African Scholar Magazine - July - September 2013 Issue 6 by African Scholar Magazine

THE

AFRICAN SCHOLAR

COMMITTED TO SCULPTING AFRICA’S BUSINESS LEADERS ABSA

OPEN LETTER TO SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH PROFESSOR SHIRLEY ZINN

SYLVESTER CHAUKE YOUNG SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETING MAVERICK

VOLUME 06 JUL-SEP 2013 R24.99

Experience excellence and persona careers.TMM@tenova.com Be part of an inspiring, vibrant and dynamic global industry leader, which offers excellent career and personal growth opportunities internationally to both young and experienced engineering graduates in a range of fields including process, chemical, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation, civil, project management and more. For more information visit us at www.tenova.com or e-mail us and include your summary C.V. to careers.TMM@tenova.com

Total technology solutions

Emerald Parkway Road, Greenstone Hill Ext 21, Johannesburg, South Africa Phone +27 11 899 9111 Fax +27 11 899 2032 enquiries.TMM@tenova.com www.tenova.com

TENOVA is a worldwide supplier of advanced technologies, products

al growth in a vibrant global company

across the mining value chain

s and engineering services for the iron & steel and mining industries

Will it be you ? Pan Africa Graduate Development Programme

Will it be you who shakes the hand of a global power? Will it be you who challenges the minds of our great leaders? Will it be you who meets every challenge with a smile?

Absa Bank Limited Reg No 1986/004794/06 Authorised Financial Services Provider Registered Credit Provider Reg No NCRCP7

Will it be you who takes the strength of our brand to new heights? Will it be you who will seize this opportunity? Visit www.absa.co.za/ careers to find out more about our graduate opportunities in financial services.

FROM THE EDITOR EDITOR Lucky Musonda

CONTRIBUTORS Thandi McCloy, Lerato Erasmus, Kelli Knutsen, Adam Kendall, Anabelle Oosthuizen, NAG, Tenova, Massmart

ADVERTISING AND SALES Andrew Mphande andrewm@africanscholar.co.za

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Isaac Ndhlovu isaacn@africanscholar.co.za

ACCOUNTS Marian Ross marianr@africanscholar.co.za

EVENTS AND EXPO’S Chilalo Mumba chilalom@africanscholar.co.za

SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe@africanscholar.co.za

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Tawanda Hojane Tigital Media +27 78 800 4487

PRINTERS Burlington Data Print

PUBLISHED BY The African Scholar T. +27 11 794 4141 / +27 11 704 5084 F. +27 86 626 1231 info@africanscholar.co.za www.africanscholar.co.za

African Scholar Magazine Copyright © African Scholar Magazine. All rights reserved. Request to lift material should Be made to the editor. While every effort has been made by the publisher to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for, any errors, or loss incurred as a result.

n 12 JULY 2013, 16 year old schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, an education activist from the town of Mingora in Pakistan, addressed the UN General Assembly on a day she was being honoured for her role in fighting for girls' rights-this time around, she was fighting for education. In a world where a quarter of young women have not completed primary school, Malala’s words could not have come at a better time that now. Indeed as she put it, “books and pens freighten extremists” and as the saying goes; the pen is mightier than the sword. Malala’s words need neither emphasis nor repetition. They are self-amplified. When people are empowered with information, knowledge and skills, nothing can silence them, nothing can intimidate them and nothing can stop them from believing in themselves and their abilities as well as achieving their dreams. With education comes opportunities; people make new friends, identify new career paths and realise the cost of ignorance in learning institutions. With the new age of e-learning, it no longer matters who you study with for you to appreciate education-social circles now go beyond physical interaction. However, education alone will not solve the many problems that we face both at individual and community levels. The ability to apply the knowledge acquired from our various learning experiences is what differentiates an educated person from one who is not. An individual who holds the highest degree in medicine yet does not know how to apply his or her knowledge to save lives is just as useless in that field as one who has not been to a medical school. Same goes with any field of education. Knowledge that is not applied is useless. In this issue of the African Scholar, we continue to look at how education influences people’s lives, how parents with little formal education spend the last cent they have to send their children to school, how both male and female scholars defy the odds and achieve greatness where we normally would anticipate failure. We also look at how young men and women who believe in themselves are determined not to defer their dreams. In many cases, people achieve the most out of education when they apply knowledge acquired through both formal and informal education to their passions and dreams. From marketing and advertising to engineering and medicine, or motivation speaking; what makes a difference in ones’ career or profession is measured by how much they apply knowledge to their passion. How much of their dream they do not want to keep deferring. How many times they want to keep trying to achieve the best results even in the face of failure. That is what makes the difference. The pen is ‘mightier than the sword’ and “books and pens frighten extremists” as Malala said. However, a combination of pen, books and passion can not only frighten extremists or start or prevent wars, rather can help reduce poverty and fight hunger and facilitate socioeconomic development. It is therefore important for learning institutions to put emphasis not only on what the curriculum requires of learners but also on identifying individual dreams and passions each one of them possess so that the learner can quickly cement their aspirations way before local unemployment rates hit into their faces and despair kick in. Most pupils have exhibited entrepreneurial skills while in the early days in school, but because our current systems of education require them to focus on books before passions, most of them end up joining career paths that they have not a single drop of interest in. Sometimes, this is what explains certain attitudes we encounter when we seek services in public offices. The list of successful people who made it after dropping out of school keeps growing. That of those who have made it after applying their knowledge to their passion is even longer. Enjoy reading the African Scholar!

Lucky Musonda

The African Scholar Magazine Inspire. Inform. Impact.

AfricanScholarMagazine

@AfricanScholars

The African Scholar Magazine

Contents

Cover Story page 34

Sylvester Chauke Features

SAP Commits to driving skills development and job creation

Absa, the bank committed to sculpting Africa’s Business Leaders

The importance of looking after your finances during your study and when getting your first job

Open Letter to the youth in South Africa

Sage Pastel partners with FET colleges to develop skills for life

MASSMART Graduate Programme

Educating Africa

Wonder Woman: Shirley Zinn

The dreaded “Case Interview” McKinsey &Company

Investing in the best top graduate and internal technical talent: Tenova Mining & Minerals

Education & Entrepreneurship

Regulars 49 Exercises - NAG 50

LoveLife - Condoms for Him and Her

10 Tips for college students

Lifestyle

45 6

www.africanscholar.co.za

Game Review: Grid 2 - NAG

Buttercream Devil’s Food Cake

Grilled Lamb Chops & Vegetable Keebabs

GLOBAL LEADERS START HERE

Sheryl Sandberg Worked at McKinsey from 1994 to 1996 in Washington DC. After working for McKinsey & Company Sheryl went on to serve the US Treasury as Chief of Staff. She then became one of Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vice Presidents and is now the COO of Facebook.

To find out how you can join the next generation of global leaders visit our careers page at www.mckinsey.co.za www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

SAP

SAP Commits to driving skills development and job creation in Africa “Skills for Africa”. Unique Training Kits to Give Students Access to World-Class Business and IT Skills”

“Securing a highly skilled workforce in Africa is key to ongoing success.” Jim Hagemann Snabe Co-CEO, SAP

www.africanscholar.co.za

oinciding with Co-CEO Jim Hagemann Snabe’s visit to Johannesburg, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced the launch of a formal skills development program in SAP Africa. The “Skills for Africa” program is aimed at developing information and communications technology (ICT) skills in Africa as part of SAP’s global mission to help the world run better and improve people’s lives. SAP’s social investment strategy is focused on promoting education and entrepreneurship. With growth and the scarcity of skills on the African continent top of mind, this program — a first of its kind in the industry in Africa — will offer selected students across the continent the opportunity to develop world-class IT and business skills, effectively giving them an opportunity to play a role in contributing toward Africa’s future economic growth and infrastructure development. This program represents the African chapter of SAP’s “EMEA Workforce of the Future” campaign, focused on examining European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) trends, needs and opportunities vital to the successful recruitment, retention and training of the technology industry’s workforce of the future. In support of this effort, several other activities are underway across Europe, most notably the Academy Cube project,

SAP

which helps students in the EU prepare for “Industry 4.0,” the fourth industrial revolution where products will soon be expected to be able to communicate and act autonomously with one another in intelligently networked production processes. Along with partners and customers, SAP Africa will drive the Skills for Africa program around its strategic hubs, namely South Africa, Angola, Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal, to be followed by ancillary countries such as Ivory Coast and Mauritius. Focusing initially on key industries including public and financial sectors, utilities and oil and gas, the Skills for Africa’s program aims to create a rich talent pool in Africa for the entire

a data-encrypted dongle, a USB which is valid for the period of the course duration. In the interest of negating piracy, the dongle will be de-activated automatically after the validity period of the course. The kits will be available in English, French and Portuguese across the relevant countries. “Securing a highly skilled workforce in Africa is key to ongoing success. Not only is SAP committed to the countries in which it does business; programs of this nature make solid business sense,” said Snabe. “SAP sees huge opportunities for Africa and the multi-million Euro investment into this program over the next five years is indicative of our commitment. Bearing in mind that the unemployment rate varies

“There is a distinct requirement for business to help develop an appropriate skills base, especially when taking into account the enormous growth opportunity for Africa from an infrastructure perspective.”

FEATURE

from 25.5 percent in South Africa to almost 48 percent in Senegal, there is a distinct requirement for business to help develop an appropriate skills base, especially when taking into account the enormous growth opportunity for Africa from an infrastructure perspective.” The Skills for Africa program has been crafted to meet the needs of the complex African skills landscape and to take infrastructure into consideration to ensure ease of use and learning in challenging environments. The pilot phase for the program has been successfully kicked off in Kenya in October of 2012, with over 100 students soon to be trained. Over the next five years, SAP plans to roll out the program to Nigeria, Senegal, Angola and South Africa. The program will target on average 100 students per year, per country, which will result in 2,500 previously unskilled students to be educated in the much sought-after SAP skills sphere. A second phase of the rollout is planned to extend to an additional set of countries, including Mauritius and the Ivory Coast.

SAP ecosystem. The program is targeted at students who have been identified in collaboration with the government in each of the focus countries. To support the ambitious rollout of the program, a 56-strong partner base has also been established throughout Africa to maintain momentum. Due to the vast geographical area identified and in the interest of providing the best experience to students and a view to future employment, SAP will be closely aligned with the partner ecosystem in Africa for the rollout to help ensure a successful outcome. Enabling Skills without Internet Access Skills for Africa training will comprise a hybrid approach of classroom and e-learning. The unique self-study e-learning environment will allow students to study when and how it suits them without requiring Internet access; a key factor in many of the locations in question. To kick off this phase of the roll-out of the program, SAP Africa today also is launching training kits that include printed course material and

Pfungwa Serima CEO, SAP AFRICA www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

Absa

Absa, the bank committed to sculpting Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Business Leaders

John Golding, Pricing Specialist (National Bank of Commerce - Tanzania) shares his thoughts about how Absa and Barclays are shaping him to become one of the future leaders in the corporate world on the African continent.

Absa

frican Scholar Magazine wishes to thank you for this opportunity to get to know you as a person. We’ll get to some of your outstanding achievements shortly, but first, please tell us a bit about yourself. Firstly, I would just like to say how honoured I am to be sharing my story with you! I’m a very down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky guy and a staunch believer in the power of the African continent. I love to keep myself busy at work or home, and I am always looking for something that mentally challenges me. And, in your recollection, how would you say your formative years impacted on who you are today? The biggest impact on me definitely comes from my family. I am very close to my parents and have reached an age where I can fully understand and recognise their sacrifices. I do have a strong conceptual ability and this gift allowed me to underperform during high school and still achieve. It was only when I enrolled at Wits University that the light came on. I made a concerted effort to focus on my academics and get involved in different university societies, and therefore really began to take my future a lot more seriously. I joined the Wits Student Business Society and later the Golden Key International Honour’s Society and was subsequently elected onto their respective committees. Being able to work well within a team is crucial and these societies really sent me up the right road. I’ve also always been heavily involved in sports including cricket, athletics, and cross country. Above all sport soccer is my passion and I still play it today. When did you join Absa? I joined Absa in 2011 from a working perspective, but was received onto the bursary programme in 2008, which covered my final year B.Com through to M.Com level in 2010. What are the benefits of being on the Absa Bursary Programme and the Pan Africa Graduate Development Programme? It’s difficult to truly articulate all the benefits of these two prestigious programmes. The bursary programme was just incredible. The financial support meant that I could focus more on my studies instead of holding down a job as a waiter to fund them. But, it was the emotional support which proved the most valuable. I genuinely didn’t realise just how personal a bank like Absa could be. In addition there were various trips to different locations which brought all the bursary students together for a number of talks by external and Absa leaders. I absolutely loved the graduate programme; but it was only

