By Deon Oberholzer, CEO: Gestalt Growth Strategies

The perspective that patriarchy is a construct created by men to oppress women effectively implies that we need to destroy it in order to give women a chance to be successful. However, stopping men from being successful is not the solution. If we do that, we will continue to get what we have; the highest unemployment in the recent history in South Africa. Our failure is that women are not being equipped to effectively win. Leave the men to run well while enabling women to run even better may mean that our economy can actually grow.

We should be driving home the message that women are capable and can be massively successful. But, for more women to be successful, they need to identify and harness their power, get educated, and prepare to change the world. In August, being Women’s Month, we heard positive stories of women movers and shakers achieving great things, of efforts being made to address inequality and gender pay gaps in the workplace, of women rising above adversity to get educated and find jobs. This is reassuring and confirms that we should view women empowerment from a perspective of developing inner strength as opposed to the perspective of them needing intervention in order to have a chance of success. Perhaps the mantra we are seeking is; “I am, therefore I do, therefore I have” versus “I have, therefore I do, therefore I am”.

One step forward, two steps back

South Africa was making some reassuring gains in advancing equality for women in the workplace. But, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely stunted the slow-gathering momentum. More women have lost their jobs compared to men, with women accounting for about 2-million of the 3-million jobs lost during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020[ii]. A year later in March 2021, women’s employment was still down by about 8% while men’s employment was back to normal. Women who are employed are working less hours per week, while men, you guessed it, are back to normal.[iii] While the COVID-19 pandemic has undone some of the gains that were made for employment and equality of women over the past two decades, it has also exposed structured fault lines in the country which have had serious knock-on effects, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable women. Of the country’s unemployed, according to Statistics SA, black African women are the most vulnerable demographic group with an unemployment rate of 38.5%, followed by coloured women at 26%. Women have been impacted harder by the pandemic because they tend to earn less, have fewer savings, work in the informal economy, and comprise the majority of single-parent households. Unfortunately, the burden of childcare mostly falls on women so the closing of schools and early childhood development centres disproportionately affects them.

When there are children to care for, feed and home school, it’s mostly women who step-up to the plate and that means less time to find work or take on more hours. The disproportionate weight of childcare responsibilities born by women dragged them down in other ways. Fewer of them could access the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRDG). Why? Because the conditions of the grant were such that it could not be accessed along with another grant like the Child Support Grant (CSG). Effectively, unemployed women were penalised if they were also the main caregiver to a child and were claiming for a CSG. The conditions of the SRDG, which partially excluded women and highlighted the snags that come with ignoring gender roles, will have to be revised if it is reintroduced.

Gender roles need questioning

Traditional gender roles that emphasise women as primary caregivers aren’t entirely a bad thing. It is a commonly held view that women are natural caregivers and maternity has immeasurable value in society. But, it is when this role is undervalued and the overemphasis leads to the exclusion of women from work, education and participating in economic activities that it becomes a big point of concern. This has been amplified in the wake of the pandemic. Females were more likely to cite “family commitment” as a reason for not attending school than males (17.1% compared to 0.3%)[iv], according to Stats SA.

Its unemployment figures also show that in both Q1: 2020 and Q1: 2021, more than four in every ten young females were not in employment, education or training. Looking at the impact of COVID-19 on female unemployment worldwide, several reports show that more women than men have lost their jobs. So, this is not unique to South Africa. The industries in which women typically work have been more severely impacted by lockdown closures such as hospitality, retail and domestic services. Women are also segregated into low-wage occupations and the informal sector where they lack social protection. It is time to reset the system to deal with these inequalities. This includes some serious efforts to address the inequality in childcare responsibilities, the inequalities that exist in the opportunities that women have to participate in the job market, the inequalities in the access to education and the unequal balance of single-mom households.

