CEO magazine Volume 20 Issue 3

ceo

celebrating excellence in organisations Vol 20 No 4 - 2020

E-Signatures Signing Off

4IR

Future Imperative

Cyber Risk

All encompassing

Rightsizing

Finding Opportunity

Curiosity

R29.95 (INCL VAT)

Key to Success

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A nnive rsa r y Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence GLOBAL

Expand your business Horizon

YEARS

2001-2020

Governance

Good

Parmi Natesan, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors, South Africa (IoDSA)

A Route to Better Business

20 Weird Facts about

Earth To Remind You Why It’s The Best

Our home planet holds some STRANGE SECRETS.

1 Earth’s Core Is as Hot as the Sun’s Surface 2 The Earth’s Atmosphere Extends to a Distance of 10,000 km 3 Earthquake Weather Is a Myth 4 Clouds Help Regulate Earth’s Temperature 5 The Planet Is 10,000 Times Older Than Humans 6 A Magnitude 12 Earthquake Would Split the Earth in Half 7 There Are More Viruses Than Stars in the Universe 8 The Earth Isn’t Exactly Round - more like a oblate spheroid 9 There Are a Billion Microbes in a Teaspoon of Soil 10 70% of the Earth’s Surface is Covered in Water 11 Seas Could Rise 2.5 Feet By 2100 12 Earth Is Radioactive https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/g32107914/earth-strange-facts/

EDITORSNOTE

EDITOR’S note

W

Slow Train to

Nowhere?

ay back in 2013, The Ashton Partnership (an international executive search firm) noted that average CEO tenures are on the decline. Their research at the time reflected executive roles (CEOs to be precise) in the extractive industries – with the passage of time, this trend has proved to be true for many other sectors of the global economy.

Time at the helm of any large (and even medium sized company) is not easy. For those leaders committed to finding the balance between profits and caring for the future of their employees whilst providing value for their shareholders, it is a demanding and at times exhausting undertaking.

In a complex and fast changing world where, if anything, things seem to be speeding up and business is becoming more multi-faceted. The world needs leaders who are able to move quickly. I think it is fair to say South Africa has its fair share of business leaders at all levels of the economy who grasp this requirement.

Whether it is reflected in the approach of our government is another question. The lethargy that is prevalent in producing growth inducing reforms has been with us long before the pandemic. Ideological differences within our political leadership combined with a rather low appetite for disturbing alliances that have been created to secure political positions, means that the real changes that are needed to spur growth are neglected.

The stasis is worrying – the results will be toxic.

The world needs leaders who are able to move quickly.

Valdi Pereira

CeO 2020 Vol 20.4

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We celebrate

LIFE

Providing high quality holistic care since 1970, Avril Elizabeth Home is a leader in the field of caring for the intellectually challenged. www.avril.org.za 011 822 22 33 aehome@mweb.co.za

QVC/2013/AEH/01

INSIGHTS

Michael King to see the true value of a ‘new client’. Car Insurance as an example is one of the most expensive keywords globally and can cost advertisers upward of R650 per click depending on how much they’re willing to pay to compete against other insurance brands This is an astronomical amount of money – if brands wanted to truly compete in this space, they could be spending upwards of R150 000+ a day on Paid Search alone.

So how can it be possible that insurance brands invest 30% plus of their entire marketing budget on this channel? Simply put, it’s what companies call a P-Factor or Profitability Factor. This is a simple profitability equation that allows brands to measure the value of a sale over time. Let’s use car insurance as an example – If I’m insurance company A and I spend R5 000 on Google Ads today, I’ll most likely generate quite a few visitors to my website who will either complete a quote online or want to talk to a sales advisor.

As a result of the quotes generated, I may sign up a new client who would hypothetically insure their vehicle at a monthly premium of R1 000. At a glance you might say that this channel is loss-making as the amount of adspend far outweighs the sale value, but the inverse is actually true. Car Insurance is a service that consumers sign up for on a monthly basis which means that as Insurer A, the company will be generating revenue from the initial sale over a long period of time. This is where P-Factor comes in.

Tracking the

consumer journey In the digital world, it’s a given that Paid Search advertising is important, but only a few industries, except the finance and eRetail sectors, are capturing the true value this channel has to offer.

Most brands are missing a trick by not tracking the full customer journey says Michael King, Managing Director of Reprise Digital, an IPG Mediabrands company.

I

n South Africa, financial industries, especially the top insurance companies, invest more money into Paid Search than most of the remaining industries put together.

The reason for this is because these industries track the lifetime value of a customer and not just the initial sale value.

Looking at profitability from a different angle allows marketers

Michael King, Managing Director of Reprise Digital, an IPG Mediabrands company

This equation helps us understand how long our new customer will need to stay insured with us before we cover the initial R5K adspend.

Ad Spend divided by initial sales value = P-Factor. So, R5 000/ R1 000 = a P-Factor of 5. This means that our new client will need to stay insured with the brand for five months before it ‘breaks even’ on advertising spend. If we then incorporate the fact that the average insured person stays with their insurer for 12-18 months, the profitability conversation very quickly changes to a positive one. In this example the company would be making money from our new client for anything between 7 – 13 months.

Every industry is of course different with their own unique challenges but the learning for marketers has to be that the future for brands is not only tracking a customer’s journey online until the sale is complete, but tracking the customer for the entire time that they’re associated with your brand.

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CONTENTS 10

LEADINGedge

In this edition of CEO MAGAZINE, we speak to Parmi Natesan, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Directors South Africa, about the increasingly important role of governance, the complexity of effective governance in a fastpaced world, the value of engaged company boards and the ultimate value that governance adds to a company.

CASEinPOINT

REGULARS 2 Your World Unravelled 3 Editor’s Note 5 Insight 8 Flip Side 32 What’s Hot or Not 72 In Conversation With

26 IODSA

ENTREpreneur

The Power of Governance

12 Gig Workers Getting New Rewards

PERspective 28 Automation in Banking

A Special Journey

Real world changes

16 Curiosity

30 Circular Economy

Makes the World go Round

New uses for old things

18 NQ Jewellers

33 Child’s Play

Entrepreneurial Success

New Learning Styles

20 Credibility

34 Every Drop

Key to Success

South Africa’s Water Crisis

36 Building Success Pathways to the top

38 Advertising A brave new Wolrd

40 Dealmaker A winning approach

42 Compliance Getting Things Right

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14 Visionary Leader

CeO 2020 Vol 20.4

10 22

22 Marketing Critical for profits

24 CA Connect A Numbers Game

INtheKNOW

70

54 Performance Management

44 Right Sizing

Fine tuning

Achieve more

56 E-signatures

46 4IR

Signing Off

Get prepared

58 Diversity

48 Kidnapping!

Non-negotiable

On the Rise

60 Job Negotiation

50 Co-Creation

In the digital age

The Future of products

62 COVID 19

52 Cyber Risk

A new normal

GLOBAL Expand your business Horizon Publisher CEO Global (Pty) Ltd Tel: 0861 CEO MAG Fax: (012) 667 6624 Tel: 012 667 6623 info@ceomag.co.za www.ceomag.co.za Chief Executive Annelize Wepener annelizew@ceomag.co.za Director: Strategic Development & Editor in Chief Valdi Pereira valdip@ceomag.co.za Director: Corporate & Financial Services Carl Wepener carlw@ceomag.co.za

Bigger than Ever

General Manager: Global Services George Wepener georgew@ceomag.co.za Head of Production/Creative Manager Channette Raath channetter@ceomag.co.za Manager: Corporate Support Raymond Mauelele raymondm@ceomag.co.za

LIFEstyle 64 T-Cross

48

Volkswagen’s latest

68 Renault Trafic Beating the Traffic

70 Ertiga Suzuki’s Surprise

2

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A nni ve rs a r y Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence GLOBAL

Expand your business Horizon

YEARS

2001-2020

* No article or part of an article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher. The information provided and opinions expressed in this publication are provided in good faith but do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher or editor. All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, neither the publisher nor the editor can be held legally liable in any way for damages of any kind whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from any facts or information provided or omitted in these pages, or from any statements made in or withheld by this publication.

CeO 2020 Vol 20.4

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FLIPSIDE

Big Ticket

Chickens in a Row

So it seems the port of Rotterdam (once the world’s busiest cargo port but now just out of the world’s top ten) is pretty soon going to have its own floating urban chicken farm. According to the Dutch architectural company Goldsmith the farm is designed to combine different functions in a relatively small space. In addition they note ‘many people do not realise where their food comes from, and the farm has been deliberately designed so that visitors can see every aspect, including areas such as the waste management’. If this is really the case, we foresee wholesale confusion between ducks and chickens on the horizon.

Knives and Forks The circular economy has arrived people! Hastened, in part, believe it or not, by COVID-19. Pentatonic, one of the companies at the edge of this economy (which the rest of us are still kind of figuring out) has produced an eco-friendly set of re-usable cutlery which hopes to encourage people to stop using single-use plastic cutlery (currently promoted as a way to help to prevent the transmission of COVID-19). With 40 billion plastic utensils thrown away in the US alone each year, many companies are developing innovative ways to help reduce single-use plastic waste. In this case the source of the material is recycled CDs (relax the metal is removed in the recycling process). The cutlery set features a knife, fork, spoon, straw and set of chopsticks that fold away inside a handy carrying case. It certainly puts a new spin on the Bring and Braai (Barbecue) routine.

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CeO 2020 Vol 20.4

FLIPSIDE

Snail Mail Rebounds According to the website www.tesh.com manufacturers (presumably in the USA) have noted the sales of greeting cards, note-cards, and writing paper have quadrupled. They also report that clinical psychologist Dr Ellen Baker says writing letters can be therapeutic because you have to focus on your thoughts and feelings, and put them in writing.

Additionally the effort involved in writing by hand, finding an envelope and stamp, and physically dropping letters in the mail makes you feel accomplished and happier. Yeah, right. Let’s see how much good will be accomplished by the American mail-in election.

Timing is Everything No matter where your allegiance lies in the motoring world, you have to doff your cap to Ford. After all, they brought the world the first mass produced car and some fantastic cars like the Mustang.

Building on this horsey theme Ford has now revealed that the Bronco will be back on the market after a 15 year absence. Clever move, we reckon, because in the post COVID-19 world, we are all going to be in for a wild ride!

Origami Blarney The folks over at Springwise report that Nestle is piloting paper packaging for its KitKat candy line. The new packaging is part of the company’s aim to create 100 per cent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025. The wrappers include instructions for how to fold them into cranes. The hope is that customers will use the paper to make cranes and not pitch it. What we find really intriguing is that the pilot is taking place in Japan – KitKat’s biggest global market. Who would have thought the Japanese have such a sweet tooth.

CeO 2020 Vol 20.4

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Good Governance A Route to Better Business

by Valdi Pereira

In this edition of CEO magazine we speak to Institute of Directors, South Africa (IoDSA), Chief Executive, Ms Parmi Natesan about the impact of digital disruption on business, the inherent value of good governance in business and the need to make the public aware of the impact the Institute has upon promoting good business.

So much of the business world seems ripe for disruption by technology. This can bring about situations where governance structures are challenged by the evolution of technology. What is your perspective on how this can be handled?

Disruption falls within a very critical area of governance and that is the area of strategy. It is the responsibility of board members and boards, as collectives, to look at the next step for an organisation and adjust their strategy for a disruptive world.

One often hears about people talking about ‘digital strategies’ and ‘digital transformation’ but when you listen closely to what they are doing in their organisations, it is little more than brining digital aspects into an existing strategy.

To cope with the disruption that technology brings, the wise move is to make the capabilities of digital innovation a central tenet of your business strategy and then adjust your strategy around the emerging digital world.

What is the biggest leadership lesson you have learned?

I think in many ways I can sum it up in one word and that is: courage. Someone has to make the tough calls and I am not sure it is often done enough in the business world. In a number of the corporate scandals that we have seen people were toeing the line and not asking the tough questions that were needed in the those particular business environments.

If you are a business leader you responsibility is to take decisions that are in the best interest of the company.

It is not always popular decisions but if you have a clear conscience with regard to the impact it will have on the business you can be sure it is the right decision.

Young professionals who are aspiring to leadership positions in the business world have not had

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Videsha Proothveerajh, Chief Executive Officer, LexisNexis South Africa

CeO 2020 Vol 20.4

Ms Parmi Natesan, Chief Executive of Institute of Directors South Africa

LEADINGEDGE - IoDSA

If you are a business leader you responsibility is to take decisions that are in the best interest of the company - It is not always popular decisions but if you have a clear conscience with regard to the impact it will have on the business you can be sure it is the right decision.

tremendously good examples of late in terms of good governance. What do you think needs to be done to re-affirm the value of ethical leadership amongst the emerging group of business leaders?

Corporate governance is the practice of ethical and effective leadership. This is why we have at the IoDSA introduced a future leader category of membership. This is for individuals that do not qualify for full membership yet.

The primary reason for introducing this category is to expose them to sound governance principles at a young age and to start instilling the values of ethical business in their day to day activities early on, so that by the time they reach senior executive and board level in organisations, it has become second nature to them.

There have been a number of high profile business leadership scandals around the world in recent times.

Do you think we are reaching an inflection point where business stakeholders are re-assessing governance principles with a view to strengthening them?

I think what we have seen in terms of corporate scandals, particularly in South Africa, has been a huge wake up call. I think many business leaders are asking themselves how this happened, what the impact is on our country and what can be done to prevent it from happening again?

I definitely think there is a new appreciation for what can go wrong, a desire to not have this repeated and renewed recognition for the importance of having ethical leaders in place. There is no doubt that the desire is there to see change, the question is whether we will see real change taking place and importantly what happens to those that transgress.

If our leaders are not held accountable, the impact on the rest of society can be very negative. At the IoDSA we are starting to see a shift towards individual accountability because there have been a number of delinquency cases

against directors where we have been asked to give expert affidavit. This is important, because the public starts to realise that these leaders can be held accountable for their behaviour.

The IoDSA has a well-founded reputation for collaboration across industries. What is the impetus behind this relationship building approach?

There are a number of associations in a variety of professional fields and collaboration with these associations gives us the opportunity to expose their members to the importance of good governance.

The reciprocal value for these associations is the fact that their members can have access to expert guidance, mentoring and training that is geared towards ethical and effective leadership. In this way we are building a stronger governance eco-system.

When the opportunity comes around for you to move on from the IoDSA and tackle new challenges, what do you hope the legacy of your time at the helm of the Institute will be remembered for by stakeholders?

I hope to leave behind an Institute that is relevant to what is going on in the world. To achieve this I would like to see us take the message of governance to a wider audience than just our membership base.

As a voluntary membership organisation we are proud of the fact that we have 9000 members. At the same time, we acknowledge that there are millions of South Africans that could benefit from a better understanding of the importance of sound governance so that they can hold their leaders to account, for ethical and effective leadership.

If we can increase our influence beyond our members, delegates and clients, then I will know that we have started to touch the many more South Africans who can benefit from the knowledge of corporate governance.

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ENTREpreneur

How to rethink your

Rewards Strategy for gig workers

The proliferation of freelancing and gig work has seen employers witness a massive shift from traditional nine-tofive jobs to part-time work and independent contracting, known as the gig economy.

M

uhammed Goolab, Executive Committee Member of the South African Reward Association (SARA), says employers will need to rethink their reward programmes to align with the digital economy and the disruption it has brought to the employment landscape.

“92% of millennials want to work remotely, and millennials make up 40% of the workforce. Many companies now employ gig workers, but few of them have thought of what it means to include giggers in their overall People Strategies. If companies want to appeal to millennial and Gen-Z talent, they will need to evolve how they include giggers in their company’s People offering,” says Goolab.

Why include giggers in your company’s Reward Strategy?

Very often, giggers provide experienced and qualified skills ondemand and, according to Forbes, 42% of both large and mid-size companies use contingent workers to meet seasonal demands or project-specific goals.

Not only will a reward strategy geared towards giggers make an employer more appealing, but it will boost the employer’s bottom line. “A Reward Strategy that includes tailored benefits for gig workers can form an important part of an employer’s value proposition for the talent they’re looking to recruit.

