CEO Global Magazine January 2022 Vol 22 by CEO Global Group

E X PA N D YO U R B U S I N E S S H O R I Z O N S

Inspiring THE

Continent

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Vol 22 January

MD KTM Motorcycles SAFranziska Brandl

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JANUARY

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

LETTER FROM EDITOR

ENTREPRENEURSHIP! KINGPIN OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

hrough my lifetime of being an entrepreneur, I have had experiences that brought

joy and growth, extreme frustration

the stepchild in the economy. I have always looked at competitors as examples of what we should look

and focus on what your clients want and not only on what you are good at.

at. Research them, look at oppor-

We are not afraid to make mis-

tunities they have created and then

takes. The difference is we learn

We are a unique breed of people that

better that. You can also cut out a lot

from them and don’t make them

are creative and mostly want to be

of unnecessary work and heartache

again and most importantly we

our own boss. Is it worth the compli-

by acknowledging and learning from

move on.

cated path with all its obstacles and

their experience. Why re-invent the

frustration? Yes, a definite yes.

wheel, just give it a new look and feel

but mostly great satisfaction.

We have an idea we believe in, we get information, we put our money where our mouths are and we make it happen. We are the ones that have an entrepreneurial mindset, values and a focus that allows us to achieve greatness. Let’s look at challenges. Yes, there are a lot of challenges but we see them mostly as opportunities. It will criple you if you look at it as obstacles only. You just can’t afford to look at it negatively. When I started out with CEO Global I requested a bank for

and value. Create a uniqueness of your brand and market it.

“

We are not afraid to make mistakes

I have the saying that when things are great that “it is magic”. What I mean is it is great because we have poured our hearts and souls into making it a success. We dream, eat and sleep it. We are passionate about it and like magic it is successful. Patience is a virtue when you are busy developing a revolutionary idea. Test it, put effort into it and get the most skillful team to assist you. Luck has nothing to do with an entrepreneur’s success. Hard work, constant vigilance for new ideas, listening and communicating with your peers and clients are what bring success.

support. They would not give it to me as I was a woman and according

Customers can be your biggest al-

to them, I may have more children

lies if you listen to them and do not

and thus not be a good business

ignore their criticism or suggestions.

person. I told them where to get off

Make them feel appreciated and they

the building and success of their

and three years later I was nominated

too will support you.

businesses are concerned. They

Success is equal to the amount of

are free spirits, looking for oppor-

by the same bank as an entrepreneur of the year. In my speech, I reminded them of their comments. I do not have to tell you the colour of their faces.

effort and dedication you put in. Shortcuts don’t work. Perfection can trip you up. A plan on the sales floor is better than any plan on the shelf. You

You may not agree, but entrepreneurs are very disciplined. Yes, they are, but only as far as the focus and

tunity, create their own luck and opportunities through their zest and love for being their own bosses and controlling their own businesses.

Governments with their red tape are

can change and better it while it is

I have been born with an entrepre-

the biggest culprits in the develop-

being sold. Again, listen to the feed-

neurial mindset, love challenges

ment and flourishment of entrepre-

back of your customers and use it to

and love to reflect on the success

neurs. Goodness, you would think

better your services and products.

of both my efforts and that of my

they would realise that their biggest

Remember, if you are not able to

team and clients which are also my

stream of income is from entrepre-

change then you are going to be left

“partners” in building on our collec-

neurs. So is job creation, but we are

behind. So, embrace change, adapt

tive successes.

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

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contents 09 INDEX OF THE MAGAZINE

Franziska Brandl - MD KTM Motorcycles SA

VOL #22

Protect apps and data while improving productivity

COVERstory Annelize Wepener - Throught leadership for sustainable future business.

Defusing the ticking mental health timebomb

INtheKnow Making IT asset disposal sustainable 20 Storerooms full of money- sustainability through circular iniative 34 The challenges of compliance 46 EU launches €300BN global investment plan 47 Is the Chinese optimism in Africa Dwelling? : China committed nearly US $153 BILION to African public sector borrowers between 2000 and 2019 48 Africa the world’s next Hypergrowth business

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ONpoint

It’s time we stopped paying lip service 36 Cybereason- 2022 trends and predictions 50 Single costliest financial mistake for the average small business owner 54 SA’S social entrepreneur need support to succeed

60 LIFEstyle Land Cruiser 300 GR-S 3.3D: Roadtest 64 Mercedez Benz- AMG G63 : Surviving the sites of Joburg with the 2019 G wagon

Publisher CEO Global (Pty) Ltd Tel:+27 82 883 4901 info@ceoglobalgroup.co.m www.ceoglobalgroup.com Chief Executive

Annelize Wepener

BMW R18 : The biggest boxer engine on the planet

annelize@ceoglobalgroup.com Patron for CEO Global Foundation Lucy Quainoo

Emseni Farm benefitting its community

Consultant: Financial Support Carl Wepener carl@ceoglobalgroup.com Head of Social madia Lynn Richards - Rubix Cube Digital lynn@rubixcubedigital.co.za Special Projects & Content Development Consultant

68 “Abilities opportunity map” how can you use it to create your dream job

Vishnu Singh Patron for CEO Global Foundation

70 Uplifting communities in a sustainable way

Tel: +27 71 851 2066

Lucy Quainoo Production Manager/Creative Director Enola Meyer - Mazeadilly design house

FOCUSonEXCELLENCE It’s viva las vegas for EXP powerhouse steve Johnstone 74 Mzikayise Ndlovu : Jack of all trades who is mastering all

enola@mazeadilly.com Tel:+27 61 048 0084 Printers Lexlines Press (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 21 507 9030 Fax: 086 509 2749

STATEyourCASE What is ethical journalism

* 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.

40 The realities of mental health for women

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wepener

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE BUSINESS

Annelize

Chief Executive of CEO Global

THROUGH HER VISION AND FORTITUDE ANNELIZE WEPENER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF CEO GLOBAL, HAS REMAINED AN INSPIRATION TO INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT. HER NUMEROUS INITIATIVES HAVE SHOWCASED THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HUNDREDS OF WOMEN AND MEN, MANY OF WHOM HAVE MANAGED THESE ON SHOESTRING BUDGETS IN REMOTE LANDSCAPES.

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Annelize has always believed there isn’t a place for something not to be able to be achieved, rather the indisputable need for questioning how it can be realised. Like many businesses in today’s times Annelize is looking to the future and is busy diversifying her core offering by incorporating humanitarian projects that will offer the Continent a variety of vital support initiatives. These projects with Ms. Lucy Quainoo will ensure that the people of Africa will become proud citizens as it will include internationally accepted education, upliftment of women and youth, job creation providing nourishment for young and old and the provision of housing for the poor. She views 2022 with excitement as the projects bring a different perspective into the many achievements already in the CEO Global brag book. Reflecting on the necessary shifts that all organisations face in these, turbulent times, Annelize is confident that the obstacles her industry faces have already been identified and overcome within her own business. But that doesn’t mean sitting back and resting on her laurels. Rather it galvanises action to ensure no change derails the company. In the past the major challenge facing business was sustaining profitability through offering clients what they need from a company. These days the landscape has completely changed with many shoppers no longer “going shopping”, broadsheet newspapers no longer able to reach the entire buying public, influencers creating uncertainty in personal decision making and the generation gap between the Baby Boomers and Generation Z creating turmoil for single messages to land productively with all, as intended.

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

The shifts being made are fast and unstoppable and none of us can offer the excuse, “I didn’t know that.” We now exist in a virtual world bringing other cultures and attitudes into our daily lives. Accessing content is as easy as ensuring our phone is on our person. Our consumers are the creators, and they are driving the need for all companies to step out of the old ways of achieving. Small businesses can be seen throughout the world and, providing they deliver on promise, it doesn’t matter where they are geographically. Global pay platforms are facilitating the different payment options and the only consistent required between client and provider is “trust”. Should we pay first and hope the goods arrive, as most supplies won’t risk doing business the other way round? And as a small business can you trust that an item will be delivered? Or do you risk the brand mutilation that would occur if it wasn’t. We have all debated these questions and there are no earthshattering revelations to be revealed. What has become apparent is that any company sitting back and expecting they will survive through doing things the way they have always been done will eventually become extinct. Looking at CEO Global through a future based lens Annelize and her team have already facilitated changes to ensure the essential consistent business shifts occur timeously.

Sounds obvious, but how many of us felt that we can “wait” for things like digital security risks to be acknowledged and prevented, and acknowledging cloud storage has become a necessary requirement? The COVID pandemic certainly shifted those beliefs and many companies from major to minor needed to rethink strategies to allow people to work from home. The “work from home” evolution has transformed the working environment causing many employees to seek other, more profitable, work opportunities. After all, why be paid in a local currency if there is money to be earned in dollars? This begs the question of how long before everything implodes? It won’t. History has shown that as one door closes in our world, another one opens. As business owners and CEO’s, we need to think creatively, remain informed and ensure that our businesses are forever moving. Annelize remembers. It was several years ago that the company knew that the relevance of having a beautifully bound full colour glossy magazine would eventually become a thing of the past and so finding a viable alternative platform was critical. The traditional

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format needed to weave itself into current day “ad supported platforms”, with suppliers forming collaborations with the brands they could use. That creates a broader base for messaging to land. Media has moved into the digital arena and it has had the added benefit that brands are now global with feedback being received from all over the world, placing our clients’ brands there too. Looking back at the history of our Continent it has been marred by greed, war, drought, famine, slavery, colonialization, segregation, Ebola, malaria and a myriad of other challenges. What has it achieved through all of this? A persistency to survive, a determination not to let the many miles of open land be stolen and a passion to become a significant influencer. It was with that in mind that set Annelize on her next adventure. Using the credibility of her established brand she is going to be collaborating with other like-minded individuals to facilitate the delivery of already identified projects.

“

Also looking to the future there are already a team of younger minds that are working in the CEO Global wings to ensure that every aspect required for the future success for the core business and its new projects will be in safe, innovative hands. As a media company I asked Annelize what the main questions are her company receives from readers, and many of these revolve around articles being requested about future jobs, and thus the relevance to each individual business’s longevity. Research indicates that logistics will continue to play a significant role. Other aspects worthy of note are 3D printing, since the process is becoming more refined and less reliant on a plastic base, vertical farming as global water shortages continue to create farming challenges in some domains and freelancing. This is allowing individuals more freedom to earn more money by the hour alongside companies only needing to pay when an individual is needed. Digital Marketing has also been identified as playing a significant

role, alongside drone delivery services, that cannot be overlooked. In conclusion it was valuable to be able to connect with Annelize as she, like many other business owners, contemplate the coming months and year. We have already explored the importance of being an innovative leader as we all recognise the need to move as fast as every technological innovation demands. And the consequence if we don’t? I think Annelize should have the final word, “I have never been good at standing still, I was never an individual that would just unconditionally accept the way things seemed to be. I have based my entire life on always looking for the most effective way to get something done, meritoriously and fast. My passion for people and my Continent makes me committed to be everything I can to serve and to see Africa’s people prosper. This philosophy seems to be working exceptionally well in this interesting historical period.”

My passion for people and my Continent makes me committed

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FOCUSonEXCELLENCE

FRANZISKA BRANDL MD KTM MOTORCYCLES SA F

ranziska Brandl’s extraordinary passion and remarkable dedication to the Austrian motorcycle brand whose initials actually stand Kraftfahzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen has created a driven, focused and compassionate CEO. These characteristics being especially prudent in the unpredictable and tumultuous market that we reside in today. Vishnu Singh interviewed her at the brands’ clinically aesthetic head office in Kyalami. Having grown up a few kilometres from KTM’s factory in Austria, Fran found herself drawn into this brightly coloured brand and after securing a vacation spot, spent the next few years immersing herself in KTM. She facilitated various events within the off-road sector and was inexorably drawn into the energy and world of mud and dirt.