FEATURE

when I spoke to a number of my friends, who work for some of the top firms across industries both locally and internationally, that I realised just how comparatively incredible my experience was. There are a number of trips away from work where hard and soft skills are developed, including report writing, presentations, individual and group assignments, and a wide array of personal and character tests which, if you are true to yourself, you’ll honestly identify your strengths and development areas. The hard skills that were taught really look at capability building within your specific role. What’s fantastic about the graduate programme is that it offers you incredible stimulation outside of the day-to-day working environment. Absa recognises that we aren’t robots, so providing stimulation outside your job or role is pivotal to your success. During my first year on the programme we had five committees and I was the vice chairperson of the Give Back Committee that was tasked with initiating giving back to the community. As a perk, we were also given a performance coach who monitored our individual progress and helped to shape our thinking. Everything is aimed at a seamless working transition. The graduate programme sounds rigorous and challenging. What kept you focused and motivated? The programme is incredibly challenging. Striving for excellence on three different arms (society, assessments and work) is not an easy undertaking. Learning to multi-task means the difference between mediocrity and merit. I kept my focus through an unwavering belief in myself, which entailed a continual self-reminder of the successes which had characterised my previous years, and the belief of that which confronted me was actually not that tough. I fully subscribe to the idea that “if I could have conquered those pinnacles, I can conquer and achieve even more this time around”. Your immediate past profile makes fascinating reading: 1. M.Com Business Finance 2. Tutor at University of the Witwatersrand 3. Associate and part-time lecturer at University of the Witwatersrand 4. Absa Graduate Development Programme (AGDP) at Absa 5. Business Analyst (Advanced Analytics) at Absa 6. Strategy Analyst at Barclays London Tell us about this journey that landed you in your current role? If I’m honest I still find it hard to believe just how quickly my past profile has evolved. It was during my third year when I

FEATURE

Absa

applied, and was accepted for a tutoring position to first year economics students. Initially tutoring was the change that I was looking for as I began to move away from societies and focus on my academics. It represented an opportunity to teach and therefore brush up on basics which I thought would aid me in my own subjects. What I found was something much, much more. There is a certain magic in seeing a student grasp and understand a concept. During honours I was presented with a chance to lecture and I jumped at the opportunity. I proved myself at each step and was eventually asked to lecture third year Finance both full-time and part-time which was just incredible. I must say that Masters was both the toughest and most rewarding step in my journey. Being on an Absa bursary meant that I only had one year in which to finish a full year’s worth of course work and a full-blown dissertation. Couple this with associate and part-time lecturing positions and you’ve got a sleep deprived young guy! I eventually passed with a distinction and part of my dissertation was published in the prestigious Investment Analysts Journal. It was on the back of this momentum that I began working at Absa in 2011. I can hold my hand on my heart and honestly say just how fortunate I was on two counts coming into the working world. Firstly, to be accepted onto an absolutely fantastic graduate programme, this further developed my soft skills and allowed for a seamless transition from the theoretical world of university, to the practical world of work. Secondly, to be asked to join the Pricing Centre of Excellence and consequently working under a fantastic line and unit manager meant that I was supported and developed from day one. In the beginning of 2012 my line manager emigrated and I was shown great faith by being given the opportunity to become acting Head of Retail Interest Pricing. This was shortly followed by an opportunity to join the Barclays Future Leaders Development Programme and it was simply too good to turn down. My first rotation was in the Product and Segment Strategy team in the UK, and now I work in Tanzania for the

“

National Bank of Commerce (NBC) in the office of the COO where I have been tasked with setting up a business unit aimed at implementing global best-practise retail and corporate product and service pricing. What is your current role and what does that involve? My current position is by far my biggest role stretch yet. I have been tasked with setting up a pricing function at NBC in Tanzania (NBC is a subsidiary of Absa and therefore Barclays). I have had to present positional papers to the EXCO for the functions’ approval, challenging conventional work, thinking and wisdom. People are naturally averse to change, so my biggest challenge is debating and putting ideas into minds in a non-intrusive manner. Sustainability is at the forefront of any and all work I do. As well as the knowledge that I am not an island and therefore no task is complete without complete stakeholder buy-in.

The biggest adversity or challenge would have to be twofold; firstly, fulfilling my own personal goals and ambitions is a tough task. The toughest person to please in my life is myself. Even when completing some of my best work, I genuinely believe I could have done more.”

www.africanscholar.co.za

Do you have any mentees? Not officially. I’m from the school of thought that says you don’t need an official “mentor” title to impact someone’s personal development in a positive way. I pride myself in ‘out of the box’ thinking and often challenge the thinking and thought processes of those I work directly and indirectly with.

What was the importance of being mentored during your academic career? I am a staunch believer in identifying mentors throughout your academic and working life. I have been mentored by many people over the years and each one fulfilled a purpose for that stage of my development. Mentors have a wealth of experience which brings perspective to a wide array of tasks and problems. It’s not about changing your thinking but rather molding it into the right outlet or form which yields maximum results. Knowing, for instance, that by changing your generic response from “I disagree” to “yes I agree, and…” can have far-reaching implications for you and the building of your personal brand. You were also selected for the prestigious Barclays Future Leaders Development Programme which allows one to rotate in four countries. What has been your experience so far in the countries you have worked in, and what lessons have you garnered working in an unfamiliar environment?

Absa

Yeah, I often pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. The thing that has really resonated with me is just how much of an impact this programme is having on my exposure to different markets, companies and countries. Job roles in Barclays UK are a lot more vertical in their focus as people are allowed to have specialist roles, while in Africa are more lateral due to the size of the task at hand. I am always amazed at how many different tasks and projects an individual may be working on at any given time within Absa. Make no mistake; working in the different locations has not been easy at all. Six months may seem like a long time, but just as you begin to really see the impact of your contribution, you need to move onto the next country. I am constantly changing homes, colleagues and line managers, which means that I have to constantly evaluate my input. Having been selected for this programme, both Absa’s and Barclays’ expectations are that I adjust and add value as quickly as possible. One learns to manage own time down to the last minute and analyse every piece of work accomplished. Will this work fulfil the required task? Will it make an impact? Can the change team bring it to realise a wider requirement? How can it be recycled to make an impact in other areas? Am I personally developing through its completion? One is literally trained to become a change agent who isn’t afraid to roll up his or her sleeves and identify problems in a

FEATURE

smart and synthetic manner and find solutions without forgetting the potential wider impact. What are some of the highlights and adversities you’ve experienced throughout your career, working for Absa and Barclays? It’s difficult to physically name highlights, but the big ones that stand out are becoming acting Head of Interest Rate Pricing, being accepted onto the Barclays Future Leaders Programme, and the consequent exposure as well as the respect which I have experienced across different continents and countries. Becoming the acting Head was the culmination of many, many hours of hard work as well as the self-acknowledgement that I could rise to any substantial challenge. This was further emphasised by my acceptance onto the Barclays Future Leaders Programme. However, through it all I’ve been most humbled by the respect my fellow colleagues have expressed and handed to me time and time again. I am not prepared to step on toes or heads as I climb the corporate ladder. The biggest adversity or challenge would have to be twofold; firstly, fulfilling my own personal goals and ambitions is a tough task. The toughest person to please in my life is myself. Even when completing some of my best work, I genuinely believe I could have done more. Secondly, I’ve truly battled to make an immediate impact in my changing roles. Going into different locations and companies exposes one to so many people and different situations which have solutions which are often different from what has worked in the past. Adaptability is imperative. What words of advice can you render to prospective candidates of the Absa Bursary Programme and the Pan Africa Graduate Development Programme? I would say that in any task or initiative you need to strive for absolute excellence. Anything less is not acceptable. In my personal opinion your internal motivation should be intangible because cars or lavish homes can be bought; but the lessons learnt from the mental or physical challenges stay with you. In finding that internal motivation I would also define what success looks like on a short, medium and long

www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

Absa

term scale. The scale doesn’t have to be definitive but if you don’t know where you’re going how will you know that you’re on the right journey? Fun Facts: Social Interests. I’m very interested in travelling and experiencing different countries, cultures and people. I also love to spend time with my friends and bungee jumping off Bloukrans Bridge in the Western Cape in South Africa. Finding ways to relax is a big thing for me, so there’s nothing better than sitting in the garden reading a book during weekends. Books that changed your way of thinking. It may surprise you, but the books that really changed my thinking are mostly aimed at psychology. Understanding what people are really saying is powerful, be it by word or action. Some key reads: “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell “The paradox of choice: Why more is less” by Barry Schwarz But you can’t ignore the classics: “The big short: Inside the doomsday machine” by Michael Lewis “Stalking the black swan” by Kenneth Posner Just to name a few. Favourite city you have worked in. From a pure working perspective, it would have to be London. As a multi-cultural city I absolutely loved it. Although I love Johannesburg and I have lived in it my whole life the novelty of a new city takes preference. I must say that I’m also very, very impressed with Dar es Salaam. It’s a city with more vibrance and energy than I have ever experienced. People that have inspired you. The obvious choice is Nelson Mandela who is truly great and inspiring, but coming a bit more down from the stratosphere, my parents are the biggest inspiration for me. Other inspiring people include Winston Churchill for his unwavering belief in the difference between right and wrong, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu for staying true to his word and believing in the goodness of mankind. If you could start your career over, would you change anything? If so, what would it be? To be completely honest, I wouldn’t change a thing. My successes and failures have taught me so much and each one of my experiences have shaped me into the person that I am today.

www.africanscholar.co.za

STUDY IN AUSTRALIA FIRST INTERNATIONALLy FOCUSED RESEARCH INTENSIVE STUDENT–CENTRED TEACHING INSTITUTION IN AUSTRALIA

The University of Sydney is one of Australia’s largest and most prestigious universities. Established in 1850, it is Australia’s first university, and a member of the ‘Group of Eight’, Australia’s premier research intensive universities. It is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world and amongst the top four in Australia. Our 49,000+ students (including almost 11,000 international students representing 130 nationalities), enjoy an academic experience of the highest quality. We offer the most comprehensive range of degrees, majors and individual subject choices of any university in Australia, taught in 16 Faculties across eight campuses. Areas of study include Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, Arts and Social Sciences, Business, Dentistry, Education and Social Work, Engineering and Information Technologies, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine, Music, Nursing, Pharmacy, Science, Veterinary Science and Visual Arts.

Our academic and teaching resources include Australia’s largest university library, and state-of-the-art technical, computing and research facilities. Our faculty is a mix of local and internationally recruited academics with extensive teaching, business and industry expertise. They bring years of knowledge gained from research in their respective fields into the classroom, providing students with a stimulating academic environment. Our sporting amenities, clubs and societies are second to none. Our student support services have been rated as the best at any Australian university. We are committed to maximising the potential of everyone in the global community we serve, seeking to develop curious minds that embrace challenge and change. We help seek knowledge and devise solutions. Over the past 160 years, we have maintained a proud tradition of excellence in education, and are relentless in our efforts to provide a fertile environment where the brightest minds flourish. www.sydney.edu.au - io.info@sydney.edu.au

CRICOS 00026A

WHY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY?

FEATURE

Student Finance

The importance of looking after your finances during your study and when getting your first job Words By Kelli Knutsen

tarting university or your first job comes with responsibility, especially with regards to your finances. Managing your finances is not necessarily something that you are taught how to do when at university or even when you start your first job, but is however a skill that is of the utmost importance to acquire. Thus, with your new found independence as a student or graduate, you need to become smart about managing your money. Today, many universities provide student advisory services, but it is the individuals responsibility to take advantage of the service and gain financial assistance. The following tips from The IDM Group will assist you with keeping on track with your finances, as the monetary behaviours you establish now, will carry you through your adult life. Budgeting is an invaluable skill to learn from a young age. The sooner one gets into the habit of budgeting effectively on a monthly basis, the easier it will be to keep on track with your finances. A budget will assist you with monitoring where your income and expenses are going, which will enable you to stay within your financial means, as well as plan ahead for upcoming months. If your income less all your expenses leaves you with a negative number, you are living beyond your means. It is risky to start relying on debt each month in order to keep your

www.africanscholar.co.za

head above the water, and thus, you need to budget properly from a young age. Aim to get on top of your finances and make sure your expenses are less than your income and that you constantly review your budget and stick to it. It is also vital that you manage your money effectively by setting priorities. Now is the right time to decide what is important to you, what you can go without and where you can cut costs. Do not over indulge and splurge on unnecessary expenses, such as a new car, as you should be cautious about taking on new expenses when you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t earn a permanent income. Instead, get into the habit of purchasing what you need and not what you want. Students are privileged with discounts, bursaries and other means to keep costs down. Take advantage of these opportunities and think wisely when spending money. For example, university textbooks will be marked-up in price by bookstores for convenience. Alternatively, purchase textbooks online at a reduced rate and save money. Download a financial planning app on your cell phone to track your spending habits. Mint.com and 6 cents will help you gauge where your money is going and manage your finances. As an undergraduate, try and get a parttime job, but it is advised that during the term you focus on your studies and instead, it would be better to find full-time holiday jobs that will look good on your CV, as well

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now is the right time to decide what is important to you, what you can go without and where you can cut costs.â&#x20AC;?