In turn, gig workers at their organisations will feel an increased sense of belonging and mutual achievement, which in turn boosts productivity,” says Goolab.

How to create a Reward Strategy for giggers Before benefits can be defined, a performance management system needs to be put in place.

“Performance management is just as important for giggers as it is for permanent employees. An example of a performance management system that a major gig economy employer uses is Uber’s rating system for their drivers. To establish a performance management system for giggers at your company, companies would need to establish performance metrics based on the usual criteria of productivity, quality, customer satisfaction or financial metrics,” says Goolab.

The Reward team would then need to review the non-perm benefits offerings in line with the flexible nature of the gig economy, as the usual benefits of medical aid, life cover and pension contributions would be inappropriate. Benefits to giggers would need to be well defined and clearly articulated as a value proposition that is different to that of a permanent employee and attractive to a gigger.

“An example of a financial reward geared towards giggers is a project completion bonus that could be offered if a gigger completes a project on time, within budget, and per a defined quality standard.

One of the gig worker’s most valuable commodities is the skills they bring to the table, making learning opportunities another great incentive.

An even more innovative approach would be to develop technology that connects gig workers with available work within the business or even the wider industry.

The companies who connect with giggers and reward them in smart ways will be the ones benefiting the most from the gig economy in 2020 and beyond,” says Goolab.

Help us teach more children about water safety We visit schools around the country teaching children about water safety, what to do in an emergency and how to do basic hands-on CPR. We focus on children from poor communities, where access to information is limited and the need is great. These are the children most likely to drown.

Our water safety lesson fits into one school period and teaches children in fun and interactive discussions.

SOUTH AFRICA

Since the programme started in 2006, we have taught over 2 million children.

SAVE

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ENTREpreneur

Nico van der Merwe

A LEADER that makes a difference

by Gerda Potgieter

Nico van der Merwe, Chief Executive Officer, H.A.S.S.

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Nico van der Merwe started their family-owned company in 1979 and the H.A.S.S. Group has expanded over the years to become Africa’s leading hearing health care service providers by offering world-class professional services and audiological products. Part of the Group of Companies also provide training and support to governments, professionals, hospitals, clinics and schools throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The company has also pioneered many ‘firsts’, including the manufacture of custom-made hearing protection for the mines as well as the Ear Institute concept.

CeO 2020 Vol 20.4

ENTREpreneur

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ico has all the important traits one would expect from a visionary leader. He is driven, determined, committed, focussed, a bold strategist and a risk taker. For me his most valuable characteristic is his optimism which has its roots in his faith. He creates the environments where faith, hope and love can thrive. Most of all it is his passion and faith that drive him to, against all odds, realise his God-given vision to make a difference in deaf education.

In my work over the years I have had the opportunity to connect with many people who positively impact the world. Among the group of world-influencers I have met, there are those who have found a special niche in which they contribute in making a true and measurable impact on those around them. Nico is such a life-changer.

Eduplex, making a difference in deaf education His God given vision to make a difference in deaf education was given to him in 1992 and has led to ground-breaking initiatives, among those the Eduplex schools. Thanks to modern technology (hearing aids, cochlear implants and classroom communication systems) a small number of deaf children are included in each classroom where they learn alongside their normal hearing friends – without sign language.

A number of incidents during his teenager years and early in his adult life, which acted as signposts on his journey, have prepared him for this great task. In his latest best-seller book Vision – dare to dream BIG! he describes the miracles of Eduplex and how God led him over the years to overcome which seemed at the time like insurmountable obstacles.

Today Eduplex is a model for inclusive education internationally.

It was not always smooth sailing for Nico and the journey was mostly a bumpy ride with many pitfalls. As a young child his family was frequently on the move because of his father’s work and it impacted him negatively. Swimming became a way in which he could escape from his personal circumstances and he was selected to become part of the national swimming team which toured Europe in 1969. When a family tragedy struck in 1973 he was in his final year of studying to become a pharmacist, already married, a father of a lovely baby daughter and ill equipped to handle the demands placed on him.

After qualifying as a pharmacist, Nico and his wife Anita bought a pharmacy in Pretoria and soon after started selling hearing aids. To provide for his young family he started working 7 days a week, from 08:00 to 23:00, 365 days a year for 8 years. Four years later he bought the company he represented and the rest, as they say, is history: Nico became the exclusive distributor of Phonak, a leading Swiss hearing aid manufacturer in 1985 and in 1998 he pioneered the Ear Institute concept.

Today there are 24 Ear Institutes across South Africa and Namibia as well as a network of agents across Africa.

But the success story does not end here. Making a difference in the world of the hearing impaired has led to the establishment of the Foundation for Children with a Hearing Loss in SA; and consequently, the Eduplex schools. Both are registered non-profit organisations focusing on changing the lives of those impacted by hearing loss from an early age. This relies on a new paradigm of deaf education where deaf children can acquire normal, spoken language without the use of sign language, enabling them to attain their full potential.

But it was not enough that the lives of only a few deaf children are changed at Eduplex every year. To impact deaf education internationally the Eduplex Training Institute (ETI) was formed and today this online e-learning institute has trained professionals and students from more than 30 countries around the globe.

He is a sought-after motivational speaker and the author of two best-seller books: ‘What does God know about business?’ and ‘Vision, dare to dream BIG – the amazing Eduplex story’ Awarding hard work and dedication For one to make a difference in life you must distinguish yourself from the thousands of other players, and this is the personal motto Nico lives by. Over the years Nico has received several accolades and awards. In 1996 he was awarded the Ernst-Young Business Mover of the Year award; and in 2009 he was awarded the prestigious Chancellor’s Medal by the Council and Senate of the University of Pretoria. In recognition for his achievements in the medical sector of the CEO Global Titans: Building Nations Award in 2018 he was awarded not only the regional winner but also the overall Country winner.

But it is not the milestones and awards that make a difference in Nico’s life. The journey is the goal and not the defined end point. It is always about finding new ways to help and share experiences and lessons learned. Says Nico: “Our biggest motivation for making a difference in deaf education is honoring God and the life changing results it offers. I am passionate about improving the quality of life of every baby, child and adult with hearing loss. For instance, one of our learners, Mitchell Black, has a cochlear implant which helped him to complete his studies at Eduplex. He was the first deaf person in the history of South Africa to be allowed to study medicine… This is why we do what we are doing.”

There is no real way to measure the enormous impact Nico van der Merwe has on the lives of deaf children and adults with hearing loss and he acknowledges that it is a humongous team effort. His family plays a major role in all his endeavours and shares the same family vision – to make a difference. Making a difference has a ripple effect which, over time, will impacts thousands over generations.

Nico has a number of projects identified to take his vision to the next step. It includes the completion of the ETI paediatric audiology online programme, and the development of ‘How to be a better teacher’ online training program. In addition, the Foundation’s Cochlear Implant Program requires a continuous fundraising effort to assist beneficiaries on an never-ending waiting list, along with obtaining funding for deaf children dependent on bursaries to attend an Eduplex school. This nation builder took up the challenge, developed the ideas and realised the vision to make a difference in deaf education, and what a difference he has made thus far. We are looking forward to see in the future the results of what is up his sleeves now.

You can subscribe to Nico’s blog on www.nicovandermerwe.com

“What you are doing here is changing tragedy into triumph” - Nelson Mandela, 29 March 2002 during the opening of the Eduplex Pre-school.

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&

ENTREpreneur

CURIOSITY TENACITY Makes this business owner no“roll-over” A willingness to break stereotypes and relentless curiosity are a couple of the key attributes that help to make a business owner successful. This is according to Arnold February, Regional Investment Manager at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS) – one of Africa’s leading business loan and equity providers and 2019 Gold winner: SME bank of the year (Africa) – who points to their client, Christine Geldart, as a great example of this.

“A

s the owner of Marven Equipment – a manufacturer of vehicle equipment, accessories, and apparatus – Geldart has held her own in a male-dominated industry, having grown her company to one of South Africa’s top metal vehicle equipment manufacturers. This is mostly due to her insatiable curiosity about science, the world, and how things work; coupled with a restless energy which she claims to have inherited from her father,” says February.

Today, the 52-year-old business owner runs a 2 100 square metre factory in Benoni, which employs 46 workers and boasts state-of-the-art metal vehicle equipment. Geldart studied IT at the then Wits Tech and went on to work in the corporate world as a data capturer. She gained experience working at the likes of Toyota SA and Ford, leading many IT teams and specialising in enterprise resource planning and material requirement planning applications – a skill which later proved useful for her own company.

It was due to her in-born restlessness that Geldart decided to join her husband’s factory making catering equipment in 2004. “I jumped at the opportunity to do my own thing, and I found the freedom of entrepreneurship exhilarating,” she recalls. Soon, Geldart was running her own bakkie canopy-making business to complement her husband’s business, starting with just one employee and some rudimentary welding and grinding equipment.

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ENTREpreneur

Learning everything she could about metal manufacturing materials and techniques, it wasn’t long before Geldart started innovating - introducing square canopy designs which proved much stronger than the rounded canopies that were on the market at the time. She targeted large corporate fleet managers and soon they were building work stations and specialised canopies for fleets of bakkies.

Christine Geldart, Owner, A further opportunity presented itself in 2007, when a Marven Equipment new law required mine vehicles to install protective roll bars and reinforcement against falling objects. Fending off a major international competitor who was ready to sell their existing systems to the local mines, Geldart built no fewer than nine prototypes before building a stronger, more light-weight product: the Ndlovu range.

“One of the highlights of my career was when I presented my rollover protection structures to the board of BHP Billiton – as one of only three women in a hair-raising meeting of more than 40 men - and came out on top,” she says.

By 2010, all the big mining companies had approved Marven Equipment’s new Ndlovu design, and the orders came streaming in.

However, double tragedy struck when Geldart was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, and a SARS audit on her business just a year later resulted in a large tax bill. While other business owners may have been discouraged, Geldart endured.

Having no luck with the banks, she decided to approach Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS) to assist with financing the tax shortfall; which they agreed to.

“What is great about BUSINESS/PARTNERS is their mentorship. They don’t just support you financially and leave you alone, but they are not in your face all the time either,” says Geldart, who is also making use of BUSINESS/PARTNERS’ Technical Assistance facility the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), where the company links business owners with expert consultants to help diagnose their business challenge and provide customised solutions.

Geldart is using the facility to gain ISO accreditation for Marven Equipment.

Ever the tenacious business owner, Geldart’s current goals for the company are to build specialised bodies for working vehicles and to convince the minibus taxi industry to adopt the Ndlovu design, which could potentially save many lives. Even as she spends some time away from her business in order to regain her health, Geldart’s strong team - which includes her daughter – continues to manage the business and keep things moving forward.

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ENTREpreneur

NQ JEWELLERY’S Jewellery’s new factory opening Soweto-born jewellery designer and manufacturer and Tsogo Sun Entrepreneur alumnus, Nqobile Nkosi, opened a new NQ Jewellery factory at the Rand Refinery Estate in Germiston during December, representing successful business growth from a humble start in his first 3m X 3m ‘factory’ built of tin in Soweto in 2007.

I

n 2009 NQ Jewellery won a community award that enabled him to build a four-room facility in Soweto, which has been the company’s home until this move to Rand Refinery.

NQ Jewellery’s new Rand Refinery 200-square-metre premises employs eight people, as well as interns from universities and FET colleges. The company designs and produces custom-made, high-end jewellery that retails at various outlets around the country, including Bryanston Organic Market, Tourvest retail outlets at airports, and at Shishangeni Lodge on Kruger National Park’s border.

At the opening, Nkosi said opportunities opened for his business when he was crowned Tsogo Sun Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016. “Through the Tsogo Sun Entrepreneur platform, we launched our first corporate division, designing, manufacturing and supplying high quality items such as key rings, cuff links, jacket pins and trophies. This led to our incorporation into the Rand Refinery Supplier Development programme.”

Nkosi also gives credit for his business success to his partner, Jerry Nkeli, the first black paraplegic person to qualify as an attorney, the founder of Jerry Nkeli & Associates law firm, who invested in NQ Jewellery and is chairman of the company. NQ Jewellery maintains a strong local focus, using only local raw material, which include silver, gold, platinum, coloured gemstones and diamonds, and employing local artisans and designers. Nkosi notes that this is significant as up to 80% of jewellery sold in South Africa is imported.

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Nqobile Nkosi, NQ Jewellery

NQ Jewellery’s services include designing and manufacturing corporate gifts according to specifications; laser engraving; silver and gold jewellery design and manufacture with gemstones and diamonds, including wedding and engagement rings; and jewellery repairs and polishing. Products include a full range of jewellery, money clips, corporate badges, sports medals, and more.

At the opening, Nkosi thanked individuals and organisations that have contributed to the NQ Jewellery journey, including Mr and Mrs Nkeli, Tsogo Sun Entrepreneurs, and Rand Refinery. “This educational journey has enabled me to understand the two different worlds of art and business, and how they can work together. It will always be an important lesson in my life – and one I will continue to learn.”

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ENTREpreneur

Entrepreneur?

Build credibility, find a good partner, and you can make it

Figures recently released by Statistics SA show that, against a struggling and stagnant economy, the number of businesses that have shut their doors and filed for bankruptcy have increased. Furthermore, South Africa’s unemployment rate increased to 29,1% in Q3 of 2019 – the highest since 2008. More than ever South African entrepreneurs need to be armed with the right knowledge and skills to not only start a business, but to keep it on the road of success.

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his is the view of Desireé Johnson, Executive and Managing Director of Mikateko Media, a leading publishing house recently acquired by Novus Holdings, who says that entrepreneurs who choose the right partners can be successful, despite a tough economic environment.

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“As an entrepreneur, you need to build credibility. People will take a chance on you, but you must also prove your worth.

Choose partners that can add muscle to your business to help you move like a ‘powerhouse’ as you journey from being a small enterprise to contending with bigger players,” says Johnson.

ENTREpreneur

Her journey of entrepreneurship in the media industry started in 2008 when she and her business partners started Mikateko Media, a black female-owned and controlled company, with the twin purpose of empowering themselves and to afford other black media practitioners the opportunity to do the same.

“In former years, the media landscape was not transformed. It still is not fully transformed today. Prior to 1994, job opportunities for people of colour in publishing were scarce and publishing was virtually unknown to most people of colour. Black females who completed matric were destined to take up teaching posts in non-white schools; or do clerical work, work as bank tellers, or pursue a career in nursing. Career guidance did not include media studies, advertising and marketing, design or journalism,” says Johnson.

The company has come a long way. Mikateko Media currently has 29 people on its payroll. Today it publishes well-known names such as Mango Juice, Fastjet Places and Sawubona, amongst others.

“My career highlights include pitching and winning the bids for a number of state-owned companies and bluechip clients in the airline space. It was very competitive. We have been able to turn each account into award-winning communication tools for our clients,” says Johnson.

Johnson shares her top tips for entrepreneurs on how to survive in a tough economy: 1. Nurture the relationship you have with your client; they must love doing business with you. If you are excellent

at what you do, it is hard to go elsewhere. Part of this is also delivering on time, every time.

2. Be conscious of cost. You will need to do your homework to ensure that you are charging market-related prices and be aware of what competitors are charging to do a similar job.

3. Have the right team in place. People who have your back and your business at heart and who possess an entrepreneurial spirit bode well for any business. Your people, especially your management teams, can help you stay ahead of the game.

4. Always think about the next step. In a struggling economy anything is possible, but do not let it distract you from always building an attractive business. If you need to exit the business, it will make it easier to have an attractive offering for prospective buyers. For this you need good credentials, make sure your finances are in order and line up enough prospects.

5. If you are thinking of selling your business in a flat market, you need to think about structuring a deal so that everyone wins. This requires a three-tiered approach: a) Human resources: good skill sets and loyal staff are an asset to a buyer. Your staff will want to be assured of job security, and will want to see the potential value and growth for themselves in a partnership. b) Financials: Show audited financial results for at least three years. Be liquid with a good cashflow. You should be able to show your budget for the current year in review and how you are going to meet or exceed that budget. c) Return on investment (ROI): The buyer must be able to see return on the investment. Draw up forecasts up to year-end, and one year following.

