Building your business network
[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]By Chantelle Smith HR Company Solutions It’s no longer what you know, it’s more about who you know We have all heard that knowledge is power and it’s all about what you know that will ‘get you to the top’ and help you achieve your goals...
Newly elected Chancellor of University of the Free State, Bonang Mohale, shares 5 business tips
[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]Bonang Mohale, Chairperson of the Bidvest Group, and former CEO of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has been appointed Chancellor of the University of the Free State - he will take up his new role on 4 June, for a five-year term,...
Donations aim to mitigate the risk faced by the small companies
Business Partners announced on Sunday evening, that they are the official administrator of the donation by the Rupert family of R1-billion to assist small businesses and their employees affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the country’s #21daylockdown. And that...
Government urged to invest in water infrastructure to fight COVID – 19
The Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA), the standards body for the plastic pipe industry, says the outbreak of the Covid-19 in South Africa has once again highlighted the dangers which the lack of access to running water pose for the most vulnerable in our society.
SA’s most wanted profession engineering
Skilled traders and engineers remain the most difficult positions for companies to fill in South Africa. But why the scarcity in skills?
Skills Development – Can you afford not to?
Deon Oberholzer, CEO of Gestalt Growth Strategies and co-founder of ProudAfrique Human Capital, believes asking how a company can effectively see a return on investment (ROI) through skills development and training is the wrong question.
Influencer marketing
Influencers are changing the face of marketing.
Work smart
Harnessing technology to revolutionise the South African workforce.
wiGroup: A balancing act
We take a look at CEO Bevan Ducasse’s approach to people and profit in his business, and how he created a winning formula.
wiGroup: Entrepreneurial spirit
When he started wiGroup, Bevan Ducasse wanted to be at the forefront of the move towards a cashless society.
wiGroup: From inspiration to implementation
We spoke with wiGroup CEO Bevan Ducasse about starting a business that not only weathered a global economic crash, but also grew in leaps and bounds in the years since.
Disruptor: Ryan Falkenberg
Ryan Falkenberg says he finds people’s ability to influence the world through their internal power as opposed to having to exert external force inspiring.
5 tips to stay healthy at work
Here are 5 must-dos to remain productive and keep the work stress at bay.
Disruptor: Rowan Leibbrandt
Rowan Leibbrandt’s business, Truman & Orange (T&O) is disrupting the local liquor industry. It’s been four years since inception, and the company is growing around 350% year-on-year. T&O currently employs 35 people, with the goal of having 65 employees by the end of 2019.
Top 10 Influencer Marketing Trends
Influencers are changing the face of marketing.
Sustainable energy solutions
Load shedding, water restrictions and news of electricity hikes really add to the financial burden of trying to make a business work.
Disruptor: Alex de Bruyn
Alex de Bruyn is the CEO of DoshEx, a South African company pioneering the development of crypto-tokens and digital assets, as well designing and deploying smart contracts and distributed business networks.
Trends 2019: Digital with a Purpose
By Lee Naik, TransUnion CEO It’s that time of year again, where everyone from major consultancies to futurists try to predict what’s to come in the world of business and technology. As always, I like to throw my hat in the ring by looking at our own data, combined...
Disruptors: Ashley James and Crispin Inglis
Top Performing Companies chats to Ashley James and Crispin Inglis, founders of innovative online estate agency, PropertyFox about disruption and the importance of entrepreurship to the South African economy.
South African fintech in 2019: What can we expect?
Fintech disruptions to expect in 2019.
Trendwatch: Edge computing will come of age in 2019
IoT to gain traction as the edge comes closer.
Disruptor: Marc Wachsberger
At the age of five, Marc Wachsberger told his teacher that he wanted to be a businessman, and not a fireman like most of his friends. Turns out, he stuck to that plan!
A tech-led future
The Fourth Industrial Revolution isn’t the future – it’s the present – and any company not ready for it is going to struggle to sustain itself into a tech-led future.
Venture capitalism: Key to growth in Africa
The African continent presents massive opportunities for infrastructure, digital and social impact investment.
Social entrepreneurship in South Africa
Former public protector Professor Thuli Madonsela reflects on how we can take advantage of social entrepreneurship to address the challenges facing SouthAfrica. When the architects of our democracy drafted the Constitution, I think they had in mind a society similar...
Lessons in leadership
Lessons in leadership: inspiring company culture breeds great business In business, as in football, one player’s blunder could cost the team a win. Ran Neu-Ner, CEO of The Creative Counsel, unpacks what it takes to lead a team to triumph. As the 25-year-old,...
Bonang Mohale: Business must create growth that benefits all South Africans
The CEO of Business Leadership South Africa takes a look at how we can achieve high levels of human development by restricting the drive for economic growth ‘at all costs’. In his State of the Nation Address this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa committed to set South...
