As the policy debate around localisation — or import substitution — as a formula for reindustrialising South Africa heats up, the lines are being drawn between fervent advocates of the government line on making imports as expensive as possible and trade liberals arguing for as few barriers to imports as possible, both Business Unity SA and Business Leadership SA have produced helpful research that tries to slow the argument down and to focus on where localisation makes sense and where it might not. The report was written by economist and Intellidex partner Peter Attard Montalto, who chats here to Peter Bruce on Podcasts From the Edge about where constructive opportunities for localisation might lie, and the work the government and its many diplomatic outposts might do in promoting the best possible results of localisation, which is to export. Are we doing enough to develop new markets?

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