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ENTREpreneur

SELLING YOUR FISH IN 2020: How to communicate and market your services in the new decade The new decade is here and with it comes an array of different marketing channels to sell products and services. In an era where you can get almost anything at the click of button, entrepreneurs are often left to wonder how they can stand out and what they can do to ‘sell their fish’ in the new decade? There are numerous different marketing and communication channels and methods that entrepreneurs can use to promote their products and services, but which one works best?

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s Sir Richard Branson says, entrepreneurs need to take their business to where the conversation is happening.

Chanell Kemp, reputation specialist at Reputation Matters, adds, “Our motto at Reputation Matters is to create businesses that people want to do business with.” Taking your business where the conversation is, is an excellent start, but how do you determine where that is? Which channels should you use to communicate your messages and how can entrepreneurs position themselves in an ever-changing market? According to Kemp, there are five crucial steps to take your business to the conversation in 2020.

Step one: Cultivate a clear vision: “A lack of a clear vision is like getting into a car with a blindfold on,” says Kemp. You need to know what it is you want to achieve and add as much detail as possible. Set yourself a big goal for the year ahead and break it down into smaller stepping stones of what you need to do each quarter in order to get to your big goal. Write down what you want to achieve, what you stand for as well as your brand promise and make sure it aligns with your vision.

Step two: Research: Research is the roadmap to your vision and it provides you with the crucial data and information you need in order to reach your goals you set out in step one, as well as defining and understanding your target audience.

“Understanding exactly what makes your specific target audience tick, whether they are eight or 80, will enable you to know exactly what to communicate to whom, through the most effective channel of communication as well as the

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best time to do so. This means that you target your audience according to their specific needs, as opposed to a ‘spray and pray’ approach to try and reach everyone and ending up reaching no one,” continues Kemp.

Step three: Targeted messages: Once you know where you are going and you have gathered the facts, you can start creating messages for each target audience. “The way you communicate and explain something to your children differs from the way that you communicate with your grandmother. Why should this not apply to your marketing and communication messages as well?” says Kemp. Different genders, age groups and cultures should ideally have messages that are targeted at them and that speaks to them directly. As long as the brand promise remains the same and authentic, the messages can be shaped to appeal to different target markets.

Step four: Choosing the channels: The next step in taking your business to the conversation is to choose the correct channel to communicate to the different target audiences.

Communication channels can include email, instant messages, social media, telephone calls, face to face meetings, or newsletters. During the research phase, entrepreneurs should also focus on determining which channels are the most effective channel when communicating with the different target audiences. “Utilising these different channels will ensure that your target audiences feel valued and they will know that you listened to their needs and preferences,” continues Kemp. It does not help to have a TikTok account just for the sake of it because it’s the latest fad, but it is never updated and your key audience hardly knows that it exists or what a hashtag is.

Step five: Build lasting relationships: In an era where computers and social media are dominating the way we communicate, it is important to realize that we are dealing with people. “Building interpersonal relationships, getting to know your clients and really caring for them, will differentiate you from being just another entrepreneur that communicates to the crowds. In order to really bring your business to the conversation, you need to listen to your customers. Listening is just as important as using the correct communication channels.

Give your customers the opportunity to give you feedback, in turn closing the communication loop and building lasting relationships,” concludes Kemp.

ENTREpreneur

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ENTREpreneur

Being connected

by Jason Blumer, CEO at Thriveal

to the right circles is a recipe for CA business success

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ENTREpreneur

The small and medium-sized business sector is the lifeblood of every economy. Whether you are in the US, UK, Australia or South Africa, you will hear about the importance of nurturing small businesses.

O

ne of the most rewarding elements of my work is that I get to connect with real firm owners with real firm issues relevant to each market. I am particularly excited to be in South Africa, to unpack unique South African business challenges, and work through real issues with real people in the trenches, so to speak.

It is an exciting time to be a certified public accountant (CPA) - the equivalent of a South African Chartered Accountant, or CA - with so much opportunity to be innovative and redefine how we do business. While each market around the world is different, there are certain fundamentals that CAs can take to heart to improve their businesses. With the right mindset and support, we can envisage a world where a small accounting business owner goes from surviving to thriving.

That is exactly why I founded the Thriveal CPA Network - to support firm owners as they learn how to become better business owners, lead with courage, experiment with innovations and change the lives of those they serve.

Think about it, not only are CAs technicians, but they are entrepreneurs that have the potential to drive positive influence in the businesses they serve.

Entrepreneurship can, and does, take many forms. Many entrepreneurs have brilliant ideas, but often they hold onto the idea of the company remaining just how they imagined it. At some point, a company outgrows the founder. This is when the entrepreneur must let go of the company to allow it to become an entity all on its own. Especially at certain team sizes and client sizes, successful entrepreneurs eventually give up their own personal desires and allow the needs of a larger organisation to be met.

Humans first As CAs, it is important to recognise that we are in the human-care business. We deliver services such as tax, accounting, and consulting, but essentially we are in the service of humans. Humans are often afraid, struggle in their businesses, and need someone to provide closer care for them while they lead their company.

If firm owners realised the impact they could have on business owners’ lives, then they could serve fewer clients, get closer to their clients, and price their services much higher.

Many entrepreneurs need to learn how to balance their vision and ideas with the execution of those ideas. Often, they struggle to understand how important it is to meet the needs of clients, instead of serving themselves in the business that they own. Businesses only exist because they provide some market value to the world.

CA businesses are not here to solely serve themselves.

They must serve their clients, and thus CAs must learn to execute their ideas in a way that makes them valuable to the market they have chosen to serve.

If your head’s not in the cloud, it should be Every firm should have adopted cloud computing by now. I’m not even sure that’s a trend anymore. It is a necessity to remain competitive. Cloud accounting software is a case in point. Automation of functions is not a luxury anymore. The world is being disrupted all around us and the only way business owners can stay ahead of the curve and keep their ideas creative and firms moving forward is if they can invest all their energy in the actual business of running their businesses.

Having issues such as security of data and compliance handled automatically also greatly reduces the burden on the entrepreneur. At the end of the day, our ideas and creativity are what become translated into our packages and offerings.

These ideas need to be nourished.

Price the service not the hour A trend around the world is pricing services instead of billing by the hour. In my experience and in my interactions with firms, this is becoming a more popular model of making money. However, the switch should be treated with due regard.

It takes a lot of skill to transform a firm to a value model, as opposed to selling on a transactional model. This means firm owners should be cautious and take the time to do it properly when converting their firms. Here, leaning on the experience of those that have successfully been along this path can save an owner headaches and having to navigate the change through trial and error.

Broader reach Becoming a remote firm is also a trend, however, a business owner should consider this very carefully, and then tread lightly. It’s a difficult model to lead from a team cultural perspective, even though it does provide wider access to clients across broader geographies.

No one said running a firm was easy. I started my career working for a large multi-office firm in South Carolina in the US. When I took the leap to work for myself I knew that networks would be vital. As I travel and coach in diverse places, one fundamental fact rings true everywhere: being part of a community of connected practitioners, all at various stages in their careers and business journeys, is a very important ingredient in the recipe for success.

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Ms Parmi Natesan, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors South Africa

Ethical and Effective Leaders

Growing in Influence

by Valdi Pereira

There is little doubt that during the past few years, the environment in which companies operate has become increasingly complex. The rapid rise of technology, globalisation, shifting work patterns and stakeholder activism are creating unprecedented demands on business leaders.

I

n response to these changes governments across the world have increasingly focused on putting regulatory frameworks in place, bringing new operational and compliance challenges to the fore, for company executives.

“Compliance with relevant legislation, regulations and codes that are applicable to a particular business, is just one of the many considerations facing directors,” says Institute

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of Directors, in South Africa (IoDSA), Chief Executive, Ms Parmi Natesan. “In order to contribute to the growth of a business, directors not only needs to be armed with a blend of experience, skills and knowledge, which compliments the business and its objectives. They also need to be custodians of corporate governance, a role which many of our members can fulfil.”

STATEYOURCASE - IODSA

Professional Approach It’s widely acknowledged that every profession has its own pathway to full acceptance and recognition within an industry. New entrants typically obtain a degree, complete a formal internship or articles and are thereafter examined by a competent authority, to test their theoretical and practical understanding, before they may make use of the professional designation in their field.

“Directorship has never benefitted from such an formalised approach. Anyone can become a director, irrespective of the qualifications they may possess,” explains Natesan.

The IoDSA is working at changing this state of affairs, suggesting that directorship is a profession like any other and encouraging companies to appoint individuals on their boards who are in possession of the Institute’s designations.

The Chartered Director SA designation, tests mastery of directorship and to successfully obtain this is an extremely rigorous process. A Certified Director is one level below and tests knowledge of governance – signalling to the market that these individuals have the knowledge and are only awaiting an opportunity to gain experience, in order to apply for Chartered Directorship.

Natesan notes that for her the Institute’s vision statement: Better directors. Better boards. Better business, is a rallying call to not only deliver value to the business community, but to the entire South Africa through good governance and effective leadership.

“The real power of these designations lies in the influence it affords our members to make a positive impact not only to the business they are serving, but to our society in general.”

Buoyant Demand The value of the IoDSA’s offerings have clearly not been overlooked by the market and it is coming off a year that has seen a record number of individuals achieve Certified Director status. Its flagship series, ‘Being a Director’ which is a five part programme, is growing in popularity and Natesan ascribes this to the fact that the Institute’s training is not just about transferring technical knowledge.

It is in actual fact, ‘Training for Directors by Directors’ as it has practising directors who are providing the training. These are individuals with boardroom experience that understand the realities of the challenges a prospective board member will face – adding immense depth to its training, when compared to other institutes.

The IoDSA also undertakes regular reviews of its training topics to ensure that both the content and focus on its offerings are in line with the contemporary business environment and remain impactful. The strong focus it has on thought leadership is a vital aid in ensuring that it has a finger on the pulse of developing fault lines in the delivery of good governance.

While demand for IoDSA certification is strong on an individual level, the need for companies to maintain the investment they have made in developing and maintaining sound governance structures is equally important. This becomes particularly relevant considering the number of corporate governance failures that have been witnessed in South Africa in recent years.

“Obtaining governance advisory assistance, providing board training and doing board evaluations are all part of the service we provide,” explains Natesan. “Even though the economic conditions have become challenging, we encourage companies to continue investing in this space, to make sure they are getting their governance right, because as a country, we cannot afford to see a repeat of past failures, not only from an impact perspective, but also from a reputational viewpoint.”

Good Prospects In recent years environmental, social and governance criteria have emerged as a critical set of standards for a company’s operations, which socially conscious investors use to weigh potential investments or disinvestment, from companies.

This has re-affirmed corporate governance’s position at the pinnacle of organisations and underlines its value as a key enabler of good company performance.

According to Natesan, companies are realising that they need to signal to the market, their commitment to ethical and effective leadership, via good governance.

“Better decisions at board level, set the stage for financial performance and the link between these two has been proven in numerous studies over the years.”

With its membership passing the 9000 mark and a changing demographic with over 40% female membership and some 60% of all members, comprised of previously disadvantaged groups, the growing appreciation for the value that good governance brings is improving. There is also good representation from younger age groups - all of which bodes well for the future of the business leadership in South Africa.

“We are often asked about the benefits of joining the IoDSA and there are many member benefits, like learning, discounted offers, events and lifestyle benefits. These are important, but in many ways it is ancillary to the network of corporate governance professionals that we provide members access to – many are exemplary business leaders and to have access to their thinking is invaluable.

“I therefore always encourage those individuals who want to be ethical and effective leaders to join us, not only because of what we can offer, but more importantly to add their voice to the message of good governance,” concludes Natesan.

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Automation’s transformative power will change banking

The banking industry on a global scale is currently leveraging off the concept of automation to drive growth and cost efficiencies. While it has been met with a mixture of scepticism and hope, ultimately the concept of automation, when done right, has a transformative power.

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ndrea Tucker, Research and Development Head at e4, a fintech software specialist, says that while the future of banking in South Africa is partially driven by international trends and technologies, the disruption of new entrants has had a bigger influence: “Selling themselves as digital, modern disruptors who are technology-led and have non-traditional operating models, these start-ups claim to scale quicker. This is possible as they are not hampered by legacy systems, and in customer-speak, can promise to deliver a seamless and remote online client onboarding experience. Some of these new entrants are selling a value proposition of technology-driven efficiencies, essentially putting banking in the literal hands of their consumers. Others sell their value proposition as a cost-effective digital banking option, using technology to deliver the service cheaper.”

Automation lies at the heart of these new approaches, and as the technologies used mature, the application of robotics and artificial intelligence for bank processes will assist banks, both new and incumbent to transform. Tucker says that local banks have met the challenge head on and have invested heavily in digital strategies and new technologies, all in the interest of becoming more competitive. With rising costs to service customers and the increased competition and growing base of new entrants, banks need to evolve, and automation is key to the success of this evolution.

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“Automation should not be seen in a negative light, it plays a vital role, making it easier for a customer to bank digitally, ultimately improving engagements and ensuring the bank’s service is more efficient. This needs to be coupled with a strategic initiative to educate customers and encourage them to make use of these more efficient digital options and to continue to use them,” says Tucker.

According to Tucker, a strategic approach to transformation will impact the overall success. While there are case studies sharing successes and improvements, there are banks that have not achieved what was initially intended. Tucker believes that the difference will lie in the strategic intent and roll out of the transformation project.

Supporting Tucker’s point of view, McKinsey predicts a second wave of automation and AI emerging in the next few years. Here machines will do between 10 to 25 percent of work across bank functions, increasing capacity and freeing employees to focus on higher-value tasks and projects. To capture this opportunity, McKinsey also says that banks must take a strategic, rather than tactical, approach. In some cases, they will need to design new processes that are optimised for automated/AI work, rather than for people, and couple specialised domain expertise from vendors with in-house capabilities to automate and bolt in a new way of working.

PERSPECTIVE

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CEO CHALLENGE?

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Take the PDA Assessment today & Receive your FREE Summary Report! http://ceo.pdaproďŹ le.com

PERSPECTIVE

CIRCULAR ECONOMY generates huge business and economic opportunities

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PERSPECTIVE

The circular economy is a modern framework that is restorative by design, it has multiple society-wide benefits and it aims to redefine business growth. This model not only reduces environmental and electronic waste, but it builds economic capital by keeping products and materials in use for much longer.

C

ompanies can now recover and refurbish electronics according to the client’s compliance and auditing needs. with every electronic device at end-of-life becoming Each report provides detailed information that helps a new resource rather than merely being discarded. companies comply with regulations like PoPIA, GDPR, ISO This model allows business leaders to make better 27001, FISMA, HIPAA and SOX. All activities are logged to informed choices about how they can optimise IT asset ensure transparency and tight security throughout the management. auditing process. To prevent any tampering, the reports Transitioning to a circular economy generates huge also include a digital signature for optimal security. business and economic opportunities. It recognises the value The asset then goes through a vigorous certified of ‘waste’ and repurposes these items as alternative resources refurbished process (CRS) whereby every component of that can be used again in a circular cycle. The new trend is the asset is refurbed into a retail standard. Once all internal to rather refurbish than recycle, businesses are finding new components are refurbed, the aesthetics of the device innovative ways to maximise profits through green initiatives. is also refurbished so that not only will it run like a new Xperien IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) expert Bridgette Vermaak device, but it will also look like a new device. says the days of simply disposing of old electronics are over, “Although most of our clients are corporates in the responsible thing today is to implement a sustainable IT the financial sector, I was recently approached by a asset program by engaging with school to do an a reputable IT asset management evaluation of their Once all internal components are company that can provide the ITAD processes. They refurbed, the aesthetics of the device is required assistance effective recovery, reuse and also refurbished so that not only will it retirement of redundant IT assets. with the disposal “We help customers move of its redundant IT run like a new device. away from the traditional linear equipment,” she adds. economy by encouraging a Although they more circular economy by keeping IT assets in use for saved 75% on their IT spend, the school’s decision was as long as possible instead of disposing of them at not purely from a cost saving perspective but more about an early stage,” she says. Once an asset has contributing towards the environment and supporting the been received, Xperien first takes care of local economy. the data compliance issues and ensures “The school received their certified refurbished assets that all data is effectively removed from with a 3 year next day warranty. They are extremely happy the device according to customer and with their decision and they also mentioned that most staff regulatory requirements. thought the equipment was new and didn’t even realise “There are of course a lot of that the assets were refurbished,” she concludes. additional reporting procedures that Computers, phones and other digital devices don’t then take place as to give clients and their auditors piece need to be discarded, they can be refurbished and either of mind that they have followed best practice during a reused or sold. However, one must ensure that refurbished disposal,” she explains. systems are ISO certified and audited. Certified Refurbished Xperien provides a comprehensive, digitally-signed System (CRS) is an industry standard that gives consumers Certificate of Erasure after each erasure. Reporting can piece of mind knowing that they have purchased from an be customised to include a wide variety of custom fields accredited reseller with good aftersales service.