Student Finance

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

as your bank balance. As a student, you may think that it is your education and your credentials that determine whether you are an ideal candidate for a particular job; however it is the ability to manage your finances that may determine how you progress in your career. It is becoming more common for employers to conduct credit checks and background investigations to gauge who is best qualified for a particular job. Someone who is able to manage their personal finances carefully and has a good credit score is most likely to be hired over someone who hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, especially if the job specifications are finance related. As a student, you will be offered student store cards and over draft facilities, which should be carefully thought through

FEATURE

before accepting them. A low interest overdraft facility can be useful with regards to helping stretch your money; however it is vital that you monitor the fees and the interest rates and avoid taking on debt at a young age. You could consider opening a credit card in your own name in order to purchase small things such as lunch or dinner, so that you can establish really good credit. The more responsible you are with your money, the less risky you are to not only your future employer, but to the bank. In the future when you wish to purchase items on credit, you will get much lower interest rates on a loan you wish to take out, thereby saving you money. But remember, you need to pay your bills every month, on time. In addition to budgeting, prioritising your expenses and living within your means, one of the most important factors

As a student you may think it is your education and your credentials that determine whether you are an ideal candidate for a particular job; however, it is the ability to manage your finances that may determine how you progress in your career.â&#x20AC;?

www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

Student Finance

to bear in mind, is planning ahead for your financial future. Whether you are saving for a future goal such as travelling after studying or saving for retirement, the key is to always save 15-20% of your income and to think ahead. If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t save 15-20%, then start with what you can. Once you have obtained your first job, getting your first pay check is an exhilarating and thrilling experience that not only elicits feelings of pride, but also the urge to splash out. It is important not become overwhelmed by the euphoria and immediately implement proper money management from day one, to work towards a secure financial future. It is important that you do not spend first and think later. Similarly to the above mentioned factors, when it comes to your first pay check, implement the following financial behaviour. Determine short, medium and long term financial goals and put together a financial plan enabling you to reach them. Reveal your expenses and spending habits by drawing up a budget. Make sure you are taking care of your needs before your wants. Start saving

www.africanscholar.co.za

straight away and it is recommended that a portion of your money goes towards a retirement plan, savings account, investment account, or fixed deposit account. The key is to move money out of your current account to prevent it from being spent. On a broader scale, in order to help overcome the economic and social challenges South Africa currently faces, make sure that you manage your money and savings effectively so that you can start concentrating on wealth creation. If you require assistance with debt management contact DebtBusters on 0869990606.

Student Finance

/ FEATURE

www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

Open Letter

OPEN LETTER TO THE YOUTH IN SOUTH AFRICA

eita-Hola hops! Yes, you my bra and of course you mtwana... Have you heard what people say about you? Some people say you have no future. Some people say you are lazy and ungrateful. Some people say you are the lost generation. Do you accept these views? Is it true that youth in general represents a disadvantaged and marginalised social group, generally overrepresented amongst the poor and the unemployed? If not, are you ready to become the future leaders of South Africa? Are you struggling to make a decision on what to do after school? Whether you want to study further? What subject or course? Where to find the money for it, or how to start looking for a job? Or do you want to start your own business? If you were to be called for a job interview, do you know the employer needs a well-written CV? If your CV is not well written, this reduces your chances of being considered for whatever job you have applied for. A badly written CV will also affect your chances of

www.africanscholar.co.za

being invited for an interview. If you were to be called for a job interview, do you know how to prepare for the important job interview? What is stopping you from reaching your dream? You may be the future Richard Maponya, the owner of Maponya Mall. How can you unlock and unleash the entrepreneurship genius in you? These decisions are some of the most important ones that you are going to make in your life. They will have a long-lasting influence on your life, your future work and your self-esteem. The Youth 2000 Survey (CASE) revealed that 62% of economically active young people were unemployed. Also, 20% of young people believed that they will never work. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), "... compared to adults, young people today are more than three times as likely to be unemployed ... (and) being without work means being without a chance to work themselves out of poverty". According to Fountain of Youth, the problem of career development in disadvantaged communities in South Africa is a product of

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem of career development in disadvantaged communities in South Africa is a product of historical discriminatory practices that have resulted in large numbers of young people not having access to appropriate career guidance services.â&#x20AC;?

Open Letter

historical discriminatory practices that have resulted in large numbers of young people not having access to appropriate career guidance services. As a solution to mass career guidance needs, a non-profit, self-help career guidance program serves as a supplement to curriculum based school programs and provides people with the opportunity to access career guidance services in an empowering environment. Fountain of Youth’s AmandlaAwethu Future Leaders & Achievers Club can assist you in making sound career choices. Our Job Preparedness workshops will help you to become more employable, and can assist you in preparing your CV, understanding what employers are looking for, or how to find job opportunities. Learn how to prepare for an interview and many more practical skills relating to job seeking. Join the Amandla-Awethu Future Leaders & Achievers Club to cultivate

the potential in you. Join the Club now to learn about how to follow / pursue your dream career; how to develop your future career and how to develop/grow your personal life skills or/and leadership skills. The Club runs interactive and practical bi-weekly workshops where members learn about tools and knowledge on self-development and how to use them. The Club also offers career counselling services. Let us prove to the doomsayers that we the youth of our beloved country, South Africa are the future leaders of this new democracy of ours. “Make the circle bigger” – Become ‘Bosso’... join Amandla-

FEATURE

Join the Amandla-Awethu Future Leaders & Achievers Club today. Mentorship and Coaching opportunities for Youth of Soweto Currently operating in Soweto and Galeshewe (near Kimberley), Fountain of Youth is a non-profit organisation established to provide life skills education, work based training, entrepreneurial skills training, leadership mentoring and coaching. The vision of the organisation is to improve the capabilities and capacities of youth in South Africa, while also contributing to enabling the aspirations of youth so that

“Our Job Preparedness workshops will help you to become more employable, and can assist you in preparing your CV, understanding what employers are looking for, or how to find job opportunities.” www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

Open Letter

“While the youth of South Africa face enormous challenges, particularly with regard to employment and livelihoods or skills development opportunities, the youth still represent the opportunity of today and tomorrow.” they can contribute to, and benefit from, more stable, democratic, and prosperous communities and the country. The purpose of their focus in life skills education, work based training, entrepreneurial skills training; leadership mentoring and coaching is to promote skills development to increase personal development and employability of young people in South Africa from the age of 17 to 35. The organisation holds weekly workshops on life skills, personal development, leadership development, general career guidance and sector-focused career guidance (i.e. vocational guidance), which caters for youth aged 12 to 24. While the youth of South Africa face enormous challenges, particularly with regard to employment and livelihoods or skills development opportunities, the youth still represent the opportunity of today and tomorrow—as educators and innovators, entrepreneurs and investors, health professionals and scientists,

www.africanscholar.co.za

community development professionals and activists or famous entertainers or sport stars. Are you ready to become the future leaders of South Africa? Reaching youth potential depends upon their preparation for, and participation in, their own development and the development of the country. Career guidance should be viewed as a learning experience, encompassing a range of learning interventions to support lifelong learning and career development. As the organisation’s motto says, Fountain of Youth is ready to cultivate the seeds for the future. Join our Amandla-Awethu Future Leaders & Achievers Club to cultivate the promising seed in you. The Club is a youth leadership network and platform where young people meet to learn how to develop and grow their personal and leadership skills. Youth who can join the Club are:

• Grade 9 learners still not sure about which subjects to choose • Learners (Grade 9 – 12) struggling to get good grades because they are struggling to effectively prepare for exams, • Matriculants who are still not sure what career (path) to pursue, • Matriculants seeking advice and information about post-matric studies, financial aid options, e.g. bursaries, study loans, scholarships, etc. • Matric Graduates with exemptions, but still not sure how to find and apply for a study loan, a bursary or scholarship, • Matric Graduates or school-drop outs struggling to find employment, • School drop-outs of who are not sure how to pursue a better life for themselves, • Young aspirant entrepreneurs not sure how to start with their business ideas.

For more information of the Club and Fountain of Youth, contact +27(0)741074585 or email sayouthfountain@gmail.com between 09h00 and 17h00 daily, Mondays to Fridays

I DiD To live my life the way I want to, I ﬁrst had to make the right choices... … and choosing to become a CA(SA) will deﬁnitely be worth my while! No hesitations, just hard work. And it will pay off, time and time again. My CA(SA) designation will give me options in life.

D13937/GX/E

For more information on becoming a CA(SA) visit www.nowiCAn.co.za

Game Review

D • H AN

D • HA N

Back in action

O N TE S DS

GRID 2

PREVIEW

O N TE

REGULAR

When it comes to racing games, there package that was visually arresting. are a few developers and publishers And then the franchise – if one could call that create experiences that help it that – all but disappeared. That was until them to stand out. Codemasters is such last year, when Codemasters announced that a company. Sure, they have had wobbles they would be returning to the world of GRID along the way, but with GRID 2. for the most part, “GRID’s back and “This game is about having a their offerings get we’re going to make longer love affair with fewer top petrol heads’ motors street, track and running. road racing exciting notch vehicles, rather than having Included in that again,” Clive Moody, a virtual garage the size of a large list was Race Driver Executive Producer, parking garage, containing vehicles stated in an early GRID, ﬁrst released press release. in 2008. Also known that will likely never be driven.” “The core design as just plain GRID, philosophy for GRID it brought gamers a deep and engaging racing experience 2 is that we treat the race as a character, not that netted it a Metacritic average of 87 – a a consequence of simply putting cars on pretty enticing score when considering just tracks. Everything that goes into the game how picky people can be when it comes impacts on that second-to-second, in the to racing titles. What helped GRID become moment, blockbuster drama – the feel and personality of the race. so popular was the fact that it managed “We’re pushing boundaries once again to bridge a gap between arcade racing with what can be accomplished in the genre and nuts-and-bolts technicality extremely via new tools, technology and innovations. well, and served this combination up in a

The LiveRoutes system will change tracks on the ﬂy in GRID 2. Players racing through cities will never know what to expect next, as track layouts become dynamic rather than set in stone.

www.africanscholar.co.za 38 June 2013 www.nag.co.za

RELEASE DATE / Q2 2013 PLATFORM / 360 / PC / PS3 GENRE / Racing DEVELOPER / Codemasters WEBSITE / www.gridgame.com PUBLISHER / Codemasters

GRID 2

Game Review

REGULAR

In single-player, split-screen and online, the next-generation of the EGO Game Technology Platform will power graphics, AI, handling and damage advancements that will immerse players in the racing experience like never before. Like its predecessor, GRID 2 will put the sheer thrill and adrenaline rush of the race at the heart of the experience. It’s what we call Total Race Day Immersion.” It sounds a lot like hype and PR-lingo, but trying out some hands-on code shows that it’s not that far from the truth. At the heart of GRID 2 is an extensive career mode that is based on a new concept – a racing league that encompasses several different disciplines and spans the globe. This gives the game license to set races virtually anywhere, and in almost any kind of environment. Players will be able to take to street tracks, licensed race circuits and mountain tracks in a variety of carefully selected cars that span four decades. Further, the game promises something of a unique multiplayer experience, with an original progression system, as well as deep customisation options and more. Playing the code showed that the promises that have been made for the game, particularly in the statements made by Clive Moody, should hold true. First impressions are created by a slick interface and stylish introduction videos, leading into what has become the obligatory “local kid makes good” race that gets the player’s character noticed by the powers that be. Codemasters love their tracks as much

Unlike many racing titles out there, GRID 2 will not feature a cockpit view. It seems that Codemasters are keen on us seeing the vehicles as well as driving them.

as their cars; this is evident in the lush, long videos that precede each race, showing off the tracks in painstaking detail. They may take things a little far, with the longer than usual videos and frankly over-dramatic music, but whether this will be the case in the ﬁnal product remains to be seen. The vehicle roster is also being kept rather quiet. One of the criticisms aimed at the original GRID was that it didn’t feature a massive stable of cars for players to choose from. This may be the case again, but we’re anticipating that, like the original, this game is about having a longer love affair with fewer top notch vehicles, rather than having a virtual garage the size of a large parking garage, containing vehicles that will likely never be driven. While preview code is never the best way to judge an upcoming title – the best proof is always in the ﬁnal pudding, after all, and not in sneaking tastes while the recipe is still being prepared – the GRID 2 code manages to demonstrate the overhauled EGO engine’s capabilities rather nicely. Aside from great graphics and audio, the game already possesses a damage model that is nothing short of dramatic, accompanied with physics

that not only feel rather real, but also allow for some spectacular smash ups. It all adds up to a potentially impressive package. There were a few niggles that may obviously change before the ﬁnal release – like the fact that difficulty levels are not quite as adjustable as they are in other driving games. As things stand, the player can really only tweak whether damage is purely visual, or has an actual impact on performance. In addition, they can set an overall difficulty level. Codemasters should really look at a few more tweak options there, particularly if they still want to bridge the gap between arcade and simulation. It’s being released during a slow period in the game industry schedule, but it certainly doesn’t need to be; as things stand, GRID 2 looks like it will be a driving game that can challenge well established franchises for dominance. Great graphics, excellent sound, decent controls and an overall feel that delivers pulse-pounding racing action are already on display in the preview code, so our hopes are quite high that this long awaited sequel will help establish the GRID franchise as a ﬁrm fan favourite. - Shryke

www.africanscholar.co.za

www.nag.co.za June 2013 39

FEATURE

Pastel

Sage Pastel partners with FET colleges to develop

skills for life

Sage Pastel, South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading developer of accounting and business management software, is leading the way in up-skilling the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workforce through training programs offered at a number of forward-thinking Further Education and Training (FET) colleges 26

www.africanscholar.co.za

Pastel

FEATURE

ET colleges offer vocational- or occupational-specific courses with a view to a range of employment possibilities. Pastel training is a perfect fit for this band of education because of its practical and outcomes-based nature. The software currently forms part of the Level 4 Applied Accounting one-year course and the Computerised Financial Systems six-month course.

