Africa’s Biggest Economy Is About to Turn a Corner

For a developing country, achieving sustained growth that can lift much of the population out of poverty is usually a challenge—there often are historical inequities and societal strains posing sizable obstacles to success.

But some nations make things even harder for themselves. That’s been especially true for South Africa, which has struggled for years with self-inflicted impediments. But 2025 might turn out different.

The new year offers Africa’s biggest economy its best shot in more than a decade to break the grip of stagnation. And as the host of the Group of 20 meetings and summit this year, the nation’s leaders have a big stage to show the world how it’s turned a corner.