By Ms Laurie Less and Dr Mpho Modisane
We now inhabit a world where disruption is not the exception, but the rule. Welcome to the age of permacrisis.
There was a time, not so long ago, when risk managers and business leaders could afford to think in terms of cycles, upturns and downturns, crises and recoveries. The world, for all its unpredictability, still seemed to offer the promise of “normal” just around the corner. But as we look back over the past five years, that promise has faded into myth.
The story of this transformation is not just a tale of global headlines, but one that is written into the daily lives of ordinary people, the operations of companies, and the very fabric of our societies. It is a story that begins with the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that swept across borders with breathtaking speed, exposing the vulnerabilities of our interconnected world. Airports fell silent, fleets were grounded, and in the aviation industry, once a symbol of boundless possibility, became a case study in fragility.
But the pandemic was not an isolated event. It was the spark that lit a tinderbox of existing stresses, political instability, economic inequality and environmental degradation. As the world reeled from the health emergency, new crises emerged, and old ones deepened. The recent wars sent shockwaves through global food and energy markets, driving up prices and making the simple act of putting food on the table a daily struggle for millions. In South Africa, as in many places, families found themselves borrowing just to eat, while the cost of electricity and basic goods soared beyond reach. The numbers 40% of adults borrowing for food, two in five unable to afford electricity, are not just statistics, but a mirror of the anxiety and hardship etched into countless households.
Meanwhile, the climate crisis, once spoken of as a distant threat, has become a relentless presence. Hurricanes battered Miami, floods drowned Bangladesh, and the burning of fossil fuels continues to push the world closer to irreversible change. For those of us in aviation, each storm, every turbulence experienced, is a reminder that our runways and routes are at the mercy of forces far beyond our control.
This is the essence of polycrisis: not just the collision of multiple risks, but their entanglement, their ability to amplify and prolong each other until crisis becomes a permanent state. It is a reality that challenges the very foundations of how we manage risk. The old playbooks built for isolated shocks are simply not enough. We are now called to lead and plan in an environment where uncertainty is constant, and the stakes are existential.
At Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), we have learned that resilience cannot be left to chance. The well-being of our employees is not a side issue, but a central pillar of our ability to weather the storm. Our Employee Value Proposition is designed not just to support staff during a crisis, but to help them build the financial, mental, and personal resources to endure and adapt. Financial awareness programmes, mental health support, and practical training are no longer perks, rather, they are lifelines.
Yet the lesson of permacrisis is not just about internal policies. It is about a mindset, a willingness to accept that the world will not return to the way it was, and that leadership now means embracing complexity, fostering seriously agile adaptability, and building community networks of support both within and beyond the organisation. This means working with all airport communities in fostering partnership rather than competition. It means understanding that the fractures we see between nations, within economies, across communities are not abstract problems, but living realities that shape every decision we make.
For risk managers, the challenge is to move from a defensive crouch to a posture of proactive, creative engagement. We must become students of the system, constantly scanning the horizon for emerging threats, but also for unexpected opportunities that may emerge from these threats. We must build partnerships across sectors, share information, and invest in the long-term resilience of our people and infrastructure, even when the immediate pressures tempt us to cut corners.
Most of all, we must lead with empathy and clarity. In a world where crisis fatigue is real and trust is fragile, transparency and moral courage are as important as technical expertise. We owe it to our employees, our customers, and our communities to be honest about the risks we face, and to invite them into the conversation about how we respond.
The age of permacrisis is not a passing phase. It is the new reality. But within it lies the possibility of renewal if we are willing to rethink what it means to manage risk, to lead, and to care for one another. The skies may be turbulent, but with courage, creativity, and compassion, we can chart a course through the storm.
Laurie Less, Group Executive Corporate Services
Dr. Mpho Modisane, Group Manager Risk Management