This paper investigates the extent to which the national economic initiatives introduced in post-apartheid South Africa were successful, why they were removed and why they were unsustainable or indefensible. In order to address the research questions, this study used a qualitative design involving the views of government officials who participated in the formulation of national policies. A total of six officials for each strategy (RDP, GEAR, ASGISA, NGP, NDP, and DDM) were sampled purposively in order to generate rich information on the performance of each policy considered and the decision to replace the policy. A semi-structured survey form was developed for this purpose. The study results show that none of the economic strategies were able to change the trajectory of South Africa’s economic development decisively. The key reasons are the removal of the economic strategies before they achieved the stated objectives potential, the inability to adjust and refocus strategies continuously, and a lack of implementation and monitoring capacity. The study contributes to the understanding of how South Africa’s economic development strategies performed and why they were removed. This informs future approaches to the development and management of economic strategies. The findings suggest that there must be sound and consistent public management to drive and coordinate implementation in order for economic development initiatives to be effective.