Perhaps we should also be brave and question if the traditional light penalties on men for having children out of wedlock could be contributing to the disproportionate single-mom households. As long as women, as the primary caregivers to children risk their jobs when the schools close, and as long as they continue to be employed in the most vulnerable sectors with the least structural support, it will only get worse. The effects of the pandemic will be felt by women and girls for years to come unless their employability and marketability for better paying-jobs is improved through equal access to education, skills development opportunities, and funding for women-owned businesses.

So, what does action look like and how does it differ from lip service? Well, at the height of the pandemic last year, we launched a Working Student Programme managed by our skills development facilitation business, ProudAfrique Human Capital. It aims to address the issue of employability by equipping students with life and work readiness skills to improve their employability in the formal job market. Students work while they study and receive mentorship, allowing them to qualify with a degree or postgraduate qualification, with work experience and without debt. Currently, we have 12 young women on the programme who are proving that coming from a disadvantaged background does not determine or limit potential. Additionally, our Intombazane Development Trust, whose beneficiaries are young black woman under the age of 29, gives small, owner-managed businesses the opportunity to invest in the development of South Africa’s next generation of female leaders while achieving legitimate, compliant B-BBEE ownership without the risk of fronting.

Our view is that including women cannot be a simple bean-counting exercise. Instead, it should be a concerted commitment to ensuring that when women become part of an organisation, their integration is meaningful and their employability is sustainable. Through these initiatives, we hope to do more than just pay lip service to supporting women in pursuing and achieving success. We want to see women escape the cycles of poverty and dependence that has held them in its grip for generations. ENDS About Gestalt Growth Strategies Gestalt Growth Strategies is a trusted business strategy and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) consultancy. Established in 1998, Gestalt uses original and proven business transformation models to help companies unlock business growth and shareholder value through B-BBEE.

It’s not only about being the best at what we do but being better than we were yesterday; an ethos that gave birth to the dream child of Founders Jody and Lisa van Heerden. CAD4ALL was established in 2008 by its Founders whom share a passion for developing young people and find their full potential in life.

“There was no better way in shaping the youth than to give them a solid foundation with an education” was the first response the couple gave in their reasons for starting the College which at the time only offered architectural CAD designing and construction short courses, which now has increased with more faculties and disciplines within them on offer today to students.

Coming from humble beginnings and growing up on the Cape Flats, more specific Bishop Lavis. “A township of poverty, gangsterism and drug infested streets, there are few if no opportunities for the youth of this area, in the years of my upbringing and today it is no different!” Jody explains how he had to fight the adversities of his immediate community and stay focused on a dream and the steps to achieving this vision.

Through all this and limited funds for schooling and furthering his studies, Jody worked hard to be noticed above his peers whilst studying receiving many accolades and achievements. His achievements afforded him to be selected for overseas studies and experience enhancing the knowledge he had and needs for the years to come. He completed his formal studies in 1999 in the field of Architecture and Entrepreneurial Studies. CAD4ALL started off selling affordable CAD software bringing a solution and an option to a market that was high end, but still making use of pirated software.

CAD is a design package used by engineers, designers, architects and allows them to design on a work station. Jody and Lisa saw a gap as most companies could not afford what was on offer and the pirated version was not conducive for businesses to service clients with. The name came in the solution and was for everyone who needed to design a desk, house, car, shop interior, the list continues.

It was definitely for all, hence being named CAD4ALL. Because it was a more affordable alternative, it took a lot of slander from the bigger more expensive competitor. This stretched the brand, but CAD4ALL reliability package made up of services and training is what made them strive and keep them a pick above the rest. The proof is that 10 years later and with a client base of over 2000 design and engineering firms making use of the reliable service and package.

Every business faces economic and socio issues and this proves testing and trying time.

This however also saw huge firms scaling down and using more affordable packages and support.

The training was also done by CAD4ALLwhich really got the brand out for all to experience and see. CAD4ALL was really tested at this time Jody had entered into an entrepreneurial competition for a trip and to attend a course at the Sierra Nevada College in Lake Tahoe, USA. It was extremely difficult for Lisa to be alone with their three young kids while Jody spent months away in course in the USA.