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What’s Hot or Not Nanononsense We all know nanotechnology is a new and growing scientific frontier. The emergence of nanotechnology in the agriculture environment is also nothing new. However, a University of California, San Diego team of plant biologists are pushing new frontiers with a nanosensor that tracks real-time changes in plant cell enzymes. It can for instance trigger the opening and closing of small pores on the surface of leaves - preventing too much water from evaporating from the plant. Sounds pretty cool and we suppose as an added bonus the nanosensors will add extra crunch to breakfast cereal.

Avoiding Fake News

Robocop Distancing

Activist group Sleeping Giants began in 2016 as a way to notify brands when their ads were placed on hate-group websites. As a result of programmatic advertising, brands had no knowledge that their ads were placed next to offensive material. In the wake of COVID-19 they have turned their attention to fake news. Springwise, a company that focuses on innovations, notes that using AI to detect malicious online campaigns is a field that is going to grow in the future.

With social distancing widely recognised as one of the means to inhibit the transmission of COVID-19 the authorities in Singapore have developed a four-legged robot designed to advise visitors to one of its national parks - Bishan-Ang Mo Kio – to keep their distance.

The robot called ‘Spot’ apparently has built in sensors to avoid collisions and even has a human handler to boot. We suppose it gives new meaning to the question: Who let the dogs out?

Keep Out How times have changed. Not too long ago fitness apps and other associated apparel were using heat maps to help outdoor and exercise addicts identify the ‘happening’ new places to exercise. Nowadays heat map features are helping people to avoid the places most likely to be crowded. Our take on this development? Expect a surge in trespassing.

The Russians are advancing!

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Well, not really, if you have a military assault in mind, but they are in the biotech field. Therefore it would probably be more precise to say the ‘Milekons’ are advancing. Say what? A Russian biotech company – Vjatsky Agroconcern – has developed a nanofilm food preservative, which is a combination of ammonium, sugar, alcohol and sodium chloride. They have coined it Milekons and it has the potential to revolutionise the food waste market as a tonne of food can be coated for as little as €2. To this, we simply say Nazdarovya!

CeO 2020 Vol 20.4

GROWTH MINDSET

– Child’s Play

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” Maya Angelou

W

e all tell ourselves stories about who we believe ourselves to be and what we believe we are capable of achieving! “The trouble with these stories is that we accept them to be true, even when they are not!” says Cindy Glass, Owner and Co-Founder of Step Up Education Centres. She adds, “We make decisions and choices based on what we think we deserve, so if our stories comes from a fixed mindset, we are unlikely to achieve the successes that we dream of. If, however, the stories we tell ourselves are based on a growth mindset, we are going to be set-for-success.”

She takes a closer look at what it means to have a growth mindset and how we can help our children develop this important life-tool. She starts by saying that a growth mindset creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for success. “People with growth mindsets see failures and feedback as learning opportunities, and intelligence and skills as something that can grow and develop. A fixed mindset, by contrast, creates limitations, a lack of resilience and a belief that failures show a lack of intelligence or ability.”

Cindy says people with growth mindsets share the following traits: Believe intelligence and talents can and should be developed Believe effort is the path to mastery Believe mistakes and failures are an essential part of learning and are temporary setbacks Embrace challenges Welcome feedback See the success of others as inspirational

She gives some helpful tips to develop your child’s growth mindset: 1. “So what, NOW what?” approach to tackling obstacles: Mistakes and failures are always learning opportunities!

It is the fear of making mistakes and reaping negative consequences that creates limiting thought patterns in our children. Teach your children to own their mistakes without judgement toward themselves or others (So what?), and assist them in finding positive, workable solutions (NOW what?)

2. It takes time: Help your children understand that learning anything new can take time and may need lots of practice. Persistence and determination will ensure success.

3. Lead by example: You are your children’s greatest teacher. What mindset do YOU have? It is very important that you consistently model the characteristics of a growth mindset in your home.

4. The power of self-talk: We believe the stories that we tell ourselves! Negative self-talk examples are: “I can’t do this! This is just too hard! I am not smart enough! I can only stick to what I know.” By contrast, growth mindset self-talk sounds like this: “What am I missing? I can ask for assistance. This may take some extra time to get right. I am capable!”

“Triumph over struggle always makes us feel really good about ourselves. People with growth mindsets will seek to achieve success, despite challenges that threaten to derail their progress. Teach your children to develop growth mindsets and watch them flourish!”

Cindy concludes.

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ve ry dro pcou nts

PERSPECTIVE

#E

Driving water conservation through adjusted pricing models

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PERSPECTIVE

South Africa remains under pressure when it comes to efficient water use and conservation, where limited supply is increasingly stressed by rising demand, aged and insufficient infrastructure and lack of consumer awareness.

Karen King, Senior Associate, WSP, Environment & Energy, Africa, shares her insights.

S

outh Africa is rated as the 39th driest country in the world, receiving only half the average annual rainfall that the rest of the world can expect. Though most South Africans are acutely aware of the recent drought in Cape Town, the reality is that eight out of nine provinces were declared disaster areas in 2016 due to ongoing drought.

Some areas have since had some relief, with wetter conditions over the summer months, leading many consumers to take water restrictions less seriously.

However, the recent rain is insufficient to secure enough water resources for the foreseeable future.

reiterated this commitment in 2020, but implementation challenges are exacerbated by complexities in financial and environmental planning for rapid population growth, urbanisation and industrialisation.

98% of the country’s water is already allocated and demand for water services has outstripped infrastructure development. This is compounded by the fact that people use water as though they are living in a water-rich country, with little regard for conservation.

Influencing end-user behaviour That said, the public’s response to the Cape Town drought shows that this likely isn’t due to a wilful disregard of water issues. Awareness, communication and education saw all levels of end-users reduce their water usage dramatically.

In Gauteng, however, the hype around the drought has been kept to a minimum, most likely to prevent negative economic impact on South Africa’s highest regional contributor to GDP. But in reality, dams overall are currently at 50% capacity and we are far from out of the woods.

The lack of hype doesn’t mean Gauteng is ignoring the problem. There are good interventions in place to cope with various well-modelled scenarios. Gauteng will have a “day zero”, but with multiple scenarios influencing the selection and implementation of interventions, the exact date is flexible.

End-users do need to change their approach, however, and a tiered approach to water tariffs could be the answer.

25 litres of water per person per day, and 200 litres from

The influence of climate change Climate change is having an impact on rainfall patterns in South Africa. Changes to precipitation patterns and the increase in the frequency of floods and droughts will mean South Africa has to reconsider its approach to water management.

In addition, numerous climate models suggest that the eastern parts of South Africa will see increases in rainfall, whilst the western One of the biggest challenges inhibiting parts will become drier. The provision and South Africa’s response to climate change management of water supply will need to account for these changes. and water conservation centres around water

infrastructure.

Infrastructure maintenance One of the biggest challenges inhibiting South Africa’s response to climate change and a standpipe, is a comfortable allocation to maintain water conservation centres around water infrastructure. appropriate hygiene and general household activity. At this Despite being one of the most sophisticated water tier, water is appropriately priced. infrastructure networks on the continent, funding and Water use at the next tier, however, should be more capacity constraints mean it has fallen into disrepair and heavily restricted and charged for accordingly. Activities that there are still several areas outside urban nodes that don’t push a household’s water consumption into this tier include have access to water services. washing cars or maintaining gardens that are not waterIt must be noted that Government has certainly realised wise. Roses and lawns are particularly thirsty, for example. the importance of both creating access to, and protecting, Higher tariffs for unnecessary water use would change available water resources. It committed to prioritise our view of water as a resource and drive consumption water projects and infrastructure in the 2019 Budget, and behaviour that reflects its scarcity.

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Dream PERSPECTIVE

A successful future starts with a

For a long time, Steven Nemasango had a dream – he envisioned himself obtaining a university degree one day. The father of two from Bloubosrand in Johannesburg saw his dream come true recently when he bagged his first degree at 40 – and he believes this is just the beginning of his academic accolades.

“A

man who doesn’t dream doesn’t have a future, and when your dream doesn’t scare you, it is not a dream” are words that best describe the bumpy road to success for Nemasango.

His passion to pursue a career in Information Technology was put on hold when his parents divorced, leading to financial hardship and life in a rural village where he grew up under difficult circumstances.

“I remember waking up at 2am to plough the fields and at 6am I would prepare for school,” he said.

A serious lecture on life from his mother changed his perspective on education. He no longer settled for average marks and pushed boundaries to pass very well his Cambridge high school exams.

With the hospitality industry providing a more affordable career alternative to IT, he enrolled soon after high school and outclassed his stream by emerging the best student in his class.

Testament to his hard work and determination is his appointment as Assistant General Manager at De Hoek Country Hotel in Magaliesburg in February 2019.

His belief that your situation can only be changed by education, led him to not lose sight of his goal to achieve

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a BCom Information Technology Management qualification from higher education institution, MANCOSA. On the challenges he encountered to obtain his degree, he said: “I sponsored myself and there were times when I was in arrears with payment to obtain results to proceed to the next semester. “Juggling between a demanding hospitality career, family and studies was especially challenging but I kept the faith and determination going.”

He attributes part of his academic success to MANCOSA for providing an excellent support structure to students.

“Lecturers are easily accessible and always offering to assist. I remember struggling with Financial Accounting and a lecturer – Sooraya Ebrahim – helped me during her free time. Her guidance throughout my studies proved invaluable in helping me pass my modules.” Expressing gratitude for the solid education, he said he felt empowered in his managerial position and has learnt life lessons that he will treasure.

Nemasango plans to pursue his Masters and Doctoral degrees and venture into entrepreneurship with the possibility of owning a guest house, lodge or hotel one day.

“Our races in life are not the same.

As long as you have set a goal, nothing can stop you. Success is not easy to achieve - it takes individuals who are determined and hardworking to realise their ambitions. I live life on my terms - I compete with myself, at my own pace and with my rules.”

CONTINUING TO GROW THE WOMEN IN MINING At Exxaro, we pride ourselves in recognising that our strength lies with our people - including our female employees - who are our greatest asset.

We are steadfast in our quest to increase the inclusivity of women at all levels of our organisation, building on the 42% women representation on the Exxaro Resources Board and 33% females in top management.

www.exxaro.com

PERSPECTIVE

by Sinenhlanhla Jalibane, Digital Campaign Manager at The MediaShop

Three ways load shedding has affected

AD VER TIS ING

in media Load Shedding has once again become one of the most used buzzwords in South Africa.

We’re all wishing that Eskom had a competitor or that they worked there themselves to better the crisis being faced.

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by Ryan Falkenberg, co-CEO, CLEVVA

PERSPECTIVE

B

ut while we wait for government to attain a better solution to their ‘technical problems’ and revert with plans to overcome this crisis, load shedding continues to have dire implications on everyone, particularly for television advertisers and broadcasters alike.

Advertising budgets have already been reduced but now with the power out, what does this mean for advertisers, and the media industry in general?

Clients will (if they haven’t already) start questioning the value they are getting from advertising if they lose audiences during load shedding.

Yes brands are aware that performance will be affected (not that they’re happy about it) but there is unfortunately nothing that marketers and broadcasters can do at this point, as it is beyond their control.

3. Even Digital is affected Lastly, cell phone network coverage has also been getting disrupted and it seems this will continue to be the case during our electricity crisis. It’s making our jobs as marketers even more difficult. Just as we were trying to chase audiences in the digital space, it is now going to be harder to reach them whenever we’d like to.

We all love our smartphones, but their battery life is not as great as we’d like it to be. Power banks and portal chargers can help sustain battery life, but with port connectivity it seems like it would be a struggle to get advertising messages across audiences.

People would also rather save their battery to ensure for instance that their alarm wakes them up in the morning, rather than to scroll through their phones only to come across adverts that will deplete their battery even further.

1. Viewership decreases Television indisputably remains the largest media consumption channel in South Africa. It is still the most effective way of reaching a higher number of audiences at a high frequency. However, it is no secret that such media platforms are highly affected by load shedding.

Viewership is a client’s first concern when there is a blackout. It means that millions of South African TV households are off, reducing the potential TV audience of a particular channel or programme which has a huge effect for advertisers.

We have been experiencing stage 2 and 4 of load shedding recently. With that said, it is imperative to remember that having these power cuts means not reaching a household for at least two or more hours during each blackout. This is of serious concern especially when power is cut during prime time, So what do we do? which decreases viewership even more significantly.

While the country has enjoyed a few days of no It results in adverts only being seen by a handful of load shedding now, there is still an unnerving sense of people, who might not even be the target audience uncertainty around Eskom’s sustainability. President Cyril for the brand being advertised, which is then seen as Ramaphosa announced during his SONA 2020 address wastage by many. that the Eskom issue was unavoidable. This shows that Britta Reid commented on a research article in 2019 we’ve got a long way to go and for brands, we need to published on The MediaOnline from The Broadcast think of alternative ways to reach our audiences.

Research Council, on how adult ARs for the 18h00 It seems like the old school ‘wireless’ radios would and 20h00 dayparts were affected. She commented that about 2% of adults Advertising budgets have already on the BRC TAMS panel were flagged as having experienced power cuts during been reduced but now with the power stage two, compared with 15% of adults out, what does this mean for advertisers, during stage four . This equates to a huge and the media industry in general? number of audiences being lost due to load shedding and it doesn’t seem like it will get any better. be of good use at this point for people to still consume news during load shedding and this, without a doubt will 2. Concern over reach cause an increase in listenership on the radio.

Secondly, clients have become sceptical about Maybe it’s also time to put more faith into apps whether their brand will be seen by the right audiences such as EskomSePush to plan around most areas that as load shedding makes it difficult to plan schedules. I are experiencing load shedding to ensure audiences remember once when Eskom had promised two hours of are not lost. Imagine scheduling adverts to be aired on load shedding but it went off for 3h30mins. This left me a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at the same peak wondering how many TV adverts were being aired during time as load shedding is scheduled? Let’s hope it doesn’t this time that I would have missed. come to that.

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PERSPECTIVE

Understanding the rules of engagement for

INVESTING IN AFRICA —a dealmaker’s considerations

by Rob Bergman, a Corporate Finance principal at Bravura

With the South African economy showing limited growth, and likely to be close to recession this year due to Eskom’s power cuts, South African investors are increasingly looking north of the border for better investment opportunities and returns.

I

n Africa, there are fewer companies with established footprints and the potential is significant given its populous and fastgrowing markets. The adjunct to this is that the potential is only significant if investors know and understand the African environment or use advisors who are familiar and experienced in doing deals on the continent. The failure to do so can have a costly negative impact, as evidenced by several of South Africa’s largest multinationals having had to write down the bulk of their investments on the continent.

Merger and acquisition pitfalls - Africa is not Africa International investors are cognisant of the fact that regions such as Europe or Asia include different markets that require specific investment strategies. Yet Africa continues to be perceived as a homogenous population group. Reference to a population of one billion inhabitants somewhat recklessly conflates numerous different markets into one. The reality is that similar to Europe and Asia, the continent is characterised by countries with diverse populations that have different consumption preferences and spending patterns and there are clear distinctions between countries and regions from a cultural and social perspective.

