How South Africa lost all power to the consultants

17 August 2023

By Rob Rose. Published in the Financial Mail.

A new report by Open Secrets, revealed here exclusively, details just how consultants have pillaged the state. So how can this disturbing trend be reversed, given the country’s skills crisis?

Back in 1995, Mzukisi Qobo, now the head of Wits University’s School of Governance, did a brief stint at management consultancy McKinsey as a business analyst intern.

It was a demoralising experience. “It left me with a sense that these major consultancies don’t generate much value for society overall. In many cases, they’re asked to step in and do work which governments should be able to do if they’re functioning well,” he tells the FM…