Strong state intervention in the post-apartheid South African economy has more often than not failed to achieve the desired results. The new Government of National Unity can reverse this trend by emphasising pragmatism and outcomes over ideology. Mining would be a great place to start.

In his inauguration address on 19 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa described the Government of National Unity (GNU) as "the beginning of a new era". In political terms, indisputably: the GNU comprises 11 different political parties, seven of which hold Cabinet positions in a national administration that for more than two decades was completely dominated by the African National Congress (ANC).

The birth of the GNU has buoyed the country's mood, with "hope", "happiness" and "joy" trending upwards over the past month, according to the Gross National Happiness Index.

But the real test of the "new era" -- and whether the good vibes can be sustained -- will come in the economic realm. South Africans won't care much about the new politics if their lives don't get better.

Plenty of monsters are waiting in the wings, banking on the GNU to fail, so they can recapture the state. The revival of key sectors of the economy would help ensure that they stay waiting forever.

No sector in SA's economy is as tightly woven into the fabric of the country's history and identity as mining. Today it contributes about 7.5% to gross domestic product, about three times less than it did...