

Shawn Hagedorn
For 20 years, Shawn Hagedorn has been regularly writing articles in leading SA publications, focusing primarily on economic development. For over two years, he wrote a biweekly column titled “Myths and Misunderstandings” without ever lacking subject material. Visit shawn-hagedorn.com/, and follow him on Twitter @shawnhagedorn
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Articles By This Author

BRICS versus broad prosperity
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . Aug 21, 2023
As this week’s Sandton shindig will not benefit ordinary South Africans, its vacuous pageantry must inspire a reality check. The ANC’s destructive economic stewardship traces

When elites block growth
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . Aug 7, 2023
Why did nearly all societies stumble badly when confronting Covid? Why did the virus swiftly mutate in isolated South Africa whereas this country’s stand-offish economy

Beyond permission-based narratives
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . Jul 24, 2023
Cold War II sets the stage to integrate the people in Africa into the global economy. The integrators will be a motley crew of determined,

China’s youth unemployment versus ours
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . Jul 10, 2023
Despite having a shrinking workforce while being the world’s top manufacturer and exporter, China’s youth unemployment challenges share similarities with ours. The economies of China

Warlords or the West
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . Jun 26, 2023
‘Excessive ambitions and vested interests have led to treason.’ Those words were spoken by Russian President Vladimir Putin to describe his feelings of betrayal toward

Will SA showcase AI’s benefits
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . Jun 12, 2023
Artificial intelligence’s potential for rapid disruption is unprecedented. Given our country’s trajectory, the sudden acceleration of its adoption may have begun just in time. AI

Why BRICS won’t benefit South Africa
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . May 29, 2023
The country which best demonstrates the shortcomings of joining BRICS is the only country that has been added to this motley consortium, South Africa. When,

‘Transformation’ or transformation
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . May 15, 2023
Our youth unemployment crisis is as globally unrivalled as it is deeply entrenched. This traces to our ruling party creating a patronage network which is

Is working with the ANC unworkable?
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . May 1, 2023
Deflated expectations for investment-led collaborations reflect punctured confidence. The ANC’s 1990s transition from its liberation movement origins to being a ruling political party did not

Judging versus solving: US perspectives and SA implications
- By Shawn Hagedorn
- . Apr 17, 2023
Joe Biden’s harsh labelling of national leaders makes geopolitical solutions even more elusive. The ANC’s vilifying successful societies undermines our economic prospects. Being quick to