Heritage Day is meant to celebrate what unites South Africans. Yet as the country heads toward next year’s local elections, the clearest lessons in teamwork come not from Parliament nor the executive branch, but from a rugby pitch in New Zealand where the Springboks reminded us that cohesion, communication, and clarity can turn predicted defeat into victory and keep a nation’s championship hopes alive. 

Why? Because Rassie Erasmus called it as it was. He didn’t waste time on process notes or “further consultations.” He assigned roles, fixed errors, and reminded everyone that when Siya speaks, the team listens. That honesty turned a mess into mastery. 

At Eden Park, the Boks looked rudderless: mis-timed runs, knock-ons under no pressure, even Malcolm Marx letting the lineout clock expire before they had lined up. A week later at Sky Stadium, the same squad returned sharper, hungrier, and more ruthless. Captain Siya Kolisi led with authority, Cheslin Kolbe called the plays, Manie Libbok was on rare form with his box-kicks, and Pieter-Steph du Toit smashed rucks with precision. Everyone knew their job. Everyone adapted under pressure. 

In contrast, while Ramaphosa addresses the UN General Assembly this week, the country still has no trade deal with the US, nor a clear idea on the way forward. Other countries are cutting deals and opening markets; South Africa is still debating whether to kick or run East or West. A government that cannot communicate with itself will struggle to communicate abroad. And in this economy where margins are thin, costs are rising, and industries from agriculture to logistics depend on stability that failure is a direct hit to jobs, growth, and investment. 

If the President wants this GNU to survive the looming Test series of local elections, he must take a page from Rassie: focus on strategic communication, set a clear game plan, enforce discipline, and help coalition partners play like teammates with an agreed set of rules, instead of rivals. Because the mudslinging will only intensify as parties sharpen their boots. 

This Heritage Day, South Africans will light their braais, buy local meat, pour South African wine or brandy, and celebrate the resilience that keeps this country going. But pride alone won’t steady the economy, nor win the political battles ahead where insults will fly like penalties in a grudge match. The country does not need another commission. They need a playbook. They need a decisive captain. An agreed plan. And disciplined execution.  

Heritage Day reminds us that the nation is bigger than any party or individual leader. The Boks show that setbacks can forge strength if trust and communication guide every move. If the GNU can learn the same lesson, it might yet turn political uncertainty into cohesion and make South Africans proud. Not because they are perfect, but because they play for something larger than themselves. 

– Victoria Tompkins
Account Manager