Page 29 - Risk Report 2024

IRMSA
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RISK REPORT 2024/25

8. Risk Lens

This section includes a summary of the twelve risk themes making up South Africa’s risk profile. It includes a
description of the risk theme, causes and consequences, followed by a potential scenario of how any risk that
forms part of the theme may materialise. The scenario is followed by suggested resilience improvements to
be pursued immediately and specific proposed risk responses to consider for effective impact in the short-,
medium-, and long-term.

South Africa’s risk themes have changed little over 10 years of reporting. Responses to those risks have not
kept pace with the increasing risk levels, so that the overall risk profile affecting ordinary citizens today, has
become more critical in terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs - citizens are worried about more basic
needs, such as access to water, and food security appearing on the risk profile for the first time. Energy, logistics,
and the skills to run a functioning economy remains high. In response, the risk themes were considered along
a scale of ‘get it right’ (optimise and transform} and ‘do it right’ (to be strategic and sustainable):

Optimise Transform Strategy Sustainability
strengthen/leverage unlock existing influence national take deliberate long-
what exists capabilities strategies term views and action

January