BY VISHU SINGH - CHIEF WIZARD

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

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FRANZISKA BRANDL MD KTM MOTORCYCLES SA 10

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WITH THE INCLUSIVE NATURE OF THE BRAND’S APPEAL, IT APPEARED TO NATURALLY PROPEL HER TO APPLY FOR A POSITION AT THE COMPANY IN EARLY 2004. AFTER VIGOROUSLY MANAGING THE EXPORT SIDE OF SALES FOR A HOST OF COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE US, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTH EAST ASIA, HER HEART WAS PULLED TOWARDS THE INTRIGUE OF THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA.

ran was appointed in South Africa

and the WIFI password. This effortless in-

in 2008 and 13 years later she

clusion is something that is evident across

still embodies the fiery orange

the brand and something I sense the gen-

tones of KTM in her intensity to promote

eral public and larger biking community is

motorcycling and the sport across our sun-

not aware of.

kissed land.

Franziska popped downstairs and, gra-

I had arrived an hour early at the spotless

ciously smiling, greeted me with en-

offices of KTM in Johannesburg. Due to

thusiasm. After my interlude I stomped

loadshedding and although I was on two

upstairs to begin our chat. The CEO was

wheels, I had to urgently find a spot to

demurely dressed and although the spa-

conduct a previously scheduled meeting

cious offices are large enough by corporate

on my laptop. A well chiselled gent by the

standards, the space was not intimidating

name of Grant, not only let me usurp his

and although sparsely decorated, there

office but provided me with refreshments

was a sense of precision to each item’s

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

placement. There was the usual awkward

we touched on where COVID had already

moment where you have to manoeuvre

infected the market, we pounced into KTM

between a handshake, hug or jousting

brand perception and its intended audi-

elbows. All thanks to our reality however I

ence. Fran gently reminded me that there

have been fortunate to know Franziska for

was also Husqvarna, GASGAS and WP

a few years and every encounter with her

Suspension which fell under her

has one feeling welcomed and included.

concentrated guidance.

It’s a critical time in the biking industry in

There’s a level of almost obses-

SA. The brands that are here need to spar

sive focus when chatting with the

and hustle for every piece of biking pie

CEO of KTM SA, this woman is

that they can get their hands on even in

not afraid to get her hands dirty

some cases the crumbs that are left over for certain brands. The household spend on luxury goods in the middle-income segment has shrunk and yet in the off-road area and touring aspect, sales although shaky have begun to improve with a certain flare of resilience.

and has a genuine stake in the perception of KTM in SA. She discussed at length how the company has not only been creating access to other markets but has assisted the economy and the education, training and inclusion

After swapping stories from our last in-

of women in biking. Be it on dirt,

terview and the products and sentiments

gravel or just social behaviour.

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

“

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FRANZISKA BRANDL e all know the company’s long tirade of championships and wins, Moto GP superstars like Brad Binder have also elevated the recognition of KTM to orbital levels but is it enough in SA?

Sitting across me behind her dark brown mahogany desk, Fran enthusiastically points out that with our shift to Level 1 of our military state, sales have risen. Her eyes are downcast as she mentions the staff that were lost around the country due to the virus and due to the close nature of the company, it was a difficult time. She then smiles brightly as she introduces a new electric bike in her product range. Her emotional dedication to what she does clearly evident as she flirts between excitement for the brand and melancholy for her losses and the economy. It is clear that although the new electric offering has been designed to tempt the really young

AS A WOMAN WHO HAS RECEIVED MANY ACCOLADES FOR HER CONTRIBUTION TO BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT, IT IS COMMON TO FIND THE BOSS OF THE ORANGES NOT ONLY ATTENDING EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY BUT ENCOURAGING ATHLETES AND DRIVING THE BUSINESS FROM THE GROUND (PUN INTENDED) UP..

ones to the art of two wheels, it is part of a grander strategy. KTM has driven an agenda of progressive inclusion globally and this has captured the elusive market from a fledging stage to the all-out daredevils of mud mastery. According to Fran the appeal of the brand stays with you from cradle to the dirt… As a woman who has received many accolades for her contribution to business and development, it is common to find the boss of the oranges not only attending events across the country but encouraging athletes and driving the business from the ground (pun intended) up. We then hopped across to market pricing and the trends with the new and old products. With forward cover being provided by the holding company, KTM has been able to keep their dealers and public satiated with reasonable adjustments and not heartwrenching shifts like some other manufacturers in SA. This has also managed to keep the fans and draw a few new ones to their side of the moto cross fence. As we chat briefly about women and the rising tide of a plethora of female riders, Fran’s face breaks out into a proud grin as a mother bear would when her cub harvests its first salmon form the water. It is obvious this is something that is near and dear to her. Her slim framing leaning forward conspirationally as we delve into the empowerment of women and how the ladies are taking a strong stance across all

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the disciplines of biking. There is a sense of intimidation Fran states but we need to assist the ladies to embrace their smaller statures and frames by allowing them access to smaller bikes that gradually build their confidence and camaraderie with their partners who may have been in the space for decades. The freedom, culture

and epitomised the spirit of ‘ubuntu’. She laughed as she mentioned her ‘KTM family’ as she liked to call it. Fran suggested that the KTMérs were no different to the way the rest of South Africa demonstrated unwavering passion, camaraderie and support in the face of gruelling adversity.

health. We talk about how certain words like anxiety and depression are no longer frowned upon and needed to be taken seriously. The mindset of working from home for prolonged periods of time, home schooling children or maybe not having someone to lean on to cope through these difficult times has tested many people and

and couture far outweigh the risks in this

She also discussed how heading up this

it concerns her greatly that these lurking

embattled planet starved for engagement.

rather large organisation came with many

mental challenges are not being ad-

Fran’s giggle is infectious as she introduces

responsibilities. She confessed that it was

dressed in their lethality.

some of the newer race bikes catered

a demanding role and although it can be

towards Moto 2. They display the dyna-

hugely rewarding, it was also sometimes

mism of the brand and although a steeper

extremely draining and exhausting.

pricing curve, the intended market is to uplift the youth to an international arena. For Fran, starting a ‘new life’ 8,000 kilometres away from home was a big challenge to take on, but South Africa welcomed her with open arms and never

“

made her glance back once. The warm, friendly and rugged durability of this rainbow nation was something that she found truly inspiring. She found a country that was faced with so

bike outside a psychiatrists office. It naturally elevates ones soul and allows a sense

Fran is stoically all

of unparalleled freedom and awareness.

about balance and

Fran displays a state of being between rap-

spends her down

transitioning the passion and zest

I remarked that you seldom see a motor-

time in the panoramic vistas of SA or within some of

ture for her brand and puzzlement around perception as we bring in the patched rider communities who appear to steer clear of KTM and rather gravitate towards BMW.

our national parks

Their largest competitor on the continent.

and sultry game

It’s a strange conundrum of driving sales

reserves. She grins

and community initiatives while preserv-

when she men-

ing the image of the company. She feels

tions her partner

that with the new insights into the market

who she says is a

and less privileged communities, KTM is

critical part of her

researching community involvement, social

support and bal-

cohesion and growing a passion for biking

ance structure. She

in their 2022 business strategy.

winks conspirationally as elaborates on his ability to calm her down and keep her life in perspective.

It translates as Fran points out to transitioning the passion and zest of the dealers, staff and fans to the public and empow-

much adversity, so many challenges, yet

She softens back into a sad tone as we

ering others not familiar with the energy

stood together when the going gets tough.

touch on the pandemic and how it has

to take a step onto the “Ready to Race”

It was testament to the resilience in people

taken its toll on people and their mental

mindset.

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INtheKNOW

It’s time to move away from the traditional linear model by encouraging a more circular approach.

BRIDGETTE VERMAAK

MAKING IT ASSET DISPOSAL SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABILITY MEANS KEEPING IT ASSETS IN USE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE INSTEAD OF DISPOSING OF THEM AT AN EARLY STAGE. IT’S TIME TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL LINEAR MODEL BY ENCOURAGING A MORE CIRCULAR APPROACH.

isposing of old electronics has

only reduces environmental and electronic

leting files or formatting hard drives won’t

become a business critical pro-

waste, but it builds economic capital by

do it nor will running a magnet over the old

cess with the introduction of new

keeping products and materials in use for

hard drives in an attempt to erase data.

laws and regulations. Companies need to

much longer.

implement a sustainable IT asset program

Business owners must be concerned about

Cybercriminals are forever seeking ways

by engaging with a reputable IT asset man-

non-compliant old PCs that are piling up

to get their hands on valuable company

agement company that can provide the

in their storerooms. They usually contain

data and will pay employees a hefty price

effective recovery, reuse and retirement of

vital personal information and must be

to remove a hard drive and hand it over. So,

redundant IT assets.

removed in a manner that is compliant with

those old hard drives that are piled up in

the Protection of Personal Information Act

storage and gathering dust, could be worth

The circular economy is a framework that

(POPIA).

millions to cybercriminals.

is restorative by design, it has multiple

The days of simply selling it off to staff or

POPIA is specifically designed to ensure

society-wide benefits and it aims to

second-hand retailers - even dumping it in

that all companies conduct themselves

redefine business growth. This model not

a landfill - are over. More importantly, de-

in a responsible manner when collecting,

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There are various options available to businesses that are contemplating disposal.

XPERIEN ITAD Specialist

RETURN ON INVESTMENT TYPICALLY, BUSINESSES RETIRE THEIR ELECTRONICS AFTER 3 - 5 YEARS AND THEY TYPICALLY HAVE A RESIDUAL VALUE OF 10 - 20% OF THE ORIGINAL COST. THESE ASSETS CAN QUICKLY DEVALUE THE LONGER THE RETIRED EQUIPMENT IS KEPT IN STORAGE.

“

New trend - rather refurbish than recycle

Alternatively, companies like Xperien could refurbish the equipment and also do full data erasure. This equipment can then be sold to company staff at a reduced price of around 75% of the original cost, depending

processing, storing and sharing another

refurbish these electronics at end-of-life

on the condition.

entity’s personal information, and holding

to become a new resource. This model

Finally, the company can consider donating

them accountable should they abuse or

makes good business sense, it enables

the refurbished equipment to schools and

compromise this personal information in

business leaders to make better informed

orphanages as part of its Corporate Social

any way.

choices about how they can optimise IT

Investment programme, and claim the tax

asset management.

benefits.

There are various options available to busi-

The new trend is to rather refurbish than

nesses that are contemplating disposal of

recycle, many companies are finding in-

Typically, businesses retire their electron-

their old electronics.

novative ways to maximise profits through

ics after 3 - 5 years and they typically have

They can sell the equipment outright to

green initiatives. Adopting a circular ap-

a residual value of 10 - 20% of the original

a company like Xperien and recover the

proach ensures enormous business and

cost. These assets can quickly devalue

residual value which can then be put

economic benefits, it recognises the value

the longer the retired equipment is kept

straight back into the company’s IT budget.

of ‘waste’ and repurposes these items as

in storage. Instead of discarding retired IT

This would include the certified erasure of

alternative resources that can be used

assets, companies can now recover and

client data from hard drives.

again in a circular cycle.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

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THE POTENTIAL FOR COMPROMISED DATA IS GROWING RAPIDLY AS MORE PEOPLE WORK REMOTELY AND AS APPS MOVE TO THE CLOUD. WITH THE AVERAGE COST OF A BREACH AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH OF $4.2 MILLION, BUSINESSES CANNOT AFFORD A SINGLE OVERLOOKED THREAT.

he potential for compromised data is growing rapidly as more people work remotely and as apps move to the cloud. With the average cost of a breach at an all-time high of $4.2 million, businesses cannot afford a single overlooked threat.

