Prosperity agenda: What SA needs to reach top 10

South Africa’s future prosperity will not be determined by chance. It will be shaped by the quality of our leadership, the strength of our institutions and the belief we place in our ability to compete with the best in the world.

Today, the Legatum Institute’s Global Prosperity Index provides one of the most comprehensive measures of how nations perform across economic opportunity, governance, education, health, social capital and personal freedom. The rankings tell a story not only about wealth but about the overall well-being and opportunity available to citizens.

For South Africa, the message is clear: our country has enormous potential but unlocking it requires deliberate action. 

My belief — and the mission behind the Nation of Champions initiative — is that South Africa can propel itself into the top 10 most prosperous nations in the world. That may sound ambitious but history shows that when South Africans unite behind a shared national mission, extraordinary outcomes become possible.

I witnessed this first-hand during the build-up to the 2010 World Cup, hosted by South Africa. At the time, the world was watching us with a mixture of curiosity and scepticism. Could an African nation deliver a tournament of this magnitude? Could we create an experience that would inspire the world?

The answer, as we know today, was a resounding yes. One of the initiatives I had the privilege of leading during that period was the national Brand Ambassador Programme, which formed part of the broader Cultural Intelligence Programme for the hospitality sector. The objective was simple but powerful: transform the everyday interaction between visitors and South Africans into a world-class experience.

We trained and inspired more than 500 000 hospitality employees — from hotel staff and taxi drivers to tour guides, restaurant workers and airport personnel — to become ambassadors for the nation. The individuals were not merely providing a service; they were telling the story of South Africa through warmth, professionalism and pride.

The results were remarkable. During and after the World Cup, South Africa rose into the top 10 countries globally that people most wanted to visit. 

More importantly, we demonstrated that national reputation and economic opportunity can be shaped deliberately through leadership, training and shared purpose.

As a result, South Africa earned the highest Net Promoter Score of all World Cups — a resounding 92% from visitors, which stands as the best to date. Fifa rated our project management and service delivery 9/10. Major infrastructure upgrades — including airports, roads, hotels and the Gautrain — showcased South Africa’s engineering prowess. 

Visitors experienced zero major crime in 31 days. Leisure tourism increased by 31% year on year, while business tourism rose by 47% for the City of Cape Town. 

Business confidence reached its highest level since 1995 and about 500 000 new jobs were created each year from 2004 to 2010 — more than three million in total — as stakeholders worked towards a common goal. The exchange rate strengthened to R7/$ in July 2011.

The experience taught me that prosperity is not an accident. It is built through systems that empower people to perform at their best.

Today, the same principle applies if South Africa wants to climb the Global Prosperity Index rankings.

Prosperity is not solely about GDP growth. It is about whether a nation creates the conditions where innovation flourishes, businesses grow, institutions function effectively and citizens feel hopeful about the future.

Nations that perform well in the prosperity rankings share several characteristics: strong leadership cultures, trusted institutions, high-quality education systems and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems.

South Africa possesses many of the raw ingredients required for prosperity. Our entrepreneurs are among the most innovative in emerging markets. Our financial sector is globally respected. Our creative industries — from film to music to sport — continue to shape global culture. And our young population is filled with ambition and talent.

What we need is a national agenda that connects these strengths into a coherent strategy for prosperity. This is where the idea of champions becomes critical.

Every nation that has risen rapidly in global prosperity rankings has done so by cultivating leaders who act as catalysts within their sectors — entrepreneurs who build new industries, educators who transform learning systems, public servants who strengthen governance and innovators who create breakthrough technologies.

In 2010, the mission of the Nation of Champions campaign was simple yet profound: to deliver president Thabo Mbeki’s brand promise of “Hosting the Best World Cup Ever”.

Today, that spirit is being reborn through a new national platform. The Nation of Champions 2.0 brings together South Africa’s future-minded leaders and changemakers across business, sport, academia, media, science and civil society.

The purpose of the Nation of Champions platform is to identify the individuals, connect them across sectors and amplify their impact. When champions collaborate, ideas spread faster, solutions scale more rapidly and progress accelerates.

We have seen how recognition platforms such as the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans (YSA) can spotlight emerging leaders who are reshaping industries and communities. But recognition is only the first step. What matters next is building ecosystems where the leaders can collaborate, innovate and multiply their impact.

The question we must ask ourselves as a nation is: What would it take for South Africa to become one of the top 10 most prosperous countries in the world?

The answer lies in three priorities:

• First, we must invest in leadership development at every level of society — from schools and universities to businesses and government institutions.
• Second, we must connect our innovators and entrepreneurs into national networks of collaboration, where knowledge and opportunity flow freely.
• Third, we must celebrate excellence and success stories because belief in national progress is a powerful catalyst for action.

Prosperity begins with belief — but it is sustained by systems that allow talent to thrive. 

The story of the 2010 World Cup showed the world what South Africans can achieve when we align behind a shared vision. If we apply that spirit to building a prosperity-driven economy — one that empowers our champions and unlocks our collective potential — there is no reason South Africa cannot rise dramatically in the global rankings.

The Prosperity Agenda is therefore not just about statistics or indices. It is about building a nation where opportunity expands, leadership flourishes and every South African can contribute to the success of the whole.

South Africa has demonstrated — during moments such as the 2010 Fifa World Cup and the G20 Leaders’ Summit — that we can mobilise talent, leadership and belief on a national scale. The question now is whether we can channel that same spirit into a longer-term mission: building one of the most prosperous societies in the world.

Dr Nik Eberl is the chair of the Future of Jobs Summit (an official T20 side event) and author of Nation of Champions: How Team SA Won the World Cup of Destination Branding.