South Africa's first quarter growth figures were dismal. The economy expanded by only 0.9% on a quarter-on-quarter basis, from 2.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012 - the slowest pace since the 2009 recession. considering that South Africa can only realistically begin making an impact on its serious unemployment problem at growth rates of above 6%, the year-to-date performance is more than just a little disturbing.