They made a collective decision that Jody should go and pursue the opportunity as the future benefits were to promising - this they only saw a few years later how well it all fitted in the collective of their entrepreneurial journey. Jody was one of 9 Entrepreneurs that submitted a business plan and received resound acclaim from the panel of judges assessing this competition.

Lisa has enjoyed building this brand with Jody and with her qualifications and experience in phycology contributed majorly in the realization and formation of the college and its accreditation in offering the curriculums. This was not enough for Lisa as she had to see children from disadvantaged areas benefit from a college structure that offered practical up skilling of learners.

The college then started offering a learner ship program for children from disadvantaged areas and schools. Accredited qualifications are very important to the growth of any economy and skill of workforce and all these factors contribute to a higher standard of living. This was possible for all through learner ship programs offered. Education was accessible to all and because of this, CAD4ALL College had to endure slander and being labelled as a “bogus” because of its stance on education and empowering everyone with skills to better their tomorrow.

Like all these adversities, the brand stood strong and what was once a mustard seed, showed a flowering tree, well rooted in the industry of design, engineering and education. The college grew and like all successful business people driven by a passion to see others that do not have a chance to succeed offered this opportunity, Lisa still felt they are not reaching enough disadvantaged individuals. This lead the college to enter a sports teams into tournaments, then from these sports days a futsal team was born. The CA4ALL Futsal team, whom were young men under the age of 21 from the area of Bishop Lavis and Valhalla. The team started entering major tournaments and won a few coveted titles. This invoked a spark within Jody that made him fall in love with the sport.

The College then went on to enter two teams in the in the Regional Futsal League and went on to win it, but just being part of a team was just not enough. Jody used the Futsal to give these young men a learner ship to study. Most boys in this age group have given up on schooling and pursued a career in football, but got a raw deal by agents and semi pro clubs. These young men now are receiving a second chance at enjoying their talent in playing futsal and receiving an education with a skill for life. Lisa was very happy as this was in line with their vision of assisting people to better their yesterday and soon too fell in love with the sport of futsal.

The college had an array of talent and the regional league at that time being very small and limited, Jody saw growth for the league, but more so develop the sport of Futsal in South Africa. Jody went on to contact the World body of Futsal, AMF and this is where the college once again grew not only in forming the South African Futsal Federation, but more so in becoming accredited in now offering sports management and coaching accredited courses.

The college portfolio of curriculum has grown tremendously over the first 10 years and this was only the platform for the next exciting years to come. CAD4ALL believes and approaches its learning through a blended learning approach which is the latest and most accommodating way of learning and gaining a qualification. CAD4ALL has a lot of effort put into the background and structure of everything that streams the businesses so that they speak to each other.

This shows in the online learning sector of the blended learning which really gives the virtual classroom to its users, namely the students. Being ahead of the curve has carried the brand and its business entities and this desire has kept the college innovative, creative and techno savvy for the growing demands of our youth today.

“Looking back I see guts, hard knocks, learning curves and a success formulae that has carried us and kept us abreast from all the adversities and slander. We stuck to our guns even when it meant spending time away from my loves ones, sacrificing to realize a dream that not only empowers your family but the communities you come from and that’s the true joy,” was the message Jody and Lisa wants to impart with aspiring Entrepreneurs and those chasing their dream but can’t seem to see the goal line.

A strong foundation has been fortified and established CAD4ALL and its brand. If from nothing we could build this in 10 years, what would the next 10 years have in store? This question excited the passionate couple and looked at each other saying that they are ready for the challenges the new era holds and excited at the same time as they can only see CAD4ALL growing its umbrella of businesses and increasing the curriculum of the college in years to come.

Flexible, Affordable and relevant B-BBEE Skills development products which assists our clients in gaining the much-needed B-BBEE Scorecard points via Skills development, enterprise and supplier development as well as Holistic CSI initiatives.

he hassle- free B-BBEE solutions offered by CAD4ALL Corporate Training & B-BBEE Solutions includes a dedicated team of experts that manages the requirements imposed by legislation on behalf of all our clients who needs to comply annually CAD4ALL Corporate Training & B-BBEE Solutions manages the Human Resources and Industrial relations on behalf of our clients while remaining cognitive to the fact that our interventions must always be relevant to the client’s business and be aligned to their applicable legislation and policy.

