Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA)

AsgiSA resulted from Government's commitment to halve unemployment and poverty by 2014.

The then Deputy President, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, formally launched AsgiSA in February 2006. The Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) was established a month later to address the scarce and critical skills needed to meet AsgiSA's objectives.

AsgiSA identified six 'binding constraints' which prevent South Africa from achieving the desired growth rate:

* The relative volatility of the currency
* The cost, efficiency and capacity of the national logistics system
* Shortages of suitably skilled labour, and the spatial distortions of apartheid affecting low-skilled labour costs
* Barriers to entry, limits to competition and limited new investment opportunities
* The regulatory environment and the burden on small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
* Deficiencies in state organisation, capacity and leadership.

AsgiSA is not a government programme but a national initiative supported by key groups in the economy:

* Business
* Labour
* State-owned enterprises
* Government economic agencies
* Entrepreneurs
* And all spheres of government.