Equipping students for the real world

“

Fasset accreditation

is important to us. We need to know that the material we use complies with outcomes and is quality approved.” - Charl van Heerden, Dean of Business at Vuselela FET College

Pastel is the obvious choice for FET colleges because it is so ingrained in the country’s business life. Developed in South Africa for the South African market, graduates will find it in 80% of South African businesses. Pastel has further ensured top-class quality standards by becoming accredited as a Quality Assurance Partner (QAP) with Fasset, the SETA for Finance, Accounting, Management Consulting and other Financial Services. Charl van Heerden, Dean of Business at Vuselela FET College said, “Fasset accreditation is important to us. We need to know that the material we use complies with outcomes and is quality approved.”

A competitive edge for student’s CVs A high proportion of accounting related job ads list Pastel skills as a clear advantage or a necessity for accounting and financial positions. “Pastel is perfect for SMEs, which is where our students usually find work. A working understanding of Pastel certainly enhances their chances of finding a job,” said Mr van Heerden. Elmarie Badenhorst, HOD for Finance, Economics and Accounting at Waterberg FET College, agreed. “So many companies use Pastel that someone with Pastel knowledge will definitely be favoured for the job.” Lesiba Pleasure Ledwaba, a lecturer at Capricorn FET College, simply said, “Students with Pastel knowledge are better equipped for the outside world.”

Unrivalled support Pastel’s award-winning call centre, staffed by more than 150 agents, has a dedicated line specifically for Authorised Training Centres. Support queries can be logged telephonically, via e-mail or online and are handled quickly and efficiently. “Whenever I phone Pastel I am always helped immediately,” said Ms Badenhorst. Mr Ledwaba and Mr van Heerden also said they were satisfied with the level of support received from Pastel.

www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

Massmart

Graduate Graduate Programme Just one part of the comprehensive suite of retail education programmes that make up the Massmart Corporate University, the graduate development programme is where some young people get their first taste of what human capital development at Massmart is all about. Nicholas Koenig, Junior Planner (Computer Hardware): MassDiscounters I hold a Bachelor of Business Science in Economics (Hons), which I completed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, part of which I studied at Trent University in Canada. I joined Massmart in 2012 after researching its graduate

development programme online, and applying via their website. The Graduate programme is administered partly through UCS and the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and is designed in a way that integrates both theoretical and practical elements into the learning process. It has given me the opportunity to develop skills at a professional and personal level, helping me to bridge the student-employee gap, and get a step ahead in my career. I am now working in the Planning division at Massdiscounters, and I am enjoying the challenges and the responsibilities involved in managing large budgets; and getting involved in operational and strategic decisions around the movement of stock. Massmart has given me the chance to realize my potential, and is a great company to work for; especially in this exciting period of transitional growth. Any graduate interested in retail and working within a dynamic, global company will definitely succeed here.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Graduate programme is administered partly through UCS and the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and is designed in a way that integrates both theoretical and practical elements into the learning process.â&#x20AC;? 28

www.africanscholar.co.za

Pastel / FEATURE Massmart

Staceline Lerato Chuene, Planner , Automotive & Home Fittings: Makro I am currently in possession of a Bcom Finance degree which I completed at the University of Johannesburg. I applied for the Massmart Graduate programme online in 2011 and was granted the opportunity to be part of their development programme in 2012. The Massmart graduate development programme has exposed me to various critical areas of retail and other learning, most importantly the essence of working in teams effectively and confidently communicating with my colleagues. It has been a wonderful journey for me as it has exposed me to

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The graduate programme has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge in retail in just under a year, both theoretically and practically. It has enlightened me in more ways than I possibly could have imagined and it has also helped me kick start a career in one of the most exciting and challenging fields.â&#x20AC;?

astute business experts in retail and offered me an opportunity to attend one of the leading business schools in the world (GIBS), all this came with fulfilling challenges that have built my character as a young professional woman. The graduate programme has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge in retail in just under a year, both theoretically and practically. It has enlightened me in more ways than I possibly could have imagined and it has also helped me kick start a career in one of the most exciting and challenging fields. I am now a trainee planner at Makro DIY department and look forward to growing within the area. I am really honoured to have been part of the graduate programme and believe it is a stepping stone to success for young and ambitious individuals.

www.africanscholar.co.za

PROFILE

Shirley Zinn

Wonder Woman:

Shirley Zinn

ell us about your background (Life journey), place of birth, schools attended and qualifications earned. I was born and bred in Cape Town on the Cape Flats – Steenberg. I attended Square Hill Primary School and South Peninsula Secondary School. I then went on to University of Western Cape (UWC). Who encouraged you to go into Human Resources (HR)? What caused you to leave the market place and start your own consulting firm? I started off as an English teacher at Groenvlei Secondary School and went on to be a lecturer in Teacher Education at UWC. While teaching I completed my B.Ed. Honours through UNISA, and a Master’s in Education at UWC. I was then awarded a Scholarship by The Harvard South Africa Fellowship Programme, and went to Harvard where I completed a second Masters in Education. I was surrounded by the

most amazingly supportive professors who encouraged me to apply for a Doctorate at Harvard. I was accepted into the Doctoral programme, and although I had no financial aid or scholarship, Harvard assisted me based on my performance with my tuition. This enabled me to earn through teaching fellowships. I returned to SA and worked in various roles in both public and private sectors the most recent being Head of HR for South African Revenue Service (SARS), Nedbank and Standard Bank. I decided to apply all of my experience over the years and become an entrepreneur so that I might have more personal flexibility and that I may continue making a difference in the HR sector, transformation, leadership and education in SA. Of all your accomplishments, which would you say has been the most intellectually stimulating? The Doctorate in Education at Harvard was very intellectually stimulating. However, it was a key building block for many more complex roles I was to play in SA. What would you say to encourage our scholars (especially the girl-child)? I would say believe in yourself, you can do far more than you can imagine. Never, ever give up even when the odds are stacked against you. Continue to learn, it is your key to economic and personal liberation. Find good mentors and role models to inspire you. Have a dream, have a vision and make a plan, and you will succeed. Look after your

www.africanscholar.co.za

body, mind and soul. You can do it! Zinn in a Nutshell Prof Shirley Zinn is the former Human Resources Director of Standard Bank South Africa and Deputy Global Head of Human Resources for the Standard Bank Group. She has since registered her own company: Shirley Zinn Consulting that provides consulting and advisory services in Human Resources, Transformation, Leadership and Education. Prior to this she was the Group Executive HR Head at Nedbank, and General Manager for Human Resources at the South African Revenue Service (SARS). She is also an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Human Resource Management and the Past President of the Institute for People Management South Africa. She started her career as a secondary school teacher of English, and then a lecturer in Teacher Education at the University of the Western Cape.. After this, she served at Southern Life as Training Manager and then moved to the Department of Public Service and Administration’s: South African Management Development Institute, in Pretoria as Director. She held the position of Executive Employment Equity at Computer Configurations Holdings. Before her appointment at SARS, she filled the role of Regional Human Resources Director for the Middle East and Africa on behalf of Reckitt Benckiser, a global company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Shirley Zinn

PROFILE

In addition to serving on the Monash South Africa Board, she is currently a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of AdvTech, Tuesday Consulting, MAC Consulting and the Starfish Greathearts Foundation. She is a mentor to several women in the financial services industry,a patron to the SAALED (South African Association for Learning and Educational Differences), past Honorary Patron of the Corporate Governance Framework, as well as a patron to the Friends Daycare Centre, for children with disabilities. She holds a BA (University of the Western Cape); Higher Diploma in Education (University of the Western Cape); B.Ed Honours (UNISA); M.Ed (University of the Western Cape); Ed.M (Harvard) and Doctorate in Education (Ed.D) (Harvard). She was awarded the Top Woman in Business and Government and Top Executive in Corporate South Africa by Topco Media in 2008. She was also recognized by the Black Business Quarterly and received the Award for Top Woman in Business and Government and most Visionary Woman in 2008. Furthermore she received an award in Mumbai in 2007 for Global Human Resource Leadership. In 2012, she was listed in the Top 30 Wonder Women in South Africa by the Wits Business Journal and completed her fifth Two Oceans half marathon in March 2013.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can do far more than you can imagine. Never, ever give up even when the odds are stacked against you. â&#x20AC;&#x153; www.africanscholar.co.za

HOLA

STUDENT LIFE DOESNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T R E T T E B Y N A GET THAN THIS

is to provide the urban Our vision at South Point d propelling of determine shelter integral in the s o their bright future and ambitious minds int r education. Thus we throughout their highe nt precincts around the strive to establish stude uth Africa. We pride major Universities of So vibrant, clean, safe and ourselves on being the re ing that strives to ensu affordable student hous d ives an uncompromise that every resident rece ce hieving the fine balan student experience. Ac vironment and a buzzing of an ideal studying en uards student careers social atmosphere safeg fine education but that are not only about rney. a fully explored life jou st privately owned South Point is the bigge ny in South Africa. accommodation compa ly 350 student beds, in Started in 2003, with on e dents with an impressiv 2013 we house 9500 stu , countrywide. All 33 properties in 5 cities , burg, Pretoria, Durban residences in Johannes mmodate university PE and Cape Town acco make it priority that and college students. We d e fostered and maintaine ar ips sh ion lat re g on str d all leading tertiary between South Point an rica. Students are institutions in South Af

www.africanscholar.co.za

undings, experiences moulded by their surro contribute to the and peers; and mutually nd them on South Point moulding of those arou e ts who speedily advanc turf. These young adul d ide ov nce are not only pr toward their independe ies during their stay with unparalleled facilit presented a holistic at South Point, but are with. Some of our lifestyle to go forward ll-rounded citizen efforts at moulding a we r offer being strictly are demonstrated in ou ly affords the self-catering, this not on dine as they please students the freedom to ping them with life but also assists in equip e. independent working lif skills essential for the

way intercom systems security systems, twoint s and security, fingerpr between student room cameras ensure the access and surveillance t at all times. safety of every residen

couraging not only We now embark on en students to join this local but international lifestyle in the South incomparable student int hannesburg, South Po Point community. In Jo it su to accommodation also offers residential leases longer than the clients who wish to have the student buildings. stipulated 10 months for ation costs range from In 2013 the accommod nt has a choice of R1680 to R3200. A stude s or with a the room by themselve ing py cu oc in of co de residents inclu n-refundable booking fee no A e. at -m om Building facilities for all ro s, will secure ies, entertainment area e monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rent deposit on d an 0 00 operated laundry facilit R1 bruary to 30th er tables, enriching fixed lease from 1st Fe th on -m 10 TV rooms, pool and socc a ly ties and free month . clubs and student socie November per student -hour 24 . es tim all at B 0M internet access of 50

GET BOOKING NOW experience Secure the South Point to by emailing your query thpoint.co.za, international@staysou the attached filling out and sending 7 11 489 1900. post card or calling +2 t.co.za Visit www.staysouthpoin . for a glimpse of the offer

www.africanscholar.co.za

Silvester Chauke

Global Shaper:

COVER STORY

Silvester Chauke Driven by his gumption, Sylvester Chauke is one of the young successful marketing mavericks in South Africa, he sat down with African scholar to share his success story.

ho is Sylvester Chauke in a nutshell? Madonna-crazy marketer extraordinaire. Enemy of the ordinary. Settles for nothing short of fabulous.

