Key topics in spotlight ahead of icon’s centenary

GLOBALISATION, diversity and technology were among the topics under the spotlight during an interactive dialogue in commemoration of Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday.

Held in Sandton, Joburg, yesterday, the event themed “The Centenary Business Summit – South Africa Open for Business” by Brand South Africa, collaborating with Business Engage, saw a delegation of US business leaders, and some of South Africa’s prominent leaders in the business community share thought leadership around globalisation, corporate social responsibility, diversity, technology and doing business in southern Africa.

The Centenary Business Summit “South Africa Open For Business” was developed jointly by India Gary-Martin and Colleen Larsen, chief executive of Business Engage and president of the 30% club in conjunction with Sneha Shah, managing director for Africa at Thomson Reuters, the summit’s anchor sponsor, according to Brand SA.

Larsen, chief executive of Business Engage and president of the 30% Club, said: “The purpose of the delegation was to engage in thoughtful conversation with business leaders about the vision, business operating environment and challenges in attracting direct foreign investment to southern Africa. The cohort consisted of senior executives with global responsibilities at some of the world’s largest and most well respected firms. They are widely recognised as business leaders, subject matter experts and trailblazers across their respective sectors.”

The co-organiser of the Centenary Business Summit, and founder of Leadership For Life (LFL), India Gary-Martin, said the platform has provided an opportunity for US-based C-Suite executives to unpack the opportunities presented by South Africa.

“Our influence as business leaders is extremely important. We want to explore the opportunities that exist within purpose driven leadership.

“This is about leader to leader exchange, and interrogating best practice,” said Gary-Martin.

Keynote speaker Colin Coleman, who is the managing director and Head of Africa at Goldman Sachs, shared insights on how South Africa and the world can live up to Mandela’s values and principles through concerted efforts that aim to positively impact society.

“Let us not forget where we come from as a nation. In the 25 years since 1994, significant developments have been made for our society which have been enabled by our constitution and democratic society. We see an increase in the creation of the black middle class and the country’s social welfare system provides support in the form of grants to over 17 million South Africans – a system which also benefits corporates.

“We aren’t without our challenges as a society. We have high levels of unemployment with the vast majority of those impacted being the youth. The structural design of the apartheid system still persists to this day which sees the mass of rural and peri-urban citizens being marginalised.

“However, we are in a ‘new dawn’ – guided by the Ramaphosa administration – and it is our responsibility collectively with government, business and civil society to unwind the racial divides in the economy and to maintain and further strengthen social cohesion in South Africa and in the rest of the continent,” said Coleman.