Good news, SA ain’t going down the tubes.

 

Hard to believe, but 2018 promises to be the start of a glorious few years…

 

Whilst in the dark depths of the Guptaleaks exposures it was very difficult to remain positive.

 

Very difficult to see how the baddies would be kicked out of power.

 

Very difficult to see our country get onto the right track, economically and politically.

 

It got so bad that Redi Tlhabi left for America (even Donald Trump seemed more palatable than JZ).

 

But in a matter of a few days during the middle of December our country did what it always does.

 

Course-corrected.

 

Pulled itself back from the brink of disaster.

 

Flirted with calamity on the doorstep, then shut the door and went to bed with common-sense.

 

We still have troubles. Steinhoff skelms. Violent crime. Failing education system. Dangerous trains.

 

These are big problems, for rich and poor folks alike. We have to tackle these problems.

 

But now that sentiment is positive, we have a better chance.

 

Sentiment is like the tides of the sea.

 

When the tide is going out, you have no chance of making progress up the beach. Swim as hard as you like, the tide will beat you.

 

You can only make progress when the tide is coming in.

 

The tide has turned. It is coming in.

 

And the timing couldn’t be better.

 

The end of Mad Bob & Grace’s tenure running Zimbabwe means our neighbour finally has a chance to get back on track. The new leaders still need to prove themselves, but at least there is a chance of things improving.

 

If Zim gets better, that’s great for SA. Our economy will boom if Zim’s economy booms.

 

Best of all is the US economy. Thanks to reduced taxes, American companies and consumers will have more money. They will therefore spend more money.

 

The USA will fly this year.

 

The countries of the rest of the world are like train carriages being pulling by the USA steam engine (US GDP is 61x bigger than South Africa). That engine is accelerating, and we’re going to be dragged along behind it.

 

It’s great for our economy. And seeing as every single South African has an interest in the economy, it’s great for South Africans :-).

 

2018 is a year to be optimistic.

 

There will be headlines and bad news and reasons to be negative. But you can sleep easy knowing the tide is coming in.

 

It’s gonna be a great year.