Can you tell us more about your formative years as a young man growing up in South Africa as you remember it then? I grew up with a strong sense of responsibility to my family and myself. My younger siblings looked up to me, so I had that added pressure to not only achieve what I needed to do personally, but also make sure I made my family proud. I remember how, as a young man growing up, I wanted more out of my life and I felt quite strongly that for me to get to where I needed to be, I had to commit to my dreams and goals and stop at nothing in getting there.

www.africanscholar.co.za

Silvester Chauke

COVER STORY

“You cannot dance to someone’s beat for too long. At some point, you need to forget their beat and follow yours.” In your mind as a young person, did you ever imagine you were going to accomplish as much as you have today? I knew I wanted to do something fabulous and something that I absolutely loved. I cannot say that I knew 100% that it would turn out the way it has. At the back of my mind I wanted to be brilliant at whatever I wanted to do, and yes, there has been a lot of amazing surprises along the way. What inspired you to pursue a career in Marketing/Advertising? I stumbled across marketing and advertising when I was 12 years old. I went to an audition for a TV commercial and I got the part. This meant that I was on a TV shoot set a few days after the audition. Completely fascinated by what was happening and I suppose the questioning of what the bigger picture really was, intrigued me and as they say, the rest is history. After university you worked for some of the coolest brands in the country like Nando’s and MTV Networks Africa, what was the experience like, and how did that help you shape your career, enabling you to become one of the top brand specialists in South Africa? Thank you for the compliment! Before Nando’s and MTV, I worked for the best advertising agencies on the planet – DraftFCB, Ogilvy and DDB. This was an incredible foundation for me. Working at advertising agencies crystalized my love for creative work. I was always excited by challenging beliefs, and working with some of the best creative minds in the world was also really special. I walked away with an incredible respect for the work that agencies do – a selected number of individuals that influence

what the entire country feel and do. By the time I was at Nando’s and MTV Networks, I wanted to take all I had learnt from the other side into these environments. Luckily, it was with 2 companies that absolutely adore creativity – what a match! What are some of the highlights and adversities you faced working for these brands? First highlight: Spending time with my then CEO at DDB SA Glen Lomas, who taught me the value of creatively solving problems for brands. The penny dropped during this period. It made me realize that advertising is not just about selling burgers and pies; it is also about creating thought-provoking conversations and engagements. Second highlight: Working at Nando’s was another highlight of my career. The leadership (then CEO Kevin Utian and founder Robbie Brozin) gave me an opportunity to live up to the brand DNA. I managed to do some of the most awesome work and experience I could never do elsewhere. Nando’s taught me to stand for something and create work with conviction. Challenge 1: Always having to manage some of the negative responses from advertising that was meant to create conversations. This made me realize that, in whatever job, there will be some “haters” with no sense of humour. I learnt to get over them very fast! Challenge 2: You have to stick to your own flow of how you do things, and I

always made sure that I was true to that. You cannot dance to someone’s beat for too long. At some point, you need to forget their beat and follow yours. I don’t take well to management by fear, leaders who only think about themselves, environments that don’t inspire and people who do lots for talking and less delivery. Stay away from these people! What people don’t know is that you were the brains behind the controversial Nando’s Ads. Where did you get the inspiration to redefine the advertising landscape in South Africa? What did you do differently from the norm? My time at Nando’s was special to my career. Working with brilliant Ad agencies like Black River FC and Stick Communication was such a joy. Luckily for me, my love for great work (not just okay work) made my experience so much easier. I was also very lucky to work for an organization that wanted nothing but fabulous work. Nando’s is a special brand and it’s the people that work with the brand that add so much magic. You started DNA Brand Architects in 2011, what inspired you to start your own business, and what does your company do? I started DNA Brand Architects because I was at a point in my career

www.africanscholar.co.za

COVER STORY

Silvester Chauke

where I wanted to offer exciting solutions to different brands. I have a point of view that I want to share with the world and DNA was the vehicle for me to do so. DNA Brand Architects is a marketing and brand consultancy that makes wow stuff happen for brands with an unstoppable hunger for greatness. We work with clients who want to take their brands to interesting “wow” spaces. As a young entrepreneur, how was the transition from formal employment to running your own firm? It was quite liberating and exciting because I was ready for the jump. For the first time, I could put together all the “learnings” and things that I wanted to do if I ran my own company. It was amazing to put that together and be able to deliver on it. It was simpler than I had anticipated because it was so thrilling. What are some of the brands DNA Brand Architects works with and where do you see DNA Brand Architects in the next 10 years? We work with some of the most awesome brands in the world – amongst others - American Express, Brutal Fruit, Nedbank, DStv, Revlon, MTV and a few others. Such a pleasure! In 10 years I see a team of DNA Brand Architects still working at bringing magic to many global brands – laughing up a storm, solving different types of brand challenges! (Oh and orbiting the planet literally!) You were selected as one of the top 300 young South Africans, GQ most influential young man under 35, and recently a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum. How does it make you feel to be recognized for the contributions you have made to the Marketing industry in South Africa? It is an honour to be recognized for doing what I love and for me; it’s the work behind the accolades that inspire’s me. Interestingly, this is only the beginning.

www.africanscholar.co.za

You are an inspiration to a lot of young students out there, what words of advice do you have for aspiring Advertising mavericks and future entrepreneurs? You can never underestimate all the small jobs along your journey. Take advantage of part-time work, training, and learning from others. One never wakes up in the morning with a perfect career – it’s a culmination of all those small steps that come together at one point. For those who want to pursue advertising and marketing, ask yourselves: • What sets you apart from the rest of the herd? What do you offer that gives you the edge? Don’t try to be someone/ something that you are not. Be who you are and stand firm to your essence. • You have to have an obsession with people/ consumers and how brands affect them. Consumers keep the

“One never wakes up in the morning with a perfect career – it’s a culmination of all those small steps that come together at one point.“

world of brands alive and it is a good understanding of the customers/ the people that keeps the industry fresh and interesting. • You want to be plugged in, be digitally savvy, be great with words, and be simple in your thinking. Be an early adopter of sorts, always looking at what’s happening around you and adapting to change swiftly. • Stay focused – you need to set your eye on to where you want to be and if there is a vision, work hard towards it. Too many times, we get bored when we feel our dreams don’t materialize soon enough. We must remember that we need hundreds of hours doing something so we are not only just good – but brilliant. • Work hard – To be good at something, you need to practice and challenge yourself to be better day-by-day. So sharpen that pencil always and invest the hours in your dreams. • Act – Everyone does the talking (because it’s so easy) but there is not enough doing. Shut up and get moving! African Scholar seeks to promote higher education and career opportunities on the continent. What advice can you render to the Y Generation on the importance of Education? There is just no room and space for young people who do not value education. The future of our continent rests in young people who are educated and who are contributing to a better Africa. Without education, we will be going round in circles to nowhere. How boring. Favourites: Favourite Quote – “Go big or go home” Favourite Book – The art of the idea by John Hunt Favourite Advert – Allan Gray “beautiful” – Brilliant! Favourite African Country – South Africa (I know!) and Nigeria Favourite Brand – Apple Favourite trait you implore in others – Keep your words. Less yapping, more doing!

www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

Tenova Mining & Minerals

Investing in the best top graduate and internal technical talent

Our Business enova Mining & Minerals is a total integrated solutions provider to the global mining, bulk materials handling and minerals beneficiation and processing sectors, offering innovative technological solutions and full process and commodity knowledge across the mining and minerals industry value chain. Tenova Mining & Minerals is a division of Tenova (part of the Techint Group), a worldwide supplier of advanced technologies, products, and

www.africanscholar.co.za

engineering services for the iron & steel and mining industries.

Our People Our people and their world class skills and competencies are the lifeblood of our company. We believe that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the organisation grows through the growth of its people". It is only through providing an environment and development opportunities conducive to the ongoing advancement of the professionalism and skills of our people and to their career growth and satisfaction, that we achieve business success.

Our people grow professionally from learning on the job, from being part of a global, multicultural and multidisciplinary company and from specific training planned to provide our people with the technical knowledge, relationshipbuilding abilities, and management capacities they require to develop their full potential in the working environment.

For more information visit us at www.tenova.com or email us and include your summary CV to careers.TMM@tenova.com

Tenova Mining & Minerals

High Tech Programme The Techint High Tech Programme is a two year programme aimed at attracting, recruiting, selecting and training high potential new graduates from the best universities worldwide, or internal technical young professionals with less than 18 months seniority. Each participant is given the opportunity to start a training and professional experience in different business units of a company of the Techint Group (Tenova’s parent company), where they conduct project work of strategic interest aimed at developing and implementing new technologies, patents, or business models. A team of mentors and tutors support the participants during the course of the entire programme.

Who is Selected New Graduates with

FEATURE

• Outstanding academic career • International mobility • Passion for technology and innovation • Outstanding performance in learning agility tests leadership profile interviews • Outstanding performances in technical areas

Why High Tech • Investment in Innovation and Technology • Cover key existing project openings. • Provide fast track training – intensive and business-based. • Develop employability for senior experts and knowledge transfer. • Guide careers of the best performers, starting with the youngest. • Ensure future internal managerial and technical pipeline.

Theo Nkisimane - Product Engineer, Tenova TAKRAF Africa

he High Tech Programme is a great opportunity for me to get a better understanding of organisational leadership, new technologies, importance of soft skills or behavioural competencies, as well as understanding of multiculturalism when working for a global organisation. So far on the programme I have found meeting different people from other Tenova business units very rewarding, as I got to learn from their experiences, approach to problem solving and different thinking styles. Looking to the future and the way the programme is structured, I am looking forward to visiting various

Tenova divisions in other countries, and in the process look at ways in which we can improve our work ethics, processes and technologies so as to stay ahead of our competitors. I work in a project based environment which is very dynamic and unpredictable. Therefore, exposure to different working conditions and cultural practices will improve my mental strength, interpersonal skills, personal effectiveness and make it easier for me to network and build relationships. I hope and believe that the programme will help me develop as a person and as a professional so that I can contribute to the departmental and organisational growth.

Edith Tshenyoethata - Process Engineer, Tenova Bateman

he High Tech Programme will give me a more holistic understanding of the engineering projects business and its critical success factors. I also aim to gain a deeper understanding of our global offices and how we can work effectively together on minerals projects. I would like to advance to management after acquiring technical experience on projects, so the most exciting part of this programme is the opportunity to develop a new business model and to add value to the organisation at

a much higher level than what I am used to. I am also excited about being exposed to different cultures and getting to know the mindsets of high achievers around the globe, which will challenge and encourage me to grow in an international business community. I will have a greater appreciation of the impact of my daily decisions, how they affect the business, and can be an essential ingredient to Techint’s success, as well as acquiring leadership skills. This will increase the excellence with which I do my work and represent the organisation.

www.africanscholar.co.za

TSF

Educating

FEATURE

AFRICA

he African Scholar Magazine would like to thank you for this rare opportunity to have an insight into the world of Educating Africa, and its many related activities. AS: First of all, give us a brief Bio of TSF’s past and current operations, including a brief highlight of the dedicated staff behind its remarkable achievements. TSF: To start with, our journey as a Foundation began in the early ‘90’s, catalysing in the mid 2000’s into The Saville Foundation, of which Educating Africa was a subset. You will see in most of the interventions we have engaged, we look for innovation that leads to sustainability and scalability, but we have found that the core is about people and how selfbelief and good values really underpin the external work. “A system is only as good as the sum of its parts, and if the parts aren't appropriately nurtured or empowered, the whole system fails.” AS: The African Scholar Magazine promotes Higher Education on the continent. How would you say TSF resonates with this ethos? TSF: From a historical perspective, TSF has always been involved in education, starting at CIDA City Campus (http://www.cida.co.za/) where we supplied them with start-up capital as

www.africanscholar.co.za

well as funds for one of their first campus buildings. Other early interventions were at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where we have strongly supported a Student Development Initiative called EDU in the Commerce Faculty (http://www.educommerce.uct.ac.za/). This is now a very successful initiative providing well supported students who do far better than the national average in pass rates in the external Accountants Board Exam - a good external measurement option! We are now looking at how we can take this model to all faculties within UCT, as well as cross-pollinating it with other similar programs at a National

“A system is only as good as the sum of its parts, and if the parts aren't appropriately nurtured or empowered, the whole system fails.”

TSF

FEATURE

of School Management and building of endowments and sustainability for the school itself ), which we hope to use as an example to other schools in the country. We have explored and engaged far and wide, with an example of this the tiny Sisonke Primary school in Port St Johns, where we offer teacher training support and guidance in enabling this small rural independent school to become more self suffient. After years of working across many sectors of Education, from rural preprimary to University level, our work includes innovative organisation’s

“The focus is on organizations in Africa that use innovative and entrepreneurial techniques to fill gaps in educational services across the continent.“ level, with a vision of taking it to all the other Universities in the country as well. We also operate at Potch Central (Primary School), as well as King Edward School (KES), a leading Public School in Johannesburg where Duncan and I were at school together, and which we support as a model (with support that enables students, as well as aspects

such as The Maharishi Institute (http://maharishiinstitute.org/theinstitute/about-the-institute/), which produces aware consequent students from challenging backgrounds. The core of the school is based on CBE (Consciousness Based Education), and the calibre and commitment of the students there has to be seen to be believed. In addition we are very involved with the Rural Agricultural Schools sector in South Africa, where there are some 46 schools that have the vital but daunting function of producing Agri based

www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

TSF

students in a declining (interest) realm. We recently (in January this year) hosted and facilitated their National Conference, and proposed new approaches and focuses, including activating farming and entrepreneurship as functional partners within the system to create revenue for the schools while also enabling the students to engage in and understand real live business activities while they learn. This model is based on one we work with in Paraguay that some readers may already know about. The background to the Sustainable school in Paraguay can be accessed via the TeachaMantoFish (TaM2F) website (http://www. teachamantofish.org.uk/flagship-school), now a partner organisation who we support as well, and whose aim it is to spread the word of sustainability within farm and community schools globally. The two main initiatives we support with TaM2F are the EDUCATING AFRICA (from next year becoming the TSF) Pan-

www.africanscholar.co.za

African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education (http://www.teachamantofish. org.uk/pan-african-awards), which was initiated in 2007, as well as the School Enterprise Challenge (http:// www.schoolenterprisechallenge.org/), which has been a real success. After just two short years, the School Enterprise Challenge has reached out and inspired hundreds of thousands of young people to become the next generation of socially minded entrepreneurs. Over 400 schools in 41 countries around the world have benefited from this action-oriented programme, generating several hundred thousands of dollars in additional school income between them. We have also engaged with Community Development projects where education and enablement of the communities are at the core, as well as a variety of other small interventions which have supported the journey we are on. AS: In your initiatives, you provide social and holistic support required to

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Holistic support starts with taking the time to engage in conversations and gather stories, knowledge, innovations, talents and other assets found within the school/ institution or group we are working with.â&#x20AC;?

