Building a bridge to shared prosperity
Miriam Altman
South Africa has had great successes in its journey from apartheid to democracy but struggles to build a bridge from economic exclusion to shared prosperity. In this powerful talk, Miriam Altman explores why this magnificent country with so much potential keeps getting stuck, while developing countries with similar challenges seem to power ahead. Altman identifies the root causes hindering the nation’s growth, challenging conventional economic thinking. Having spent decades working on technical solutions, Altman has come to realise that the root cause of this stasis will not be found in economics but rather in a society that has not sufficiently broken with self-defeating behaviour from its troubled past. Altman's talk is an inspiring call to action, reimagining South Africa's path to prosperity that focuses on shared purpose and human capacity. This TEDxJohannesburg event celebrated Mandela Day with a focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals: this talk addressed Goal 9 on inclusive industry, innovation and infrastructure.
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Dr. Miriam Altman, a distinguished authority in the realms of development economics, strategy, and social activism, has made profound contributions to economic development and transformative leadership. She is currently Director in Altman Advisory and is a Professor of 4IR Practice at the University of Johannesburg. Her most recent work focuses on infrastructure development in areas of energy, transport, telecoms and water security, as well as infrastructure state-owned entity reform. Currently she is convening a multi-stakeholder Water Security Partnerships initiative. Miriam's impactful career includes co-drafting SA’s National Infrastructure Plan 2050 and serving on the SA Presidency’s National Planning Commission, orchestrating the turnaround of Telkom as Chief of Strategy, leading a think tank on how to solve for unemployment at the Human Sciences Research Council, and academic positions globally.
LinkedIn: Miriam Altman
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