Reflections on what our new President’s maiden SONA speech might mean for BEE and development in 2018
2018 is the first time in as long as I can remember that I listened to a SONA speech in part, let alone the whole thing. It’s the first time I made notes and wondered how this might benefit our country, particularly our poor people, which is where our economy requires the most stimulation, needs […]
The not so often discussed reason for small business failure – exploitative big business
As another year comes to a close, we have been doing some reflecting on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in South Africa – as we often do. There has been an abundance of reports written on the challenges for entrepreneurs in SA and beyond, and the conclusions many of them come to are certainly things we ourselves […]
Our Impact Inspired Launchpad Winner Discusses Takeaways
Our first round of our Impact Inspired closed with a pitch competition and the winner was Reitumetse Matla, founder of Greenthings Projects. Greenthings Projects’ goal is to create an app that would link small-holder farmers with resources (everything from advice to low-cost fertilizers). Reitumetse has a lot of great things to say, not only about his takeaways from participating in […]
Understanding the definition of “51% black-owned” under the dti codes (also: Gazetting the Forest Sector Code)
The BEE Commissioner has issued a non-binding Practice Guide, the focus of which is the achievement of the coveted “51% black owned” or “100% black owned” statuses for Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs) and Exempted Micro Enterprises (EMEs), which elevates such companies with an annual turnover below R50m to an automatic Level 2 or Level 1 […]
Inequality in South Africa: the responsibility of all citizens
Whether you agree with how wages are divided up, with CEOs earning unlimited millions of rands every year and low level workers earning too little to support Maslow’s most basic needs, we surely must be able to acknowledge as a nation that South Africa is in a dire place and that it needs serious help, and fast. […]
Looking back to move forward: new paradigms in business affecting future investment trends
The world is changing and paradigms of business that worked so well during the industrial revolution are becoming less relevant. What is the future of business and how will this affect investment? When you think of the origins of business, what comes to mind? Cavemen and women bartering with stone tools, or perhaps something more […]
Why operating as a social enterprise and making money isn’t contradictory
When talking about current social enterprise models (generally defined as self-sustaining or revenue generating entities with a social or environmental product or service) – which often involve selling a product or service to people who are living in poverty or are disadvantaged in some other way – one of the questions we often get is: […]
Earth’s Got Talent (or does it…?)
Sometimes we South Africans think we experience unique challenges that the rest of the world doesn’t experience. Certainly, we have nuances and challenges which play out a little differently to the rest of the world, but I was reminded yet again after recent trips to international conferences in San Francisco and Washington, how similar the […]
Global brands leading the pack of socially and environmentally responsible companies
The economies of the world are in transition. Uncertainty about the future is rising, political dissatisfaction around the world is increasing, and as people believe that they have to share an ever decreasing pie and limited natural resources with more people (who then are often shown as the “other”, i.e. foreigners, refugees etc.), selfish self-preservation […]
The Entrepreneurial State
Mariana Mazzucato, a Professor of the Economics of Innovation at the University of Sussex puts forward her thoughts on what one of the roles of government should be in capitalist markets. Recognising that market efficiency is theoretical rather than reality, she argues that policymakers should use the tools and resources available to them that are […]