Deal making needs time Deal making in Africa takes a long time. It can take a few years to source the right deal after having built relationships and established trust. Building up personal relationships requires meetings, dining, discussing and getting to know potential partners, as well as fully understanding the environment the company operates in. Additionally, it takes longer to build and create value. In all probability, the investor may have reached year

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seven or eight after the initial investment before the value is created.

Following this, a structured exit would need to be generated which will again take a long period given that the new partner must feel comfortable with the deal and the remaining local partner.

Therefore, investing in Africa is a long-term game, at least longer than the standard investment period most (financial) investors are used to.

A few dollars a day for Africa’s middle class Africa’s potential is linked to its emerging middle class which is the fastest growing in the world; according to the World Bank, it stands at 350 million (Africa’s overall population is one billion people).

Although consumer spending accounts for 50 to 60% of Africa’s economic growth, 85% of Africans live on less than $5.50 per day. This means that the choice of investment is critical and careful consideration must be taken of the product that will be brought to market and whether an existing global product will require adjustment to meet the requirements of the local consumers and their purchase power.

In other words, don’t invest in a premium product that costs multiple dollars and expect the volumes that other countries are producing. Selling premium products and large packaging items are more difficult to yield strong results; a local market of 100 million people spending a few dollars a day on food or consumables (i.e. in small packaging) has greater potential.

For example, consumable products may require packaging limited to single-use portions and distribution channels might primarily consist of wholesale outlets and informal street vendors rather than retail shopping centres and corner stores. Only a thorough understanding of the particular characteristics of the target country’s consumer markets will deliver sustainable profits.

Understanding extends to considering the product’s commercial

PERSPECTIVE

is to partner with businesses or investment advisors that do understand these markets and can tap into the local context.

aspects and whether these should be adjusted to meet the local consumers’ buying constraints or habits.

Understanding distribution Struggles with logistics and distribution are common in Africa, partly as a result of poor infrastructure. Although the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) agreement signed by 49 African Union nations to enable free cross-border trade on 90% of goods has been billed as a potential game-changer, Africa’s commercial challenges linked to distribution will likely remain.

Market polarities as previously mentioned result in low instances of successful product replication in other African jurisdictions.

Additionally, building local distribution channels to the endconsumer in a location without formal infrastructure takes a tremendous amount of effort.

Successful local businesses in Africa know their markets and distribution channels. Once having successfully tapped into the market, expansion is achieved through the development of new products within the same country, using the same distribution method. Africa is not Africa as mentioned it doesn’t consist of one massive population and there are intricacies within each country.

For companies looking to expand across African territories, this will mean beginning at ground level in each country, doing research, building contacts and developing distribution networks. One size will not fit all.

Undoubtedly owning the distribution channels in Africa can bring competitive advantage, but many investors will not have the resources of time, effort and a high learning cost to build this up successfully.

For those companies wishing to make an investment, and particularly when they don’t have an existing in-country presence, the best advice

The 360o due diligence A 360-degree due diligence is critical in that it builds up a full image of the potential investment in order to ascertain whether it will be a good fit, whether the business is built around the owner and if so, what the likelihood is of the business running as before should the owner take a minority position or exit altogether.

Talking to other people who are able to provide supplementary information about the potential acquisition and its perception in the market is highly useful.

The main example of this dynamic is the promotor’s role in driving the business environment and relationships. Although the company looks good to an outside investor, little is usually known about how the interaction with the direct business environment will change post-transaction. There are ample examples of government policy or distributor and client relationship changes negatively impacting the company’s operating model immediately post-transaction due to the underestimated influence of the promotor on this business environment. This means performing one’s due diligence shouldn’t just focus on the target company but should also include an assessment of post-transaction business environment changes once the promotor is not in control anymore.

Finally, doing business in Africa is significantly relationshipbased and driven by strong political dynamics. Building a business requires access to the right people and often requires intensive interaction with the government as a stakeholder. This does not refer to bribery and corruption; it is the notion of being wellconnected in order to find opportunities or to be introduced to existing distribution channels and established service providers.

Being able to bring an attractive deal to the table requires ample groundwork and will include positioning the product, building up the distribution channels and suppliers, and getting to grips with the market from clients to competitors.

Always invest with a local partner As a final conclusion to what makes a great investment in Africa: always invest with a local partner. The intricacies of doing business in Africa take great skill to manoeuvre and can only successfully be done by entrepreneurs who’ve been doing it for a long time in that country. Don’t try to go in alone, there are not a lot of success stories of such a route out there.

Conclusion The reality is that many investors into Africa do not do their homework adequately which leads to loss-making acquisitions; a high cost to pay for their efforts. Yet for those who invest time and effort into understanding the market, taking into account those unique cultural, social, consumer and business environments that exist on the continent, and understand that it’s critical to partner with the right people, significant investment opportunities await.

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No business without

COMPLIANCE

and RISK OFFICERS

There cannot be any doubt that the coronavirus disease of 2019 (Covid –19) has redefined the world in general and the work environment in particular. In the work environment, the Compliance and Risk Officers probably have the most complex tasks of ensuring that businesses stay afloat.

by Advocate Modidima Mannya, IRMSA Risk Chat Contributor

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PERSPECTIVE

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hile the Finance Officers battle to manage budgets and make do with limited and constrained financial resources, the Human Resources Officers battle with the implications of having to retrench, the Strategy and Marketing Officers battle with business repositioning and more importantly; the Compliance and Risk Officers ought to be battling with the complex compliance and risk environment, which has since developed during this pandemic.

Compliance and risk management is not necessarily taken seriously in many organisations. Most Compliance and Risk Officers are misunderstood, avoided and or even disliked.This is mainly because at the end of the day, they tend to ask pertinent questions and raise issues which determine the life and future of an organisation and its staffissues that management don’t necessarily want to deal with, or merely just not ready to deal with.

The changes brought about by Covid–19 complicates an already complex operating environment for Compliance and Risk Officers.

The compliance requirements of Covid–19 has added to the pressures experienced by the Compliance and Risk Officers.

Business continuity and operational survival of any organisation is now entirely dependent on the risk management’s capacity to effectively manage compliance and risks.

The new normal has heightened the risk profile of every organisation and redefined company’s strategic risks. This means that the Compliance and Risk Officers must now adjust to discharging their responsibilities in a high-pressure environment.It is in moments like these when matters detrimental to the organisation, like corruption, mismanagement and various other acts can expose an organisation to serious high operational risks.

Many organisations faced a sudden shutdown where even existing business continuity plans could not be implemented. Those who could have staff work from home were suddenly faced the additional cost of providing staff with work-from-home resources.

In many instances, emergency procurement became the buzzword.

Labour intensive and small businesses were forced into immediate and unplanned retrenchments. This is all evidence that risk management was not taken seriously, or has not worked as it should have.Compliance and Risk Officers have to work through these various controversies and complexities to define and ensure good governance in an abnormal situation.

The first immediate challenge is whether leaders of organisations appreciate that every single decision must now be compliance and risk informed. Equally, Compliance and Risk Officers face the critical challenge of appreciating that they now work in wholly undefined environment which requires thinking on one’s feet.

As government eases lockdown and businesses re-open and more social and economic activities take place, Compliance and Risk Officers need to be able to critically analyse the implications of any activity associated with their organisations for effective inputs. The normal approach to compliance and risk management is mitigation. In the current environment, risk prevention and immediate elimination is the new normal.

As an example, infection control and prevention measures determine the future of any organisation. Compliance and Risk Officers are now required to do advisory and implementation work, as well as monitor the work (and processes) being carried out by the organisation.It is no longer enough to have a compliance and risk plan and expect the risk owners to implement. Compliance and Risk Officers are now part owners of compliance and risk issues.

This is also partly because policies remain unchanged, and in many instances, they are no longer applicable. Furthermore, it is vital that decision making must be rapid and decisive, if a catastrophe is to be avoided. Malfeasance is generally an opportunity issue. Those entrusted with managing resources often take advantage of situations such as this. Heads of organisations are unlikely to cope unless they have a dedicated compliance and risk capability which enters the arena when necessary.

As every decision depends on compliance and risk, decision making must incorporate the advice of Compliance and Risk Officers. The current situation is new to many if not all organisations and may not have precedent. That is however not a defence available to a Compliance and Risk Officer.

Compliance and Risk Officers have always worked outside a defined framework. Whatever the policies, rules and plans, Compliance Officers and Risk Officers rely more on critical analysis skills than defined industry frameworks and practices.In the context of the current situation, it is Compliance and Risk Officers who can advise better how people can relate to each other in the workplace, who must be there and what must be in place. It is the Compliance and Risk Officer who can tell better, who must be allowed to drive the truck or make tea.

It is the Compliance and Risk Officer who can tell better which door of the building to use and how staff must behave whilst at home. It is the Compliance and Risk Officer who can tell whether the right quality of sanitisers should be procured. It is these basic things which determine whether an organisation can open its doors and remain operational.

It is the Risk and Compliance Officers who can tell better whether it is worth retaining staff or spending money an organisation does not have.

Therefore, Compliance and Risk Officers should assess whether: 1. They are in a position to lead the organisation, especially in compliance, business continuity and risk management matters amid Covid–19; 2. They are in a position to seamlessly integrate the compliance, business continuity and risk management into organisational processes for effective organisational operations; 3. They are in a position to influence business in such a way that the organisation is rescued from a catastrophic scenario, and 4. They are also ready to hold difficult conversations with stakeholders.

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INTHEKNOW

Right-sizing: the ‘GOLDILOCKS DILEMMA’ for business under Covid-19 pressure

Down-sizing may present a short-term solution to survival for businesses under the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic, but right-sizing – checking the relevance of value propositions, repurposing resources and filling gaps in customer needs – should not be overlooked as a route to longer-term sustainability.

“W

e all know the fairytale where Goldilocks is faced with three steaming bowls of porridge – they all looked appetising but on closer inspection, one proved to be too hot, one too cold and only one was just right.’

“For business, these challenging times call for creative solutions to cost and relationship management that are neither too hot or hastily imposed, nor too cool and distanced from the customer, but just the right size,” says University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) managerial accounting senior lecturer Sonja Cilliers said.

There cannot be a blanket assumption that business will return to normal post-coronavirus, and without strategic thinking and planning, “a real danger exists that short-term solutions to alleviate the pressure cooker of the present may negatively impact medium- to long-range decision making,” she warned.

Business survival is top of mind worldwide, with daily announcements of leading companies in trouble – multi-national corporations such as car rental giant Hertz, $18-billion in debt, and retail chain JCPenney ($4.2-billion debt) filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the USA in May alone.Locally Edcon filed for business rescue in April, with revenue losses of R2-billion, Comair followed in May (R3.4-billion in debt), and Massmart announced that up to 1 800 employees in its Game stores could be retrenched.

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The challenges are clear in the second Stats SA survey of the impact of Covid-19 on business, published in mid-May, indicating that 9% of the 2 182 businesses surveyed across various sectors had already closed down permanently by 30 April, almost half had ‘paused trading’ in under Level 5 lockdown in April and 30% said they would not survive a month without any turnover.

Although the follow-up survey published at the end of June showed that pressure had eased slightly under lockdown level 4, mounting cash flow problems still appeared to threaten survival, with only a third of businesses confident that they had the financial resources to continue operating through the pandemic, said Cilliers.

“If the issues faced are of temporary nature and the company finds itself in a position in which it cannot meet its financial obligations, then a process such as business rescue may be a viable option.

“For those companies that have some leeway in terms of cash management and therefore the luxury of time to plan, it would be sensible to consider two aspects: First, to deal with the immediate threat to continued operations and, second, critical analysis of the sustainability of the business model and the continued relevance of the value proposition to the customer.”

INTHEKNOW

While an application for business rescue or bankruptcy protection doesn’t mean a company will necessarily be liquidated, and corporations such as General Motors and Delta Airlines have regained profitability after bankruptcy reorganisations, she said “the challenge in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic is to determine whether the business model followed by a company is still valid”.

She said cost-cutting measures to deal with immediate cash flow problems should be done with a clear view to the direction in which the company is headed, and “where possible, organisations should aim towards a right-sizing rather than a down-sizing orientation”.

“Right-sizing requires that resources be repurposed to where the needs gap is manifesting currently. It may very well be that right-sizing the organisation may lead to increased activity in certain aspects of the business, for example products that fulfill basic needs of customers may see an increase in demand in these times. The challenge then becomes how to repurpose resources, which may range from redeployment of the workforce to the reorganisation of a production plant,” Cilliers said.

She pointed to the example of US supermarket group Whole Foods which has turned some of its physical store locations into ‘dark stores’, repurposing them into semi-warehouses for online order fulfilment to meet a massive increase in demand for grocery deliveries and curbside collections as customers seek physical distancing.

“The customer needs gap is filled while also providing the store with a greater margin of control over the current bottlenecks and delays suffered by delivery services,” Cilliers said.

She added that relationship management throughout the value chain will be a critical success factor to ensure the survival not only of the company, but the entire value proposition to the end user. The loss of key supply partners “may prove to be as catastrophic to the business as is the loss of customers”, she said, pointing to the Stats SA survey which indicated that 53% of businesses had been unable to obtain the materials and supplies required to continue operations.

The pandemic environment means companies will have to revise forecasts and adjust budgets on a rolling basis, even though assumptions about future revenue that underlie budgeting are particularly challenging with customer spending patterns impacted by decreased income, changing needs and physical impediments to purchasing.

“Revenue assumptions drive production or service costs and in many cases, these costs are fixed over the short term.

Even where costs are seemingly locked in, managers will have to think about renegotiating terms, repurposing and rescaling activities. If businesses can access their relationship capital without resorting to a formalised business rescue exercise, they may be able to garner a larger amount of control and flexibility as to the way forward,” Cilliers concluded.

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INTHEKNOW

4IR Don’t tell students about

Inspire them

by Dewet Joubert, RS Components

It’s amazing how quickly the world around us is changing.

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is upon us and how we continue to adapt to this era of rapid technological and societal change is crucial. Why we need to adapt and how fast we are able to adapt to these changes remain a core question of our time, and education is a key factor in how we navigate these changes. As our society, its challenges and our possibilities for the future are changing, education needs to transform as an enabler for this progress.

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INTHEKNOW

T

ransforming education to align with the challenges of this new age is a big focus for the team at RS Components.

We’re particularly interested in encouraging science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in schools, promoting digital skills development at universities and colleges, and also promoting after-study opportunities to prepare graduates for employment in this rapidly changing world.

Readiness for the fourth industrial revolution requires a broad array of technical skills combined with a burning curiosity to find solutions to our most pressing problems. In this context our aim is to inspire innovation and promote the ways which support innovative and design thinking.

The importance of innovation in our industry is inescapable.

We supply electronic and industrial components, services and solutions to a wide variety of sectors. Combined, these all power modern equipment and inspire new strategies and ways of doing business. We help companies around the world reach their goals or achieve a competitive advantage by offering our mix of innovative products and solutions. We have supported many customers as they create the 4IR.

Bringing 4IR to education It is this kind of innovation and experience we want to bring to the education space. The concepts and practical elements that work in industry and that define 4IR are exactly those we want to infuse into education. Our goal is to get students to start thinking about solving critical problems using technology.

It’s while trying to address this idea that we noticed a particular gap in the process. In most traditional education and training environments the topic is approached in a rote fashion.

Students are told what to know and connect enough dots to pass a test. These students are therefore not being inspired to think critically about the possibilities in front of them, to think out of the box, to think differently. In this kind of teaching environment, it will be difficult for them to take charge of the technology and apply it to their own thinking to come up with multiple solutions.

This is particularly important if we want to encourage a greater uptake of STEM subjects. Telling a child to choose science, technology, engineering and math is not enough.

Teaching STEM isn’t enough.

What we need is the same spirit as those fun chemistry teachers you can find on YouTube. Show-and-tell, then make it relevant to the real world. Show students the tools and platforms, show what they can do, show how they fit into industry and the rest of the world.

