The end of Apartheid in South Africa is often remembered as the moral victory of South Africans to move their country past the inhumane realities of racial segregation. For French businessman Jean-Yves Ollivier, the death of the racist regime has to do with economics, not morals.
During the years of struggle and negotiations within the country, and external pressure, especially from Western nations, to end the oppressive regime, Jean-Yves Ollivier knew Apartheid was already doomed: for economic reasons. It was just too expensive.
The economic burden of maintaining Apartheid exerted too much pressure on the government’s finances. The extremely high cost of security in Apartheid South Africa was a well-kept secret during the regime. The state budget assigned to the army, tasked in large part with ensuring the security of the white minority, was unsustainable and hindered the country’s economic development prospects.
Jean-Yves Ollivier used the certainty of the expected fall of the regime to convince African leaders to ease relations with South Africa at the time. Progressively, as tensions defused, communication channels and, later, diplomatic relations resumed.
The easing of tensions with African leaders, associated with Nelson Mandela’s reconciliatory policies once he became President, were crucial to ensure the transition away from Apartheid was achieved with limited violence.