Increased reliance on personal devices, internet browsers, and unsecure networks are all increasing risks - particularly for companies accustomed to relying on VPNs and on-premises security solutions. Many traditional IT solutions aren’t capable of protecting against the latest cybersecurity threats and inefficient security policies can lead to a poor user experience. This could turn routine tasks into tedious, timeconsuming processes. Cybersecurity efforts are becoming overly complex and IT teams are juggling too many security tools to be operationally effective. According to a Ponemon study, 83% of businesses say their organisational and IT complexity is increasing the risk of security breaches. It’s important to protect users and apps against threats that may breach internet or cloud connections. However, business leaders need to find a better way to support secure hybrid work, without slowing down productivity. With a staggering 92% of reported vulnerabilities coming from applications, it’s vital to protect all small business apps from known and zero-day attacks regardless of being a small business or enterprise global concern.

“

Protect users & apps against threats 16

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PROTECT APPS AND DATA WHILE IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF BUSINESSES HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED A RANSOMWARE ATTACK OR DATA BREACH. CITRIX SECURE PRIVATE ACCESS EQUIPS BUSINESSES WITH THE MODERN ZERO TRUST APPROACH TO PROTECT APPS AND DATA.

Solutions like Citrix Workspace and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops equip businesses with the modern access control and security analytics they need to keep breaches at bay. Citrix Analytics for Security gives IT a complete picture of all network traffic, users, files, and endpoints. When used with Citrix Workspace and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, the built-in machine learning lets one identify and automatically respond to suspicious activity in real-time. With a personalised risk score assigned to each user based on real-time behaviours, one can stay ahead of both internal and external threats long before they lead to breaches.

PROTECT APPS AND DATA EVERYWHERE

Citrix Secure Private Access equips businesses with the modern zero trust approach to protect apps and data, with single sign-on (SSO) and adaptive authentication to continually monitor access based on location and device posture.

Citrix Secure Internet Access, meanwhile, protects infrastructure and users from compromised internet sites, malware, zeroday attacks and other external threats. Citrix ADC provides holistic, layered protection with Citrix Web App and API Protection. Integrated web application firewall (WAF), volumetric distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection and bot management are all available in one easy-to-use cloud service. This means the entire application delivery infrastructure stays continually protected from malicious attack attempts.

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Take a comprehensive security approach that supports zero trust - without sacrificing performance. Nearly 50% of all corporate data is stored in the cloud. As the workloads move to the cloud, backhauling this traffic to data centres can hurt the user experience. To secure the new attack surface brought on by local internet breakout, one needs a consolidated SD-WAN solution with strong security at the WAN Edge. With a fully-integrated edge security stack to enable adoption of local internet breakout and protect branch to branch propagation of threats. So, one can protect the organisation without inhibiting network performance for a better cloud and SaaS experience.

ABOUT TROYE 51% BLACK WOMEN-OWNED LEVEL 2 BEE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS SPECIALIST AND PROFESSIONAL MANAGED IT SERVICES PROVIDER. . THEY DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED SUPERIOR INTEGRATED IT SOLUTIONS FOR ITS SMALL, MEDIUM AND ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS CONCENTRATING ON END-TO-END VIRTUALISATION SOLUTIONS.

INVESTS HEAVILY IN ITS CUSTOMERS THROUGH EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE EXCELLENCE. ENABLING CUSTOMERS TO FOCUS ON THEIR CORE BUSINESS ACTIVITIES WITH THE ASSURANCE THAT THEIR INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY IS SAFEGUARDED. VISIT WWW.TROYE.CO.ZA

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BY HELEN KRUGER-TROY CEO

It’s important to protect users and apps against threats that may breach internet or cloud connections. In addition to the fully-integrated edge security stack, Citrix SD-WAN offers a unified cloud-delivered security and network service called Citrix Secure Internet Access. Now, businesses can confidently provide direct internet access (DIA) with protection that extends beyond the branch to remote and mobile users. Alternatively, one can keep the preferred security vendor’s cloud-based network security service and allow Citrix SD-WAN to automate the connectivity to leading cloud-based secure web gateways for branches. Citrix SD-WAN Orchestrator handles all provisioning. This means the network is just a few clicks away from being connected to local security enforcement points. It also provides strong SD-WAN security for users, apps, and data at the branch, without compromising the SaaS experience. It provides a fully-integrated edge security stack to enable adoption of local internet breakout and also protects branch to branch propagation of threats. So, one can protect the organisation without inhibiting network performance - and for a better cloud experience.

PROTECT USERS AND APPS WITH CLOUD-DELIVERED SECURITY

PROTECT RESOURCES AT THE WAN EDGE

NEARLY 50% OF ALL CORPORATE DATA IS STORED IN THE CLOUD. AS THE WORKLOADS MOVE TO THE CLOUD, BACKHAULING THIS TRAFFIC TO DATA CENTRES CAN HURT THE USER EXPERIENCE.

Citrix is the only vendor to integrate and provide a turnkey solution to protect all apps and data while improving productivity.

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INtheKNOW

This is a good time to clear storerooms out and start the new year with a clean slate.

WALE AREWA

STOREROOMS FULL OF MONEY MOST COMPANIES HAVE HEAPS OF MONEY LYING AROUND IN THEIR STOREROOMS. THEY DON’T REALISE THAT THE OLD COMPUTERS AND OTHER RETIRED ELECTRONICS COULD EASILY BE CONVERTED INTO CASH. THIS COULD MEAN BIGGER BONUSES FOR STAFF OR JUST HELP MANY COMPANIES SURVIVE IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES.

his is a good time to clear storerooms out and start the new year with a clean slate. However, disposal of IT assets must be done professionally, it presents unique challenges and has potential costs that companies seldom consider.

Scrapping these outdated PCs, laptops, monitors and other IT equipment without proper consideration for data protection processes and regulations or the proper elimination of data, could be disastrous for any company.

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Many businesses run their year-end asset disposal and data destruction campaigns but very few understand the principles of IT asset disposal (ITAD). Although CIOs are primarily responsible for the IT Asset lifecycle, very few know how to meet legislative compliance whilst reducing total cost of ownership. IT disposal has legislative requirements, compliance to Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), the National Environmental Waste Management Act 2008

(NEMWA 2008) and the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA). Most businesses struggle to manage IT assets effectively because they do not have a clear picture of the assets they have deployed. Consequently, they probably pay unnecessary insurance and other charges due to inaccurate IT asset inventory data. Controlling and having insight into a company’s IT assets is critical. In order to manage these IT assets more efficiently, drive down costs, increase productivity and

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XPERIEN CEO

Circular economy initiatives help businesses keep IT assets in use for longer.

SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH CIRCULAR INIATIVES CONTROLLING AND HAVING INSIGHT INTO A COMPANY’S IT ASSETS IS CRITICAL. IN ORDER TO MANAGE THESE IT ASSETS MORE EFFICIENTLY, DRIVE DOWN COSTS, INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCED RISK, ONE NEEDS CLEAR AND COMPREHENSIVE VISIBILITY INTO THE WHOLE LIFECYCLE OF AN IT ASSET WITH A SPOTLIGHT ON IT DISPOSAL.

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reduce the amount of e-waste produced

reduced risk, one needs clear and comprehensive visibility into the whole lifecycle of an IT asset with a spotlight on IT disposal.

SUSTAINABILITY Circular economy initiatives help businesses keep IT assets in use for longer, extracting the maximum value from those electronics while in use. They can then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of their useful life. Erasing and then reallocating electron-

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ics within the company maximises value from IT purchases. This equipment can be entered into the circular economy, older electronics can be erased, refurbished and reused without carrying forward any residual data. They can be sold, reused internally or donated to charities. In addition, components can be recaptured for use in future electronics and will simultaneously reduce the amount of e-waste produced. This could also provide affordable options for second-hand buyers or create sustainable jobs in the refurbish-

ment of electrical components. Whatever option one considers, on-going use or outright asset disposal, it’s critical to ensure data is erased properly so that data security and privacy is never compromised. Complete and verifiable data erasure complies with data protection and privacy regulations and ensures that company data is never exposed to unauthorised users.

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PROUDLY PRODUCED IN SOUTH AFRICA Business often fails to address the tough questions about strategy and execution where a new competitive market is entered, we are aware of the answer to this question and we are working hard to create these values says Hu. In capturing APDP, BAIC SA is creating value for local employment, tax revenue in South Africa and are focused on providing products of value to the South African consumer Hu says that from an investment point of view, their company and partnership with IDC is highly regarded by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the local municipality and the industrial park. From a market perspective, BAIC’s products need to gain the attention of consumers and the media and to provide more products and greater services. On the one hand, BAIC has a firm investment decision and enough patience, as this is the largest Chinese investment project in the South African automotive industry in the last 40 years, BAIC have a longer-term expectation of the return on investment. Hu further states that they need to strive to have a more responsible and positive behaviour in the following areas: solving employment issues, new energy strategy and solutions, introduction and marketing of local products, sharing BAIC experience and solutions; and to show more responsibility in the supply of spare parts, vehicle service, used car warranty, etc. BAIC is investing in these critical areas as explained and comply with its strategic development objectives and the requirements of the public being one of their most important reference factors.

As a car brand that has invested in South Africa, BAIC is considering the needs of the South African market alongside the needs of the export markets. BAIC products are developed for the local consumers unlike some brands whose production in South Africa is almost entirely export-oriented. Hu says BAIC is thinking in terms of the home market and exports in parallel, and our production strategy and marketing strategy are united in the same executive team. The products we introduce at our South African production sites give high priority to the South African market and to the needs of the South African consumers. Hu further states that both the leadership team and the frontline staff, both in China and in the South African territories, have endorsed this strategy and are working towards its international strategic goals. In the specific implementation strategy of business operations, BAIC will define production matters as important and urgent. There are some important issues that need a long-term work plan to gradually promote and achieve their goals. Some of the decisions may affect the interests of customers. If so, then these matters will immediately be dealt with as urgent. Questions stemming from these issues will be treated with urgency because BAIC doesn’t want its customers to be disappointed. There is a Chinese proverb that says, confidence is like a plank of wood. When we do something that is detrimental to our client’s interests, it is the equivalent of putting a nail in the plank and even if the nail is removed, there will be a hole left in the plank and the client’s confidence has been damaged. Hu believes that it is crucial to maintain the confidence of their customers. Hu also states that their concern for prod-

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uct quality should be first and foremost a culture that their management system should guarantee. The BAIC culture guarantees that we will always be proactive in identifying and troubleshooting problems, says Hu Like the active safety features in cars, this culture safeguards us against any major risks. An accountability culture helps BAIC find the root cause of problems that arise after they have been identified or occurred. It is like a passive safety feature in a car, like an airbag, we need it but we don’t expect, to ever have to use it very often. An example of BAIC’s concern for quality is: The CEO of BAIC SA, in fact, was a senior technical and quality engineer in his early days. He is thus equipped to identify and ensure that troublesome issues are dealt with effectively In BAIC, both the leadership and the frontline employees are aware of what the long-term strategy of BAIC is and are willing to contribute their own values to this strategic goal. Hu is sure that his tenure at BAIC SA will also be marked by this guideline and believe that he is only one member of the team to lead the way to success for BAIC

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SA’s strategic objectives. He hopes that together with his capable team he will be able to take a step closer to BAIC’s success in South Africa. BAIC Group is bullish on the development of the African automotive market. Africa’s car ownership per thousand is below the world average and BAIC believes that the African car market will perform better and close this gap in the next 5 to 10 years. With the South African market accounting for almost 40% of the overall African car consumption market (new car sales) and an even higher percentage of production, investing in Africa and in South Africa is a very valuable option in BAIC’s view. Of course, the development of a business must be the pursuit of profitability, and that is essential says Hu. But we must be careful to distinguish the difference between short-term profitability and longterm profitability. The automotive industry, as a traditional manufacturing industry, is facing the transformation of new energy, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, but it is still an industry that requires huge investment and long-term returns. BAIC has the determination, the products and the patience to do so.

