This interview is about the what and the how of digital transformation, notably in the context of South African businesses. In this era, digital transformation is considered imperative if businesses are to be responsive to customer and stakeholder needs, through digital business. The interview, conducted by the NWU Business School’s Dr Michael Modiba, approached the CEO of Standard Bank Group, Sim Tshabalala, to addresses a pertinent information systems and business management key issues, especially since digital transformation is in its infancy stage.

Nellie Mashaba have been employed by the chamber of mines and part of her portfolio is Woman in Mining in Africa. The number of women working in the mining sector has increased significantly in the past 15 years or so – from around 11,400 in 2002 to around 53,000 women in 2015, increasing to 54,154 in 2018. Women represent 12% of the mining labour force of 453,543. The Association of Women in Mining in Africa (AWIMA) is a network of African women in mining, oil and gas national associations. AWIMA was created on August 19th 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya during the African Women Business Linkages Forum organised by the African Union Commission. This network of associations from the Southern, Central, Western, Eastern and Northern regions of Africa advocates for the participation, representation, leadership and inclusive empowerment of women in the extractive sector in Africa. With this interview the experience and knowledge of Nellie Mashaba will be shared with our stakeholders on the challenges of Woman in the mining sector. The NWU Business School's Prof Christoff Botha interviewed her.

In a country, there are two powerful mechanisms. One of them is entrepreneurship education and the other mechanism is the institutional mechanism. Even though both mechanisms can play a role, it is evident that both mechanisms are not adequate to overcome the entrepreneurship challenges in Africa. These are amongst others mechanisms that cannot address mistrust, non-financial inclusion, managerial and leadership skills, risk management, and decision making. Many of our failures are a result of practical problems and challenges that we import from outside our classrooms. Not only must we give attention to these but we must form alliances with successful entrepreneurs. The NWU Business School's Prof Christoff Botha speaks to Dr Shantha Indrajith from the BOTHO University in Gaborone about this.

Heinrich Strydom se aanvanklike droom om vir die Proteas krieket te speel, het mettertyd omgeswaai na ‘n ambisie om een van die top administrateurs in SA sport te word. As die jongste hoof-uitvoerende beampte van ’n plaaslike krieketfranchise, toe hy vyf jaar gelede op 34-jarige ouderdom aangestel was as baas van die Dolphins, is Heinrich besig om homself uitmuntend van sy taak te kwyt. Sy kontrak is onlangs met ’n verdere vyf jaar verleng. As ’n gebore en getoë Potchefstromer, is hy ’n alumnus van die NWU Besigheidskool - wat hy meen hom toegerus het met die visie en strategiese bestuursvernuf wat nodig is in die genadelose wêreld van professionele sport.

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) is a project of the African Union (AU). Founded in 2018, it ambitiously aims ‘to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments’. Virtually all of the 55 AU member states have signed the agreement. While some negotiations still have to be finalised, ACFTA officially commenced on 1 January this year. The idea is that the continental project will be phased in. In this video, Prof Raymond Parsons talks to Minister Ebrahim Patel about his views of the Trade Agreement. Watch Video: https://youtu.be/KO83WE4_woU

The conceptualisation of labour relations is impacted by two dominant recent phenomena. First, labour, or the concept of work, is in flux due to most successful market regimes changing from manufacturing hubs to service economies. The question is, how will that impact labour legislation in South Africa, a country with at least 60% of all economic activity embedded in the service industry? The second recent phenomenon, exacerbated by Covid-19, is the “death of the idea of an office”. The management and control of productivity is fundamental to efficiency, but also the rights of workers and the obligations of managers. Jahni de Villiers, a former trade union organiser, and policy influencer for organised agriculture, will also elaborate on the role of women in the context of these questions and phenomena. Watch Video: https://youtu.be/y9qJoh_gWUM

Jacques Faul benodig geen bekendstelling as suksesvolle hoof-uitvoerende beampte van die Titans nie. As iemand met ’n passie vir die bestuur van belangegroepverhoudings, is Jacques ook ’n akademikus van formaat, met ’n doktorsgraad in Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, en is hy onlangs aangestel as medeprofessor by die NWU Besigheidskool.Hy glo dat die besigheidskant van sport beslis kan baat by akademiese insette van ’n instansie soos die Besigheidskool. Verder praat Jacques padlangs oor sy opspraakwekkende wedervaringe as waarnemende HUB van Krieket SA ’n paar jaar gelede, en lug hy die mening dat dit ideaal sou wees om sport en politiek heeltemal te kon skei. Maar is dit haalbaar?

Die mens is nie veronderstel om ’n gevangene van ’n voorafbepaalde stel keuses te wees nie, aangesien die toekoms ’n magdom van uitkomste bied. Aldus Dr Cobus Oosthuizen, dekaan van die Milpark Business School in Johannesburg. Cobus is ’n deskundige op die gebied van leierskap, entrepreneurskap en strategie. Die voltooiing van sy MBA aan die NWU Besigheidskool het Cobus se horisonne dramaties verbreed, en die droom om ’n besigheidskool te lei, en ’n agent van positiewe verandering te word, laat posvat. Hy glo dat die leermeester self meer leer wanneer hy ander leer, en dat jy bloot ’n ontdekkingsreis fasiliteer wat ook jou eie intellek strek.

The efficacy of marginalised farmers within the broader South Africa and African context is an issue that has not been given the attention by decision makers in the sector, mostly from rural farming communities that it deserves. The poverty levels is ever-increasing in South Africa with more than 50% of the country’s population, are still living in poverty. The New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) 2020 states that agriculture is by far the single most important activity in Africa providing employment for about two-thirds (67%) of the continent’s working population. For each country it averages 30-60% of GDP and approximately 30% of the value of exports. Africa has enormous potential, not only to feed itself (“food security”) and eliminate hunger and food insecurity, but also to be a major player in the global food supply markets. This potential lies in its land, water and oceans, in its people and in its knowledge and huge markets. Marginalised and smallholder farmer empowerment has been part of government’s development agenda for many years, as these groups are extremely vulnerable, food insecure and have restricted access to technology and information. The key source of knowledge for these marginalised farmers is other farmers because it is voluntarily available and its utilisation does not impose a high risk. Because of the legacy of the history on the African continent many of these marginalised farmers are vulnerable because of the lack of self-efficacy. Advocacy in this space of agriculture are needed to alter the ways in which power, resources and ideas are created, consumed and distributed at various levels so that marginalised and emerging farmers have a more realistic chance of controlling their own development and goals agenda. In this NWU Business School Bon Bon interview, Prof Ronnie Lotriet speaks to William Steenkamp about rooibos farming and its opportunities.

Bemarking is nie bloot ‘n integrale deel van besigheidsukses nie. Dit is die besigheid. Melanie van Rooy staan aan die hoof van bemarking by Clicks, en was vroeër in dieselfde hoedanigheid betrokke by sowel Makro SA as Dis-Chem. Met ‘n doktorsgraad in ekonometrie, het sy ‘n passie vir bemarkingsanalise ten einde verbruikersgedrag beter te verstaan en bemarkingstrategieë te verbeter. En, Melanie, wat ‘n paar jaar gelede by die dood omgedraai het vanweë ‘n gewas in haar kolon, beskou haar besluit om ‘n MBA te voltooi aan die NWU Besigheidskool, as die insiggewendste hupstoot vir haar loopbaan in die korporatiewe wêreld...