Big deal Quote by Thabo Mbeki
“I think the critical point, really, is that we need to focus black economic empowerment more on the creation of new wealth rather than on these big deals that have been characteristic of this process in the past, of people going to banks, borrowing a lot of money, buying this and when the shares don't perform very well, the shares go back to the banks, because there's other people who own this anyway. I think we need to re-focus it so that it really does impact on growth, new investment, new employment and a general, better spread of wealth in South Africa.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Economic Policy Address, South Africa, 2005
Emphasizes shifting black economic empowerment from large, risky deals to creating new wealth through investment and jobs.
In simple terms: Focus on wealth creation, not big deals.
Key Takeaway
Promote investment and job growth.
Themes
economic empowerment
wealth distribution
investment
employment
policy
Mood
optimistic
strategic
Type
policy
economic
When to use this quote
- government policy
- business financing
- community development
- job creation
Key Concepts
African economics
development strategy
wealth creation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can small‑scale investments be scaled?
- What safeguards ensure wealth spreads widely?
A Different Perspective
Large deals can concentrate risk and limit broad benefit.