TSF

produce quality students, How do you do this? TSF: Holistic support starts with taking the time to engage in conversations and gather stories, knowledge, innovations, talents and other assets found within the school/institution or group we are working with, and focus our attention on the strengths, opportunities and capacities that emerge from within, rather than from what we think are the requirements. The support can be in the form of visioning workshops, leadership academies, business or strategic planning advice, or simply through guidance and connections with other organisations. It is important to have quality information as a starting point and not just to look at the problems and needs. There are different levels of engagement depending on the environment we find ourselves working in. For example in some High Schools we may start with an informative level of engagement where we introduce the theme of a sustainable school model then depending on the responses we may move towards a partnership type of engagement where we invite external experts to assist i.e.: provide a permaculture expert to share food production knowledge. All the while we continue to include the students in the process. AS: Under the scope of TSF’s attention, there’s also an emphasis on support for University programs. What does that entail for beneficiaries of such programs? TSF: Again this varies according to our levels of engagement, but all the while the students are at the centre of discussions and interventions and benefit through these outcomes. For example the EDU program at UCT is focused on assisting the students to obtain the best possible pass they are capable of, All interventions are geared to assist in their journey. They are required to show up and participate, in return they get personal mentorship and academic assistance throughout their

degree. AS: And what do you expect to achieve through the various Competitions you host: • In the short-run? Raise awareness and self-motivation around entrepreneurship and the possibilities of activating a business of any kind through informative step by step guides. • In the Long-run?

“We hope to raise global awareness around the positive effects of these initiatives through social media, online TV and word of mouth.” Seek out champions in entrepreneurship and showcase their efforts in order to reward the entrepreneurial behaviour and inspire students/individuals to continue to do so. Thus contribute towards building self-esteem and ultimately creating a self-sufficient society. AS: Altogether, how many awards do you administer? TSF: We are currently running 3 award/ competitions. • The School Enterprise Challenge • The Pan African awards • And more locally the TSF /Eco Schools Entrepreneurial awards. AS: Who benefits? TSF: The TSF/Eco schools Awards and the School Enterprise Challenge focus on a student involvement in an enterprise of their choice. Teachers, students and the school benefit from this challenge – in most cases the enterprises developed continue from year to year thus contributing to the school’s bank

FEATURE

balance and often provide a service the school or community need. For example a South African School started a tuck shop last year which is generating an average of R2000 per month, they have continued this project and used the income earned to put a deposit down for a school taxi. In the case of the Pan African Awards – the focus is on organizations in Africa that use innovative and entrepreneurial techniques to fill gaps in educational services across the continent. The competition is open to all organizations based in Africa working in education, from primary through to tertiary, as well as in non-formal and adult education. AS: Where do you see this initiative in the next five years? TSF: All our competitions are growing annually and we see this growth continuing over the next 5 years. We hope to raise global awareness around the positive effects of these initiatives through social media, online TV and word of mouth. In an uncertain world, we can still rely on our own intuition and take action towards building a supportive team to support that intuition. AS: And what words of encouragement would you give to the young African students facing adversities along their way? TSF: Ask questions, listen, ask more questions, listen, and act. AS: Would you recommend the African Scholar Magazine to another reader? TSF: Without a doubt. Answers provided by Nikki Raw KZN manager at the saville foundation All questions and queries can be sent to info@tsf.bm

www.africanscholar.co.za

REGULAR

Buttercream Devil’s Food Cake

Buttercream

e k a C d o o F Devil’s Ingredients Serves 12 ar 2 cups granulated sug flour 13/4 cups all-purpose d d cocoa powder, divide ene eet sw un s 13/4 cup a sod g 2 teaspoons bakin wder 1 teaspoon baking po 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk ee 1 cup strong brewed coff oil ble eta veg 1/2 cup ract, divided 2 teaspoons vanilla ext s egg 2 large s’ sugar 51/3 cups confectioner tter, softened bu ks) stic /2 (11 3/4 cup 1/2 cup milk

www.africanscholar.co.za

Directions

8-inch °F. Grease and flour two 1. Preheat oven to 350 cake pans. cocoa, the ed sugar, flour, 3/4 cup 2. Combine the granulat wl. Mix bo ge lar a in t wder and sal the baking soda, baking po and illa ilk, coffee, oil, 1 tsp. van ed well. Add the butterm spe m diu me on ctric mixer set eggs. Beat with an ele th, about 2 minutes. oo sm and ed nd ble until til prepared pans. Bake un the o int ter 3. Pour the bat es out com e cak a of ter cen the a toothpick inserted in minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 clean, 30–35 minutes. pletely. com l coo and ks rac e Transfer the cakes to wir ar and sug s’ ner tio e the confec 4. Meanwhile, combin butter the at Be wl. bo m diu remaining cocoa in a me ally and wl until creamy. Gradu in another medium bo aining rem and lk mi re, xtu mi oa alternately add the coc , until ion dit ad h eac ating after vanilla to the butter, be cy. ten sis con le ab the frosting is a spread d with a serving plate. Sprea 5. Place 1 cake layer on way to the the all ing ead spr g, about 11/2 cups frostin sly frost ond cake layer. Generou edge. Top with the sec frosting. Serve. the ng irli sw e, cak the top and side of the

Grilled Lamb Chops & Vegitable Keebabs

REGULAR

& s p o h C b m a L d le Gril

s b a b e e k e l Vegetab oden skewers in a Before using, soak wo , 30 minutes. shallow bowl of water

Directions

Step 1 y oil grates. AsHeat grill to high; lightl presoaked woodng -lo nch 8-i r semble fou thread zucchini, plus more for en skewers; alternately 2 tablespoons olive oil, es. Place on a ato cut side down, and tom grates drizzle with and et, ed she ounces each), slic rimmed baking 2 medium zucchini (6 with salt and s 1 tablespoon oil; season crosswise into 16 round atoes pepper. Set aside. 12 cherry or grape tom er pp pe d Step 2 Coarse salt and groun dium bowl. Cover Place couscous in a me 1 cup couscous ter. Stir, and parsley, plus sprigs with 1 1/2 cups boiling wa 1/3 cup chopped fresh wrap; let stand cover tightly with plastic for garnish (optional) on oil and po les 5 ounces each) or 4 5 minutes. Add 1 tab 8 lamb rib chops (3 to pepper, and and t sal h wit ounces each) parsley. Season shoulder chops (6 to 8 bine. Cover again iander fluff with a fork to com 2 teaspoons ground cor ving (optional) to keep warm; set aside. Lemon wedges, for ser

Ingredients

Step 3 king sheet with Place lamb chops on ba of chops with es sid th bo kebabs. Rub salt and pepper. coriander; season with on grill. Cook, s Place chops and kebab are browned ps cho turning once, until neness, 3 to 4 do d sire de to and cooked dium rare), and minutes per side (for me to 6 minutes per 5 vegetables are tender, abs with couskeb and side. Serve chops on wedges. cous and, if desired, lem

www.africanscholar.co.za

FEATURE

McKinsey

The dreaded

“Case Interview” Words By Adam Kendall - Principal, McKinsey & Company

anagement consulting firms like to hire smart, capable, motivated people who will be able to help them solve the most difficult problems in the corporate world today. We seek to serve our clients on the top 3 issues that face the CEO or the Business Unit leader, and as a result, the people we hire need to be world class problem solvers. With this in mind, we typically use case interviews to help identify who will be able to contribute to our organization as a problem solver. We would like to take this opportunity to demystify the case interview process, help you understand why we use case interviews, help you figure out how to ‘crack the case’, and help you understand what you can get out of a case interview. What is a case interview and why do we use them? A case interview is a real-world business problem that requires a solution. Think of examples of the toughest business challenges that need to be solved. These are the types of questions we will ask in a case interview. These can range from entering new markets, dealing with market risks in Nigeria, solving South Africa’s power crisis, or expanding your business into different market segments. Case interviews will typically call on you to demonstrate analytical thinking, logic, creativity, and comfort with mathematics (without using a calculator!). In addition, they

“You must remember that the case interview should not be seen as something scary or difficult, but should be seen as an exciting opportunity to figure out if you want to do this sort of work in the future.“ 46

www.africanscholar.co.za

are almost always interactive – you will be expected to ask questions, engage with the interviewer, express your opinion, and finally make a recommendation as to how the business in question should solve this problem. An important thing to note is, you don’t need prior knowledge of a particular industry or a particular set of business frameworks. Management consulting firms use case interviews to evaluate the way you deconstruct a problem and communicate with others. The interviewer will be able to observe real-time “thinking on your feet” as well as gain insight into how you handle ambiguity. How can you ‘crack the case’? Of course, there is no sure fire way of cracking the case. There are, however, some tips that you can use that will improve your chances of succeeding. There is a relatively simple four step process that will help you be more structured in your approach, and help you ensure that you are covering most of the important elements. Clarify – Make sure that you have a complete understanding of the question/problem. What helps is to listen closely to the problem definition and ask questions to improve your understanding. You may even need to paraphrase to confirm the problem statement as some information may be extraneous. Structure – Develop a plan to solve the problem. Start off with describing your overall approach and then break the problem into discrete pieces/issues. Make sure to state a crisp hypothesis and use a framework if you think this is appropriate. Don’t get caught in the trap of trying to find a framework for every case. If you think Porter’s Five Forces is appropriate, then you should use it, but don’t try to apply it just because you want to show off your knowledge of frameworks.

McKinsey

Analyse – It is important that you walk the interviewer through your thinking. Whilst you do this you should prioritise your issues and pick one piece to probe further. You can then test your hypothesis with the interviewer. If necessary you should ask for a few relevant facts and then state the findings for your analysis. Probably you will want to refine your hypothesis. If you need more information do not hesitate to probe further and once you are satisfied you can pick another piece to probe. Conclude – Finally synthesise your findings. You can start by summarising the discussion followed by your overall recommendations. Discuss the trade-offs you have made with the interviewer and relate back to the problem statement. Suggest next steps once you feel you have covered everything. What you should get out of a case interview?

We design our case studies to see how you act in business situations. Since we are using real life business problems, you can see the type of work that we do on a daily basis. As the interviewee, you must see this as an opportunity for you to decide if you want to work in this industry and for this company. If you do not enjoy solving these types of problems, then you should re-consider whether or not management consulting is for you. If, however, you enjoy the challenge of solving the toughest problems of industry today, then you will be right at home as a management consultant. In conclusion, you must remember that the case interview should not be seen as something scary or difficult, but should be seen as an exciting opportunity to figure out if you want to do this sort of work in the future. If you have fun with the case, then you are much more likely to enjoy working as a

FEATURE

management consultant. In addition, in my experience, if you have fun during the interview, you are also more likely to succeed in cracking ‘the dreaded case’.

“The people we hire need to be world class problem solvers.” www.africanscholar.co.za

Visit vw.co.za and join facebook.com/VWSA

Who knows what you might become at Volkswagen?

When you finish your degree, you’ll be “You Version 1.0”. You still have your whole future ahead of you. So you want to make sure you work for a company that will help you become a better version of you. Join the Volkswagen Graduate Recruitment Programme and become part of an innovative company that strives to always improve itself and its people. Find us on Facebook or go to vw.co.za/careers. Applications open from 1 June to 15 August 2013.

Das Auto.

Exercises EXERCISES 1

STAR JUMPS

Skills improved: Jumping to grab hold of a ledge above you. Stand up with your legs together and your hands at your sides. Jump straight up. While doing so, spread your legs and raise your hands (keeping your arms straight) to clap above your head. Time the jump so you land with your legs spread as you clap your hands. Reverse the motion to complete the repetition. 2

PUSH-UPS

Skills improved: Pushing off a zombie that’s trying to claw your face. Lie face-down, flat on the floor. Place your hands to the side of your shoulders. While keeping your body rigid, use your arms to raise you up until just before your arms are fully extended. Lower yourself back down until your chest is about a hand-height off the floor. 3

4 SQUATS Skills improved: Kicking off a zombie that’s grabbing at your ankles. Stand with your feet in line with your hips. Raise your

DIPS

Skills improved: Shoving away zombies that are chasing you. Sit on the edge of a raised platform (like your bed). Place your hands on the edges of the bed with your palms down and ﬁngers facing forwards. Keep your hands in place and extend your body away from the bed while keeping your shoulders in line with your hands. Slowly lower yourself down without allowing your butt to touch the ﬂoor, then raise yourself back up to complete the repetition. 6

SIT-UPS

Skills improved: Pulling away from a zombie that’s grabbed your hair while you’re on the ground. Lie ﬂat on your back and raise your knees. Place your hands behind your head or crossed over your chest. While tightening your stomach muscles, raise your upper body until your chest touches your knees. Lower yourself back down but do not fully come to rest on the ﬂoor.

arms out in front to be level with your shoulders. Keeping your feet in place and your back straight, slowly bend your legs until your hips are in line with your knees. Move your butt backwards to maintain balance. Slowly raise yourself back up in an opposite motion.

