Sustainable economic growth would require inclusivity and balance and should include integrated development, deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said at a Black Management Forum (BMF) event on Thursday.

Speaking at the BMF conference, entitled ‘Sustainable and economic growth in South Africa and the rest of the continent', BMF president Jimmy Manyi supported this statement, noting that economic growth must be synonymous with job creation and inclusiveness.

Manyi stated that the poor in South Africa were still getting poorer, adding that this had continued to occur even before the recession, when the country was achieving good economic growth.

He noted that the fact that South Africa has become part of the global village has imposed the undesirable behaviour of playing by first-world rules, despite many parts of the country still being third-world.

Meanwhile, special adviser to the Ministry of Defence Professor Sipho Seepe told delegates at the conference that black professionals had to make a more pronounced impact in terms of idea formation.

He added that South Africa also had to do more in terms of education and research and development.

International Finance Corporation representative Mamadou Toure told delegates that the number of educated people in Africa was not the biggest concern.

The mismatch between education and the training and experience required by the professional and business sector, also had to be dealt with if Africa was to improve its economic growth.

Meanwhile, Congress of South African Trade Unions economist Dr Chris Malikane urged black professionals in South Africa to speak up on matters such as the proposed National Health Insurance scheme, nationalisation, free education and inflation targeting, among others.