The Provocation: The Cost of Living Crisis Report

The Provocation is an evening of dinner, music, wine, and bold conversation designed to challenge assumptions and spark new ways of seeing the world.

This edition, titled “The Cost of Living Crisis Report: Quo Vadis as the Middle and Professional Class Buckle under a Soaring Cost of Living”, confronts one of the most urgent realities of our time: how the erosion of living standards is reshaping South African society.

At the centre of the evening is Intellectual Provocateur Azwimpheleli Langalanga, an accomplished researcher and policy advisor with deep expertise in international trade law, investment policy, economic diplomacy, and governance. With over a decade of experience across think tanks, government, and international organisations, Langalanga has advised on trade negotiations, foreign policy, mining, climate change, and the political economy of Southern Africa. His published work spans leading journals and policy outlets, from unpacking plurilateral trade agreements to charting the future of foreign direct investment. He currently serves as a Non-Resident Fellow at the Mandela Institute for International Economic Law, and his analysis continues to shape debates on economic reform, inequality, and state capacity in South Africa.

Joining him is Charles Leonard, a journalist, editor, broadcaster, DJ, and record collector. For more than 30 years, he has edited and written for a variety of South African publications and broadcasters, including the Mail & Guardian, Business Day, SABC, Vrye Weekblad, and the Sunday Times, as well as Channel Four News in the UK.

Drawing on the insights of the Cost of Living Crisis Report — a PBC-commissioned study authored by Langalanga — this Provocation will unpack governance failures, runaway inflation, debt distress, and urban decay, while asking the pressing question: “Where are we headed?”

Held at the intimate Le Vin in Rosebank, Johannesburg, the gathering is not only a conversation but a sensory experience — where food, drink, and art intertwine with provocative dialogue. Guests will leave inspired, unsettled, and engaged with the complexities of cost, class, and the future of South Africa’s democratic project.