Free Market Foundation

We're heading to a point of deep conflict.

Joining me on Conversations with Gabriel, CEO of the Free Market Foundation, David Ansara.

David, welcome back to South Africa.

Great to see you.

So why don't you start this podcast by just telling us what it was like?

Oh, what was it like? It was a roller coaster ride, but I think very impactful and One of the highlights of my career to be on this trip.

And myself and my colleague at the Free Market Foundation, Dr. Martin van Staarden, we were invited to participate in the White Cross project, which was a two-step project, if you will.

So it was a conference on Friday, the 25th of September, followed by a vigil, which I'm sure many of your viewers would have seen on their social media feeds and in the news.

They want to see implementation, and today we have another rather telling scorecard.

The Economic Freedom of the World 2026 Annual Report, which is produced by Canada's Fraser Institute, locally co-published by The Free Market Foundation, places South Africa 87th out of 165 jurisdictions.

So bang in the middle, down from 83rd last year.

Now, rankings can be crude things.

Unemployment is sitting at a staggering 33.6%, and investment just remains far too weak.

Even the IMF says the pace of reform is simply not commensurate with what the country needs.

Now, Neil Emerick is deputy chair of The Free Market Foundation and has been closely involved with the Economic Freedom of the World project for many years.

Neil, welcome.

This as inflation pressures, as well as currency depreciation, continues to worsen broader economic challenges.

The Free Market Foundation and Canada's Fraser Institute measured five areas.

This includes size of governments, as well as legal system and property rights.

That's a wrap of your big stories at lunchtime.

South Africa drops to 87 in Global Economic Freedom ranking.

South Africa has ranked 87th out of 165 countries and territories in the Economic Freedom of the World, 2026 Annual Report, EFW, published by the Free Market Foundation, FMF, in conjunction with Canada's Fraser Institute.

The latest ranking reflects a further decline for South Africa, which previously hovered at 83rd place, signalling an ongoing erosion of economic liberty.

With an overall absolute score of 6.63 out of 10, the data confirms that South Africa's economic freedom has been on a slow, downward trend since its peak in the year 2000, leaving the country less free today than it was at the turn of the century, FMF states.