financial system. One cannot, however, underestimate the confidence and trust in political leadership.” He said it was positive to see attempts in the Western Cape to turn the situation around, but that anything done in the province had to be escalated to national level.