There is a Chinese proverb that says confidence is like a plank of wood.

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WHAT IS ETHICAL JOURNALISM BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN I WAS A STUDENT IN COMMUNICATIONS, ETHICAL JOURNALISM WAS THE BUZZ WORD. WE WERE TOLD THAT JOURNALISTS (AND EDITORS) SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CHECK THE RELEVANT FACTS AND THEN RECHECK … AND RECHECK AGAIN. IF WE COULDN’T CORROBORATE INFORMATION, THEN WE MENTIONED IT CLEARLY. THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS… n the past, journalists were supported by powerful news organisations, able to challenge and expose governments, institutions, and even global empires which they brought down in pursuit of the truth. Today we are witnessing the fore-

closure of numerous local and international newspapers due to lack of profitability. On the other hand, some newspapers have been acquired by billionaires who have their own motives when it comes to sharing news with the public.

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Since mammon has become the master, sensationalism sells and, sadly, some mainstream media around the world has followed the trend of sharing untruths, half-truths, and sometimes blatant lies. An alarming number of journalists and editors around the world engage in unethical practices to create sensation and sell papers or increase viewership. We have seen a new narrative beginning to form where there is very little accountability. Reporting is sometimes done in a partisan way, or worse – simply telling half-truths and lies. What has caused this paradigm shift of not covering the news as journalists did in the past? I am not sure, but in the place of

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ethical journalism, the media themselves have now become the story because of unethical practices. Decline of conventional news media

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Don’t take it for sure and check everything

The decline of conventional news media has broad implications. There seem to be no repercussions for journalists who propagate inaccurate information under the disguise of investigative reporting. Most journalists have become stenographers, transcribing what content is already out there - often repeating propaganda or fake news instead of creating actual content. In a post-conventional media world, people will start having different radical perceptions about basic truths. Many have referred to this phenomenon as ‘alternative facts’ where people have fundamentally different perceptions of real-world events, depending on the source of their news. The “establishment media” has taken over “with certain long-standing biases which promotes an existing system of governance and thought at the expense of objective perspective” (Darell West, 2001). The impact of mainstream media on public perception is massive. It can include prompting readers to react in a certain way, influencing individual views and beliefs or increasing a person’s knowledge. It can also reinforce or destroy an existing belief. Objectivity has mostly gone out of the window, and at best, we can say that opinions have become facts … and facts have become opinions. The mainstream media has played a significant role in the spreading of fake news. The questions we should be asking are: * What role do mainstream media play in spreading disinformation and fake news?

I have followed the media onslaught on a Christian mission over months. The relevant articles are typical examples of journalism fuelled by personal agendas, combined with a lack of fact-checking … and I’ve seen numerous comments made by readers on social media platforms that seem to echo my concerns! In short, the story is as follows: The Mission has had several allegations made against them by disgruntled former members with, what it seems, personal agendas. This alone should be a warning sign to journalists to do proper fact checking and to ensure that sources are reliable! The media, however, ran with unfounded stories without doing due diligence, and weeks later a report compiled by an independent panel of highly experienced professionals exonerated the Mission. Sadly, the media was not equally enthusiastic to trumpet the fact that none of the allegations were not proven to be true! The media attacks on the Mission seemed personal, over-the-board malicious and extremely one-sided. Being a reborn Christian myself I obviously wanted to find out the truth as I suspect it was an attack on Christianity as a collective. I therefore visited the Mission numerous times and talked to many people, there and elsewhere, to get to the “story behind the story”. I was not surprised to find that the content of an award-winning malicious video on the mission, numerous articles, and a recent book - all from the same sources - can all be classified under, what I call, unethical journalism. Incidents were taken out of context, and half-truths were told to sell stories and increase readership.

* Why do they GIVE coverage to it? * What is the potential impact on their audience’s opinions? And * What is ethical journalism? Misinformation versus fact-checking Addressing and answering the above questions would provide us with critical information to understand the rationale behind the spreading of misinformation instead of fact-checking. People should be informed about the paradoxical role of journalists and not be ensnared by their reporting of propaganda.

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journalism fuelled by personal agendas

AN ETHICAL JOURNALIST WILL FOCUS ON THREE KEY AREAS, NAMELY RESEARCH, ACCURACY, AND PROVIDE A FORUM FOR DISCUSSION AND RESPECT OTHER OPINIONS. During my visits my question to the Mission’s leaders were, “Did those journalists and editors who had so much to say about you and the alleged misconduct that allegedly happened many years ago visited you on any occasion to verify facts?” The answer was, “No, and we have invited them numerous times to come and see for themselves what is going on at the mission, and they won’t come.”

to select stories that they consider to be interesting, relevant, or important. Ethics is the benchmark to which we should hold journalists, reporters, writers, and editors. And ethics imply to check facts and to get both sides of the story. The truth is somewhere in between… An ethical journalist will focus on three key areas, namely research, accuracy, and provide a forum for discussion and respect other opinions. Proper research will empower the writer to transfer solid, accurate factual truths and avoid the spreading of fake news which is nothing less than propaganda. In the digital era where everything must be done immediately, we find that journalists often consult a single source and write an article around this without adequately vetting the information. In their book, The Elements of Journalism, Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel called the vetting process “discipline of verification”. They say, “in the end, the discipline of verification is what separates journalism from entertainment, propaganda, fiction, or art. Propaganda selects facts or invents them to serve the real purpose: persuasion or manipulation. Fiction invents scenarios to get at a more personal impression of what is called truth. Journalism alone is focused on the process employed to get what happened down right.”

BY GERDA POTGIETER

Are there more behind the attacks? Persecution of Christians is not a new thing and will continue for centuries to come. However, readers should expect better, and above all, the truth from journalists and the media. It is appalling how the mainstream media provides a stage where journalists deliberately, through their coverage (or sometimes non-coverage) of incidents and events, and emotion-based storytelling, to mislead their audiences and create toxic situations. It is sad how they provide a platform to attention seekers and how these actions destroy lives and livelihoods of individuals. The role of the media is that of watchdog, no-one can deny it. As a major influence of public opinion, the media has a choice

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THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE IS NOT NECESSARILY THAT OF CEO GLOBAL, BUT THAT OF THE WRITER. GERDA POTGIETER IS THE MANAGING EDITOR OF DEVOTED, A NON-PROFIT ONLINE PUBLICATION THAT AIMS TO FOCUS ON THE GOOD AND THE TRUTH. THE ABOVE ARTICLE ALSO APPEARS IN DEVOTEDI

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CEO GLOBAL 2022 AWARDS

SUBMISSION & NOMINATIONS

These awards are about you, your contribution, your influence and not about the organization you represent COMPLETE ONLINE AT: WWW.CEOGLOBALGROUP.COM • Please complete ALL questions in the Entry Formto speed up your route to the finalistsly. • All documentation needs to be submitted in order for the entry to be complete.

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BY GERDA POTGIETER

N AI

MAQHOGO FARMING PROJECTS Situated in the Tugela Valley between Kranskop and Eshowe. Stegen provided the infrastructure (electricity), and then started with pineapples and simultaneously tested different plants and trees.

Today Maqhogo boasts many hectares covered with a wide range of fruit trees. A total of about 25 hectares more are still available to be planted.

More than 500 households benefit from the successful farming at Maqhogo The mission provides seedlings, fertiliser, water, and much-needed training.

VI O PR

THE ARTICLE ABOVE HAS ALSO APPEARED IN THE ONLINE MAGAZINE, DEVOTED – THE MAGAZINE FOCUSING ON GOOD NEWS

OF THE BIGGEST SWEET PEPPER PRODUCER IN SA

IN G PC AN O DM M IN E N G TO FA R R SH M E R IP S PR

SUSTAINABLE FARMING

rlo Stegen started Emseni Farming years ago to feed the locals and uplift the local community. He started with vegetable gardens, and subsequently implemented several oth-

er projects to support his missionary work. He started small, but today the enterprise is spread over a 550-hectare farm between Stanger and Greytown in Kranskop, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), at the edge of the Tugela River and the impressive Valley of a Thousand Hills. It is a farm where the community and farm owners work together for sustainable farming that benefits all the stakeholders. The hectares of greenhouses on Emseni (meaning place of grace in Zulu) are a sight to see! What started as small vegetable gardens meant to feed the crowds of churchgoers turned into hectares and hectares of beautiful, hydroponically grown peppers and lettuce without pesticides. It now runs as a business under Emseni Farming. Emseni is known as one of the biggest hydroponically grown pep-

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CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

Farm agricultural activities, including beekeeping, fruit cultivation, a dairy, and many others. They use peaceful and environmentally friendly methods in their farming activities. The reach and diversification of projects Emseni have dealt with over years make it stand out from the rest. The pepper farming has had humble beginnings in tunnels in 1983; and today the peppers are grown hydroponically in environmentally friendly high-tech greenhouses. They supply the main supermarket chains with peppers. The agricultural projects are characterised by pioneer exploitation rather than settled cultivation. Fifty years ago, the farm consisted of virgin land with hectares of wattle plantations. The lack of infrastructure such as electricity and running water, and few job opportunities, made it complicated for the locals to earn a decent living or farm successfully to provide for their needs. The community had limited knowledge about how to farm and they were far away from the cities. It is against this backdrop that Stegen reached out to the community in building a sustainable farm. Stegen always encouraged the locals to grow their own vegetables and other food crops, even if it is only on a small scale. He supported and taught them how to farm. Over the years Emseni has been making the most of Mother Nature and “used what they have” on the farm and became economically viable. They are manufacturing compost on the farm. The compost comprises organic waste EMSENI FARMING PROJECTS ARE LIKE A BEACON OF LIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITIES

from the mission on the farm. In addition, waste is obtained from the greenhouses on the farm such as old coir bags pruning waste; old plants which are removed annually; wood chips; cow wase from the Emseni dairy and other farms; and hay. The composting process is managed carefully to produce the optimal balance of temperature, moisture, and air for breaking down the material and killing harmful pathogens and weed seeds. The result of the

per producers in South Africa, with complete greenhouses on 11.5 hectares of land. The latest project, comprising 3 hectares of greenhouses, opened early in 2021. It is a flagship project which combines the latest technologies. Emseni produces 2 500 tons of bell and conical peppers a year.

compost is used back into the farm, in the avocado orchards, and helps to improve the soil structure. The avocado project is exciting to see. It covers 170 hectors with 51 000 trees. Emseni produces a yield of 2 100 tons per year and export about 70% of the produce. The type of avocadoes includes Hass, Pinkerton, Ryan, Fuerte, Rington and Lamb.

