Keynote: Bonang Mohale

“I find that human resource officers are giving us business solutions.”

IT’S TIME TO REBUILD, SAYS BUSA PRESIDENT BONANG MOHALE

Author, Bidvest chair and recently appointed president of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) Bonang Mohale opened the 2021 HR Indaba Conversations with a thought-provoking keynote address that inspired the gathering of top HR executives in Africa.

Ts to happen. The industry does a lot of sharing when it comes to dealing with the pandemic and we were all on a steep learning curve.” The scrumptious breakfast, made possible by Diamond Partners Mercer and Workday, was a great way to kick-start the first hybrid event for CHRO South Africa – and indulge in stimulating peer conversations.

Bonang started off his keynote by sharing that he had his first Pfizer jab on 11 July and exactly 42 days later, his second. “So, if you love life as much as I do,” he said, “I am hoping that you are fully vaccinated by now.”

Bonang said that just as he was the product of a woman, in the world of work he was a product of chief human resource officers. He explained that human resource officers gave people human resource solutions, but said in the wake of what we are currently facing with Covid-19 “I find that human resource officers are giving us business solutions”.

He noted that the pandemic had not created inequalities but rather, had exposed them so much more.

Bonang said that after 556 days of the lockdown that we initially thought would be mere weeks, we could choose, when we see our people after a long time, to ask them to deliver operational excellence, financial stability or final accountability.

“But I think the most important thing we can do is choose to be kind,” he said. “Ask your col-

leagues what they need and if you can, help them with anything.”

Considering wellbeing

Bonang continued that none of us would be able to claim that we were well after this pandemic because we were designed to be social animals in bone and marrow. People are not called on to be perfect – just to be real. And we are imperfect by design, he said.

“The wellbeing of our people becomes the most important thing, and nothing is more important than that,” he said. “Because health is not just the absence of disease and infirmity; it is the state of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing, especially mental wellness.”

Bonang said people yearn for human interaction – to engage, interact and interface with other human beings – and the pandemic meant that was not always possible.

“We need to ask ourselves, ‘How can I belong to myself so that I am present for others?’” he said, emphasising the importance of self-care – particularly for those who had found the strength to help others in the midst of their own challenges.

Conversations to be had

Bonang said conversations leaders should be having now are: how do we ensure that we build sustainability in the short term while focusing on long-term resilience? Because resilience in Africa is much more than food, energy and water.

How do we become leaders who are both courageous and empathetic? How do we contribute to turning the current economic crisis into an opportunity to thrive? We need to talk about how to strengthen our “implementation muscle” and develop new capabilities as a nation of people with great natural endowments.

Bonang concluded with a quote from his grandmother: "A child who is not engulfed with love and support by their community, will burn it down in order to feed himself.”

After Bonang’s address concluded, he responded to questions from the live-streaming audience. Then, the group of leading HR executives took the time to interact and enjoy a delicious breakfast.

The intention in the room was palpable as the business leaders present considered ways that they could respond to Bonang’s call to courageously support their people in taking the next steps to rebuild South Africa. 