Gauteng businesses wanting to take control of the growing digital disruption in their markets will be headed for “Own The Future” on Aril 8th. Led by digital strategy veteran Godfrey Parkin, Own The Future is a strategy workshop where participants will rethink their business models in the light of emerging scenarios for the immediate future.

According to Parkin, “In the past few years we have seen unprecedented numbers of established businesses suddenly going under. Most of them have no idea what happened. At the same time, new businesses or industries have come from nowhere to total domination almost overnight. Mastering disruption is not about digital transformation, or even about technology. It is about reading the trends in customer behaviour, seeing the emergent opportunities for improving customer experience, and being ready and willing to own them. Your business has to be where the ball is going to drop, instead of chasing after it when it is already too late.”

The workshop apparently can be a little uncomfortable, as change does not come without letting go of the past, or challenging wishful thinking about the future. The structured approaches used in the workshop make it easier to question established assumptions, become inspired and to move forward with confidence.

“People today are more easily manipulated, and more ready to try something new, than ever before,” says Parkin. “Privacy no longer exists. Technologies change exponentially, and customer behavior follows; most businesses change much slower, so their hold on customer loyalty erodes quickly. The gaps between what people want and what is delivered become expanding worlds of opportunity, or risk.”

Participants in the Own the Future workshop learn how to cut through the chaos of unpredictable change to build clearly focused strategies for success. They will gain a profound understanding of the most important digital and social trends, and will learn how to stay strategically competitive. They will also discover the tools and resources that can help them stay ahead of accelerating disruption.

Britefire, the producers of the workshop, assert that every industry and sector will change more in the next three years than in the past thirty. The conjunction of coming social, political, educational and technological changes creates an immediate future which has to be confronted realistically, with strategy and conviction. “You cannot succeed over the coming three years with the business models and customer experiences that sustained you till now. Own The Future will put you back in control of disruption, so it works for you rather than against you.”

Intriguing workshop topics include:

• World on the brink: societal and digital revolutions
• Innovation, disruption, hype and reality 
• Methodologies for business model disruption 
• Identifying your opportunities to differentiate 
• Optimising the radical: from fragile to agile 
• Creating and implementing your disruption strategy

The workshop is being held in the Sandton area on 8th April, and places are limited. Contact Britefire for details.

Education is too expensive and does not prepare students for the workplace. These are the lamentations of both employers and students across Africa. Why are educational institutions not changing their curricula fast enough to provide relevant education that satisfies industry skills demands? What do students really pay for when getting an education?These are some of the questions that Edzai Conilias Zvobwo has been asking for years.

Out of disgruntlement from the rhetoric and low pace of change, Edzai, popularly known as “The MathsGenius” has decided to be the change he would like to see.Edzai is on a mission to facilitate the free delivery of relevant skills to anyone who wants to learn. “In the information age, knowledge is free, and students are merely paying for accreditation and associated prestige that comes with institutional names”, said Zvobwo who has created an online platform that offers free courses and educational insights on all subjects.According to information on the platform’s homepage, MathsGee is an online content recycling initiative.

The platform serves as a bank for educational content in the form of courses.

The content on MathsGee is free for everyone, everywhere and anytime. The courses are being developed in conjunction with organizations that are willing to share knowledge and contribute in solving the educational crisis across the continent.To bridge the expectation gap between students and employers, it is necessary to co-create learning paths that are focused on skills and not necessarily labelled as degrees or diplomas.

What industry needs are skills and not qualifications. MathsGee offers this opportunity to employers to communicate their expectations to the future workforce to avoid discord.In line with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, MathsGee is also tackling the exclusivity of education by providing all courses for free. If one has an internet connection, then they will be able to learn any skill anytime and anywhere.It is important that all stakeholders rethink about what education is relevant and how it should be delivered.

For more information on the initiative you can send an //mathsgee.com/joburg-social-entrepreneur-on-a-mission-to-democratize-education-delivery-in-africa/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">email  or simply use the “Contact Us” form on the platform.