Entering into a training agreement with a 100% LEVEL 1 Black woman owned entity like CAD4ALL which is accredited with the department of higher education and training as well as various SETAS, will contribute to much more rewards for the company partnering with CAD4ALL as well as tax rebates

1. Our clients can take advantage of CAD4ALL being a first-time supplier to the company
2. Enjoy maximum points gained at a low-cost due to initiative entry incentives such as tax rebates, youth subsidies and other allowed grants
3. 135% maximum gain on procurement (Level 1), enhanced to 162% as a new supplier.
4. Our end-to-end, full-service offers give you a range of solutions for all your BEE requirements
5. We work with you to develop customized and strategic solutions designed to meet your exact needs
6. Access to CAD4ALL Campus, the most innovative way to gain maximum points whilst avoiding a loss in staff productivity.
7. Enjoy additional BEE points on Enterprise development, supplier development & CSI
8. Our solution is closely aligned to the BEE codes of good conduct
9. We offer qualifications across all industries – NQF Level 1 to 6.
10. Through innovative initiatives and industry-firsts, we ensure that priority elements are met
11. We are fully accredited to ensure your peace-of-mind and complete gain of Government incentives

View our video https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6541228811399372800 email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a B-BBEE information pack

Gold Travel, a Cape Town-based corporate travel service specialist, has recently achieved a Level Two B-BBEE rating after implementing 52.5% black ownership and 31.5% black woman ownership in partnership with NetValue™ Equity Partners, also based in Cape Town. The certification falls under the Qualifying Small Enterprise classification in the Tourism Sector Code, a category which has recently been under the spotlight for its slow pace of transformation. 

The travel and tourism industry has recently seen the back of two of its biggest South African trade shows - World Travel Market Africa and the stalwart travel exhibition, Tourism Indaba, held in Durban last week.

Seemingly, a common topic under the spotlight is the rate of transformation in the South African travel trade. Speaking at the annual Women in Tourism Event at the Indaba, newly elected Minister of Tourism Tokozile Xasa raised concerns about the slow pace of transformation in the sector.  

Commenting on their positive achievement, Konrad Laker, CEO of Gold Travel, said that as a South African business owner transformation is a priority policy.

“Tourism is an integral part of the South African economy and transformation should be at the forefront of the industry. This marks a significant milestone in our transformation drive; we will continue to find ways of enhancing our B-BBE efforts.” 

“Rating will influence and shape the future of the business as we continue to evolve”

Spintelligent Pty, the leading Cape Town-based publisher, trade exhibition and conference organiser, has been awarded a Level 2 BBBEE Contributor rating. “We are absolutely thrilled with reaching this important milestone”, says David Ashdown, Spintelligent Managing Director, adding: “it has been a strategic goal of the business and we achieved it following 6 months of diligent work”.

Ashdown says the BBBEE rating allows the company to “secure and strengthen current institutional business with influential government organisations, parastatals and NGOs, whilst also positively influencing spending by South African corporates who need to engage with BBBEE rated businesses to improve their own contributors score. This in turn will open the door for many new companies to do business with us, therefore increasing our reach to relevant markets within which our sponsors, exhibitors and delegates operate, which will also provide them with more opportunities to conduct business.”

He continues: “a BBBEE rating allows us to open new revenue streams and drive greater revenues from existing relationships. More importantly it ensures that we have a cultural and moral commitment to our employees and the operational nature of our business. A BBBEE rating will influence and shape the future of the business as we continue to evolve.” Spintelligent is the African office of Clarion Events Ltd which is based in the UK. It has become recognised as a highly successful African event organiser and publisher, with flagship projects in the power, mining, agriculture, defence and education sectors such as African Utility Week, African EduWeek, Agritech-Expo, Land Forces Africa and the iPAD franchise.

