On this week’s Fix SA: Basil Manuel a leading education figure in SA and Executive Director of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa. We’ll look at what’s s not working in the system, deficits in teacher training, if the current curriculum supports the needs of a modern South Africa and are there plans for future changes. Also, what initiatives should be in place to support the mental and emotional well-being of students in South African schools?

Former DA leader Tony Leon considers how South Africa might become competitive and successful as a nation again.

‘If you wait for something to be broken before you start fixing it, then you get exactly into the Eskom situation of not thinking ahead,’ says Max Price, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town and author of Statues and Storms: Leading Through Change.

It’s obvious what our common goal should be, says the former Goldman Sachs exec – get five million people into employment.

‘We have a disconnected elite and the resulting polarisation, but my sense of everyday South Africans is they're getting on with their lives and with each other – and for the first time in my adult life business and government are working to fix tangible things, working to bridge the gap between planning and implementation.’

‘I see great success for a lot of young people. I don't think it'll be like a bolt of lightning and thunder, as you get on Joburg afternoons. Often, change is very incremental. As you drive, a tree was pretty naked and, the next thing you see, it's all purple again. It's Jacaranda season and oh gosh, when did it happen? That's how it happens,’ says 'steel ball' optimist, business leader and author Muzi Kuzwayo.

We need to focus on getting the best out of everyone and everything we have, because anxiety develops if there's not enough, or if there’s a perception that there isn’t enough – and growing an economy isn’t about how you dish out the existing pie: Sandra du Toit, director at Partners in Performance.

Award-winning playwright and activist Mike van Graan reminds us that the arts helped topple apartheid – sparking boycotts, sanctions and disinvestment through humanising storytelling; by reaching people through theatre and song. But it’s not as simple as expecting the arts or sport to ‘magically deliver social cohesion’ today …

Matt Hogarty, founder and co-director of the Love Howick NPC, speaks about how the organisation has become a catalyst in bringing people ‘together for transformation’ with the key objective of uniting the community for positive change. This approach he believes is vital in fixing urban and rural problems and suggests it’s a model that could be replicated.

Chris Maroleng is Global Advisor and the SADC Executive Director of Good Governance Africa. In this Fix SA podcast, he looks at how effective governance ensures transparent, efficient, and accountable financial systems. How proper governance ensures that all citizens, regardless of their background, are treated fairly and equally and how fair practice through transparency and accountability, can restore faith in public institutions.

Anglican Bishop of Johannesburg, Steve Moreo, speaks about the art of truly listening to others in a divided world, understanding the monumental impact of even the smallest actions, and explores the idea that righteous anger, when channelled correctly, can be a catalyst for transformative change.

Chris Maroleng, global advisor and SADC Executive Director at Good Governance Africa, speaks about how effective governance ensures transparent, efficient and accountable financial systems; and, how fair practice, through transparency and accountability, can restore faith in public institutions.

Smaller countries in Africa like Rwanda, Mauritius and Botswana are successfully repositioning themselves, but we lack clarity about what South Africa is, what does South Africa stand for... We have in many ways not been able to define Brand South Africa, says local branding guru Thebe Ikalafeng.

'I think we've got huge things to offer but that part of the problem is we have people who are greedy, who want to take everything for themselves; they don't want to actually share the riches of our country' – Nerine Kahn, former head of the CCMA and now MD of Employment Relations Exchange.

Famed cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro, better known as Zapiro, talks about the importance of satire as means to getting things done, the role of activism in facilitating change, and how in a cartoon drawn years ago he warned of a Ramaphosa lame duck presidency.

‘If we’re going to fix SA, those tasked with doing so need to focus and stay in their lanes of expertise and responsibility. And progress – one win at a time – needs to be measured and effectively communicated,’ says the CEO of Nedbank.

Do not allow someone to stumble into leadership; leadership is the single biggest problem to fix in this country – Professor Jonathan Jansen, University of Stellenbosch.

'I think that it's becoming clearer to all of us just how deep our problems are now... I don't think we've left it too late. I think that this time of despair is the right time for us to say we can turn this thing around,' declares the journalist and socio-political commentator.

Like many South Africans, former diplomat and now commentator Melanie Verwoerd is frustrated at where the country finds itself right now. She says citizens have every right to be angry, but if they’re going to stay, they have an obligation to roll up their sleeves and become involved.

The SA political stalwart and social activist, best known for his role in the fight against apartheid, reflects on the need for a new social compact or social consensus, as well as individual and community activism and volunteerism to help 'fix' the country.

Agbiz's chief economist tells Jeremy Maggs why government needs to be part of the land reform conversation and what it will take to boost the all-important agri-economy.

Trends expert, future thinker and founder of Flux Trends: ‘We are seeing around the world, and even on this continent, that we need to get some younger voices into government or into the public sector.’

Accenture Africa CEO Vukani Mngxati says in getting the best leadership, cleaning out corruption, and with active citizenry, a better state can be created.

In this latest edition of the Fix SA podcast with Jeremy Maggs, Grace Harding – the feisty and energetic CEO of the Ocean Basket chain – talks about the importance of trust, why partnerships are important, and how nothing happens unless there is a regular sharing of information.

South Africa’s mounting problems on myriad fronts need far greater input and redoubled efforts from all parties – including the business. community. Leading business personality Martin Kingston weighs in on what needs changing, and the new thinking that needs to be adopted – with great speed – on the latest edition of Fix SA. His views come as President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the private sector to "get off of the rooftops" and "into the ring" to address problems ranging from energy to crime.