Taking 4IR to students everywhere The journey can start at home. Minecraft-Pi, which comes bundled with Raspbian (the Raspberry Pi’s free operating system), can be manipulated using coding in the game. A child can play and learn Python, one of the most widely-used programming languages in the world. They can go a step further and install Scratch, a drag-and-drop coding game designed by the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) which is also available for free through Raspberry Pi, or via download from MIT. The Pi is a marvel of technology, putting everything from basic to very advanced 4IR tools in your hands for less than R1,000. It’s also supported by DesignSpark, an RS product which offers many free tutorials, software and resources for students, teachers, parents and hobbyists.

But you don’t even need a Pi to get started. Tools such as Scratch are freely available. We should use these various tools in combination to connect the dots between them and see the amazing things the 4IR is already creating out there. This is how we create the sparks of innovation and imagination in the minds of students.

This approach works. I’ve seen students build small rockets, smart cameras and heat sensors. They can see how their thoughts and ideas can become a reality. But the impact should be felt –in more schools and more homes. If we can focus on inspiring students on what they can do with digital technology, then 4IR stops being a buzzword and dreams can come true.

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INTHEKNOW

Kidnapping risks for execs and minors on the rise

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g

INTHEKNOW

Upsurge in opportunistic kidnappings drives awareness of kidnap and ransom insurance. Recently released statistics has revealed a sharp upsurge in kidnappings in South Africa. This comes while news of the rescue of high-profile kidnapping victim, Sandra Moonsamy, is still fresh in South Africa’s collective memory.

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fficial police statistics show that kidnapping cases have increased by 139 percent over the past decade, with opportunistic abductions accounting for the greatest number of incidents. South African businesses must therefore be vigilant in ensuring the safety of their employees when travelling on business. It is also advisable to have a kidnap and ransom insurance policy in place to cover costs for retrieving individuals safely.

This is according to Dave Honeyman, Managing Executive: Accident & Health at SHA Specialist Underwriters, who says that employees are often at greater risk of falling victim to opportunistic abductions when traveling to cities that they are unfamiliar with and may be at risk of being snatched by kidnappers who believe they can extort money from their families.”

In addition to this, Honeyman says that the abduction of school-aged children is also becoming increasingly prevalent. It is believed that there have been numerous incidents where schools and parents have been victims of extortion following the abduction of a child. When faced with the choice of saving a life, there is no sum too high. Coming up with the ransom funds can, however, be financially crippling, this is why we strongly urge organisations (including schools) to familiarise themselves with kidnap and ransom insurance products.”

Honeyman highlights that the real value behind having kidnap and ransom insurance is not only having the policyholder reimbursed for the cost of the ransom, it also provides unlimited access to a team of specialised response consultants. These are highly trained and qualified individuals who have primarily had careers in the military, police, intelligence and diplomatic services. The consultants

provide valuable kidnap response advice services, as well as dedicated support to secure the hostage’s safe release.

“Proper management of a kidnapping by highly trained individuals is essential to protecting the life and well-being of the victim, as well as the organisation’s assets. With that said, there is one caveat to keep in mind: when companies take out a kidnap and ransom insurance policy, there is a clear condition in the policy that obliges the insured company to take reasonable steps to restrict knowledge of the insurance as far as possible. In other words, the insured organisation should ensure that only key employees are aware that the cover is in place.”

In addition to the reimbursement of ransom money, kidnap and ransom insurance also covers the destruction, loss, confiscation or wrongful appropriation of money in transit to the kidnapper. It also reimburses the costs incurred in attempting to mitigate physical disfigurement or emotional harm suffered as a result of a kidnapping as well as judgements and legal expenses incurred by the insured company due to legal action taken by the victims or their families.

“Whilst kidnapping cannot be prevented, businesses can secure the appropriate insurance cover to alleviate the damage caused and assist both the hostage as well as their family on the road to recovery,” says Honeyman.

“The sad reality is that kidnappings are on the rise in South Africa, and business owners, school administrators and parents alike, need to be prepared to deal with it in the correct and safest manner. Businesses and schools have a responsibility to those in their care, and this cover should be considered as part of every organisation’s overall insurance armoury,” he concludes.

These are highly trained and qualified individuals who have primarily had careers in the military, police, intelligence and diplomatic services.

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Brand/Agency CO-CREATION – Are two heads better than one?

Uber and Netflix have created a monster – a new type of consumer wooed by an unsurpassed customer experience (CX) that is changing the game for brands worldwide. From personalised viewing choices to real-time feedback on trips – brands live in a world where ‘instant’ is no longer a novelty and seamless transition from tablet to smartphone to desktop to human, is a baseline expectation. And brands are scrambling to keep up.

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n South Africa, as in the world, customer co-creation is not just a buzzword, but a lethal weapon in the arsenal of brands striving to improve customer experiences through real, valuable solutions at the concept or design stage of a new or improved product or service. Instead of playing catchup and engineers creating products in a vacuum, brands like Lego, DHL and the CTICC are crowdsourcing solutions, often in a vulnerable way.

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Brand/agency co-creation is another avenue for brands to get back into the driver’s seat when it comes to creating solutions for the customers, they, let’s be honest, know best. This type of collaboration creates a pro-active partnership where the agency is part of the process from start to finish instead of being brought in at the end to slap a flashy design on it.

Co-creation refers to clients enlisting input directly from an agency on a product, service or process. The agency works directly

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He expands on some of the benefits available to brands co-creating with agencies in the process of strategy development, tactics and execution to ultimately improve the brand/consumer relationship: 1. It injects speed and agility “For clients who are in the highly competitive fastmoving foods industry for example, speed-to-market is key.

Sitting in on internal operational, marketing and product strategy sessions and workshops from the get-go means we are able to give and receive valuable input into the efficacy of the marketing strategy and day-to-day processes that affect the relationship between the client and their consumers.

“Working with internal teams, we are able to pivot quickly, should issues arise, make small adjustments and monitor consumer reactions real-time and streamline the design process as we gain closer access to decision-makers.”

2. It plays to both parties’ strengths “Part of the success of co-creation is that both parties are working towards a common goal. Trust is built, when we build something together. Marcus Stephens, EVP of Brand Marketing for Sagamore Spirit says, “Agencies typically have a diverse client base, so they can bring a broader, unbiased perspective and help internal teams see the larger opportunity”. Similarly, the internal team relies on the fact that they are experts in their most important subject – their customer. The agency becomes a valued partner in the process who can inject relevant strategic direction into the creation process while leveraging the client’s expertise to inform strategy.

The agency meets the client where they are, whether that is by working or meeting onsite. This makes it easy for the client to provide feedback in a way that doesn’t interrupt their workflow.

with the brand’s internal team and (ideally) have the same KPI’s as the internal team. Specialist brand storytellers, Idea Hive, is a local agency that works with blue-chip brands to tell African stories for Africans on a variety of platforms. The team have found client co-creation to be so successful that they now include it in most of their projects.

CEO, Yaw Dwomoh, encourages brands and agencies to move from a traditional reactive position of servant/master to one of reciprocity and partnership in collaboration.

3. The customer is king “As customer needs are placed at the centre of the cocreation process, customer experience soars. Where internal teams may have an unintended blind spot when it comes to unhappy clients, informed and honest feedback from a through-the-line agency like ourselves gives brands and agencies the opportunity to solve customer problems together.”

Co-creation results in a win-win situation for brands and agencies. If consumers are happy, clients win, and agencies are included in future projects. Creativity becomes a joint responsibility and it is no longer left only in the agency’s lap.

The more everyone can get in the room together – to align, plan; reimagine and innovate – the stronger the impact will be on the brand and the agency’s common goals.

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INTHEKNOW

Cyber Risk

Implications of the Coronavirus Outbreak The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused significant disruption to businesses and a degree of panic within the employee community. Companies across the globe are activating contingency and business continuity plans and are allowing employees to work from home to limit the spread of the virus. In a new reality where millions of people are working remotely, secure networks are now more critical than ever, according to Aon.

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amani Ngidi, Cyber Solutions Client Manager at Aon South Africa outlines the practical steps organisations can take to remain cyber resilient amid the crisis.

“Concern about the spread of the Coronavirus has triggered the largest ‘work-from-home’ mobilisation in history.

The Coronavirus outbreak is highlighting the risk resilience, or lack thereof, of organisations. Not only as far as restrictions implemented from the Presidency are concerned, but also from a sustainability perspective and what that constitutes in a world where global economic activity is impacted,” says Zamani.

“Covid-19 will fundamentally change the way we conduct business in future in respect of mobile and remote working, and this has significant cyber risk implications. Organisations will need to increase reliance on technology in order to navigate a business environment that is globally restricted in terms of physical movement and presence. The ability of employees to work from home (connectivity) will become more pronounced, and when coupled with possible disruptions from load shedding, creates a unique set of risks for South Africa.

“At the very least, organisations will need to reassess internal IT policies, crystalising risk mitigation efforts and re-assessing risk transfer programmes, arising from the dramatically increased reliance on technology for remote work forces,” says Zamani.

To remain operational and secure, Aon recommends that companies take the following steps: • Defend Against the Phishing Wave Malicious actors will leverage the intense focus placed on the virus and the fear and panic it creates. Security researchers have

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already observed phishing emails posing as alerts regarding COVID-19.

These emails will typically contain attachments which purport to offer information about the outbreak or updates on how recipients may stay safe. In an environment where people are stressed and hungry for more information, there is a lack of commitment to security best practices.

This is the time for organisations to remind employees of the need for vigilance and the dangers of opening attachments and links from untrusted sources. Running a simulated spear phishing campaign can also demonstrate the level of resilience to these attacks. At a more technical level, up-to-date antivirus and monitoring tools can limit the effectiveness of these attacks.

• Test System Preparedness Organisations will be experiencing an unprecedented amount of traffic accessing the network remotely. Companies with an agile workforce have been preparing for this contingency for some time and will be well-equipped to maintain network integrity through the use of sophisticated virtual private networks (VPNs) and multi-factor authentication. Enterprise security teams are recommended to increase monitoring for attacker activities deriving from work-from-home users, as employees’ personal computers are a weak point that attackers will leverage in order to gain access to corporate resources.

For those less prepared, COVID-19 presents a challenge. There is a risk that the increased volume of network traffic will place a strain on IT systems and personnel, in addition to employees accessing sensitive data and systems via unsecure networks or devices. We recommend that these organisations migrate as quickly as possible to remote working and Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) standards. VPNs should be patched regularly (for example, a vulnerability in the Pulse Secure VPN was patched in April 2019 but companies which failed to update were falling victim to ransomware in December) and networks should be load-tested to ensure that the increased traffic can be handled.

• Brace for Disruption A remote workforce can make it more difficult for IT staff to monitor and contain threats to network security. In an office environment, when a threat is detected, IT can immediately quarantine the device, disconnecting the endpoint (i.e. the compromised computer) from the corporate network while conducting investigations. Where users are working remotely, organisations should ensure that, to the extent possible, IT and Security colleagues are readily contactable and ideally

INTHEKNOW

Zamani Ngidi, Cyber Solutions Client Manager at Aon South Africa

able to physically address a compromise at its source. Sophisticated endpoint detection and response (EDR) software can also be used to quarantine workstations remotely, limiting the potential for malicious actors to move through the network.

As this risk moves beyond the technical, companies should adopt an enterprise risk approach. This can include rehearsing business continuity plans (BCP) and senior management response through tabletop crisis simulations that focus on cyber scenarios as well as how pandemics and other similarly disruptive events are likely to impact upon automation, connectivity and cyber resilience. Companies can also safeguard against the increased risk of disruption through a robust cyber insurance policy which,

in the event of a digital disruption to systems, can provide cover for business interruption losses, as well as the costs of engaging forensic experts to investigate and remediate a breach. “COVID-19 presents many challenges to businesses across the entire globe but developments in technology means companies can remain operational and nimble in the face of uncertainty. Keeping a finger on the pulse of the pervasive cyber threats in the midst of this crisis is critical to ensuring that the increased reliance on connectivity and technology don’t scupper productivity any further,� concludes Zamani.

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Performance Management crucial for employee development

by Rob Bothma, Exco member of the South African Payroll Association

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Over the past year we have had many discussions with organisations as to where they see their performance management processes going in the future, in light of all the new advanced HCM technologies brought about by the various cloud solutions available.

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he good news is that many of these organisations are starting to take a serious look at their current processes and how these can be redefined into more value adding processes for both the organisation and the employee.

A clear result of these discussions is that having two performance review sessions over a twelve-month period is just nowhere near sufficient enough to have an effective or positive performance management process.

Organisations are finally starting to both look at what their overall goal is for conducting performance reviews and what benefits this process has actually realised the organisation, as for too many years now all it has ever really been is a salary increase indicator.

And therein lies the problem. Both employees and managers only really looked at the respective objectives and related scores with only one goal in mind – what increase will I give and what increase will I receive- without any real focus on the ongoing improvement of performance, continual employee development or even career and succession planning.

Staff members need a solid career plan to give them stability and confidence in their future in the organisation.

Although some managers can often be threatened by hard headed or stubborn people, strong independent thinkers are required at all levels in life, and an environment and culture need to be created, where these attributes are encouraged and grown, as this helps many people to grow and thrive.

Innovation is the name of the game today. With technology starting to run riot in our lives, people who seek out innovation will become very successful, whether at work or at home.

With cloud based applications now becoming one of the preferred options for HCM solutions, they bring with them a whole host of new and exciting innovations.

One good example is having an integrated social forum as part and parcel of the solution, enabling employees to both request and provide feedback as and when required. Employees and managers are thus able to build up portfolios of evidence on a regular basis, ensuring that the regular performance discussions become more relevant and meaningful.

And of course, having a connected workforce, employees’ performance agreements become a living document.

Objectives are no longer set and measured over a fixed period, normally the financial year, but rather objectives can be loaded and assessed each with their own start and end dates, breaking the traditional link with the meaningless financial period.

In addition, as and when the employees’ work circumstances change so too can their performance agreements be updated, there and then, affording both the employee and the manager the opportunity of continually reviewing objectives, thus ensuring that they are 100% relevant to the actual tasks the employees have been assigned.

As mentioned earlier, there is a total inadequacy in having the normal mid-year and full year review for a staff member.

The employee’s performance contract should be a living document, with the management and accountability equally shared between both parties.

Both employee and manager should be equal partners in the creation of goals as well as all the resultant processes that lie therein, such as planning and execution of ongoing skills development, forward focusing career planning and of course how reward and recognition will be measured and awarded.

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eSIGNATURES; A MODERN SYSTEM OF AGREEMENT

Andy Papastefanou, founder of Impression Signatures

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In the digital age, the world is innovating at an exponential rate. As 4IR drives digital transformation, electronic signatures are becoming ever more prevalent. Now the question arises; how does one prove consent?

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ith many varying mediums being used to manage contractual agreements, a modern system of agreement becomes imperative.

Thanks to ongoing digital transformation, eSignatures offer a reliable, trackable guarantee that an electronic document is authentic. Soon, one will even be able to use WhatsApp to finalise agreements.

The key is to opt for an eSignature that relies on an innovative consent engine to ensure identity, consent and context are verifiable. According to Andy Papastefanou, founder of Impression Signatures, there are four key components to a reliable eSignature: engagement, agreement, trust and management.

Engagement relates to how the document is presented to the parties for signature, be it via WhatsApp, USSD/SMS, email, push notification, etc. With a unique, omnichannel engagement platform, users are empowered to enjoy communication and seamless channel of the device being used. “Taking a unique approach to WhatsApp contracts, Impression Signatures

where. Users of Impression Signature software can also track documents throughout their journey via dashboards, noting when and where requests are opened, how the document is paged through, signed and ultimately returned.

In practice, what sets the home-grown Impression eSignature apart is its ability to allow parties to engage – even when they do not have a smart phone. “The focus for all technological development should be on true digital transformation, touching every part of the country, not just people with a fancy phone,” adds Papastefanou.

At ABSA, for example, the Impression team used this technology to enhance Merchant Onboarding, specifically with regards to applications for speed point machines.