Feature in Top Performing Companies and Public Sector 2018
Top Performing Companies and Public Sector, the research-based annual B2B publication showcases and celebrates remarkable South African success stories in the private and public sector. Earlier this year the publication, announced their esteemed lineup of advocates,...
Feature in this year’s successful magazine
Top Performing Companies and Public Sector, the research-based annual B2B publication showcases and celebrates remarkable South African success stories in the private and public sector. Earlier this year the publication, announced their esteemed lineup of advocates,...
Top Performing Companies and Public Sector featured clients
Top Performing Companies and Public Sector, the research-based annual B2B publication, showcases and celebrates remarkable South African success stories in the private and public sector. Earlier this year the publication’s editor announced the formation of an esteemed...
Topwatch Announces Strategic Partnership with WatchBox
Cape Town, SA - Topwatch, South Africa’s pre-owned luxury watch specialist, today announced a strategic partnership with WatchBox, the global e-commerce platform for the buying, selling, and trading of preowned luxury watches. Founded in 2017 by watch industry...
Elon Musk: The man you don’t bet against
An entrepreneurial visionary, and dubbed ‘tech titan’ of the world, Elon Musk has gone where most would not dare to tread. His innovative, revolutionary and often-unorthodox ideas – the steps of one man – resulted in some giant leaps for mankind. Early days Born to a...
South Africa’s remarkable potential
Opinion piece by Adrian Gore Evolutionary biology teaches us that we evolved on the savannahs over millions of years, in conditions that were extremely challenging. Life expectancy was approximately 30 years; and infant mortality was high with one-in-three babies...
This is what happens in one business day in SA
By Trevor Gosling, CEO: Lulalend So, what happens in a typical business day in South Africa? What are some of the main business activities that play out in the time it takes to process and approve a business loan application? Here are some of the amazing...
The do-or-die priorities for SME survival
By Trevor Gosling, CEO: Lulalend With 70–80% of SMEs failing within the first five years, and only 1% growing to employ more than 10 people, South African SMEs are struggling to realise their own growth potential and become active drivers of job creation. With slow...
Ecommerce, spaces & sustainability
A look at how the rise of ecommerce is shaping the property sector and how sustainable our consumption really is. When online shopping first appeared in the world of retail, it was hard to believe that it would become what it is today. The initial scepticism of online...
An ex-stock broker, Robben Island and an elephant walk into a wine cellar
Sounds like a bad joke, right? But Black Elephant Vintners’ rock and roll approach to winemaking shatters the formalities that are often associated with the business. With a philosophy that’s born out a love for wine, this Franschhoek winery offers an...
wiGroup – Simply remarkable solutions: An interview with CEO, Bevan Ducasse
We speak to wiGroup CEO Bevan Ducasse about starting a business in 2007 that not only weathered the global crash, but has grown by leaps and bounds. It is February in Cape Town, and all the usual suspects are in full swing: soaring temperatures, traffic konfyt and...
SA’s most wanted profession: Engineering
Skilled traders and engineers remain the most difficult positions for companies to fill in South Africa. But why the scarcity in skills? It was a bittersweet moment when the results from Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force survey were published. It showed...
The state of SMEs and the performance of the big fish in SA
In 2016 South Africa’s economy expanded at its slowest rate since 2009 and this performance may well hinder growth and recovery in 2017. Growth was 0.3% for 2016, lower than the Treasury’s forecast of 0.5% and the Reserve Bank’s forecast of 0.4%. SME...
The world at his feet: An interview with Seabelo Senate
Blitzbok flyer, Seabelo Senatla, has taken the rugby world by storm. At only 24 years of age, he has won the World Seven’s Player of the Year and become South Africa’s all-time leading try scorer in the seven-man format. Now, South Africa’s latest rugby sensation has...
Interview: Felix Ratheb, CEO of Sea Harvest
Fishing giant Sea Harvest – a household brand in South Africa – was recently listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) after showing significant growth over the past two years through organic growth and well-timed acquisitions. We interview CEO Felix Ratheb...
South Africa is giving the world a run for its money
Despite the headlines, foreign and local investors should not lose sight of the fact that South Africa remains a highly attractive and sound investment option. But which sectors offer the best opportunity for international stakeholders? A growing nation of...
Global CEO confidence is back on the rise amidst new risks and concerns
By Dion Shango, CEO: PWC Southern Africa Several years on from the financial crisis, CEO confidence is on the rise – although it still has some way to go back to the levels from what we saw in 2007. Across the globe, there are signs of optimism despite mixed views on...
What is tourism’s impact on everyday South Africa? We chat to South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona
With unemployment stubbornly sitting at more than 25%, job creation continues to be the biggest spin-off from the burgeoning tourism sector. According to Statistics South Africa’s December 2016 report, the industry created more than 32 000 new jobs during 2015,...