In the early 80s the growing of vegetables in greenhouses at Em-

Themba Mzobe heads up the nursery at Emseni which is registered

seni started with an idea from the founder. To sustain his mission-

at the Department of Agriculture. He has a BA in Psychology but has

ary; and his humanitarian work over a broad spectrum he has im-

chosen to work at Emseni following in his mother’s footsteps, as it

plemented and spearheaded numerous agricultural and other

gives him much joy. Themba clearly enjoys his work, especially be-

projects for various income streams.

cause he can pass on his knowledge and experiences to his com-

The Kranskop community, a rural area with limited job opportuni-

munity through training and mentorship programmes. Emseni

ties, rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. The Emseni farming

Farming has a memorandum of understanding with the Maphumu-

projects are the source of their income. It provides employment

lo Tropical Cooperation to provide training and mentorship pro-

opportunities, economic development, and food security. The di-

grammes to upcoming farmers. The membership of the coopera-

versified farming at Emseni involves a wide range of

tion is growing annually.

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aqhogo is a Christian mission situated in the Tugela Valley between Kranskop and Eshowe. Stegen provided the infrastructure (electricity), and then started with pineapples and simultaneously tested different plants and trees. Today Maqhogo boasts many hectares covered with a wide range of fruit trees. It includes 10 hectares of the exotic eastern fruit called dragon fruit; 10 hectares of mangoes; three hectares of litchis (with an additional three hectares to be planted soon), and 18 hectares of pomegranates. A total of about 25 hectares more are still available to be planted. More than 50 hectares in Ntsongeni, situated near Maqhogo, are under irrigation. Grass and lucerne are baled and made available to the communities as feed for their animals. More than 500 households benefit from the successful farming at Maqhogo, and employment is provided along with skills development and training. The farm owner and community work together to develop the farm. The mission provides seedlings, fertiliser, water, and much-needed training. As a government official once remarked during a visit to the farm, “This seems like the country’s solution - this is a win-win situation where the community and farm owners work together for sustainable farming that benefits all the stakeholders.” And indeed, it is...

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT

obody can deny the important role agriculture plays in the lives of people and communities – it is the backbone of the economic system of a country. Long before the industrial revolution, the primary source of economies was agriculture and with the enhanced trade opportunities it has become even more important. Globally, food security is facing some daunting challenges. Africa is one of the world’s most poverty-stricken continents where farmers are crucial for food security. Emseni impacts its community to ensure food security. The economic impact of Emseni’s agricultural projects is enormous. It is community-based operations and with the diversified farming projects, Emseni is the biggest employer and breadbasket for the community and surrounding areas. Job opportunities in the area are hard to come by, so the diversified Emseni farming projects are like a beacon of light for the communities. The workers earn an honest living through these projects. It has provided opportunities for community members to earn money so they can support their families with dignity. Because of the nature of Emseni its marketing campaigns and outreach programmes frequently have local participation that directly benefits the communities. With the revenue generated from these businesses, Emseni has been able to expand its operations to assist more people, including financing its outreach and missionary programmes.

THE SOCIAL IMPACT

GOLD FOR AQUELLÉ'S VIV! SCOOPED GOLD AT THE INSTITUTE FOR PACKAGING SA (IPSA) GOLD PACK AWARDS

n both Beverages and Best in Plastic category. This is the second award for the proudly South African brand. “Winning gold at this prestigious ceremony is an honour and a highlight for us as a brand. We give all honour and glory to God,” says Nico Bosman, director of aQuellé.

“We have worked with a stellar team in producing the unique ViV packaging and great tasting product.”

Tuesday, 23 November 2021

care centre, and a broad spectrum of community projects such as a food and water distribution programme to distressed communities. Emseni and its people are continuously paying it forward for the benefit of the community they serve. The community is actively involved in the development of the farm and its many projects. Emseni and its communities have been working together for many years to bring upliftment and to change lives for the better. What stands out at Emseni is the founder’s strong belief that labour can achieve it highest potential if farm workers are educated and trained. Over years, through hard work and dedication, he has developed small holder and emerging farmers one step at a time. Emseni and its people show us how we can do so much more to build strong communities if we work together!

“EMSENI REGULARLY EXPANDS ITS ENTERPRISES AND LOOKS AFTER ITS MEMBERS. I FOLLOW REVEREND STEGEN’S ADVICE … PEOPLE MUST BE SELFSUFFICIENT. I HELP PEOPLE TO GROW AVOCADOS. I STARTED LIAISING WITH THE LOCAL CHIEFS SO THEY CAN INFORM THE COMMUNITY HOW TO GROW AND EXPERIMENT WITH AVOCADOS. IN MY INFORMATIVE SESSIONS WITH GROUPS, I ALSO FOCUS ON OTHER TROPICAL FRUITS SUCH AS

s a community-based business, one of the core values and focus is the upliftment of and support to rural communities. Emseni sponsors a great number of community cultural and sporting events throughout the country. The outreach programmes include local feeding schemes for orphaned children, an HIV/Aids

FUN FACT ABOUT

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LITCHIS AND MACADAMIA NUTS.”

THEMBA

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ONpoint

e constantly read about home-grown solutions, like MPESA and Andela, which have propelled the continent to the forefront of the new digital economy. There’s a good reason why Entrepreneurship Month is important. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 20 employees and less than five years’ experience now constitute the largest providers of formal employment in Sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa alone, the country’s 2.4 million small businesses employ between 50-60% of the country’s workforce, and contribute around a third of our GDP. But let’s stop fooling ourselves. Things are still less than perfect. We talk a lot about why SMEs and FinTechs are critical to the growth of the economy, but more still needs to be done. If anything, unemployment is rising. How many SMMEs have closed, with considerable job losses, since the pandemic first closed down our continent and the rest of the world? Way too many. They’re not sustainable, and we need to be honest as to why. One of the reasons is that right now, we as African businesses are faking support for entrepreneurship. If we’re going to find a way to make small businesses sustainable, there are certain steps we must take – and they’re not rocket science. Back in 2014, an Accenture report, The promise of digital entrepreneurs: creating 10 million youth jobs in the G20 countries (PDF), provided the roadmap to turn entrepreneurship into a youth job creation machine. The report highlighted three main things that entrepreneurs need to succeed: access to opportunities, beyond once-off contracts; access to the right skills; and bridge makers, who will facilitate access to domestic and international markets. So, what do we need to build a tsunami of entrepreneurs that washes across Africa and the world?

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Make it easier to do business First, we must make it easier for entrepreneurs to start their businesses. The 2020/21 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report (PDF) shows the highest levels of Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) in Middle East and Africa, with almost half of adults in Angola starting or running a new business. Problem is, half or more of these entrepreneurs say starting a business is more difficult than a year ago. How can we work with regulators and industry bodies to smooth this out?

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Provide more opportunities

For many small businesses, becoming part of a bigger business’s supply chain is transformational. But we as big business must come to the table, by providing the opportunity and support needed to help entrepreneurs build the capacity and ability to deliver the products and services they need. This can be as simple as shortening payments terms or turning down the intensity factor on pricing negotiations. It’s not a fair fight. They need a hand. Give it to them.

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IT’S TIME WE STOPPED PAYING LIP SERVICE SO, NOVEMBER IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP MONTH. AND IF WE AFRICANS ARE KNOWN FOR ANYTHING, IT’S OUR BUOYANT ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT. IN EVERY VILLAGE, EVERY CITY, EVERY COUNTRY, THERE ARE ENTREPRENEURS BUILDING BUSINESSES THAT SOLVE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS.

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Spread the network Africa has nearly 650 tech hubs, including accelerators, incubators, university-linked start-up support labs, maker parks, and even co-working sites – but most of them are concentrated in Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. We need more robust ecosystems and networks that reach smaller, less developed economies.

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See, and act on potential, better

The problem for many small businesses is that nobody backs them. There’s no shortage of venture capital in Africa, but most funders and VCs appear to be interested in late stage businesses. Between 2014 and 2020, seed funding made up only 6% of the total value of reported deals in Africa. Who’s willing to take a chance on an up-and-coming business? How do

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is unequivocal about the fact that we must put entrepreneurship at the heart of efforts to transform the continent’s economic prospects. Entrepreneurship has been a driver of economic growth throughout the world and Africa should be no different. There is already a highly entrepreneurial culture in place. “With the right policies and conditions, the private sector can act as an engine for inclusive prosperity across the continent,” says the bank. So, my question to you today is this: are you, as a business leader, really backing SMMEs and young entrepreneurs in your communities? What are you doing in real life to build small businesses? Let’s stop paying lip service to entrepreneurship, and do some things that actually make a difference. That way, Entrepreneurship Month might be every month and help build a more prosperous and successful Africa. And that would be a win for all of us.

big businesses find ways to use data and insights to see the potential in these entrepreneurs? We can do better.

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

BY LEE NAIK, CEO TRANSUNION AFRICA

JANUARY

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THE CHALLENGES OF COMPLIANCE D

ata is every company’s biggest asset and that is why data protection should be a top priority for every business owner. Data protection is becoming more complicated as old electronics become redundant and new devices are added to the network. Every business generates large amounts of data from numerous sources. This data needs to be protected and maintained according to many local and global laws and regulations. Similarly, data erasure needs to be executed according to strict industry guidelines. Product certifications endorse a products’ effectiveness by subjecting it to indepen-

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“

Data needs to be protected and maintained

THE WORLD OF COMPLIANCE, APPROVALS, STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS CAN BE CONFUSING FOR THOSE WHO DON’T WORK IN LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE ROLES. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS CRITICAL THAT DATA ERASURE PRODUCTS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE CERTIFIED. dently-validated quality and performance tests. It is the strongest possible indicator of the quality within the product and the environment in which it was developed. To earn a certification, service providers need to comply to specific industry standards and data privacy regulations. For example, the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) is South Africa’s data protection law regulates the usage and collection of personal data.

According to legislation, businesses are required to manage the complete destruction of all data when IT assets reach end-of-life. These laws require IT asset managers to practice due diligence and ensure their storerooms go through the expected data erasure techniques essential to protect company data. Third-party validations are also important, perhaps even more important than certifications. These validations confirm that data erasure software works as a vendor stated. These third-party approvals and recommendations allow customers to trust that products have been verified externally. For example, to prove data sanitisation, a data erasure solution must not only securely erase data, but also verify that erasure and produce an auditable, tamperproof certificate of erasure to prove compliance with global regulations. Data protection helps reduce risk and enables a business or service provider to respond quickly to threats. Compliance is fast becoming a competitive advantage. Customers don’t want to be put at risk, data breaches and issues related to regulatory compliance, associated costs and loss of reputation will have dire consequences for businesses that suffer data breaches.

BY XPERIEN CEO WALE AREWA

IT disposal has other legislative requirements as well, compliance to the National Environmental Waste Management Act 2008 (NEMWA 2008), the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Compliance affects everyone from employee, suppliers and third-party data, as well as the systems that process it and how it is retained and destroyed. It includes the way personal information is stored, handled, processed, protected and who has access to it.

