It’s always interesting popping over the pond to see life in another country. London is cold and, at this early hour, still dark. It’s also efficient, and surprisingly much more cosmopolitan than it was when I was last here, a decade ago.
Given the economic woes that are plaguing every market in the world, especially ours, and the troubles weighing on Europe, I was expecting to see a country that is battling.
Perhaps things in the countryside will be different. London is awash with fancy new cars, people from other parts of Europe and South America who are working hard to make a buck, accents that are not English and besuited bankers and lawyers.
The new cars, a bellhop explains to me, are necessary because of the emissions tax, so London-goers need to stay in hock to avoid paying crippling penalties.
Based on that I suspect the apparent opulence masks a reality that is very different for those who live and work here.
The economy only grew at 0.5 percent last year, which is lower than ours. Yet, only 5.2 percent of Britons are unemployed, and interest rates are at 0.5 percent, making borrowing cheap, and investing not at all attractive.
Any similarity with SA seems to end with gross domestic product growth, and the pace at which Londoners march down the streets on their way to their next vitally important meeting.
The streets are not lined with rubbish because it actually gets collected. In some cases, twice in one day.
The postal system works – if you entrust a letter to the Royal Mail, it will actually get there in a few days instead of disappearing into a void.
Drivers stop for pedestrians at crossings instead of trying to run them over.
Sure, Britons don’t seem nearly as friendly as South Africans, and the immigration guys are as hard as nails, and rude to boot.
Yet, the cops are reliable, and still someone to ask for help when you’re stuck. Ambulances can make it through London traffic because cars move out the way.
Tap-and-go as a form of payment is here. So is free WiFi pretty much everywhere you go.
Things in the UK just work.
Like traffic lights: despite the endless rain here, they all still function.
Still problems
The UK is not without its problems, such as Prime Minister David Cameron’s offshore stash, which Downing Street has said he does not benefit from.
The Brits are also dealing with refugees, and spending a fortune on treating ill Europeans in hospital without much in the way of recompense.
The difference is, while there’s graft at the highest levels, it’s dealt with transparently once it’s in the open – although Cameron really should have known better than to think he wouldn’t be bust.
National Health Insurance is in place, and – for the most part – does a decent job; although there are always tales of botched ops and misdiagnosed patients who died.
So, what sets the UK apart? In South Africa, we have world-class doctors; an economy that’s growing faster; a work ethic second to none (bar the select few who trash Joburg’s streets every few weeks) and are a nation of friendly people.
Leaky systems
It’s systemic. The systems we have in place have not been put in place properly. And they are leaking. They leak to the point where government departments operate in silos and either don’t know what’s happening on the ground, or don’t care.
The infrastructure is ageing and has not been looked after for 20-odd years, which is why water pipes keep bursting and washing the streets with our most precious commodity, and sub-stations keep falling over.
The cops are generally not trusted, and don’t seem to really care about the state of crime – when was the last time you had to open a case and the docket ended up in file 13? The last time, right?
I could go on endlessly about the issues we have; we all could.
Instead, let’s think of a solution. And I don’t mean the private sector should look at the gaps and see a way of making a buck (private security, private hospitals, medical aid...).
We need the private sector to work with the government and overhaul the systems. Analyse government structures across all levels and build it up the same way one would a business, even if it’s not meant to have a bottom line that grows.
For that, we need a willing private sector, and an even more willing government.
There’s no reason why London should seem like a better place than Joburg. Once we sort our stuff out, even the rand will benefit.
* Nicola Mawson is the online editor of Business Report. Follow her on Twitter @NicolaMawson or Business Report @busrep.
** Nicola was in London for the P9 product launch courtesy of Huawei.
IOL