Bryce Biggs is one of four speakers featured at the PCB workshop on Business 2020 that takes place on 24 and 25 March 2015. The workshop on the 24th is aimed at start-ups, while that that on the 25th is for established businesses.

Speakers (Dr Clive Coetzee, Dr Leon Grové, Dr Rob Smorfitt, and Bryce) will tailor their messages each day to meet the needs of the two audiences. On the 24th, Bryce will focus on business opportunities resulting from current digital disruption as well as on what you need to do to create a viable business model. On the 25th, he will focus on how one maximises the market/sale value of your business and whether or not your business model is likely to endure until 2020.  

Bryce says “The list of businesses and professions that is currently being disrupted or is about to be disrupted –often on a massive scale - is a long one. It includes education, health, manufacturing, retail, security, and transport. Two examples of disruption from the health field: In the USA one of the highest paid medical professions - anaesthesiology - is currently in the early stages of being replaced by machines (e.g. Sedasys from J&J). At present, this replacement is only in certain routine procedures. Also in the health field - a recent blood-testing innovation is set to disrupt a major (highly profitable) health service sector. The innovation comes from a business owned by a 31-year old who is the wealthiest self-made woman billionaire in the world (she is worth $4.5 billion according to Forbes). In both these cases of disruption, patients (and medical aids) stand to save significantly.

New business models are developing every day. Businesses that lock into previously tried and tested business models run the risk of being eliminated in the next 5 to 10 years”.  

The good news for small business according to Bryce? If you can survive the increasingly litigious and regulated business environment, you may be able to leap ahead of established competitors. This is because you are not emotionally, financially, and/or intellectually invested in an existing – often failing – business model.

Bryce Biggs of Bryce Biggs Consulting is coordinating the Business 2020 workshops on behalf of the PCB. For more details on the workshops, which will take place at the Chamber offices in Pietermaritzburg, contact Lorna Jones on 033 345 2747 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dr Clive Coetzee, KZNs “go-to-guy” if you want to know where the economy is heading regionally or internationally will be speaking at two back-to-back Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business (PCoB), Business 2020 workshops, on 24 and 245 March. Clive is General Manager:  Infrastructure Management and Economic Services for the KZN Provincial Treasury, a position he has held for the past seven years.

People interested in the shape of things to come eagerly await their monthly email from Clive where he provides a crisp and thoughtful analysis of the provincial economy and where it is heading. His PhD, published in 2012, clearly shows where his interests lie – “A Research Approach to Keeping Informed of and Monitoring Local Economic Conditions: A Kwazulu-Natal Case Study”.

Clive has lectured for three Universities and a number of private training institutions and is an in-demand speaker on topics related to the economy. He is a prolific writer on his topic with over 20 papers delivered at conferences and 30 working papers published.

Clive will be talking on likely growth areas and sectors in the first Business 2020 workshop on the 24th. This workshop is aimed at start-ups or recently established businesses. On the 25th, the workshop is aimed at established businesses. Here Clive will be placing greater emphasis on the economic climate existing businesses can expect to face moving forward to 2020.

Bryce Biggs of Bryce Biggs Consulting is coordinating the workshops on behalf of the PCoB. For more details on the workshops, which will take place at the Chamber offices in Pietermaritzburg, contact Lorna Jones on 033 345 2747 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

23, January 2015 –Dreadlock Removal Process Now Made Easy with the Take Down® Remover 

The Take Down® Removers is the #1 Best Braid, Weave, Extension and Dreadlock Remover. This is a dry hair detangler which works fast in softening the hair.

The cream prevents any type of breakage during the process of detangling. It offers wonderful results on hair that has not been combed or brushed for a long period. Hair that has become extremely dry and matted can now be softened with the help of this excellent cream. The gentle cream penetrates through the hair and softens each and every strand as and when it is being combed.

Imagine the amount of time and effort it would take to remove the knots and clumps out of that matted and tangled hair. Take Down® Remover is definitely a great relief from pain as well as a feasible solution that offers excellent results.

The cream should be used directly on the matted hair before shampooing. Shampooing the matted hair would lead to more stubborn knots and clumps. It would also create masses of tangled matted hair. All that the users need here is this Detangler Cream, a wide tooth comb, a rat tail comb and of course lots of patience.

