Knowing Bruce Whitfield to be a modest chap, I immediately realised that Genius is not the title of an autobiography. Instead, it is a book that explores SA excellence, a refreshing departure from the day-to-day negativity that seems to pervade in this country.
It looks at our achievements and achievers — with insightful, but rather too pithy, analysis of what holds back even more South Africans from advancing within our own borders. What would be the effect if entrepreneurial superstars such as Elon Musk were domiciled here and paid tax to our beloved Sars? Massive.
Whitfield looks at several sectors where out geniuses have triumphed, domestically and internationally. This book is at its best where he gives a rounded history of the inventor and of the invention, but is less absorbing where the examples are condensed, and are reeled off one after the other.
However, as one would expect from one of SA’s top business journalists, Genius is clearly written, and very readable — though at times it becomes a little dry as it seems to veer away from the approach of nonfiction book into textbook narrative. But that can be forgiven.
Textbooks on economic or political issues can be awful to read, or at least they were when I studied the subjects. This is an excellent read and sections would probably be a hell of a lot more useful to a student than any of their prescribed reading.
Not that it would do any harm for our policymakers and all those in the world of business to read it as well, as it might hammer home the message that you need the right environment for entrepreneurship and investment to thrive. This is sometimes the message of our politicians, but they are terrible at matching their words with actions.
For instance, the impeccably researched chapter on mining gives an excellent overview of De Beers’ success, but also bemoans the way in which recent infrastructure failures have held up the export of coal and iron ore from SA.
The lost export revenue could have made a huge difference to the country, at a time when Covid-19 virtually brought the economy to its knees.
Whitfield wonders at the fact that — despite interminably repeated rhetoric from the department of trade industry & competition — too great a share of SA’s extracted minerals is exported with no beneficiation, thus losing important potential value-add opportunities to the purchasing nations.
As an illustration, he looks at Nigeria’s long overdue move into oil refining, in volumes that can now supply the domestic market with plenty left over for exports. If they can do it so successfully, why can’t we? Now, with sky-high energy prices and Eskom’s unreliability, could it be too late?
There is a timely chapter on agriculture, which still generates 10% of export earnings, though its relative importance has decreased since the 1960s. We are given the proud example of SA cherries, which are harvested over six weeks in September and October, at a fortuitous time as other global suppliers are not harvesting.
Land reform, and its challenges, is briefly looked at, as is the concern that large, modern, mechanised farms are not employing the numbers of people one might have wished for.
It may come to those who know me as no surprise that I was most absorbed by the chapters on booze, where some SA companies and brands have conquered the world. Take SABMiller and Distell, with their large global footprints — in terms both of geography and in brands.
Though not as big as it might be, wine is also allocated a chapter, my favourite one.
The industry appears to be approaching a tipping point, where the country’s top 10 to fifteen producers are starting to be recognised as among the best in the world.
— Bruce Whitfield
It notes the perverse reluctance of the government to embrace the industry as warmly as it might.
“The industry complains that it does not get the support or recognition it should from central government,” Whitfield reports, suggesting this may be because “it has not seen the radical transformation of ownership that government would like. The industry appears to be approaching a tipping point, where the country’s top 10 to 15 producers are starting to be recognised as among the best in the world,” he observes, suggesting that regional specialisation and higher volumes of the very best stuff are needed to establish a better presence in world markets.
Among SA’s big global successes are SA booze-free drinks, with Appletiser serving “the zero-alcohol adult drinks market,” and we also read about Rooibos tea and Nomu’s hot chocolate — and its 200 or so other products, which have a healthy export market.
Seafood is also served up to the reader, with the observation that most SA abalone and lobster is for export, while SA hake has a solid market in the EU. And, of course, there is the restaurant business, where Nando’s is “SA’s standout global success”.
Financial services and the medical and pharmaceutical sector are also looked at, with useful discussions of Aspen and Discovery.
Genius looks at our genius exported exiles such Elon Musk, Mark Shuttleworth and Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, while also sounding a warning bell about the outflow of our top talent, for whom there is hungry global demand.
“The constant outflow of talent is one of the most destructive forces in damaging the country’s social fabric ... South Africa is a net exporter of its most valuable domestic asset — skilled people,” Whitfield writes.
All in all, this is an excellent book that comes at an important time.
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