“We essentially built a SaaS model, whereby the ABSA consultant would visit the merchant with an iPad and capture their details. The process was handled 100% digitally, with the merchant receiving a USSD message on their phone to accept the details of the contract, and once clicking ‘Accept’ the eSignature was applied, and the speed

Through this modern system of agreement, a legally binding process has been completed in minutes rather than hours. also holds the patent for USSD message acceptance as a form of electronic signature,” he adds. “Considering WhatsApp in the view of the overall consent engine, this feature – which is unique to Impression Signatures – will offer far more than more than a Chatbot experience.”

Agreement relates to the process the document goes through from its generation to signature, and storage. From designing, generating documents and prefilling them with data from trusted sources, to sending signature requests to all relevant parties, and returning it to the storage service of choice, every step ensures compliance and full agreement.

Trust is essential, and an advanced eSignature offers this in abundance with a unique Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model driving onboarding, digital identities, and managing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This ensures that the agreement process remains compliant and that the integrity of the transaction is maintained.

The Management of these documents and digital signatures ensures a fully transparent chain of custody. This allows parties to track who signed the document when, and

point could be handed over immediately.”

This drastically decreased turn-around times for the delivery of the speed points, as well as the paperwork and amount of communication required between the parties before an agreement is reached. With this reduction in laborious admin, the consultants could see more clients in a day, significantly increasing productivity.

In the medical field, USSD and WhatsApp are also being used internally at a large hospital group to ease the administrative burden on doctors. Using a USSD model, doctors receive a message that requires them to authenticate that they have the authority to view a document – in this case, financials that require approval.

Once authenticated, the doctor can open the financials on his/her phone and approve the documents immediately.

“Through this modern system of agreement, a legally binding process has been completed in minutes rather than hours, all with a reliable chain of custody underpinning the handling of the documents,” concludes Papastefanou.

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Turning

diversity

by Athabile Jojo, CEO, Diversity Empowerment

into an organisational strength T

There is strength in our diversity. South Africa’s history of brutal division – which systematically deprived non-white people of economic and social opportunities – denied our nation the opportunity to reach its full potential. More than 25 years after the first democratic elections, we continue to struggle with the bitter legacies of colonialism and apartheid, yet we are in a better position than ever to build a winning society.

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he reason I say this is that democracy, at last, gave us the opportunity to turn the diversity of our nation into a strength rather than a source of division. With a progressive constitution that recognises the rights and the value of every person – irrespective of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity or disability – we can harness the potential of every person in the nation.

Yes, there are some tensions and sources of division in our society, but we have come a long way. Setting aside the noisy echo chambers of social media or the well-publicised

INTHEKNOW

antics of racist estate agents, most people are starting to value each other’s perspective and differences. In addition to our shared heritage, there is a growing appreciation for different experiences and views.

It is especially heartening for me to see how comfortable young people from very different backgrounds are in the workplace. In our own offices, we see constant sharing of knowledge and experiences, and each of these interactions between open-minded individuals is another building block in a more just and tolerant society. And for each organisation, this level of diversity can be an asset and a competitive advantage.

Embedding diversity into the purpose, team and boardroom Looking at our own business, we have embedded diversity into our core purpose and our ways of working.

We founded this business on the belief that there are many marginalised people from disadvantaged backgrounds who have much to contribute. But this starts with levelling the playing field and acknowledging they did not start the race

on the same footing as their more privileged counterparts.

To combat youth unemployment, it is necessary to use mechanisms such as learnerships and employment equity to include the excluded in the economic mainstream. As we have helped our clients to do this and as we have done it in our own business, the lesson is that the perspectives, skills and thinking of previously excluded people drives growth and creates opportunity. Diversity needs to be led from – and exemplified – by the senior management team. They will show how diversity harnesses different skills and approaches to solve problems. This type of leadership brings out the best in employees. It empowers employees to share their ideas, to be confident in who they are, and to work with their colleagues to bring out the best in everyone.

To remain relevant in today’s fast changing world, organisations must be agile, innovative, resilient and tolerant of nuance and contradictory ideas. These factors are linked with diversity in leadership, thinking and demographics – and are closely linked to organisational performance. Embracing differences creates a place where all can thrive and perform to their full potential.

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Companies &

candidates: the 5 ground rules of job offer negotiation

The time will come where both parties stand at the door of a potential new partnership arguably the most fragile period of the hiring process. At this stage, when both have clearly indicated their interest in working together, there are certain rules of engagement which must be followed on both their parts to ensure neither snatches defeat from the jaws of victory, a leadership expert says.

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fter the screening and interview processes are complete, sealing the deal becomes a delicate dance, where both employer and candidate must push for the best deal for themselves, without losing the goodwill established to date, and possibly jinxing the entire thing,” says Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, CEO of Jack Hammer, Africa’s largest independent executive search firm with offices across the continent as well as Los Angeles.

In her soon-to-be-released second book, Inside the Interview* Goodman-Bhyat shares insights and advice based on her decadeslong experience as an executive search expert focusing on the sourcing and placement of top talent across the globe. She says that the best time for candidates to negotiate for the best possible offer, is at the point where the prospective employer has indicated that they’re keen to make one and get the candidate on board.

“However, candidates need to bear in mind that just because the company has said they’re interested, doesn’t mean it’s a done deal, and so it’s really important to keep a balance between what you want, and not frustrating them or creating tensions over the negotiations,” she says. Because if candidates overplay their hand, they risk turning off an employer who was ready to make a decent - if not shoot the lights out – offer, and potentially lose out on what could have been a smart, strategic career move.

“At the same time, if there are elements of the offer that you’re not happy with, now’s the time to voice your concerns and ask for what you really want. It’s all a very delicate balancing act, not to be underestimated,” says Goodman-Bhyat. She says that as

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search consultants, Jack Hammer often need to act as a filter between the candidate and the employer, so that neither party comes across as too aggressive, too grabby or greedy, too demanding, or too stingy. But for those candidates and companies without the advantage of search support, there are a few pointers to guide them through the treacherous waters of final negotiations, she says.

CANDIDATES SHOULD: 1) Ensure they fully understand all elements of the package.

“There might be some hidden benefits that aren’t evident at first glance, that make all the difference between an average offer and an excellent one,” says Goodman-Bhyat.

“So make sure that you are comparing apples with apples. Know your net figures (the amount of money that you receive in your bank account each month) AND the value of the benefits you’ll be receiving. Compare these with what you currently have on the table. Just because the net cash is the same or marginally less than your current package, does not necessarily mean that it’s a bad offer.”

2) Negotiate all elements of the package at once, without horse trading after the fact.

“Don’t ask for an increase on the base package, and then after that for the number of days leave, and after that for an allowance for further studies,” she says. “Because each time, the people who are handling the contract changes will most likely have to motivate to several different stakeholders, and this becomes tiresome, breeding resentment.

“Thoughts like, ‘Does this candidate want the offer or not’, or ‘Again… are you kidding me’, are typically what will happen behind the scenes in this kind of scenario. HR professionals frown upon constantly going back and forth to motivate for more money or changes to the benefits after an offer has been approved internally,” says Goodman-Bhyat.

3) Substantially motivate their request for more money.

“You’ll need to motivate why you think you deserve more money,” she

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says. “One reason could be that you expect an increase on your current package at your current employer. Another could be that you believe you’ll be generating X value for the company, and believe you’re due more. “But also try to gain insights into the remuneration policy at the company. Organisations really don’t like to increase packages beyond the salary band for a certain level of employee. So you may need to keep within the range (albeit at the top), but then ask for something else instead.”

COMPANIES SHOULD: 1) Understand that candidates will want to match or increase their salary.

“Start out with an expectation that any candidate who joins your company is going to want to earn at least the same, but preferably more, than what she’s currently earning,” says Goodman-Bhyat.

“Exceptions to this are situations where the candidate’s last package was significantly higher than what is market related, for instance where her previous company made a silly offer in order to get the candidate to come across, or to take her out of the market.

“Explaining this to the candidate, and motivating for your case in a balanced way is key. Candidates typically think that all employers are trying to pay them the least amount of money possible. You’ll need to explain that you’re wanting to pay fair value for skills, and will be willing to incentivise for excellence.”

2) Ensure they understand the entire package and all incentives.

“Don’t just look at the cash portion, you need to be on top of all the benefits included in the package, including nonfinancial ones. “When it comes to putting an offer on the table, you may be able to compensate for a lower base package increase if you have other benefits to offer that the candidate doesn’t have access to currently.” “The hiring process is a timeconsuming, costly and often exhausting process both for the company and the candidate,” says Goodman-Bhyat. “Finding the fit is intensive work, and if one does reach that stage, where a future relationship appears to be a win-win one, care must be taken both on the part of the company and candidate to ensure a fair agreement. Failure to do so can come at the unnecessary cost of what could have been a great hire for the company, or a wise move for the candidate.”

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LIFESTYLE

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents many uncertainties, and none of us can completely eliminate our risk of getting it, but one thing we can do is take the necessary precautions. If we do catch COVID-19, our immune system is responsible for fighting it. By boosting our immune system, we can keep strong and healthy, and in so doing, strengthen our defence against the global pandemic we find ourselves in the midst of.

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STRENGTHEN YOUR DEFENCE AGAINST

COVID-19

BY BOOSTING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM!

“S

ince the outbreak of COVID-19, we have been given a lot of sound advice on how to combat this dreaded disease – from practising social distancing to sanitising our hands frequently, but not much airtime has been given to how to boost our immune systems; after all if we are exposed to the virus, we need our bodies to be able to fight back!” says Catherine Clark, Owner and Founder of The Harvest Table.

She adds that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, are at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. “This makes sense because as we age our immune systems grow weaker, which makes it more challenging for older adults to fight off infectious diseases. On the other hand, chronic diseases can compromise the immune system, and make people more vulnerable to serious complications.”

Catherine offers 5 ways to strengthen your defence against COVID-19 and boost your immune system: 1. Hit snooze on that panic button: When you stressed, your immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced, making you more susceptible to infections. So, if you feeling a little stressed, consciously take time out to employ some calming or relaxing stress-reduction techniques.

2. Look after your gut: Did you know that good immunity starts in your gut? Consider adding bone broth to you diet as it ensures a well-functioning digestive system as it assists to seal up any holes, healing the lining, and nourishing the gut with important nutrients. You can make your own bone broth or buy Bone Broth powder which you can add to everything from soups and stews to water and even your morning coffee!

3. Consume immune-boosting vitamins: Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin well known for its role in supporting a healthy immune system. Consider eating foods rich in vitamin C like oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, kale and broccoli. Alternatively you can supplement with Blueberry Powder (freeze- dried blueberries) which is packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants, making this booster pure dynamite. Be wary of synthetic vitamin C supplements that could upset your system, rather look for natural sources.

4. Take anti-viral supplements: Maitake mushroom’s (a mushroom that grows wild in parts of Japan, China, and North America) antiviral properties were in confirmed by both the National Cancer Institute and the Japan Institute of Health in 1992. Maitake mushrooms are rich in antioxidants, beta-glucans, vitamins B and C, copper, potassium, fibre, minerals and amino acids and are known for their positive overall effect on immunity.

5. Modulate your immune system: Modulating your immune system is the regulatory adjustment of the immune system. Astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant carotenoid, plays a major role in modulating the immune response. Astaxanthin is found in a product known as Collagen.X and is 6000 times stronger than vitamin C, in terms of its antioxidant properties.

“While the above suggestions are not guaranteed to prevent you from contracting the virus, they are certainly ways you can keep your body in tiptop shape and ready face and fight whatever comes it’s way! In addition to supplementing your diet, continue to implement all you’ve been taught about sanitisation and social distancing and together we can weather the COVID-19 storm,” Catherine concludes.

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LIFESTYLE

‘Rocks’ VW T-Cross

by Carl Wepener

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I have been looking forward to the VW T-Cross for some time and I was really impressed with the looks of the T-Cross. It is colourful, it is modern and although the stance is ‘macho’ it oozes charm and character. It is a practical, cool and versatile addition to Volkswagen’s fastgrowing SUV range. It is sophisticated, diverse and has an eye-catching appearance. It shows a combination of casual style, refined practicality and extreme cost-effectiveness.

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LIFESTYLE

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uel consumption was a bit on the high side when doing town driving, but came down significantly when driving longer distances. The T-Cross behaves well on the road and is most comfortable. Road holding is very good for such a small car and is enjoyable on gravel as well. As far as I am concerned the T-Cross is as good as a number of competitors that is priced far above it. It is not the fastest or the most powerful but it is no slouch either. Quality has not been left behind and the sturdy VW feel is noticed throughout.

Let us look at the models and what the manufacturer says about the T-Cross The T-Cross is available in the 1.0 TSI engine with 85kW power output. In the first quarter of 2020, the 1.5 TSI 110kW will be introduced and in the second quarter the range will be completed with the introduction of the 70kW engine.

• The entry level T-Cross model which retails below R300 000 and will be available in South Africa from the second quarter of 2020 The T-Cross leaves a lasting impression at first sight. The striking front end highlights the vehicle’s family affiliation while the exterior emphasises the individuality of the new SUV model.

There is an expressive front spoiler and a large, wide radiator grille. The light units are long and flat, and extend far into the flanks. The lower section of the front end is characterised by distinctive recessed fog lights and integrated daytime running lights. If the optional LED headlights are installed, the daytime running lights share the same housing. The tail light clusters feature LED technology as standard.

On the sides of the T-Cross, two horizontal sharp character lines from front to rear underline the dynamic appearance of the compact SUV. A bold reflective band spans the rear. The large wheel arches also emphasise the striking appearance, 16-inch wheels are fitted as standard. In addition, 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels are available as options. The exterior of the T-Cross can also be customised in various ways. There is a choice of nine exterior colours or a selection of coloured wheel rims which enhance the combination options.

The compact Volkswagen SUV offers easy access for all passengers through four large doors - a major advantage of the modular transverse matrix (MQB), which allows the driven front axle to be positioned much closer to the vehicle front. In addition to easier entry, vehicle occupants also benefit from a significant increase in interior space and legroom for both rows of seats.

The T-Cross measures 4.2 metres in length. The wheelbase of 2 551 millimetres increases the space for seats and provides a spacious and roomy feel. The elevated seat position is typical of an SUV. The driver and front passenger sit 597 millimetres

above the road, while the rear passengers benefit from a vantage point of 652 millimetres.

The interior is modern and the T-Cross provides good visibility all-round thanks to the elevated seating position. The interior is extremely spacious, giving the occupants the feeling that they are sitting in a larger vehicle.

For the greatest possible versatility in the interior, the sliding rear seat can be adjusted by 14 centimetres, allowing more passenger leg room or more luggage space. The luggage compartment holds between 377 and 455 litres. Thanks to a rear seat back that folds down you can create a flat loading space with up to 1 281 litres of storage volume - unsurpassed by any other SUV in this segment.

The large-format dash pads correspond in colour and structure to the seat materials, the steering wheel clasp, the painted central console, the platinum grey trim colour and the exterior finishes. This gives the interior of the vehicle a cool, sporty look. The design package also offers 3D décor for the dash pad, two-tone seat surfaces, a steering wheel clasp and central console in a matching tone, and colour-coordinated wing mirrors and wheels. The indirect ambient lighting further accentuates the vehicle’s interior. Electric windows on all four doors and a height-adjustable driver and passenger seat also come as standard.

The T-Cross provides the highest level of networking and connection to the outside world. Up to four USB ports and the optional inductive wireless charging ensure optimum connectivity and sufficient power for smartphones. The optional keyless locking and starting system Keyless Access makes access to the T-Cross more convenient.

The Driver Alert System comes standard whilst optional equipment available on the T-Cross includes Front Assist area monitoring system, the lane keeping assistant Lane Assist, Hill Start Assist, the proactive occupant protection system, automatic adaptive cruise control, Park Assist and the Blind Spot Detection lane change assist system with the integrated Rear Traffic Alert.

The T-Cross performed outstandingly in the renowned Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) safety test. Independent testers awarded the new SUV top scores in all categories. This innovative crossover model meets the most stringent safety standards. The vehicle scored a compliance rating of 97% in the ‘Adult occupant protection’ category. Very few vehicles have scored this value, demonstrating that small SUVs can keep up with larger models. The child safety rating of 86% underlines how perfectly suitable the T-Cross is for families.