Users have to massage and soak the hair with the cream without wetting the hair. The knots, balls or clumps can be picked using the rat tail comb. The strands of hair can be slowly pulled out using the pin tip of the comb. If the hair to too tangled, users may wish to use extra cream – the more the better. This would weaken the matted knots and clumps.

The hair can be shampooed once it is completely detangled. A wide tooth comb can be used to remove all the knots and mats now. The hair can be conditioned with an excellent conditioner at the end.

Even the worst dreadlocks, twists, hair extensions and dread extensions can be detangled easily with the help of this dreadlock remover. Hair restoration is now easy and simple with this excellent product. It is time to say no to painful processes and those time taking sessions to detangle the extremely impossible tangled hair.   

To know more about this dreadlock remover visit www.hairdetanglerschoolsa.com

Contact Details

Nomsa Beauty Ltd, Johannesburg. 
Tel:(+27) 0791275325
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[SEPTEMBER 2014, Cape Town] Recent news reports revealed that according to Minister of Basic Education, Ms. Angie Motshekga’s response to parliamentary questions, over half a million learners are registered to write the Grade 12 final exams across South Africa this year.  

Whilst many look at this statistic with encouragement that such a large number of learners are seeing it through to Grade 12, other experts and opinion leaders are a little bit concerned because this is an indication of the volume of learners that will need to enter the job market in the coming year.  

The most recent youth unemployment statistics recorded South Africa’s youth unemployment at a staggering high of 36%. At the opening of the Youth Employment Conference in September, Deputy President, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned in a video-taped message that government is looking at employment tax incentives to encourage employers to employ first time employees - in other words school leavers and university graduates. This is one of the ways that government is looking at addressing the youth unemployment issue.  

The vision of SA Teen Entrepreneur Foundation which was formed in 2011 is to cultivate and promote the entrepreneurial spirit in all South African teenagers, whilst still at school. One of the richest teens in the world with a net worth of over U$30 million is 18 year old Nick D'Aloisio a self-made millionaire. He invented an app and sold it to Yahoo, a move which catapulted him into business. There are others like Nick across the world who with their enquiring minds have the ability to come up with innovative ideas that could be life-changing for individuals and business alike.  

Under the leadership of Lydia Zingoni, the SA Teen Entrepreneur Foundation has been running a number of workshops, seminars and competitions with high schoolers to encourage entrepreneurial thinking and nurture their ideas. The newest initiative that will launch on 28 October 2014 at Bishops Diocesan College in Rondebosch is the launch of the High School Entrepreneur Societies. The underpinning body for all these societies will be the Association of South African High School Entrepreneur Societies, a Teen Entrepreneur Foundation initiative. The vision is to grow entrepreneurs and business leaders at all high schools in South Africa through planting entrepreneur clubs and societies in each high school in the country.  

There are 27 000 high schools across South Africa.  If each high school across the country embraces this vision, it means that 27 000 entrepreneurial hotspots can be formed across the country. Each entrepreneurial society will be encouraged to come up with business concepts that improve their communities. As such, the ripple effect is that through encouraging entrepreneurial teens to explore their ideas at a young age, a generation of employers will graduate from school and each community around the school will benefit from the impact of the business activities of these societies.    

“Whilst this is a lofty vision, it is something we feel is desperately needed and can be achieved,” said Lydia Zingoni, Founder & Director of The SA Teen Entrepreneur Foundation.  “The staggering youth unemployment statistics are a stark reminder that we need to implement programmes that will make youth employable when they leave school and possibly even make them employers from a young age already,” she continued.  

The launch event is open to parents, teachers, business & political leaders and learners who are interested to join forces with SA Teen Entrepreneur Foundation and play an active part in supporting South African youth to playing an active role in the economy. There is no cost to attend but bookings are essential as space is limited.   For more information about the launch or to book your seat please contact Nadia Snyders on 021 447 6183 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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.