CALF RAISES

Skills improved: Landing from a high drop. Stand on a small raised platform like a step or a large, thick book you don’t like. While supporting yourself with a hand on the wall, edge backwards until only the balls of your feet are on the platform/book. Lower yourself down to below the starting position, and then raise your body with your feet until fully extended. Go back to the lowered position to complete the motion.

7 PULL-UPS Skills improved: Pulling yourself up onto a ledge above you. Stand on the ﬂoor in

June 2012 www.nag.co.za

front of your pull-up bar. Jump up to (if you’re short) or grab hold of the bar with your hands at the outer-most position (further apart than your shoulders), palms facing away from you. If you’re tall, bring up your legs to keep them off the ﬂoor. Keeping your back straight and in one smooth motion, use your arms to raise your body and continue until your chin is above the bar. Complete the motion by gently lowering yourself to the point just before your arms are straight. 8

CHIN-UPS

Skills improved: Holding yourself from an overhead pipe while the zombie horde grabs for you from below. Position yourself on the bar in the same way as the pull-ups, but with your hands on the inner grips with your palms facing towards you. Raise yourself up and continue the same motion as the pull-ups. 9

CRUNCHES

Skills improved: Having washboard abs to help you keep your laundry clean during the zombie apocalypse. Lie back on the Swiss ball with the small of your back positioned near the centre of the ball and your feet ﬂ at on the ﬂoor in line with your shoulders. Place your hands in the same position as a sit-up. Raise your upper body to an upright position while rolling on the ball. Hold that pose for a second or two and then lower yourself back down. Get a feel for the motion by

doing it very slowly at ﬁrst. Don’t be surprised if you fall a couple of times. 10

3 4

SIDE CRUNCHES

Skills improved: Twisting while grappling with a zombie on the ground. This is a tricky one. Position yourself on the ball on the side of your hip. Steady yourself by placing your feet in the corner against the wall, if necessary. Place your hands behind your head and tilt your upper body upwards, hold that pose, then lower yourself back down until your body is snug against the ball. Repeat this motion. Make sure that you keep your entire body – legs and back included – in line. 11

BRIDGES

Skills improved: Sitting up straight while owning your friends thanks to improved blood circulation to your brain. This is perfect for exercising your lower back muscles. Lie fl at on your back with your feet on the Swiss ball. Fan out your arms on the floor for stability (but don’t use them for lifting). Tighten your stomach muscles and lift your butt until your body is fl at from shoulders to feet. Hold for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to the floor. There’s an alternate version of the bridge that has you start with your upper back resting on the ball and your butt on the floor with your knees up. Keeping your feet in place, lift your butt until your body (from knees to shoulders) is parallel with the floor. NAG

www.africanscholar.co.za

REGULAR

LoveLife

Condoms for Him & Her

f you have sex, condoms are the best way to prevent HIV transmission. Used properly, they’re over 99% effective. Don’t want HIV? Use a condom. • They’re cheap, or free at clinics • You can get them from many places – garages, cafes, supermarkets, pharmacies, taxi ranks, etc. • You don’t need a prescription from a doctor • They’re easy to use • They can be great fun • They have no side effects or health risks • You can relax totally – lots of good feelings and no unwanted pregnancies The perfect fit Male condoms can feel loose on some guys and tight on others, but they stretch to fit any erect teenage or adult penis. Make sure your penis is hard before you try putting on the condom – better still, have your partner slide it on. Leave a little space in the condom at the head of your penis to catch your semen when you come. Why are condoms so popular? Condoms are the only contraceptives that give you the best protection from HIV/Aids infection, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy. Condoms stop body fluids from being shared between lovers during sex, which means they protect you from HIV, STIs and pregnancy. Condom Sex HIV is spread mainly through penetrative sex (in the vagina, anus or mouth). For all kinds of sex, the condom is the only way to protect yourself and your lover from HIV/Aids, an unplanned pregnancy and STIs. I feel shy about using a condom for the first time Practise to give you confidence (alone or in sexy games

www.africanscholar.co.za

“If you have sex, condoms are the best way to prevent HIV transmission. Used properly, they’re over 99% effective. with your partner). It’s important to use condoms properly to be safe. Do condoms stop the sexy feelings? Sex with a condom could feel different, but you can still really enjoy sexy feelings. And most men can go longer before ejaculating (coming) when they wear a condom – stretch the pleasure! Some people prefer a condom feeling (of course, if you know you’re safe from pregnancy and disease, you can relax and have more fun). Condoms got a bad name in the past when they were made from thick material. Today, they are really thin (you can even feel a tickle with a feather). Try them! What if a condom gets stuck inside? People often worry about this, but there is no need to worry. A girl has a cervix at the top of her vagina, which blocks the entrance to the womb. If a condom slips off it can’t go far – so relax! Use your fingers and pull it out (same for anal sex). Due to the risk of pregnancy and HIV, you should go to the clinic the next day for emergency contraception and to get

LoveLife

REGULAR

you are not sure of. • A long nail or your zip could tear the condom • If your condom does split, you can use Emergency Contraception within three days, but you may still have been infected with HIV or an STI. The female condom What is the female condom and where do you get it? Available at some clinics and chemists, the female condom goes inside the girl’s vagina and covers the outside lips. They can give a girl a great sense of freedom and control over her life and future. You can decide alone that you want to use one and even put it in some hours before sex. Some guys prefer the feeling to a male condom. Female condoms come in a packet with pictures that show you how to use them. When you put one in, relax – breathe deeply first and then slide it in gently. As part of its Comprehensive Prevention Package for Young Women, loveLife, South Africa’s largest youth development, healthy sexuality and positive lifestyle programme, is promoting female condoms, specifically FC2, the latest version of the female condom. The package includes strengthening the distribution of female condoms and increasing knowledge, positive attitudes and perceptions of them. You are healthy and full of life – so take charge of your sexual health. tested for HIV and then go again after three months. Don’t re-use condoms – use a new one every time. Remember that free condoms from the clinic are as good as the ones you buy. Hot Condom Tips •Carry condoms with you (you never know when you’ll get the chance for some loving) • Check the expiry date on the packet • Don’t carry condoms in a pocket or somewhere warm. They could melt or split • Never re-use a condom. If you’ve just had sex and you want more immediately, you need a new condom. Always have more condoms than you think you’ll use, just in case! • The male condom could slip off if a guy loses his erection inside a girl. If this happens, hold the bottom of the condom and pull it out • You may need some help to slip inside your partner, but only use spit or KY Jelly. Oils can cause the condoms to split. This means no Vaseline, baby oil, massage oils, or anything

Visit:www.lovelife.org.za Facebook: www.facebook.com/loveLife NGO Twitter: @lovelifeNGO For more information on condoms and other healthy sexuality issues, get in touch with loveLife’s Contact Centre on 0800 121 900 or send a Plz Cal Me to 083 323 1023. You can also call the Contact Centre for counselling (the Contact Centre is only available in South Africa).

“The female condom can give a girl a great sense of freedom and control over her life and future.” www.africanscholar.co.za

10 REGULAR

Student Advice

tips for

Students By Steve Pavlina

Answer the question, “Why am I going to college?” Many college students really don’t have a clear reason for being there other than the fact that they don’t know what else to do yet. They inherit goals from family and peers which aren’t truly their own. That was how I started college. Is this you as well? As I’ve stated previously on this blog, the three-semester deal wasn’t my first time at college. I had previously gone to college when I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be there. In high school I was a straight-A honors student, President of the math club, and captain of the Academic Decathlon team. That momentum carried me forward, and without really ever deciding if it was what I wanted, I found myself with four more years of school ahead of me. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but my heart just wasn’t in it. Consequently, I sabotaged myself in a big way. I blew off my classes and got an education in parties and alcohol. Apparently some administrator was

www.africanscholar.co.za

biased against students whose GPA starts with a decimal point, so I was soon expelled. That experience sent me into a bit of a tailspin. I was in a funk for about six months, mostly just playing video games. Finally in an attempt to re-ground myself, I got a retail sales job and tried to stay under the radar while taking some time to “find myself.” That was the time I began developing an interest in personal development, and boy did it pay off. A year later I was ready to go back to college, and I started over as a freshman. But this time I knew why I was there. I wanted to be a programmer, and I wanted to earn my Computer Science degree (I later added the Math degree). But it was more than that. I knew I was capable of a lot more, and I wanted to push myself. I wanted to create the richest experience I could. For me that meant a really dense schedule. Your goals for college will likely be different than mine. What are they? Why are you there? If you don’t know

Student Advice

— and I mean really know it in your gut — then you have no focal point for your experience. You may as well not even be there. What is it about your experience that resonates as true for you? What are you there to learn? What do you want to experience? Imagine your ideal college experience. Once you know why you’re going to college, imagine your ideal outcome. Let it flow outward from the reason you’re there. Whether you’ve already started college or not, stop and simply write down some attributes of your ideal experience. Describe it in as much detail as you can. Before I returned to school, I spent hours visualizing the kind of experience I wanted to have. I saw myself being challenged but managing it easily and without stress. I saw myself making new friends. I saw myself having a really

REGULAR

great time. Most of all I imagined a very balanced experience — a blend of academics, activities, socialization, and fun. The keyword I used was “richness.”

clarity for making decisions right now. Your ideal scene serves as a map that can guide you through the quagmire of options.

This was a really important step. I didn’t understand the mechanism at the time, but I was pre-programming myself to succeed. Whenever I encountered obstacles, my ideal vision was so much more compelling that I was always able to find a way to get what I wanted. I became a co-creator of my experience instead of a passive victim of it. Visualization allows you to make mistakes in advance. If you can’t get a clear visualization, your experience is likely to be just as fuzzy. Debug your visualization until it inspires you. Real life will of course turn out differently than you visualize. The point of visualization isn’t to predict the future or to restrict your freedom to decide later. The point is to give you more

Take at least one extra class each semester. Students are taught that 12-15 semester units (3-5 classes) is a “full” schedule. But a schedule that light is hardly full. A person with a full-time job will put in a good 40+ hours per week, and students enjoy every possible vacation day plus spring break, winter break, and summer vacation. If you want to spend four or more years in college, add more degrees or get a job on the side. Don’t feel you have to go at a snail’s pace just because everyone else does. Now you might be thinking that 12-15 units are supposed to equate to a 40-hour week with all the outside homework and studying, but that’s only going to happen if you do things very inefficiently (which sadly is what most people do). If you follow some of the time-saving tips later in this article, then 15 units should only require a few additional hours outside of class to complete assignments. Obviously I couldn’t have taken 31-39 units per semester if it meant doing double those hours in outside homework. I didn’t succeed by overworking myself. If you’re an above average student, you can certainly handle an above average schedule. Sometimes we don’t know what we can handle until we push ourselves a little. If you think you can handle 15 units, take 18 or 21. You can easily shave a year off your schedule. Or you may be able to add a minor or a double major. What about prerequisites? For the most part I simply ignored them, and fortunately at my school they weren’t enforced too well. I found that most of the time a prerequisite is listed, it’s geared towards below average students. Don’t let pointless bureaucracy slow you down if you want to graduate sooner. There’s always a way around it — it’s usually just a matter of getting some

“Don’t feel you have to go at a snail’s pace just because everyone else does.”

