Whispers of an entrepreneur

As far as possible I try not to write about politics - firstly I am not a political scientist and I have never held any senior position in any political party. So I do not have experience in politics.  Though my political ancestral home is the African National Congress (ANC), besides being a student leader, I have never been interested in formal politics.   Politics however, intertwines with business and the economy. I have recently been recognizing some structural, governance and business issues facing the governing party. Setting the ideology aside, organizational growth is similar irrespective of organisation.  In Patrick Lencioni’s book, “ The Five Dysfunctions of a Team ”, he highlights the pitfalls faced by many teams. These are: Inattention to results, Avoidance of accountability, Lack of commitment, Fear of conflict and lastly, Absence of trust. I will therefore try to elaborate on each point and how the once mighty ANC has let itself suffer from eac...

The issue of land is quite a contentious one - throughout the world, people find their identity in the land they live on and in as well as the language they speak. If offers a sense of belonging not inherent in us but derived from something tangible.  As the great speech from Thabo Mbeki states: I am an African, I derive my being from…. We all derive our sense of identity from things outside of us. Teaching my first son about our clan, clan name and totems that accompany it, give rise to his identity. Where our clan hails from eSheshegu, a small village outside eDutywa the Eastern Cape. Now the question of land - I have had the great pleasure of traversing the Cape Provinces, this being the Northern, Western and Eastern Capes. What a beautiful country we live in. Massive tracks of land belonging to white farmers as well as the South African government throughout the areas I have visited.  Being in the agricultural industry I have come to understand the value...

After a long weekend dedicated to youth - I find myself filled with doubt on the strategy that is put forth for the youth of South Africa. According to legislation, I am and will remain a “youth” for a few more years. It becomes ever so vital that I take full advantage of all opportunities during these last few years. The massive drive for government, to cater to the youth problem - yes, I perceive their actions as viewing the youth as a problem, none of them is quite interested to solve.  But have to comment on to garner political votes. Votes from a population segment that is looking to outstrip any other segment in terms of size. South Africa and most of the African continent is undergoing a great revival opportunity - where the majority of the economically active participants in the economy, would be young people. This allows the country to look at opportunities to produce goods at a competitive rate, globally. The youth is sold on the idea of YOUTH ENTREPRE...

For the South African economy to grow, absorb youth in employment and be internationally competitive - a great focus needs to be put in a handful of industrial areas. South Africa is arguably the greatest country on the African continent - a beacon of hope and a model to be looked at and emulated, taking a moment to discard any political influence, South Africa needs to look at areas where we have a natural or achieved competitive edge. 1.     Tourism What a country we live in, if the 2017 Tourism Indaba, is anything to go by, we have a rich diversity of areas to visit. All our 9 provinces offer something special, are attractive and more importantly, unique. Each offering something the other does not and something that it can build competitiveness on.  Tourism in South Africa accounts for less than 5% of the GDP. Reportedly offering a little over 1 500 000 jobs.  Conversely, tourism in the Southeast Asian countries can account to well over ...

To start off - I am not advocating feeling sorry or making excuses for my fraternity - we are capable, dynamic, innovative and unfortunately in dire short supply. Politicians constantly advocate for job creation and of late - black industrialists and that most exquisite of meaningless drivel - Radical Economic Transformation (RET) Transformation based on taking from one to redistribute to others has no foundation in a society that wishes to continue after that handover. As history tends to - it will repeat, under a different guise but will essentially be a taking from the perceived to have; to be given to a yet undisclosed "not haves". For RET in any measure to occur - simple access to the economy needs to happen. Economic development and participation needs individuals who are driven to be given space to do what they deem valuable as seem from the study of a viable market, identified and with a willing buyer to pay for that service or product. Let me make an example - if Aun...