SPOTLIGHT: Leslie London’s long view on how structural violence poisons bodies and societies

The relationship between structural inequality and healthcare outcomes has become impossible to ignore for anyone serious about African investment. Leslie London, an Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town, represents a growing chorus of voices warning that health inequity isn't merely a humanitarian concern—it's a systemic risk factor that directly impacts workforce productivity, operational costs, and market stability across the continent. London's decades-long career, spanning academic research, policy advising, and grassroots health interventions, illustrates a critical blind spot in how many European investors assess African markets. Traditional due diligence frameworks typically evaluate regulatory environments, currency stability, and infrastructure capacity. Yet they frequently overlook how structural health disparities create hidden operational liabilities that compound over time. The concept of "structural violence"—the harm inflicted when social systems prevent people from meeting basic needs—is particularly relevant to South Africa's context. The country's healthcare system remains profoundly fragmented, with private sector services concentrated among affluent urban populations while rural and township communities struggle with understaffed clinics and limited diagnostic capabilities. This isn't incidental to business operations; it directly affects labor availability, productivity metrics, and supply chain reliability. For European manufacturers, agricultural exporters, and service providers operating in South Africa, these health inequities translate