Trying hard now

It’s so hard now
Trying hard now

Oh, he’s ready

Gonna make a move, yeah
Oh, he’s ready
And makin’ moves, yeah

Yeah, yeah . . .

In case you are wondering, these are the opening lyrics of Bill Conti’s Gonna Fly Now. If you are not familiar with the words, you might be more familiar with the instrumental version, which serves as the opening song of the iconic Rocky movie franchise.

All this brings us to the ‘eye of the tiger’, which, for this column, is either appropriate or ironic. I will leave you to decide.

‘Eye of the tiger’ is an idiom that describes intense focus, unwavering determination, confidence and a fierce fighting spirit, and is often used to describe someone pursuing a goal with relentless passion. It signifies a never-say-die attitude and is heavily associated with overcoming challenges, resilience, and success.

Eye of the Tiger, the theme song of Rocky III, is said to have captured the essence of the movie and to have been emblematic of the era’s popular music scene through its driving rhythm, electrifying guitar riffs, and anthemic chorus, which resonated with listeners worldwide.

And now we have the third instalment of Southern Africa: Towards Inclusive Economic Development, or SA-TIED for short, a programme intended to support policymaking in South Africa by working closely with researchers to close knowledge gaps that are crucial to achieving inclusive growth and economic transformation. It is a collaboration between the National Treasury, the South African Revenue Service, and the UN University World Institute for Development Economics Research, supported by the EU and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

I first wrote about it in this column in a piece titled ‘SA TIED UP’, which appeared in the May 20, 2022, edition and focused on the Finance Minister’s announcement of the SA-TIED Phase II launch. At the time, if, like me, you had missed Phase I, it was quite a mission to establish what was achieved in that phase. All I gathered was that the programme was launched in 2017 as a partnership involving the UN University World Institute for Development Economics Research, the National Treasury, the International Food Policy Research Institute, and other parties.

On March 19, the National Treasury released a media advisory announcing the ‘Evidence in Action: Advancing Inclusive Economic Growth: SA-TIED Phase II’ close-out conference and launch of Phase III, which was set for March 23 to 24. On March 26, it released another media statement, titled ‘National Treasury and Partners Launch SA-TIED Phase III to Deepen Evidence-Based Economic Policymaking in South Africa’.

What was the ‘record of achievement’ of Phase II? Over 130 research papers – 131? Why not an exact number? – had been published, covering the six core areas central to South Africa’s development agenda, with 65% authored or co-authored by South African researchers. More than 200 participants (again!), half of them from government, have been trained in advanced economic modelling, econometrics, spatial analysis, and data science, building skills that will endure well beyond the programme’s lifecycle.

Apparently, ‘a defining achievement of Phase II’ was the growth of the National Treasury Secure Data Facility, which links anonymised administrative tax data.

Phase III ‘Deepening the foundation’, running from 2026 to 2029, is envisaged to “consolidate and expand on these gains” by focusing on the six core areas, including strengthening the link between research and policy implementation, expanding access to administrative datasets and building State capability through training, skills development, and greater integration of research within government.

In addition, it will introduce new emphasis on public expenditure efficiency, reflecting the reality that, in a constrained fiscal environment, the question is no longer how much the State spends, but how effectively it spends.

The takeaway from the column of May 27, 2022 – ‘Do not overthink it’ – needs repeating, as Eryz Monzon reminded us: “When you think too much, instead of acting and doing things, you are overthinking. When you analyse, comment and repeat the same thoughts over and over again, instead of acting, you are overthinking.” The same applies to the takeaway from the column of May 22, 2022, in Amit Kalantri’s words: “A tongue does not get things done.” Nor does a pen or a keyboard.