On the 7th August, 2014, BPW South Africa and the Department of Trade & Industry launched South Africa’s first database of “Board Potential Women” at a Business Breakfast held with over 200 CEO’s and high level government officials.  Acting Director General, Mrs Pumla Ncapayi of the Department of Small Business Development (The Department of Trade & Industry) handed over certificates to 19 senior businesswomen who have completed the intensive BPW SA “Women on Boards” director development programme and have now been profiled on the “Board Potential Women” database.  

The first 19 women on this database all fulfil stringent criteria for corporate governance and legislation and are well trained through our “Women on Boards” director development programme.  This list of "Board Potential Women" makes it clear that there are more than enough eminently qualified women to help lead South Africa’s corporations into the 21st century and that it is now time to shatter the glass ceiling that keeps these women from ascending to board positions.  Furthermore, it’s time we provide opportunities to more women than just the “high flyers” who currently occupy most board seats.  

We need to use all of our society’s talents to ensure that South Africa’s economy thrives. We often hear the argument that there are insufficient qualified women to occupy positions in the boardroom. Today BPW SA and the Department of Trade & Industry are shattering those myths as well as glass ceilings! The database shows that the qualified women are there – it’s just a matter of finding them and we’ve made it easy through our database.  There is no longer any excuse for recruiting unqualified non-executive female directors onto a board.  

The programme and database is administered by BPW SA in consultation with the Department of Trade & Industry. All women listed in the database are suitable to be considered for company board-level positions and meet a clear set of criteria.  Every application to be part of our “Women on Boards” programme and database is formally assessed and reviewed and only those women who meet the criteria are accepted. Notably, all women on the database have extensive formal qualifications and at least five years senior management experience.  

Companies should now make use of this untapped pool of talent, and businesswomen interested in potential board posts, should be joining the “Women on Boards” programme and ultimately our national database, in order to promote their profile amongst a larger audience.

For more information, give us a call on (011) 794-4991 or 083 212 9134 or visit our website at www.bpw-jhbsa.co.za.

To put PhD behind ones name brings status, standing and respect, but requires many hours of high-level research and especially the competency to do it. This might nevertheless be worthwhile, as the demand for professionals with a business-related PhD is increasing world-wide.  

According to University World News a 2014 global survey conducted by the Germany-based company DBA Compass indicates that there is a growing global trend towards professional doctorates in business management.  

A substantial 64% of professional doctorates in management had been launched in the past decade and a quarter of them in the past three years, with 58% of the new degrees in Europe and 35% in North America. Most universities saw the strongest increase in student demand from Asia and the Middle East (89%) and Africa (81%).  

This is against the background of South Africa’s National Planning Commission’s (NPC’s) target of producing 100 000 PhDs by 2030. According to Science and Technology Minister, Naledi Pandor, South Africa currently turns out just over 1 800 PhDs a year. In order to reach this target the country need to train 6 000 PhDs per annum.  

It is with this in mind that USB Executive Development (USB-ED), the public executive development and training company of the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB), has designed the Doctoral Research Training Programme (DRTP) to assist candidates to follow through with their PhD studies.  

A doctorate, being the highest academic qualification that can be awarded, puts enormous emphasis on producing new knowledge and therefor the crux of the matter is research and the ability to do it well.  

The programme will be presented in Cape Town from 8 to 12 September 2014. The DRTP is targeted at PhD students in all fields of study and from all higher education institutions  and business schools. It is ideal for prospective PhD candidates and those who have already started with a PhD.  

Head of open programmes at USB-ED, Willemien Law, says that at the end of the programme participants will have a clear understanding of the requirements for undertaking a doctoral study.  

“It equips participants with the ability to begin to write a comprehensive research proposal, have the capacity todevelop a suitable methodology for their research study and have an appreciation for the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of research.  

“Furthermore, the programme provides exposure to the issues and learning philosophy surrounding qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. It also equips participants with the necessary knowledge to analyse both qualitative and quantitative data,” Law says.  

The book The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research, written by Marian Petre and Gordon Rugg and published Open University Press, states that: ”Entering students often think of a PhD as a 'magnum opus', a brilliant research project culminating in a great work. This is rather a demanding model and few students win Nobel Prizes as a result of their doctoral studies.  