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CYBEREASON 2022 TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS BY LIOR DIV, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, CYBEREASON

T Beyond the Buzzwords To borrow a poker metaphor, those topics are table stakes. Looking ahead to what Cybereason and our customers need to be aware of for 2022, it’s important to keep those things in mind, but let us consider the broader threat landscape— and what we are seeing in terms of emerging attacks and current threat research— to identify key risks that defenders need to prepare for.

he changing of the leaves and the brisk fall mornings around Boston are a sign that 2021 is nearing its end. It’s a time that I like to reflect on the year gone by and think about the potential for the new year. In the world of cybersecurity in particular, the end of the year brings an avalanche of predictions for what the threat landscape will look like in the year ahead. It’s a fun end-of-year tradition, but it can also provide valuable insight into coming trends to help defenders be prepared for what’s on the horison. As I review predictions from previous

years and look at some of the 2022 predictions that are already hitting the internet, I have noticed that a lot of them are not really “predictions”—they are just a list of buzzwords or topics that are already gaining momentum that someone has put together to “predict” that those things will still be relevant next year. Things like AI / ML, cloud computing, the cybersecurity skills gap, and ransomware are not really predictions but instead blatantly obvious. Of course, those things will continue to get attention, but it doesn’t take a security expert or any special insight to “predict” that.

CYBEREASON

2022 TRENDS PREDICTIONS Around randsomware, supply chain attacks and Microsoft product cyber attacks

“CYBEREASON”

SOLARWINDS ATTACKS whoever perpetrated these attacks were intent on not being detected

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2022 CYBERSECURITY PREDICTIONS With that in mind, here are the risks that stand out as unique above and beyond the buzzwords:

RansomOps - The New Kill Chain Ransomware as a threat is already established and well known. Ransomware attacks occur on a daily basis and 2021 has seen multiple ransomware events that have had a significant impact. The risk that doesn’t get enough attention and

that defenders need to understand is that ransomware has evolved. It started out as a variant of traditional malware—just a different way for threat actors to make a profit when compromising a target. What we see today is not that simple. We now have ransomware cartels—like REvil, Conti, DarkSide, and others—and ransomware is not a piece of malware, but rather comprehensive ransomware operations, or RansomOps, where the execution of the ransomware itself is just the final piece of a much longer attack chain.

There is too much focus on the ransomware executable, or how to recover once an organisation’s servers and data are already encrypted. That’s like fighting terrorism by focusing only on the explosive device or waiting to hear the “boom” to know where to focus resources.

how RansomOps work and be able to recognise Indicators of Behavior (IOBs) that enable you to detect and stop the threat actor before the point of “detonation” when the data is actually encrypted, and a ransom demand is made.

RansomOps take a low and slow approach—infiltrating the network and spending time moving laterally and conducting reconnaissance to identify and exfiltrate valuable data. Threat actors might be in the network for days, or even weeks. It’s important to understand

“What is XDR?” Read the article Most XDR platforms are integrated with threat intelligence to spot indicators of known attacks, but only Advanced XDR offerings leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to automatically correlate telemetry from across these disparate assets.

“CYBEREASON”

WHAT IS ADVANCED XDR? offering automated and/or guided response options that Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions cannot

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Supply Chain Amplifying Reach of Attacks This also doesn’t feel like much of a “prediction” at face value. IT professionals are very familiar with the concept of a supply chain attack thanks to the SolarWinds attacks. You need to have a broader perspective on the concept of supply chain, though. It is not

low them to compromise the customers of the initial target. Our research into DeadRinger and GhostShell illustrates examples of a different approach with a similar outcome. Threat actors gained access to telecommunications providers, which then enabled them to access and monitor communications for customers of those providers. In both cases, the concept is the same. There is a growing trend of

always a function of compromis-

threat actors realising the value

ing a device or application that is

of targeting a supplier or provid-

then distributed to others down

er up the chain in order to com-

the chain.

promise exponentially more targets downstream.

It would be more accurate to call

Rather than attacking 100 or

it “Low Hanging Fruit.”

1,000 separate organisations,

SolarWinds is one example of

they can successfully exploit

a threat actor finding a way to

one company that unlocks the

compromise one company and

door to all the rest. It is the path

leveraging that attack to al-

of least resistance.

The attacks we have seen have been part of cyber espionage campaigns from nation-state adversaries. Those attacks will likely continue, and we will see a rise in cybercriminals adopting the strategy as well. Companies that act as suppliers or providers need to be more vigilant, and all organisations need to be aware of the potential risk posed from the companies they trust.

“

WHAT WE SEE TODAY IS NOT THAT SIMPLE.

Microsoft - Living with the Microsoft Risk The simple truth is that one way or another, Microsoft products are directly involved in the vast majority of cyber attacks. Threat

Read the article According to KrebsOnSecurity, May is the only month in 2021 that Microsoft didn’t release a patch to defend against at least one zero-day exploit.

“ CYBEREASON”

MICROSOFT RISK Microsoft’s Failure to Prioritize Security Puts Everyone at Risk

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LIOR DIV

Adding insult to injury, Microsoft continues to coerce customers into using its own inferior cybersecurity offerings through its predatory E5 licensing model. They are selling customers products and services that make

actors invest their time and ef-

them vulnerable, and then de-

fort identifying vulnerabilities

manding more money to provide

and developing exploits for the

inadequate protection to try and

platforms and applications their

defend those products and ser-

potential victims are using. Mi-

vices.

crosoft has a dominant role across operating systems, cloud

Microsoft will continue to be the

platforms, and applications that

primary focus for cyber attacks

make it fairly ubiquitous.

in 2022. That isn’t really a revelation. Defenders need to under-

By developing software riddled

stand the risk of relying on Micro-

with vulnerabilities and not al-

soft to protect them when they

ways accepting responsibility or

can’t even protect themselves.

acting to address issues, Micro-

Organisations that depend on

soft bears some responsibility.

Microsoft for security will find

However, it is not always a matter

themselves making headlines

of exploiting vulnerabilities.

for the wrong reasons.

Google analysed 80 million ran-

I’m not suggesting that organisa-

somware samples and de-

tions not use Microsoft products

termined that 95% were Win-

or services, but it is important to

dows-based executables or DLLs.

understand the risks and have

Only about 5% of the samples ac-

a layered approach to defend-

tually used exploits—but most of

ing those products and services

those targeted Windows as well.

against attacks.

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GET READY FOR 2022

s you take time to gather with family and friends for the holidays, or just disconnect from work and recharge, hopefully these insights will help you prepare more effectively for the cybersecurity challenges you will face in 2022. The threat landscape is constantly shifting, but understanding how threat actors think and having insight into emerging trends enables you to stay ahead of the curve and defend more effectively.

Cybersecurity Is National Security

ration between these threat

as well as nation-state allies

actors. Nation-state adversar-

around the world to address

The line no longer exists be-

ies are not directly controlling

the Cyber Cold War, protect ef-

The question is, “What is XDR?”.

tween national security and

many of these operations, but

fectively against threats, and

Many vendors have an offering

cybersecurity. Sometimes

a combination of state-sanc-

work together to bring threat

they are calling XDR, but not all

a nation-state adversary at-

tioned, state-condoned, and

actors to justice.

XDR is created equally. There

tacks a private company as

state-ignored attacks create

part of a broader campaign.

an environment where failure

Russia did it with SolarWinds.

Response (XDR) crucial.

is almost universal agreement that XDR is the next thing, but

to act is equivalent to tacit ap-

XDR - Improving Protection with AI

China did it with HAFNIUM. Iran

proval and indicates that even

With the shift to work-from-

and the best way to achieve it is

did it with GhostShell. Some-

if they are not actively working

home or hybrid work mod-

still being debated.

times, cybercriminals launch

together, their objectives are

els, the rollout of 5G wireless,

attacks with national securi-

often aligned.

and the explosion of IoT (inter-

The industry will reach some

net-of-things) devices, virtual-

consensus in 2022 and lead-

ty implications. The flow of oil

the definition of what XDR is

and the food supply chain were

The US government has made

ly everything is connected to-

ers will emerge as the dust set-

both seriously disrupted in

progress and will continue to

day. This connectivity provides

tles some in the XDR market.

2021 by ransomware attacks.

work to improve the cyber de-

a variety of benefits in terms of

Regardless of how we define

fenses of federal agencies.

productivity and convenience,

XDR, the scope and volume of

What we need to be aware of as

They will also coordinate ef-

but it also exposes organisa-

threats demands that artificial

we go into 2022 is the increas-

forts with private sector tech

tions to significant risk which

intelligence (AI) play a central

ing cooperation and collabo-

and cybersecurity companies,

makes Extended Detection and

role in making it effective.

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

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VOL 22

THE REALITIES OF MENTAL HEALTH FOR WOMEN

IN THE AUTOMOTIVE WORKPLACE

INSPECTACAR, ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S LEADING PRE-OWNED VEHICLE SALES COMPANIES, RECENTLY HOSTED A VIRTUAL DISCUSSION COMPRISING A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS WITH WOMEN IN THE COMPANY, GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES OF WORKING THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN A TRADITIONALLY MALE-DOMINATED AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY.

ntitled the Queens Chat and hosted by InspectaCar CEO, Pertunia Sibanyoni, the forum provided a

safe space of support and upliftment. The Covid-19 pandemic brought the automotive world to an almost standstill, presenting it with immediate economic challenges and a large degree of disequilibrium. In a matter of moments, the automotive business had to adapt, and its ability to do so determined its performance and survival in a remote and somewhat isolated working reality. “As business leaders we found ourselves in a position of needing to boost morale and at the same time not discredit the on-going effect the pandemic was having on everyone’s lives,” says Sibanyoni. “What we thought was potentially the beginning of our undoing,

“

mental health. Commenting on a question about how her management style had changed as a result of the pandemic, Sibanyoni stated that one of her most significant challenges was learning to be a resilient and agile leader. The start of lockdown brought with it lots of uncertainty and fear of the unknown. Decisions were required very quickly, based on very limited information at hand. She said that a lot was based on her own gut feel. “This led to establishing an unwavering belief in my instincts, which guided me to holistically engage and serve my team. It was no longer only about day-to-day management. Instead, it became all about empathy, of touching base with everyone in the team, on an individual basis, including our dealership teams. “I also found that the realities of remote working, especially for women in South Africa, meant that all the hats a woman wears when it comes to her life, were being worn in one space, in the confines of her home.” One attendee shared the lessons she learned during the

desision based on her own gut feel

unearthed a new way of conversing and engaging and holistic consideration for one’s mental health and wellbeing has become integrated into the daily discourse surrounding business’ operations”. The Queen’s Chat explored multiple topics of conversation including work life balance, setting and respecting boundaries, physical well-being and

WWW.INSPECTACAR.CO.ZA

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various stages of lockdown, stating that the pandemic had taught her to be sincerely honest with herself. In the initial stages of level 5 lockdown, she said that she felt the pressure to keep it all together, when in truth she was struggling to manage

“THIS LED TO ESTABLISHING AN UNWAVERING BELIEF IN MY INSTINCTS, WHICH GUIDED ME TO HOLISTICALLY ENGAGE AND SERVE MY TEAM. IT WAS NO LONGER ONLY ABOUT DAY-TODAY MANAGEMENT. INSTEAD, IT BECAME ALL ABOUT EMPATHY, OF TOUCHING BASE WITH EVERYONE IN THE TEAM, ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, INCLUDING OUR DEALERSHIP TEAMS.

everything. She saw herself simultaneously tutoring her children, chairing meetings, guiding her team, taking care of her husband, cleaning the house, attempting to exercise and maintaining the garden. All of this overwhelmed her and she needed to come to terms with this new reality and establish a means of managing everything without compromising her mental health.

the notions of resilience and strength that women are commonly identified with. As well as words of encouragement to boost morale,” says Sibanyoni. The Queen’s Chat reflected a true collaborative style of leadership and was importantly a safe

The open dialogue led to attendees shar-

space for much needed conversation

ing and unpacking the challenges they

and reflection. While October highlights

identified and were determined to resolve

mental health awareness in South Africa, it

within the InspectaCar business, and the

is important that conversations surround-

broader automotive industry. The women

ing mental health issues are regularly

also spoke about the realisation that they

explored, as they help destigmatise mental

continuously experience in the workplace

health while also providing communities

as women with their capabilities being underestimated. The general consensus was that they found themselves having to work harder to be noticed and taken seriously. However, in the same breath as challenges were discussed, there was also a deter-

“

with the opportunity to heal. About Us At InspectaCar we are commit-

resilience and streanght of women

mination to advise and uplift each other. There was a collective understanding that a collaborative and transparent means of championing one another would be the way in which they can support each other while tracking their careers in the automotive industry. The nature of advice provided reiterated

ted to providing a wide choice of quality pre-owned cars complete with excellent service. WesBank certifies our brand because our vehicles undergo strict quality checks before arriving

on our dealership floors. This means you can buy with confidence at InspectaCar, where second-hand will never feel second best. We can also provide your finance, insurance and value-added products like scratch and dent cover and warranty. We’re here to help make your car buying experience efficient and stress free.

