SCORE: C-

Maropene Ramokgopa highlighted South Africa’s progress in the 30-Year Review of Democracy report, which showed improvements in poverty reduction, access to services and advances in education. But she has been criticised for not bridging the gap between planning and execution. The National Development Plan (NDP) set ambitious goals such as achieving an annual GDP growth rate of 5.4% and creating 11 million jobs by 2030. Yet economic growth remains below projections, and unemployment persists. Critics argue that although the NDP outlines detailed strategies, its implementation mechanisms lack efficacy. Ramakgopa has her work cut out for her in the coming year.