As good as gold: Q&A with golden boy, Wayde van Niekerk
Aside from fictional characters like Flash Gordon or Superman (even that’s open to debate!), there are very few who can outrun or even match the speed of South Africa’s biggest athletic sensation of the decade, Wayde van Niekerk. If you’ve been living in a monastery...
Meet Kagiso Rabada, Cricket South Africa’s rising star
Fast, young and naturally athletic, Cricket South Africa’s latest sensation Kagiso Rabada is one of the most gifted young bowlers in world cricket and his star is only going to continue to rise. Kagiso Rabada is probably the most exciting fast bowler on the planet and...
We interview Norman Mbazima, deputy chairman of Anglo American
In the heart of Anglo’s operation – the proverbial jewel in the crown – Anglo American’s deputy chairman Norman Mbazima traces a historic timeline that reaches back to the company’s inception in 1917 up until now – the year in which the global mining giant celebrates...
South African cities: Where our future lies
In the globalised 21st century, cities are places of cultural diversity, energy and idea-generation. Large urban hubs are where business deals are born, economies tick and life is vibrant 24/7. Jane Jacobs introduced the notion of social capital in her book titled The...
Let us build a nation of entrepreneurs
By Lindiwe Zulu – Minister of Small Business Development The key responsibility of the Department of Small Business Development is to enhance support to small businesses, informal businesses and cooperatives, with an emphasis on programmes that advance...
What to expect in the latest edition of Top Performing Companies
In the latest edition of Top Performing Companies, it's not 'business as usual' when we interview deputy chairman of Anglo American, Norman Mbazima. We trek across the city to an industrial complex just off the N1 to chat to Bevan Ducasse, the young and vibrant CEO of...
Is Bitcoin the future of international finance?
In 2008, a paper called Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System began to float around the internet. Shortly afterwards, Bitcoin became a software program on the laptops of the nerdy and inquisitive. Libertarian economists have long railed against the existence...
Quick-fire Q&A with Jannie Mouton
What are your 6 tips for aspiring business people – what are your secrets to success? Focus on opportunities instead of lying awake worrying about threats Surround yourself with the best people and give them a share in the company so you work together Honest,...
The power of price
South African manufacturers and retailers face headwinds from every direction. In addition to rising fuel and electricity input costs and changing customer behaviour, an influx of international competition and escalating bad debt levels have placed further pressure on...
Coaching Circles
Research shows that Coaching Circles are regarded as one of the best ways to develop people and build strong, resilient organisations. Coaching Circles is a modality that involve groups of managers working together to coach and dialogue in a supportive environment as...
An overview of South African cities and provinces
Metros A metropolitan municipality provides all the functions of local government for a city or conurbation. Out of the 287 municipalities in South Africa, eight are metros. Metros are growing twice as fast as other cities and towns and also have higher (+/- 40%)...
The importance of SMMEs on the South African economy
According to the 2015 World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects, six of the fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Cote d’Ivoire. Whilst South Africa offers a business-friendly...
Six habits of successful general managers
Creating a successful company is no easy task, and it can be just as difficult to sustain your success once achieved. The success of several top performing companies relies heavily on their leaders. Business owners are like fingerprints – no two are exactly alike –...
An innovation hub
Enabling innovation across the business landscape is critical to sustainable businesses. Creating a culture of innovation Innovation is the idea to market cycle. It involves creativity, inventiveness and implementation roles that very seldom resides in one...
Investing: some pointers
Investing will always carry a risk, no matter how good or bad the market is perceived to be. Markets do however, tend to move in cycles, hence it is important to invest in a well-balanced portfolio over a long period of time, where the chances of losing money are...
Five rising stars inspiring South Africans
This article looks at five rising stars in the fields of finance, technology, science, education and business development.
Of Capitec, Curro and ice cream
Excerpts from an interview with Jannie Mouton – founder of PSG | By Fiona Wakelin “South Africa is a great country and we need to work together” 2016 marks the 21st anniversary of PSG - and the 70th birthday of its non-executive chairman who,...
Top Performing – A sneak-peak inside
As has always been the mission of Top Performing Companies & Government, this year we have sought out the top performers that contribute in making South Africa a great country.
INTEC College Certificate Handover
The handover of the Top Performing Companies certificate to INTEC College for 2016
Why, when and how to hire a non-executive director
A seasoned veteran can be a big asset on the board of a growing business.
Clearing up a data leak
Had a significant data breach? Here’s how to get to grips with the problem quickly to avoid customer panic and reputation meltdown.
How to stay healthy while running a business
Neglecting your own well-being is just as bad as taking your eye off the numbers.
Amazon vs Google vs Microsoft: which is the fairest tech giant of them all?
The strong dollar can’t spoil the growth party, as America’s biggest tech firms report stellar results. Well, two of them do…
Ever intended to contribute to the National Development Plan?