BY PERTUNIA SIBANYONI, INSPECTACAR CEO

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

JANUARY

VOL 22

DEFUSING THE TICKING MENTAL HEALTH TIMEBOMB WORKPLACES ACROSS THE GLOBE ARE FACING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS OF UNPRECEDENTED SCOPE, AS THE EFFECTS OF ALMOST TWO YEARS OF ANXIETY, UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR WILL TRANSITION INTO ANOTHER PERIOD OF FLUX AS WE ENTER 2022, A LEADERSHIP EXPERT SAYS. ebbie Goodman, Group CEO of Jack Hammer, a global group of executive search, talent advisory and leadership coaching companies based in Cape Town, says while on the surface an

attitude of keeping calm and carrying on has prevailed until now, people, regardless of their level in the corporate hierarchy, are not okay. As a result, companies are increasingly putting in place pro-active mental wellbe-

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ing and support programmes well above and beyond anything they have done in the past. “Through our work in the USA, South Africa and the rest of Africa, it is clear that some companies are taking this matter very seriously, devising specific mental health and wellbeing strategies and policies in recognition of the problem. “Additionally, some companies are taking the novel approach of appointing Chief Wellness Officers – a position we predict will become just as important as any other in the C-Suite in the future,” Goodman says. She says 2020 was a year of upheaval and swimming against the tsunami of challenges that arose in an effort to survive. When 2021 came, there was hope that

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BY DEBBIE GOODMAN, GROUP CEO JACK HAMMER

“

the importance mental health playes

things would improve and normalise

“Previously, the occasional mental health

to some degree. But now, with 2022 on

day concession or initial therapy support

the horizon and reality hitting home that

would cut it, but that is no longer sufficient,”

equilibrium is likely a long way off, it has

she says. In her latest book, Amazon #1

become crucial that substantial interven-

Business Best Seller The Living Room

tions are put in place to support everyone

Leader – Leadership Lessons for a Hybrid

in the workplace – from entry level staff to

Future, Goodman provides advice on the

the Chief Executive. “It is not necessary to

short-to-medium term future of the office

rehash statistics to demonstrate the extent

after two years of Covid learnings, giving

of the crisis – everyone is aware of the rise

concrete suggestions about ways in which

in mental health concerns, skyrocketing

companies can start to implement an

suicides, the increase in people seeking

holistic mental health and wellness support

medication for depression and anxiety in

programme right away.

the past two years.

“Probably the most salient insight that can

As we return to the hybrid workplace in

be taken from this time is that we all have

January 2022, we will all be bringing the trauma of the past two years with us, embarking on another year of ongoing uncertainty. 2022 on the horizon and reality hitting home that equilibrium is likely a long way off, it has become crucial that substantial interventions are put in place to support everyone in the workplace

a basic need for routine and certainty in order for our nervous systems to be able to function optimally. Constantly being in a state of high alert, and expecting danger and upheaval as a matter of course, do not make the best foundation for workplace excellence. It is therefore incumbent on leaders to provide as much safety and certainty to their teams as possible.”

“So where before, some progressive companies recognised the importance of the mental wellbeing of their staff not only from a humanitarian and empathetic position, but also in recognition of the importance mental health plays on productivity, creativity, teamwork and ultimately the success of a company, we now have a situation where mental health has moved from its periphery position into a front and centre issue.” Goodman recommends that companies incorporate their approach to mental health support into their 2022 planning.

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MODEL AND NORMALISE

START WITH THE FOLLOWING FRAMEWORK:

Many, if not most, leaders will be able to answer yes to at least two or three of the following questions: Are you feeling stressed? Anxious? Burnt out? Exhausted? Depressed? Generally under the weather? Fearful? Without hesitiation, many, if not most, of your staff will suffer from some of these as well. It is therefore important to normalise the fact that you as leader are also impacted by these

COMMUNICATION

issues, and model positive responses to address

Leaders must communicate regularly

mental health. The language of mental well-

regarding (realistic) milestones and expecta-

ness and mental illness has been mostly skirted

tions so that people can plan their lives and

around in modern times, with people far more

achieve a greater degree of certainty. Even

willing to acknowledge and take time off work for

where things remain uncertain, this should

physical ailments rather than mental ones.

be shared as well. A lack of communication creates anxiety whereas frequent engage-

But as leaders, it is time to take action and

ment, even if it is to share that the jury is

ensure both physical and mental challenges are

still out on a specific matter, puts people at

recognised and accommodated without stigma,

greater ease.

Goodman says.

2 1

4 3

FLEXIBLE ROUTINES

REASSURANCE

Whether the company is all remote, all-in at

People continue to be fearful about the fu-

the office, or has a hybrid setup, make sure

ture and particulalry job security, many con-

that the arrangement is linked to a routine,

stantly living with the fear that this day could

albeit a flexible one. Even if companies

be their last, particulaly if a company has al-

allow workers to choose what works best

ready undergone retrenchments. Although it

for them, this trust should not equate to a

may be impossible to offer any real certainty

free-for-all.

about the future, let your people know they can be assured of their jobs under x, y and z

Total autonomy would be counterproductive

conditions, which will go a long way to hav-

and destabilising for everyone. So the sweet

ing them breathy more easily. It also helps to

spot is combining boundaries and structure

shift the focus from anxiety over the future to

with a good dose of flexibility.

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JANUARY

the deadlines of the day.

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“ANYTHING THAT’S HUMAN IS MENTIONABLE, AND ANYTHING THAT IS MENTIONABLE CAN BE MORE MANAGEABLE. WHEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT OUR FEELINGS, THEY BECOME LESS OVERWHELMING, LESS UPSETTING, AND LESS SCARY.” Fred Rogers

PRACTICAL TIPS Regular personal care calls/ check ins Making an overt effort to connect became the approach during Covid, helping companies survive and overcome hurdles. As the months went on, business as usual started to prevail once more, but making regular personal connection will be crucial in the coming year to identify issues early and arrange for support timeously. Regular wellness breaks and more leave Some smart companies have already instituted enforced breaks, like designating the last Friday of every month as a leave day for the whole company. Others are offering unlimited leave (with conditions), rotating leave for teams, or half days. Figure out a leave strategy that might work for your organisation, and try it out for a period. You need not make it a company policy forever, just beta test it and see how people respond. Counselling and wellness support For companies with budget and infrastructure, it is a great step in the right direction to invest in professional psychological counselling at company expense for those who need it. Another option is group support sessions facilitated by trained coaches. The manner in which this benefit is provided is critical – the promise of confidentiality and non-judgment must be ironclad and a solid bedrock of trust in relationships between management and staff is essential.

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

ABOUT DEBBIE GOODMAN BA LLB ENTREPRENEURIAL GROWTH FORUM (LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL); ASSOCIATE COACHING CERTIFICATION BASED IN LOS ANGELES DEBBIE IS GROUP CEO OF JACK HAMMER, A GLOBAL GROUP OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH, TALENT ADVISORY, AND LEADERSHIP COACHING COMPANIES. .

THESE INCLUDE: JACK HAMMER USA (WHICH FOCUSES ON DISRUPTIVE AND EMERGING INDUSTRIES), JACK HAMMER AFRICA (AFRICA’S LARGEST EXECUTIVE SEARCH BOUTIQUE), VIRTUAL COACHING PARTNERS (AN ONLINE LEADERSHIP COACHING PLATFORM) AND ONTHEBLOCK (EXECUTIVE SEARCH FOR BLOCKCHAIN AND CRYPTO COMPANIES).

SHE CURRENTLY ACTS AS ADVISOR TO COINFUND, A US-BASED BLOCKCHAIN VC FUND; AND TO REBEL GIRLS, A GLOBAL ED-TECH COMPANY.

DEBBIE’S FIRST BOOK (ON TEAM CULTURE), INTHEFLOW – TAKING MINDFULNESS TO WORK, WAS LISTED IN THE ‘TOP 10 BEST’ BUSINESS BOOKS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

HER LATEST BOOK, THE LIVING ROOM LEADER – LEADERSHIP LESSONS FOR A HYBRID FUTURE, SHOT TO THE TOP OF AMAZON’S BESTSELLER LIST WITHIN DAYS OF ITS PRE-SALE LAUNCH IN THE USA LAST MONTH.

BY DEBBIE GOODMAN, GROUP CEO OF JACK HAMMER

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VOL 22

EU LAUNCHES €300BN GLOBAL INVESTMENT PLAN AFRICA WILL BE A MAJOR FOCUS OF THE SCHEME. THE EU HAS REVEALED DETAILS OF A €300BN (£255BN; $340BN) GLOBALINVESTMENT PLAN, DESCRIBED AS A “TRUE ALTERNATIVE” TO CHINA’S BELTANDROAD STRATEGY.

uropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Global Gateway scheme should become a trusted brand.

deliver on projects that focused on tackling climate change as well as global healthsecurity and sustainable development for developing countries.

China has funded rail, roads and ports but has been accused of leaving some countries saddled with debt.

Projects had to be of high quality, with a high level of transparency and good governance, and had to deliver tangible results for the countries involved, she explained. One EU official said that Africa would be a major focus of the scheme.

The Commission chief said countries need “trusted partners” to design projects that were sustainable.

“

countries need “trusted partners”

The EU is looking at how it can leverage billions of euros, drawn from member states, financial institutions and the private sector. This will largely take the form of guarantees or loans, rather than grants.

Von der Leyen said the EU wanted to show that a different, democratic approach could

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China’s strategy has reached into Africa, Asia, the Indo-Pacific and the EU too. China’s Cosco company owns two-thirds of the huge Greek container port at Piraeus and the China Road and Bridge Corporation has built a key bridge in Croatia.

BYMARK-ANTHONY JOHNSON CEO AT JIC HOLDINGS

CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE.COM

INtheKNOW

IS THE CHINESE OPTIMISM IN AFRICA DWINDLING? THE ERA OF CHINESE OPTIMISM IN AFRICA MAY BE FINALLY GETTING OVER - WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: ONE OT THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE DECADE OF 2000S WAS THE RAPID GROWTH OF CHINA’S TRADE.

ne of the most important developments of the decade of 2000s was the rapid growth of China’s trade, investment, and official financial flows to Africa. Although there was a tremendous growth in China’s trade and investment links with the African continent, the most striking feature of the China–Africa relationship was Chinese finance for infrastructure development.