“More realistically, a PhD is a demonstration of research competence. There are certain things that you are demonstrating through your dissertation:

• Mastery of your subject         
• Research insight        
• Respect for the discipline        
• Capacity for independent research        
• Ability to communicate results and relate them to the broader discourse  

“These reflect competence and professionalism, rather than greatness. Importantly­, they are as much about comprehending others' work as about doing one’s own.”  

According to Law this gives good insight into what the DRTP programme is about and what it offers participants.

More information on the programme can be found on USB-ED's website.

Atukwase Cleophus completed an Association of Business Executives (ABE) Level 6 Diploma course in Business Management through the Management and Accountancy Training Company (MAT) in Uganda, where he was registered with ABE as a self-study student. Today, Atukwase uses his qualification in his role as Chief Executive Officer and Head of Secretariat at youth project BARESO -The Lord’s Vessel.  Here he explains how his ABE qualification has helped him achieve his career goals and make a success of his role as CEO.

The ABE qualification has proved invaluable in supporting my work as Chief Executive Officer at ‘BARESO - The Lord’s Vessel’, a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to improve the prospects of the youth in the four districts of the Kabale Diocese.  

With head offices in Kabale, south-western Uganda, BARESO is governed by an independent board of directors and managed by a Secretariat – which I head.  The role of a CEO is obviously demanding and covers several areas of responsibility, everything from human resources to financial management. At BARESO, everything must be linked back to the mission and vision of the organisation. Each module of the Level 6 Diploma in Business Management helped me meet all my objectives and carry out my duties effectively. 

ABE qualifications are recognised by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations (Ofqual) in the UK and by the equivalent bodies worldwide. These qualifications are also recognised by colleges, universities, employers and governments around the world, making them ideal for academic and professional development.

Challenge  

After I finished my Bachelor’s Degree, I found myself lacking the managerial knowledge and skills I needed to progress in my career. In a drive to remedy this, I enrolled myself hastily on two postgraduate courses, without first identifying the skills I needed to acquire. Eventually, after undertaking some research, I realised that what I really needed was an ABE qualification. So I dropped both my original choice courses and started the ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business Management.

Implementation  

The purpose of my job as CEO at BARESO is to provide leadership for the company by promoting the vision, mission, strategies and programmes in the target communities, as well as to the general public. In my other role as Head of BARESO Secretariat, the management arm of BARESO, I have five main areas of responsibility and each area was becoming a huge challenge, mainly due to the lack of professional skills management gained from my Bachelor’s Degree.  

The ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business Management was the ultimate course for me because it had all the elements necessary to develop my professional skills in all of the five key areas.  

The Corporate Strategy and Planning section of the course helped me to lead in strategy development for the organisation, development of goals, objectives and operational plans, overseeing preparation of the annual budget and other financial documents and setting policies in line with BARESO’s mission.  

The Managing in Organisations module helped me with all my leadership and management responsibilities, including in human resources and performance.  

The Corporate Finance module helped me with financial management, an area where I oversaw financial and investment activities for the organisation.

Strategic Marketing Management was an important module and was integral in helping me plan and execute my duties for public relations and advocacy.  This part of my role involved the development and execution of a strategic marketing plan and engaging positively and effectively with the media.  

The International Business module helped with all my responsibilities associated with programme development and implementation from a global perspective. The module also helped me to ensure that the goals and objectives were aligned with BARASO’s overall strategic plan, as well as the monitoring of all BARESO’s programmes.  

It took me a year to complete the Level 6 Diploma and I am now studying the ABE Level 7 Diploma in Business Management and the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) qualification.

Conclusion

The ABE qualification has undoubtedly supported my work as Chief Executive Officer and helped me deal with the challenges of my role. After completing the Level 6 Diploma, I became particularly proficient in strategic planning and drafting manuals and, as a result of this, the Board recommended me for a lecturing job at a university.

I’m in no doubt that these qualifications are worthwhile and have opened up many doors for me.