The tournament has provided a distraction, but growth constraints remain.
South Africa won its fourth Rugby World Cup, a rare moment of joy for a nation grappling with everything from an energy crisis to joblessness.
Rugby, once associated with white-minority rule, has played a symbolic and significant role in unifying the nation. The Springboks are led by their first black captain, Siya Kolisi, and the team’s path to victory in Paris galvanised people across all races – masking, for a while, deep economic and social woes.
Read: Rugby: Bok captain in remarkable rags-to-riches rise Siya Kolisi’s story offers valuable lessons in resilience “The 1995 nation-building project continues to run its course,” said Charles Molapisi, CEO of main sponsor MTN South Africa. “South Africans are under a lot of pressure – and a Springbok victory brings joy, instills hope and brings the nation together.”
“It’s not just about the game,” Kolisi said after the match. “Our country goes through such a lot. This team shows what diversity can do for our team. For our country.”
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