China committed nearly US $153 billion to African public sector borrowers between 2000 and 2019. https://lnkd.in/eBbvuyT7

China committed nearly US $153 billion to African public sector borrowers between 2000 and 2019. Chinese finance to Africa was predominantly channelled through the China Development Bank and the China EXIM Bank, and Chinese companies built vital infrastructure including roads, railways, ports, etc. China’s growing footprint in Africa caught the attention of researchers and journalists alike and the literature on China’s Africa engagement grew rapidly. However, most studies presented a dichotomous understanding of China’s impact on African countries by presenting China either as a ‘threat’ or as an ‘opportunity’ for Africa. An objective view of China’s role in Africa has largely been missing. On the one hand, there are those who believe that China is playing an important role in African development through its contribution to infrastructure development in a continent where shortage of infrastructure

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facilities is a major barrier to growth. On the other hand, are scholars who have been very critical of China’s resources for infrastructure deals in Africa and the opacity of Chinese lending practices and have accused China of ‘Debt Trap Diplomacy’. Experts have also highlighted the problem of China’s ‘hidden debt’ because a significant portion of the Chinese lending to African countries is not reported. According to a recent study by #AidData, China’s underreported debts to lower- and middle-income countries are to the tune of US $385 billion. Notwithstanding the growing criticism of China’s lending practices, African leaders viewed China as an important ally and welcomed Chinese finance in infrastructure projects and the nature of Chinese engagement, often described as ‘win-win partnership’. For instance, #PaulKagame, the President of Rwanda, has often defended Chinese engagement in Africa. In his words, “China relates to Africa as an equal partner”. However, in the aftermath of the COVID19 pandemic, most African countries are experiencing mounting debt burdens. According to International Debt Statistics 2022, published by the WorldBank, SubSaharanAfrica’s external debt stocks increased by 43 percent from US $492 billion in 2016 to US $702 billion in 2020. Further, the report observes that the Sub-Saharan region, led by Angola, has witnessed the sharpest rise in Chinese debt. Though the pace of debt accumulation has slowed since 2018, Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 45 percent of end-2020 obligations to China.

BY MARK ANTHONY

JANUARY

VOL 22

INtheKNOW

AFRICA THE WORLD’S NEXT HYPERGROWTH BUSINESS COULD AFRICA BE THE WORLD’S NEXT HYPERGROWTH BUSINESS? THAT’S THE THOUGHT THAT STRUCK ME THE OTHER DAY AS I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH FOR A PROJECT I AM WORKING ON. FACT IS, ALL THE INGREDIENTS ARE IN PLACE. NOW WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO IGNITE THEM.

64 age group. By 2100, this will boom to 3.7 billion, with an average age of 34.2 and 64.7% of the population in the economically productive age group. Compare this to Europe, where the population is shrinking and aging. From 747 million last year, with an average age of 42.5 years and 65.2% of the population in an economically productive age group, it will decline to 629 million in 2100, with an average age of 48.2 years, and 55.2% of the population in the economically productive age group.

he hypergrowth business is every

Bottom line: Africa’s got a younger, big-

venture capitalist and investor’s

ger, more dynamic population – 17% of

dream. It’s the fabled unicorn

the world’s population, to be exact. But

that goes from nowhere to disrupting and

only about 3% of the global GDP by most

transforming their entire sector. It’s Uber,

accounts. That’s changing: according to

which took three years from being founded

World Bank data, Sub Saharan Africa’s GDP

in 2009 to reach a valuation of $18.2 billion.

growth rate has outstripped the rest of the

Or Amazon, which went from being an

world (except China) for the past 20 years.

online bookseller to a behemoth with interests in everything from cloud computing to groceries, entertainment and pharmaceuticals, and a market capitalisation of nearly $2 trillion.

LEE NAIK TRANSUNION AFRICA CEO

The consumers of the future

So why can’t Africa do the same? After all, hypergrowth isn’t necessarily limited to

More importantly, we’ve got increasingly

young, ambitious FinTechs. Any company,

active consumers, who are willing to spend

country or even continent can become

more. The number of consumers in Africa

a hypergrowth business. It just needs

stands at nearly 1.2 billion, and this will

the right raw materials, the vision to do

rise to 1.7 billion by 2030. Think about it:

something with them, and the savvy to use

more than a billion wannabe consumers in

technology to not just leapfrog, but cata-

250 million households in a region whose

pult yourself into another league.

economy is outpacing that of Europe, the US and Asia.

So, what makes Africa ready to soar?

Seven countries – Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa – will soon hold half of the continent’s population, and 43% of Africans across the continent

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JANUARY

Let’s start with the people. There are a

will belong to the middle or upper classes.

lot of them – and there are about to be a

Having more people living in cities than In-

whole lot more. According to the United

dia and China combined over the next cen-

Nations, in 2019, the population of Sub-Sa-

tury will correlate to significant increases

haran Africa was 1.1 billion, with an average

in household consumption and business

age of 18.7 years, and 54.6% of the popula-

spending. Household consumption is pre-

tion in the economically productive 15 to

dicted to reach $2.5 trillion by 2030.

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Most importantly, as Trendtype points out,

partnering with developed nations and

the consumer economy in Africa will be

companies. Ensure greater transparency

driven by young consumers. They’re half

and accountability. Improve governance.

the age of consumers in Europe and North

The leading nations in world are reading

America. By 2050, the average African con-

same research about our growth potential.

sumers will still be under the age of 25.

We need to make it easier to do business in and with Africa.

Where are the opportunities?

We’ve got to uplift our people. That doesn’t just mean ending poverty and improving healthcare systems. It means educating our youth, and getting all African busi-

Rising income levels and increasing

nesses on board to upskill our youth to be

demand for goods and services means

able to take advantage of the opportunities

that Africa’s emerging economies present

that are presenting themselves to be the

exciting opportunities to global businesses

world’s next workforce.

for expansion in retail and distribution, says Brookings: Fast-moving consumer goods: This speaks directly to lower-income and middle-class households. Food, beverages, hygiene products, home care, and appliances have all grown rapidly in the past decade.

And then, we’ve got to get smart with technology, which gives us the ability to disrupt and innovate like never before. The opportunities are boundless. We’ve got the chance to access global markets and unlock investments on a global scale. It’s up to us to drive this new reality.

BY LEE NAIK - CEO TRANSUNION AFRICA

Luxury goods: One in five of the world’s consumers will live in Africa between 2030 and 2040 with most of these people falling in the category of affluent or middle-class. Growth in GDP will lead to even greater purchasing power. Online retail and ecommerce: Now we’re talking. Africa’s currently the fastestgrowing mobile telecom market in the world, with more than half of all Africans going online daily. Covid-19 has reshaped consumer behaviour, and accelerated ecommerce exponentially.

What do we have to do to ride the hypergrowth wave? For a start, we have to get our leaders to

“

I am excited about Africa’s potential Lee Naik, CEO

drop the barriers that hold us back from

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JANUARY

VOL 22

SINGLE COSTLIEST FINANCIAL MISTAKE

FOR THE AVERAGE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

his rises to R136,205 for businesses with 10-49 employees, demonstrating that more support is needed to close the financial literacy gap. The findings are based on a survey of 400 entrepreneurs conducted by global small business platform Xero. The research discovered that the four most expensive mistakes businesses made over the last 12 months were: Being irresponsible with cash flow (41%) Not investing in financial tech fast enough (36%) Not knowing about or not using appropriate government support schemes (32%) Being too slow to adapt their business (29%) Four-fifths (80%) of small business owners are calling for greater advice and support to help avoid mistakes in future.

This is understandable given that over a third (38.4%) currently rely on themselves

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JANUARY

for financial advice, with 37.91% turning to friends and family for help. Colin Timmis, Country Manager for Xero South Africa, said: “Financial literacy is the backbone of any small business. Having a clear view of cash flow and what money is coming in and out is the only way to make informed decisions. Small businesses simply can’t afford to make mistakes. “We need to see a greater focus on financial skills development and more collaboration between government and the technology sector to educate owners on the tools available to them.” Tax is one of the biggest knowledge gaps More than a quarter (27%) of small business respondents said submitting tax returns is one of the top areas they struggle with. Meanwhile, 41% said they wish their interactions with the South African Revenue Service could be more ef-

ficient. Almost a quarter (23%) of businesses have received a penalty fine because they did not understand the tax rules. Timmis continued: “We know that boosting the taxpayer base is one of the most important drivers of our economy. Yet, many small businesses still don’t have the support they need to file them confidently. Digital tools, like Xero’s direct VAT eFiling with SARS, can make the process easier for businesses, so they don’t face unnecessary penalties and fees.” Covid-19 creates positive shift in attitude The pandemic has put into perspective the importance of financial literacy. Nine out of ten respondents (93%) said it had changed their approach to finances, while more than half (57%) said they wanted to learn more about managing money as a result.

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FOUR IN FIVE SMALL BUSINESSES WANT TO BECOME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, BUT TWO THIRDS LACK THE SUPPORT THEY NEED NEW RESEARCH REVEALS THAT SOUTH AFRICAN SMALL BUSINESSES ARE MAKING

MISTAKES COSTING THEM AN AVERAGE OF R91,311 PER YEAR DUE TO A LACK OF FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE.

alf (49%) now recognise how important it is to have an accountant by their side to play a business advisory role. Technology is helping to close the gap Encouragingly, the research reveals that the adoption of new technology is helping business owners to better manage their finances. Nearly half (44%) had adopted financial technology before the pandemic, while a quarter (25%) reported adopting it this year to give them better control over money in response to Covid.

Through Xero, small business owners and their advisors have access to real-time financial data anytime, anywhere and on any device. Xero offers an ecosystem of over 1,000 third-party apps and 300 plus connections to banks and other financial partners. In 2020 and 2021, Xero was included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and in 2020, Xero was recognised by IDC MarketScape as a leader in its worldwide SaaS and cloud-enabled small business finance and accounting applications vendor assessment.

About the research The research is based on a survey of 401 South African small business owners conducted by Censuswide in August and September 2021. About Xero Xero is a cloud-based accounting software platform for small businesses with over 3 million subscribers globally.

“

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41% are irresponsible with cash flow

JANUARY

VOL 22

IT’S VIVA LAS VEGAS FOR EXP POWERHOUSE STEVE JOHNSTONE or three months, all agents, teams and ancillary real estate professionals battled it out for the main prize… and the winner couldn’t be more deserving! The stakes were high, and competition stiff, as eXp South Africa (eXp SA) laid down the gauntlet to its agents. The main prize was a trip to eXp’s biggest global event – EXPCON in Las Vegas in November. What did it take to win? Over a three-month period, eXp agents were challenged to expand their network by educating and sponsoring a minimum of five new agents to the innovative cloudbased brokerage that is breaking barriers and making real estate history… and the winner and runner-up’s were recently announced at Simbithi Country Club, on the

CEO Global Magazine January 2022 Vol 22

Articles inside

EU launches €300BN global investment plan

“Abilities opportunity map” how can you use it to create your dream job

Uplifting communities in a sustainable way

Single costliest financial mistake for the average small

The challenges of compliance

Africa the world’s next Hypergrowth business

Mzikayise Ndlovu : Jack of all trades who is mastering all

Is the Chinese optimism in Africa Dwelling? : China committed nearly US $153 BILION to African public sector borrowers between 2000 and 2019