The consumer goods industry’s largest representative body warned on Wednesday that the cost of load shedding, failing infrastructure and rising poverty were a "potentially lethal cocktail" requiring urgent action by the government. But the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, which represents more than 9 000 businesses including SA’s top retailers and food manufacturers, also called on the private sector to work with government to kick-start the economy and get it on a growth trajectory, instead of criticising from the sidelines. Speaking at the organisation’s annual summit in Johannesburg, the CGCSA’s co-chairs Gareth Ackerman and Johann Vorster, and its CEO Zinhle Tyikwe, also noted improvements, such as government increasingly showing a willingness to work with the private sector to find solutions at local and national level. But it was clear from their comments that doing business in SA was not for the fainthearted. Ackerman, who chairs grocery chain Pick n Pay, said loadshedding was still one of the biggest negative impacts on the economy, costing businesses "billions and billions of rands" in diesel to keep the lights on. This added to the impact of roads falling apart and a dysfunctional rail system: