PSG #ThinkBigSA Inclusive Economic Growth Competition

THINK BIG

SOUTH AFRICA

In collaboration with ERSA (Economic Research Southern Africa)

The PSG #ThinkBigSA competition

Submission Deadline: 30 August 2025

With this competition we want South Africans to become aware, involved and bring forward positive, constructive solutions, leading to a sustainable future for our country.

PSG is a leading professional financial services company that proudly serves more than 500 000 clients in South Africa. As a firm we believe in the people and potential of the country, and as a responsible corporate citizen we contribute to its growth and play an active role in driving the progress of South Africa.

With this new competition we want South Africans to become aware, involved and bring forward positive, constructive solutions, leading to a sustainable future for our country. We plan to run the competition annually dealing with topical, relevant and real-world challenges.

Since 2004, Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) has served as the premier platform for economics researchers across Southern Africa to publish their work, access funding, participate in conferences and training programmes, and contribute to debate on public policy.

We are an independent institution that works to improve the quality of the public debate on economic policy through our own research and by convening dialogues among leading international economists and local academics, public-sector officials and private-sector professionals. We are particularly committed to promoting rigorous research that can inform robust policymaking to address the challenges of growth and development.

2025 TOPIC:

The Role of Capital Markets in Enhancing Economic Growth and Job Creation in South Africa

Capital markets provide significant benefits to an economy by promoting financial inclusion as businesses can access a large and diverse pool of funds to finance their expansion, innovation and diversification. In addition, governments can use capital markets as an alternative source of funding to finance their budget deficits, public services and infrastructure projects. Capital markets have also reduced volatility in some countries.

Further, the development of capital markets has introduced new discipline into policymaking and led to more jobs and higher salaries in some countries such as the US. However, in the South African context, there are various factors that need to be taken into consideration for capital markets to effectively enhance economic performance and facilitate job creation.

THE CHALLENGE

While capital markets provide opportunities for innovation, financing, and job creation, they also pose challenges, including market inefficiencies, systemic risks, and unequal access. Participants are invited to critically assess both sides and propose actionable solutions.

PSG invites South Africa’s “Big Picture Thinkers” to examine this topic and present a discussion paper with novel ideas using the criteria on the right.

Your paper should address:

Explore how capital markets can work alongside or be complemented by other economic strategies, like SME development, Public-Private Partnerships or informal sector development, environmental policy and sustainability.

THE PRIZES

Because we believe that the submissions could have a significant impact on rethinking growth strategies in South Africa, we are offering prizes for the top 3 articles

2 Special category prizes:

THE PANEL

THE CRITERIA

The paper has to adhere to ERSA discussion document requirements:

A discussion document analyses a particular issue and offers policy recommendations. The document describes the problem or issue being addressed, analyses its root causes, evaluates policy options for addressing the problem or its causes, and recommends a way forward. Generally, the analysis is narrative-driven, relying on existing work (academic and grey literature and secondary data) and high-level analysis, although original analysis is welcome.

The quality of the discussion document will be judged according to the following dimensions (in no particular order):

Criteria	Description	Weight
Relevance to Theme	Align with the competition’s theme, addressing the core topics or questions specified. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the theme and effectively integrate it into the content.	25%
Originality and Creativity	Present unique ideas, perspectives, or concepts that differentiate it from typical responses and exhibit innovative approaches to the topic.	30%
Clarity and Communication	Document should be well-structured, with a coherent flow of argument and clear presentation. Language and grammar must be of high quality, and the overarching message or argument should be conveyed in a straightforward and compelling manner.	10%
Depth of Analysis	Demonstrate in-depth analysis, supported by thorough research and robust evidence. The quality of data or references used should be high, and the conclusions drawn must be well-founded and insightful.	15%
Impact and Feasibility	Meaningful consideration of the potential impact, sustainability, and feasibility of the ideas or solutions proposed in the essay. Submissions should evaluate the practicality of implementing the suggested solutions and their long-term benefits.	15%
Engagement and Persuasion	Document should be engaging and persuasive, capturing the audience’s attention and convincingly arguing its case. The ability to resonate with the audience and effectively advocate for the proposed ideas is crucial.	5%

Structure:

The document should be between 3000 and 5000 words in length. Ideally, it will include a brief introduction, an analysis or quantitative and qualitative data, and a set of policy recommendations based on the findings of the analysis. The policy implications must be framed in terms of a current policy challenge South Africa is faced with. The document should be referenced with a bibliography.

Example:

We recommend following a similar structure to the below:

COVID-19 and the South African Economy

Formatting:

The discussion document must be written in Word and exported into a PDF, with headings clearly marked, and charts must be in a format such that the data and graphics are fixed. If it is a picture, please make sure it has a high resolution so that it is good quality.

Note:

Discussion documents can be entered either by individuals or groups. The prize money will not change.

Affiliates of the PSG Financial Services Group, a licensed controlling company, are authorised financial services providers.

PSG #ThinkBigSA: CALL FOR PAPERS

Submission deadline: 30 August 2025

Are you ready to contribute to the economic evolution of South Africa? PSG Financial Services, in partnership with Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA), is thrilled to launch the PSG #ThinkBigSA competition. We call upon South Africa’s insightful thinkers and visionary minds to engage with the pressing issue of The Role of in Enhancing and Job Creation in South Africa.

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1st prize

2nd prize

3rd prize

Francois Gouws

Fatima Vawda

Malungelo Zilimbola

Chris Loewald

Dr Leila Fourie