If you were starting a business, like a software company or even, I don't know, a bakery, would you start it in South Africa?

No.

Some countries have a shortage of people. They're hiring, but they can't find people.

However, South Africa has a shortage of businesses. That shortage makes people useless: they're not hired, nobody needs them.

Solution: create policies that favor businesses. Employment goes up, quality of life goes up.