As the global economic growth recovered after the financial crisis, albeit hesitantly and unevenly, South Africa lagged behind, growing at rates well below its potential, which had been negatively been impacted by strained relations and industrial action, but also by structural deficiencies such as the electricity load shedding.
While South Africa has performed well in managing to largely contain inflation, within the inflation target range, and no doubt assisted in part by the lower international food and oil prices, the country has been less successful in matching levels of growth as experienced in other developing countries.