It is important for the private sector and government to work together to address the challenges in South Africa, says Cullinan Holdings CEO, Michael Tollman.

“The turnaround of the situation surrounding the Unabridged Birth Certificate requirement, which has seen a lot of co-operation between Home Affairs and the Tourism Department, as well the way that the tourism department and the police are working together around tourist safety, has given us a level of confidence that work is being done more pro-actively than in the past,” he told TU in an exclusive interview.  “We believe that the private sector must play its part as well, and must work with government in this regard.”

With respect to lingering perceptions created by last year’s drought in the Western Cape, Tollman said there should have been far more positive media coverage around the sustainability lessons that were learned.  “I’m hoping for a stronger message around these learnings that can be shared with the rest of the world in a very positive light. After all, the daily water usage reduction in the Western Cape versus prior years has been truly impressive and a game changer.”

He added: “South Africa has its challenges and there certainly is strong publicity around issues in South Africa, but it needs to be seen in perspective. The global perspective is that places like New York, London and Paris have their own problems such as terrorism, demonstrations and crime, while Brexit has affected the UK.  Life is pretty uncertain in many countries. The Springboks’ World Champion win has been a great PR message for South Africa and has projected a positive message for South Africa around the world about what can be achieved by working together.”