Newly released Vision 2030 publication can inspire your objectives.
Tips for entrepreneurs to adapt to a changing business landscape
Entrepreneurship involves more than just a great idea, as a successful entrepreneur requires tenacity and flexibility to keep up with the many moving parts of a business that needs to be managed.
The joys of hotdesking
Flexible working is the way of the future, but how do you do it well?
Best buddies? Yahoo turns to Google for search
Boss Marissa Mayer hopes a deal with Google will help fund Yahoo’s own search capabilities.
Households’ impressive mid-winter energy savings
South Africa’s households’ positive response to Power Alerts on SABC, eTV, M-Net, Mzansi Magic and Kyknet made a powerful contribution towards preventing load shedding from happening more often in winter.
How to predict where the market will open, before it does
Futures from developed markets such as the Dow Jones and S&P 500 are important to look at for the Morning Call.
Putting more women on your board won’t automatically make your company perform better
Diverse companies outperform their peers, but we may be confusing correlation with causation.
LinkedIn says it can find copies of your ‘rockstar’ employee
Ever wished you could clone your star salesperson or your standout software developer?
Jack Dorsey is going to be an exceedingly busy man
The Twitter founder and returning CEO’s other company has just filed for an IPO.
Good employers need to look beyond appearances
It’s little wonder graduate job hunters spend more time on their appearance than on research.
Cape Town CBD moving towards a 24-hour economy
The central city of Cape Town is on a development trajectory that could see it supporting a 24-hour economy, according to Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) chairperson Rob Kane.
Why unlimited holiday and axing appraisals doesn’t mean your company can escape rules
Company culture is just a set of norms in a different guise, says Jonathan Richards.
Into Africa
Isilumko Africa expands it footprint on the continent
South African economy well positioned to recover from current slowdown
Brand South Africa notes the statement by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry that the country’s Business Confidence Index has fallen to its lowest level since 1993.
How to crack the American market
Plenty have failed in their attempts to cross the Atlantic, but the potential rewards for success are massive.
Are under-25s really less productive?
By Rachel Savage Minister Matthew Hancock has drawn ire for saying under-25s won't get the National Living Wage as they're less productive - but is that true? In Matthew Hancock’s world, when you turn 25 you suddenly transform from an unproductive slacker to a super...
Mere 10% Of Top 40 Executive Positioned For CEO Role Are Black
While the executive teams of SA’s Top 40 companies are slowly becoming more representative, very few of these top black leaders are destined to make it to the pinnacle position in their companies, a study has revealed.
Why I’m Learning To “Code”
Women need to learn the ‘code’ of the male professional to get ahead at work, says Ann Hyams.
Facebook To Launch Free Satellite Internet – But Is There A Catch?
Facebook is to boldly go where no social media company has gone before, but is Mark Zuckerberg’s free Internet project really an act of selfless philanthropy?
Xtraordinary Women Network To Launch A Durbanville Chapter
Xtraordinary Women Business Network is excited to announce the launch of their Durbanville Chapter. The newly launched network will provide business and networking support to the businesswomen in the Northern Suburbs.
Six tips for scaling up your start-up
Grow your own people – but know when to hire from outside too, says Hyperoptic founder Dana Tobak.
Profile of a responsible leader
Dieter Jansen is a leader who has a passion for people and seeing them succeed.
Namibia and South Africa Forge Business Partnerships
Offering a stable economy, modern infrastructure, key transport corridors and a range of investment incentives, Namibia is actively seeking investment and partnerships with South African business.
These are the most valuable brands in the world
Apple is not only the priciest fruit in the basket; it’s got the most expensive sticker too. The tech giant has once again been named the most valuable brand in the world, with its worth put at a staggering US$170-billion.
My boss is constantly criticising me for no reason. What should I do?
Try and ignore her manner and let her share in your successes – before you complain to management.
Why scaling up your business isn’t always the best plan
Everything you know about business is wrong: staying small might be the right thing for your company.
The enemy of change is complacency
A Sense of Urgency by John P Kotter pinpoints the key to managing change in businesses.
Good reasons to preserve your home equity
With interest rates on an upward trend, homeowners are once more being encouraged by all and sundry to use the equity they have in their homes to pay off or reduce higher-interest rate debt such as car finance, credit card balances and personal loans. Which would be fine if the economy was robust and home prices were rising fast. As it is, however, the economy is fragile and the rate of home price growth has been slowing down for several months, so a much more conservative approach is indicated.
How to manage change in a fast-growing business
Your company needs to evolve as it takes on more staff and clients.
Why it really does pay to be honest in business
Companies need to be completely open about setbacks, argues Mike Straw.
How to maintain your company culture in a fast-growing business
Don’t let corporate realities crush your start-up vibe.