Upcoming Spintelligent events:
- iPAD DRC Mining & Infrastructure Indaba, Kinshasa, DRC: 22-23 October 2014
- Katanga Mining Week, Lubumbashi, Katanga, DRC: 28-29 October 2014
- iPAD Rwanda Power & Infrastructure Investment Forum, Kigali, Rwanda: 3-4 November 2014
- West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC), Lagos, Nigeria: 18-19 November 2014
- AgriBusiness East Africa, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: 28-29 January 2015

Contact:
Communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web:  www.spintelligent.com

http://www.spintelligent.com/pages/detail/14191

About Spintelligent
With over 15 years of working with Sub-Saharan African government ministers and the region’s leading businesses, producing hundreds of events and publications and helping thousands of companies secure multi-million dollar contracts, we’ve learned what it takes to be a competent and confident builder of a successful and prosperous company in Africa.

Spintelligent is your principal, local based, knowledge partner and events coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa. We provide you the best in class Sub Saharan African multi-media resources to help you expand your operations and achieve your business ambitions across the Power, Mining, Education, Agriculture and Defence industry sectors.

Spintelligent is part of Clarion Events, a global business-to-business event organiser with offices in South Africa, UK, Netherlands, Germany, United States, Brazil, UAE and Singapore.

We are thrilled to announce that both the public and private sectors appear to recognize the value of board diversity as BPW SA has been approached in the last month alone, to assist with eleven board vacancies for women on our Register.  Women and men have different interests and perspectives in important areas, and boards are starting to see the importance of utilising these varying experiences to tackle the tremendous challenges. 

BPW SA and the Department of Trade & Industry (the dti) want boards of directors to widen the search for talent by looking beyond the traditional pool of executives and bring new potential to light.  It is for this reason that we have joined forces to provide a Women on Boards programme to create a Register of female leaders in South Africa who are excellently trained and, as a result, are highly sought after by Boards.  After all, why on earth would you voluntarily exclude half the smart people?

Our first group of 19 senior women, all thoroughly trained through our 9-month Women on Boards director development programme and certified by the dti, are now available on our register of Board Potential Women Directors and we urge companies to contact us for potential female directors.

Seven of our graduates are in line for board interviews , many have been interviewed by the media – both radio and magazines – and all will be profiled in the KZN Chamber of Commerce Power Book (2015). As an ongoing service to the graduates, BPW SA continues to raise their profile in an effort to access suitable board placements.  We have proven that board diversity is not a supply problem, but rather a demand problem.

BPW SA is proud to announce that we have incorporated an international module into the Women on Boards programme.  Business acumen - incorporating business finance and strategy - a must in today’s complex landscape. Business acumen is a keen understanding of what it takes for an organization to make money.  It combines financial literacy – the ability to interpret numbers on financial statements – with business literacy – recognizing how strategies and decisions impact these numbers.  Call it a sophisticated business simulation. Call it an exercise in experiential learning. Or call it a board game. Whatever you label it, the simple fact is that the training is fun and will gives participants a true competitive edge.

A recent Women on Board graduate, Tebogo Maziya, who holds a Masters degree in Science, a postgraduate diploma in finance and a B Comm degree says the nine-month journey has been fulfilling. “I learnt there’s a risk and that that risk is manageable. So it’s important for the board to be transparent and accountable and for a board member to be aware of decisions made because they will be held accountable.”  Another graduate, Amantha Maharaj, a BSc electrical engineering graduate with an MBA, who works a top management level at an engineering consultancy says of the programme: “It teaches one to know how a board is structured, what to do, and questions one needs to ask when sitting on a board. It also teaches business risk and how one should view business from a higher level. It was certainly value for money.”

For more information about our Women on Boards Programme, please visit our website at www.bpw-jhbsa.co.za or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (011) 794-4991.

