Size matters for firms and production. For SA firms, that size is related to age.
However, there are two reasons for concern. Large SA firms have arguably not been productive for almost half a century. Large size confers on them the power to dictate the social agenda, allowing them to survive despite incompetence. At independence, SA companies found themselves facing competition for the first time in their history. This is why so much was at stake in the negotiation of an economic contract with the new state. BEE was a natural extension of the rent-seeking behaviour that began midway through the 20th century, and arguably as early as the turn of the 20th century in the aspirations of the Broederbond.
What is astounding is how large SA companies are able to persist without effectively being able to run successful businesses. Rather, they have chosen to manipulate the public purse for their private gain.