The active support systems scored a rating of 80%, far better than the previous standard in this vehicle category. In addition to passive protection equipment, the vehicle also features Front Assist that looks out for pedestrians’ and cyclists’ safety.

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The active support systems scored a rating of 80%, far better than the previous standard in this vehicle category.

The T-Cross, already equipped with extensive standard equipment, can be customised and upgraded further with optional equipment and several equipment trims.

Trendline trim (available only with 70kW). The entry level variant comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, LED daytime running lights and tail lights, split folding rear seats, colourcoded handles and mirrors, electrically adjustable and heated side mirrors, electric windows at the front and rear, height and lumbar adjustable driver and passenger seats, Tyre Pressure Monitor, 6.5-inch ‘Composition Colour‘ display, combined front and side airbags, Rest Assist as well as Titanium black seat and instrument panel, black carpets and ceramique headliner.

Comfortline trim. The Comfortline trim expands on the Trendline and comes standard with 16-inch ‘Belmont‘ alloy wheels, black roof rails, front fog lights, leather multi-function steering wheel with multi-function display, Park Distance Control (front and rear), cruise control, Light and Sight Package and a front centre arm rest.

Optional features on the Comfortline trim include; R-Line Exterior with 17-inch ‘Manila‘ alloy wheels, Beats sound system, Inductive Wireless Mobile Charging, Composition Media with App-Connect, Discover Media (includes Navigation), Active Info Display, Park Assist with Rear View Camera and Foldable Mirrors, Adaptive Cruise Control (includes Blind Spot Monitor, Foldable Mirrors, Lane Assist and Front Assist), LED headlights with Rear View Camera, Keyless Entry and Removable Towbar.

Highline trim. The third equipment variant, the Highline, has additional standard features to the Comfortline which include Comfort Sports Seats, Inductive Wireless Mobile Charging, Driving Profile Selection, Climatronic Aircon, LED Headlights, Composition Media with App-Connect and 18-inch ‘Cologne‘ alloy wheels.

Optional extras on the Highline include; R-Line Exterior with 18-inch ‘Nevada‘ alloy wheels, Design Package in Energetic Orange, Beats sound system, Discover Media (includes Navigation), Active Info Display, Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control (includes Blind Spot Monitor, Foldable Mirrors,

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Lane Assist and Front Assist), Keyless Entry, Removable Towbar and Titanium Black-Energetic Orange seats, titanium black instrument panel, black carpets and ceramique headliner.

The T-Cross is powered by two three-cylinder petrol engines.

The Volkswagen’s compact SUV will be available with the 1.0 TSI engine delivering 70kW and 85kW power outputs as well as the more powerful 1.5 TSI engine delivering 110kW. The 85kW engine is available at launch. The 110kW engine will be available from the first quarter of 2020. The 70kW engine will be available in the second quarter of 2020.

1.0 TSI engine with 85kW. The three-cylinder 1.0 TSI generates 85 kW of power. The turbocharged direct injection engine develops maximum torque of 200 Nm is available between 2 000 and 3 500 rpm. This version goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.2 seconds and has a top speed of 193 km/h. Claimed fuel consumption is 4.9 litres/100km.

This engine is only available in 7-speed DSG transmission.

The range-topping T-Cross 1.5 TSI 110kW R-Line DSG® model comes standard with a host of features including: Sports Seats, Driving Profile Selection, Climatronic Aircon, LED Headlights and Taillights, Composition Media with App-Connect, R-Line interior and exterior with 18-inch ‘Nevada’ alloy wheels, digital Active Info Display and a choice of eight exterior colours.

Optional extras include; Design Package in Energetic Orange, beats® sound system (300-watt, 8-channel amplifier and a separate subwoofer in the luggage compartment), Discover Media (includes Navigation), Park Assist (includes Rearview Camera

LIFESTYLE

and Powerfold Mirrors), Adaptive Cruise Control (includes Blind Spot Monitor, Foldable Mirrors, Lane Assist and Front Assist), Keyless Entry, Removable Towbar and Titanium BlackEnergetic Orange seats, titanium black instrument panel, black carpets and ceramique headliner.

Recommended Retail Price (VAT and emissions tax included)

1.0 TSI 85kW Comfortline DSG® 1.0 TSI 85kW Highline DSG® 1.5 TSI 110kW R-Line DSG®

R334 600 R365 000 R403 500

The T-Cross comes standard with a 3 year/120 000km warranty, a 3 year/ 45 000km Volkswagen Service Plan and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. Service interval is 15 000km.

A truly remarkable compact SUV that are going to steal hearts of the young and old.

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by Carl Wepener

RENAULT Trafic PANEL VAN

When I called and requested a Trafic as I am moving offices and house I never imagined how well the Trafic would cope and how versatile it would be. It is one of the most practical designs with great load carrying ability and pulling capacity. With its long wheelbase and 1200kg carrying capacity the Renault Traffic is a real gem.

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D

riving the Trafic is also very pleasant as it is very car like and even fully loaded it gives a comfortable ride. I found the Trafic to be well equipped with a Bluetooth system that is easy to operate and a sound system that is great. The infotainment system is much more than expected given the nature of the vehicle.

My gripe with most of the vans is that safety and luxury comes as an afterthought. The Trafic has top-notch safety with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and driver’s airbag that ensures safety for both the Trafic and other road users.

Driving to and thro with the moving doing around eight kilometres per trip times thirty, I think still gave me a very respectable 6.7 litres per 100kms.Outstanding economy and performance from 1.9 dCi engine.

Renault are intent on raising its profile as a contender in the crucial LCV segment with versatility and due to its affordability and reasonable fuel consumption.

The Trafic Panel Van has been specifically designed to meet the needs of professionals, regardless of the business environment they are active in. With its standard height and long wheelbase, it offers ultimate flexibility to suit any business requirement, matched to an impressive 1 200 kg payload capacity and 2 800 mm cargo area length.

Access to the vast 6,0 m3 load compartment is by means of a single sliding door on the left, along with side-hinged rear doors that can be swivelled through 180 degrees for easier loading. Additionally, side anchorage points are provided to safely secure items in transit.

The Trafic’s suspension has been specially adapted to easily cope with its load-lugging ability, while delivering levels of ride refinement and control more typical of an MPV. This is achieved through the use of MacPherson-type suspension with an anti-roll bar in front, along with a flexible beam with trailing arms and Panhard rod at the rear.

The combination of load-sensitive hydraulic dampers and variablerate suspension ensures a constant ride height and consistent handling traits, regardless of how much weight the vehicle is carrying.

In the interests of safety, the Trafic is equipped with disc brakes all round, controlled by ABS with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and emergency brake assist (EBA). This ensures the optimum level of stopping ability, regardless of the driving conditions or load on board.

Additionally, a driver’s airbag is standard, as are side impact bars and height-adjustable seat belts with force limiters and pre-tensioners.

Comfort and convenience are the hallmarks of the Trafic’s cabin environment, which offers levels of refinement and standard features normally associated with passenger cars. The comprehensive

equipment list includes air-conditioning, power steering, electric windows and mirrors, a trip computer, a single-CD, MP3-compatible audio system, and a height-adjustable driver’s seat. Numerous practical and user-friendly stowage solutions are provided. These include an A4 document holder at the top of the centre console, a storage slot above the glove box, and large binnacles in the door panels. Vehicle security is a prime consideration in this segment.

Accordingly, the Trafic Panel Van boasts an insurance-approved Category 1 alarm and immobiliser system, which includes the Renault Anti-Intruder Device (RAID).

This is bolstered by remote central locking with a deadlocking function for ultimate peace of mind. In addition, the spare wheel is fitted with anti-theft bracket. Combining low fuel consumption and running costs with dependable performance, the Trafic is powered by a 1 870 cc common-rail turbodiesel engine. The 1598cc dCi unit produces 88kW of power at 3 500 r/min, linked to 240 Nm of torque at 2 000 r/min.

Mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the Trafic is capable of consuming as little as 6,9 l/100 km in the extra-urban environment.

Its combined cycle consumption is an impressive 7,9 l/100 km, with a corresponding CO2 emissions rating of 210 g/km. A large 80-litre fuel tank is standard.

The Trafic Panel Van benefits from the same all-encompassing Renault Confiance customer care package as the rest of the range.

This includes a five-year/90 000 km service plan with 15 000 km service intervals, along with an extensive five-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and six-year anti-corrosion warranty. Renault Confiance also provides 24-hour roadside assistance and security, fixed price service menu, as well as guaranteed parts availability or the offer of a mobility solution.

Pricing Trafic Panel Van 1.6 dCi

R412 900

I can recommend the Renault Trafic Van to anybody as it is a real gem and so nice to drive. Its road manners, whether empty, fully loaded and towing a 4 wheel trailer is very good. What I do have against it, is that there is no reverse camera. I believe the addition of such will make this great van even more liked. Well done Renault.

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Suzuki Ertiga More then you bargain for

LIFESTYLE

The Suzuki Ertiga is not by far the prettiest car, but it is one of the most practical cars for today’s households.

I

by Carl Wepener

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was pleasantly surprised to see how versatile the Ertiga is and how much usable space it has got on offer. Depending on the specific model, you do get a lot more options that makes the Ertiga even more desirable.

Although Suzuki has not created the seven seat market it has created a market for sevenseat luxury vehicles below R300 000 with the launch of the Ertiga GLX model.

Available with the choice of a manual (R267 900) or automatic (R282 900) gearbox, the Ertiga offers a range of luxuries not common to the sub-R300 000 MPV market.

The Ertiga GLX will offer all of the luxuries currently available on the GL model and add a host of styling and luxury features, which makes it stand out from the range and other seven-seat vehicles in this category.

The exterior is typically MPV, but what you do not realise is the absolutely incredible way Suzuki has utilised the space within an that without skimping on the high-quality chrome on the door handles and rear garnishes, with the latter discreetly hiding a new reverse camera. The gloss from these additional trim pieces is mirrored in the new 15� alloy wheels, which replace the steel wheel and hubcap combination of the GA and GL models.

Also notice the addition of front and rear mud flaps and front fog lamps, which are housed in the sculpted lower side-intakes

LIFESTYLE

which makes for a more modern look. At the rear, Suzuki has added a curved LED light strip to the LED combination lamps. This adds a unique rear visual signature to this GLX model.

I loved the new wood-grain trim as it ads to the interior luxuriousness. Other additions include a height-adjustable driver’s seat and new centre console box that doubles as a central armrest for the driver and front passenger.

Like its sibling GLX-models, the Ertiga GLX foregoes a standard key with remote central locking for a combination of keyless access and a Start/Stop button. It also replaces the standard air conditioning system with automatic climate control, which includes an ambient temperature sensor to ensure that the pre-set interior temperature is maintained. The air conditioning gives excellent results throughout the vehicle as the head unit between the first and second row of seats distribute the air where it is needed.

Fans of Suzuki’s new digital interface will also be delighted to hear that the large upper section of the Ertiga central stack, which in other models houses the radio, USB and Bluetooth set-up, is replaced with the company’s 7” touch-screen infotainment system.

This system allows the driver to control all infotainment functions via the touch-sensitive screen or via voice commands, and it integrates seamlessly with the latest version of Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. This means that smartphone owners will be able to mirror their phone screen and much of its functionality on the infotainment system. It also allows the use of features such as Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri, without the need to pick up or unlock the phone. I, however, could not get the Bluetooth to accept my phone. I do believe that a number of manufacturers can simplify this function as it is so essential.

Any person should be able to connect within a minute like with some other brands.

Suzuki has added a second 4.2” (10.6 cm) colour multi-info display in the instrument cluster. This screen displays driving information such as

instantaneous and average fuel consumption, driving range, power and torque delivery, and fuel consumption and speed for the current driving cycle. Most of my driving has been done within town and the Ertiga gave a very satisfying 6.1 litres per 100kms.

Safety is well taken care of, like all other Ertiga models, with the inclusion of ABS-brakes with electronic brake force distribution, two front airbags and Suzuki’s ultra-rigid TECT platform, which includes energy dispersion channels, crumple zones and additional impact bars in all doors.

The GLX model will share its siblings’ new K15B engine, which is also used on the new Suzuki Jimny. This 1.5 litre 16-valve four-cylinder petrol engine has a maximum output of 77 kW at 6 000 rpm and 138 Nm at 4 400 rpm. Both the auto and manual models use 6.2 litres of fuel per 100 km in a combined cycle.

The Ertiga GLX offers an extended 4-year / 60 000 km service plan and will include Suzuki’s promotional 5-year / 200 000 km mechanical warranty.

The Ertiga range now offers the following models: Ertiga 1.5 GA (manual) Ertiga 1.5 GL (manual) Ertiga 1.5 GL (auto) Ertiga 1.5 GLX (manual) Ertiga 1.5 GLX (auto) I enjoyed the Ertiga and found the 1.5 litre engine ok in town, but a bit under powered for overtaking at speed. I also believe that it will be an excellent towing vehicle if it could deliver some more power.

Personally I would easily buy the Ertiga because it is so versatile. Road manners are excellent for such a vehicle and I found the Ertiga very comfortable.

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Last Word a greater quantity of it. Wherever data is being moved to, effective protection measures for in-transit data are critical as information is often considered less secure while in motion.

Legislation, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), has a significant positive impact on improving security controls, as it is designed to maintain the privacy of data of individuals, forcing organisations to adapt technology to meet its requirements.

Essentially, GDPR stipulates that data can only be collected with explicit permission and only for the purposes agreed upon. It also sets out that organisations must have visibility of where data resides, who has access to it and how it is stored, in terms of security and Lukas van der Merwe, Specialist Sales Executive: Security at T-Systems South Africa encryption.

The complexity of the legislation and onerous requirements can be problematic to businesses, leading to ‘compliance fatigue’, but the bigger impact on organisations is the business challenge that it creates. It is no longer up to the IT manager to decide who can access data and use it, it is a business level discussion, involving legal, risk and compliance considerations.

Strict data protection legislation is currently lacking in South Africa, which means that organisations are not obliged to report security breaches and these incidents often go unreported, especially when it is deemed that the breach did not affect anyone. However, the imminent Protection of Personal Information (PoPI) Act will tighten up regulations and organisations will be required to post-event reporting and how the incident was dealt with.

In its recent research, the Ponemon Institute The increasing complexity, sophistication and shows that a data breach costs South African frequency of cyberattacks means that companies need to companies on average $3.06 million – nearly think about data protection as a first priority, yet many R50 million. This is somewhat above the still see it as an inhibitor. Yet, data protection is not international benchmark, with the study showing optional, especially in a complex environment where a that globally the average cost of lost business after host of different devices access a network.

Experts in data protection can guide a business a data breach was $1.42 million (R22 million). from a legal point of view to develop policies, determining what responsibilities the organisation For this reason, protecting sensitive data both in transit and at must fulfil, and how systematic processes can be rest has become imperative for modern enterprises, as attackers are automated to manage and control sensitive data. finding increasingly innovative ways to breach cybersecurity systems Organisations need to keep in mind that no and steal data. Data protection at rest aims to secure inactive data system is impenetrable, and no protection is stored on any device or network, while data protection in transit is the infallible. Sooner or later, a breach will happen, securing of information while it is being transferred from network to and companies need to be ready to respond. network, or from a local storage device to the cloud.

The response to a cyberattack is very Data in transit is generally more sensitive than data at rest, but important as it will significantly affect the attackers often find data at rest to be a more valuable target, as there is impact of the breach.

The importance of protecting your

Data – at rest and in flight

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UIF COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW PROCESS FOR APPLICATION FOR UIF COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE OR TENDER LETTER SEND REQUEST Send your e-mail request to compliance@uif.gov.za

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SERVICE IS FREE

REQUEST RECEIVED You will receive an automated response

REPORT FRAUD! Report any suspected fraud hotline on 0800 601 148 or e-mail fraud@uif.gov.za

COMPLETE FORM e-mail it back to one of the above e-mail addresses together with the required documents.

TURNAROUND TIME is 10 working days.

FOR ENQUIRIES For further enquiries please call (012) 337 1445/46/47/48 or 1477, 1484/85

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