They are in South African companies and industries right now, although they may not be part of traditional networks and are unlikely to be present at the higher levels of management in the same numbers as men.  It is for this reason that BPW SA and the Department of Trade & Industry (the dti) have partnered in an unrivalled “Women on Boards” director development programme to create a pool of female leaders in SA who are excellently trained and are therefore highly sought after by Boards.  

Most people today have no knowledge about the makeup of corporate boards, even in the companies they work for. These people would be surprised to learn how little diversity of thought and experience exists in the corporate boardrooms and executive suites of South African businesses. Why should you care about board composition? Boards of directors make decisions that can impact you, your community, and the country.  That’s why it’s important that membership on corporate boards be representative of a company's constituents.

Boards of directors choose CEOs. They make decisions about executive compensation, whether to buy, sell, or merge with other companies, where corporate offices close and relocate, and how much priority a company gives to issues other than profits, such as social responsibility.  

Our Women on Boards programme will give you the expertise and exposure needed to be part of the right networks.  It is an eight-part program — strategically placed over the course of 8 months, due to the complexity of the material — equips women with the knowledge and tools needed to elevate themselves to the C-suite and beyond.  In a supportive and highly interactive atmosphere, an impressive roster of top government and corporate experts will guide skilled female executives through a rigorous program of intensive classroom instruction, case studies and simulations. Every element of the program is focused on strengthening and broadening the leadership talents of the participants and delivering positive results for their companies and organizations.  They will improve their understanding of the responsibilities of board membership and develop the skills and strategic insight needed to become a more effective director.     They will improve their understanding of board governance while heightening their financial literacy and increasing their understanding of relevant legislation.  Amongst others, specialist training is also provided by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) with regard to corporate governance and understanding of JSE terminology and the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) (London) who will impart their expertise on personal and reputational risk.  The dti will convey their expectations of board members and corporate experts will present, and execute simulations, on media and presentation skills to enhance leadership effectiveness. The programme is certified by the dti.  

For more information, please visit our website at www.bpw-jhbsa.co.za  .or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 011 794-4991.

Business & Professional Women (BPW SA), and the Department of Trade & Industry (the dti) are hosting a business breakfast on 7th August 2014 to launch a unique 3-day Women’s Empowerment Programme in South Africa to provide registered SME’s with the legislative knowledge required to effectively run their business within the parameters of South African law.  

The breakfast is hosted by DDG Mr Mojalefa Mohoto and DDG Mrs Pumla Ncapayi from the DTI and BPW South Africa as well as senior representatives from the JSE and UN-Women and the Commonwealth Business Council.  Various international Ambassadors and High Commissioners will host tables at the event.  A sponsorship fund will be launched at the breakfast for qualifying enterprises.  

Organisations of all sizes in South Africa need to develop and apply sound governance, risk and compliance principles and institute high ethical values. Failure to do so will have devastating consequences for the organisation, including penalties.   For SMEs, the biggest challenge is a lack of understanding around the difficulties associated with becoming compliant.   Understanding the ever-changing regulations makes the difference between a small business thriving – growing the economy and creating jobs – or closing its doors, and thus closing the door on job creation.  

Simply put, you need to know your laws. Know your rights and obligations. In this way you mitigate risk to yourself, your business, your employees and your customers. If done well, it helps to improve business performance and ensure financial success.   If you would like to be part of this Women’s Empowerment Programme, we invite you to join us at this Business Breakfast – tickets are R500 per person or R5000 per table of 10.   

For more information, or to attend the Business Breakfast,
please visit our website at http://www.bpw-jhbsa.co.za/index.php/events/30-future-events/98-business-training-courses.
Website: www.bpw-jhbsa.co.za

{pp}Since the publication of Government Notice #354 on 9 April 2009, there have been many online and email statements which have pronounced that BEE certificates produced after 1st August 2009 will only be valid if produced by an Accredited Verification Agency or one that has received a pre-assessment letter from SANAS.

The NABC believes that this interpretation has misled thousands of businesses as it is only partly correct. In addition it has caused many businesses to incur large expenses through agreeing to obtain expensive BEE verification rating certificates which are actually not required by law.