Archive - Rational Standard

The NHI is a power grab – and it puts your life in the worst hands possible

Nobody in their right mind would willingly put their life in the hands of Cosatu

Jul 10 •

RS Guest Author

Institutionalised Poverty: Taxation, regulation, and inflation in South Africa

South Africa has natural resources. It has intelligence. It has entrepreneurial spirit. What it lacks is a government that understands the value of…

Jul 9 •

RS Guest Author

Good Advice Isn’t Imperialism

South Africa mustn’t fall into the trap that African countries have used to avoid accountability for decades. The US has a right to put conditions on…

Jul 8 •

Nicholas Woode-Smith

Utopias and tyrants: The road to hell is always paved with good intentions

What Hayek feared most was not dictatorship in its most visible form, but the slow and subtle collapse of liberty under the weight of promises.

Jul 7 •

America moots sanctions on ANC as the US puts foot down on foreign policy

A deep dive into US-South Africa tensions as Washington considers sanctions and sends a sharp message to the ANC.

Jul 4 •

Rational Standard Editor

Unemployment is high because doing business is hard

When small businesses are burdened by excessive administration and regulation, the cost of compliance can become overwhelming.

Jul 3 •

Zakhele Mthembu

Monetary expansion destroys capital

We often forget that capital wears out. It must be repaired, replenished. That takes real effort, real savings. Not paper. Not promises.

Jul 2 •

RS Guest Author

Ramaphosa’s Echo Chamber

Is this supposed to be a serious discussion to establish a way forward for our crumbling society, or a festival of shiny faces and shallow vibes?

Jul 1 •

Nicholas Woode-Smith

June 2025

Virtue without victory: The failure of the ANC’s B-BBEE policy

If economic empowerment is to transcend rhetoric and become a genuine vehicle for national renewal, then courage, candour and intellectual honesty must…

Jun 30 •

RS Guest Author

The District Development Model: A Doomed Bureaucratic Fantasy

The District Development Model is a bureaucratic distraction masquerading as a solution.

Jun 28 •

RS Guest Author

Ramaphosa fires DA minister; and Joe Emilio on "Stolen Ground" documentary

Join David Ansara, Martin van Staden and guest Joe Emilio as they dive into some of the most pressing issues of the week.

Jun 27 •

Rational Standard Editor

Privatise Post, Post-Haste

Privatising the SAPO would save the fiscus billions, while also freeing up a much-needed institution to be taken over by people that actually know and…

Jun 27 •

Nicholas Woode-Smith

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts