BNC#8: Melanie Veness on SA’s crisis - corruption, broken systems & a path forward

In a brutally honest keynote, Melanie Veness takes listeners to the frontline of South Africa’s economic crisis - where broken municipalities, failing infrastructure and political interference are no longer abstract problems, but daily battles. From chambers stepping in to fix water leaks and fight tariff abuse in court, to the deeper crisis of exclusion and lost opportunity, Veness argues that corruption is not just theft - it is the destruction of hope itself. Yet amid the dysfunction, she offers something rare: a blueprint for rebuilding. Through business-led interventions, small enterprise growth and real economic inclusion, she shows how South Africa can still become the country it promised to be in 1994 - if those with influence choose to act, speak out and lead.