www.africanscholar.co.za

REGULAR

Student Advice

random form signed by someone who’s too bored to care either way. A smile and a compliment go a long way. By the law of forced efficiency, if you put more things on your plate, you’ll find a way to get them done with the time you have available. So if you don’t challenge yourself a little, that extra time will slip through your fingers. I think the real benefit to a dense schedule isn’t that you’ll graduate sooner. The real benefit is that you’ll enjoy a richer experience. Taking five classes instead of four means more learning, more achievement, and more friends. And what employer wouldn’t be attracted to a student who graduated more quickly than his/her peers? This sort of thing sure looks great on a resume. Set clear goals for each class. Decide what you want out of each specific class. Is this a subject you’re eager to learn? Do you want to target this teacher for a letter of recommendation? Is this a required class you must take but which doesn’t otherwise interest you? My goals for each class determined how often I would show up, whether I’d sit in the front or the back, how actively I’d participate, and what kind of relationship I’d seek to establish with the teacher. For some classes I wanted to master the material. For others I just wanted an A grade. And for others I wanted to set myself up for glowing letters of recommendations from enthusiastic teachers whose native language was English (so the letters would be highly readable and positive). My mom has been a college math professor for decades. At home she’d comment about students she barely knew who’d ask her for letters of recommendation. Many times she had to turn them down because she just didn’t have anything positive to say in the letter. On the other hand, she was happy to support those students who put in a serious effort. Most teachers

www.africanscholar.co.za

“One of my professors learned about my packed academic schedule and expressed interest in learning how I was managing it. We had a very nice conversation about time management techniques.” want to help you, but you have to let them see your strengths. Even if you don’t get an A in a particular class, you can still give a teacher plenty of material for a great letter of recommendation if you participate actively and show respect toward the teacher. This is not about manipulating your professors into lying on your behalf. The simple truth is that the quality of a letter of recommendation ultimately comes down to how much a teacher respects you. Don’t put yourself in the desperate situation of having to request a letter of recommendation from a teacher who doesn’t even remember you — or worse, one who thinks poorly of you. Set

yourself up for success in advance. One of my professors learned about my packed academic schedule and expressed interest in learning how I was managing it. We had a very nice conversation about time management techniques. I had several programming classes with this professor and aced them all. I happened to think he was an excellent teacher, I had great respect for him, and I quite enjoyed his classes. When it came time to ask him for a letter of recommendation, he wrote one of the most glowing letters imaginable (“best student I’ve encountered in my career,” etc.). On the other hand, I had certain teachers who were downright lousy. I ditched their classes often and learned the material from the textbook. Obviously I didn’t seek out their assistance down the road. Sometimes you’ll achieve your goals; sometimes you won’t. Even if you do your best, you may still fall short. You may encounter teachers that are unfair, lazy, sexist, racist, or otherwise incompetent. My wife had an overtly sexist professor who would never give a female student a grade higher than a B, no matter how well she did. He would say things like, “If you’re a male, you’ll have to work hard in this class. If you’re

Student Advice

a female, just come by my office after hours.” Eventually sexual harassment charges were filed against him. You’ll have to pick your battles. Some are worth fighting; others are best ignored. Having clear goals will help you decide which is which. Triage ruthlessly. You don’t need to put an equal amount of effort into every class. Inject extra effort when it’s important to you, but feel free to back off a little from classes that are a low priority based on your specific goals. For me this was an important way to conserve energy. I couldn’t play full out in every class, or I’d burn out, so I invested my energy where it mattered most. In every student’s schedule, some classes are critical while others are almost trivial. In a typical week, I’d usually ditch around 40% of my classes because I just didn’t need to be there. For some classes attendance was necessary, but for others it didn’t make much difference. I could simply get the notes from another student if needed, or I could learn the material from the textbook. If it wasn’t necessary for me to attend a particular class (based on my goals for that class), I usually ditched it. That saved me a lot of time and kept me from having to sit in class all day long. Sometimes I’d just grab some food with friends to give myself an extra break. I would also triage individual assignments. If I felt an assignment was lame, pointless, or unnecessarily tedious, and if it wouldn’t have too negative an impact on my grade, I would actually decline to do it. One time I was assigned a tedious paper that represented 10% of my grade. I really

didn’t want to do it, and it required a lot more hours than I felt it was worth. I was headed for an A in the class, and if I didn’t do this assignment, I’d drop to an A-. So I respectfully told the professor I was declining the assignment and that I thought it was a fair trade to receive an A- in order to reinvest those hours elsewhere. He already knew me and understood my reasons. He gave me an A-, and I was fine with that. It was indeed a fair trade. In fact, looking back I wish I’d done this sort of thing more often. Sometimes teachers get a little too homework happy and dole out assignments that really don’t justify the effort. You’re in charge of your academic experience though, not your teachers. Don’t feel you must do every assignment just because the teacher feels it’s a good idea. You be the judge in accordance with your own reasons for being there. Just be sure to consider the consequences of your decision. By stealing time from low priority assignments, I was able to invest more time in the real gems. Some creative assignments taught me a great deal. I usually hated group projects with a passion, but there was one particular group project where the team really gelled. I enjoyed it tremendously and learned a lot from it. A cool triage technique I used was timeboxing. I would decide how much time an assignment warranted, and then I’d do the best job I could within

REGULAR

the allotted time. So if I had to write a 10-page research page on European history, I might devote 8 hours to it total. I’d slice up the 8 hours into topic selection, planning, library research, outlining, writing, and editing, and then I’d do my best to stay within those times. This was a great way to keep me from overengineering an assignment that didn’t need it. In a way this was my own method of academic load balancing. Some of your assignments will be unbalanced in the sense that they seem to require an unreasonable amount of effort compared to how much of your grade they represent or how much you expect to benefit from completing them. Sometimes I would decide that the effort to write an A-paper just wasn’t warranted. Maybe I’d estimate it would take me 20 hours to do an A job but only 10 hours to do a B job. And if the assignment was only 10% of my grade, perhaps I could accept a B there. I often thought in this Machiavellian fashion back then, and often to my surprise I found that my B-quality papers would come back with As anyway. Get an early start to each day. I’ve written previously about the benefits of becoming an early riser. I wasn’t getting up at 5am when I was in college, but I’d usually get up around 6-7am. I found that getting an early start each day

“I found that getting an early start each day helped me get a lot more done, not just in the morning but throughout the day.“ www.africanscholar.co.za

REGULAR

Student Advice

helped me get a lot more done, not just in the morning but throughout the day. I began each day with a 25-minute run followed by a shower and breakfast. This simple morning routine got me out the door feeling alert and energized. I’d be lying if I said I got up early because I wanted to. It was really out of necessity. I had many morning classes, including 7:30am classes one semester. But I’m glad I did that because if I didn’t have those morning classes, I just would have slept more than I needed to. Even if you hate morning classes, you may find as I did that you’re a lot more productive if you schedule them anyway. Reclaim wasted time during your classes. Let’s face it. Not every class is going to require your utmost concentration. Sometimes teachers babble. Sometimes they reiterate what you already know. What percentage of class time requires your complete, focused attention? For some classes it’s 90%. For others it’s 20%. If you aren’t actively learning during class, you’re wasting time. If a class is really challenging, sit in the front and soak up every word. But if a class isn’t challenging you, then sit in the back, do homework for other classes, and pop your head up every once in a while to see if there’s anything worth jotting down. Always have a book open, so when your hippie professor goes off on yet another nostalgia trip about the 60s, you’ll have something productive to do. This was a surprisingly great cure for boredom. If the professor was droning on and putting everyone to sleep, I’d be working on programming assignments. I used to write them out on paper and then go to the computer lab between classes and type them up. That way I didn’t have to spend much time outside class in the lab, sometimes just 10-15 minutes if my program worked the first time. You’ll be amazed at how much time you can free up using this method. I was able to complete the bulk of my

www.africanscholar.co.za

assignments in class (but usually not in the classes in which the tasks were assigned). If you’re in school right now, I challenge you to see how much extra homework you can complete during your normal class time today. Then estimate how many hours you’ll save every week from this practice. It really adds up. You can’t concentrate at peak efficiency continuously, so be sure to take breaks. When you need a break though, take a real break. I used to meditate or nap on the grass between classes in order to recharge myself. I’d use my wristwatch alarm to signal when it was time to get up and go again. Those breaks were very restorative, and I could go to the next class and work full out once again. I never worked flat out all day long. I worked in waves between total concentration and total relaxation, cycling many times per day.

to learn the material. In software development it’s well known that bugs should be fixed as soon as possible after they’re introduced. Waiting to fix a bug near the end of a project can take 50x as much effort as it would take to fix the bug the first time it was noticed. Failing to learn what you’re supposedly taught each day is a serious bug. Don’t try to pile new material on top of an unstable foundation, since it will take even more time to rebuild it later. If you don’t understand something you were taught in class today, treat it as a bug that must be fixed ASAP. Do not put it off. Do not pile new material on top of it. If you don’t understand a word, a concept, or a lesson, then drop everything and do whatever it takes to learn it before you continue on. Ask questions in class, get a fellow student to explain it to you, read and re-read

Learn material the very first time it’s presented. One of the biggest time wasters in school is having to relearn something you didn’t learn properly the first time. When students say they’re studying, most of the time they’re making up for a previous failure

“If you don’t understand something you were taught in class today, treat it as a bug that must be fixed ASAP.“

Student Advice

the textbook, and/or visit the professor during office hours, but learn it no matter what. I was normally an ace in math, perhaps because my mother is a college math professor who was taking calculus classes while I was in the womb. Plus my father was an aerospace engineer, so I’ve certainly got the genes for it. But there were a couple topics I found incomprehensible when they were first introduced: eigenvalues and eigenvectors. I’m a highly visual learner, which is normally a strength academically, but I found these abstract concepts difficult to visualize. Many of my classmates found them confusing too. I invested the extra effort required to grasp these concepts and earned an A in the class because I treated my confusion as a bug that had to be fixed immediately. Those students who allowed their confusion to linger found themselves becoming more and more lost as the course progressed, and cramming at the end couldn’t bestow complete comprehension. Just like programming bugs, confusion multiplies if left untreated, so stamp it out as early as possible. If you’re confused about anything you’re being taught, you’ve got a bug that needs fixing. Don’t move on until you can honestly say to yourself, “Yes, I understand that… what’s next?” Ideally there should be no need to study outside of class, at least in the sense of relearning material you didn’t learn the first time. You can review old material to refresh your memory, but you shouldn’t have to devote a minute of your time to learning something that was taught a month or two earlier. During finals I was probably the least-stressed student of all. I didn’t have to study because by the time the final exam came up, in my mind the course was already over. The test was just a formality. While everyone else was cramming, I’d be at the arcade playing video games. I’d already learned the material and completed all the assignments (at least the ones I was going to complete). At most I’d just

spend some time reviewing my notes to refresh the material the night before the test. Isn’t this how academic learning is supposed to work? Otherwise what’s the point of showing up to class for an entire semester? During each semester ask yourself this question: Am I ready to be tested right now on everything that has been taught up to this point? If your answer is ever “no,” then you know you’re falling behind, and you need to catch up immediately. Ideally you should be able to answer “yes” to this question at least once a week for every subject. Falling behind even a little is an enormous stressor and time waster. First, you have to go back and re-learn the old material when the rest of the class has already moved on. Secondly, you may not learn the new material as well if it builds on the old material because you lack a solid foundation, so you just end up falling further and further behind. Then when you come to the end of the semester, you end up having to re-learn everything you were supposed to learn. But because you cram at the last minute, after finals you forget everything anyway. What’s the point of that silliness? It’s like overspending on a credit card that charges you 25% interest. Eventually you’ll have to pay up, and it will cost you a lot more time in the long run. Put in the effort to learn your material well enough to get As in all your classes. It will pay off. Much of the material you learn will build on earlier material. If you get As in your freshman courses, you’ll be well prepared to pile on new material in your sophomore year. But if you get Cs that first year, you’re already going into your second year with an unstable foundation, making it that much harder to bring your grades up and really master the material. Make straight As your goal every semester. In the long run, it’s much easier. I found that C students tended to work a lot harder than I did, especially in their junior and senior years, because they were always playing catch up. Despite my packed schedule, it wasn’t stressful for me

REGULAR

because I kept on top of every subject. Consequently, I had plenty of time for fun while other students experienced lots of stress because they constantly felt unprepared. Master advanced memory techniques. One of the keys to learning material the first time it’s taught is to train yourself in advanced memory techniques. I used them often in classes that required rote memorization of certain facts, including names, dates, and mathematical formulas. If a teacher wrote something on the board that had to be memorized verbatim for an upcoming exam, I’d memorize it then and there. Then I wouldn’t have to go back and study it later. I’m sure you’ve encountered simple mnemonic techniques such as using the phrase “Every good boy does fine” to memorize the musical notes E, G, B, D, and F. Those kinds of tricks work well in certain situations, but they’re so grammar school. There are far more efficient visual techniques. The two I relied on most in school were chaining and pegging. It’s beyond the scope of this article to explain these techniques in detail, but you can find plenty of books on memory improvement, such as The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne. I recommend learning from a book because then you’ll build a solid foundation step by step. These techniques will allow you to memorize information very rapidly. For

“These techniques will allow you to memorize information very rapidly. For example, with pegging I could usually memorize a list of 20 items in about 90 seconds with perfect recall even weeks later.” www.africanscholar.co.za

REGULAR

Student Advice

example, with pegging I could usually memorize a list of 20 items in about 90 seconds with perfect recall even weeks later. Experts at this are faster. Anyone can do it — it’s just a matter of training yourself. I still use these techniques today. Chaining allows me to memorize my speeches visually. When I give a speech, my imagination runs through the visual movie I’ve created while I select words on the fly to fit the images. It’s like narrating a movie. My speech isn’t memorized word for word, so it sounds natural and spontaneous and can be adapted on the fly to fit the situation. Memorizing visually is much faster and more robust than trying to memorize words. If you memorize a speech word for word and forget a line, it can really throw you off. But with a series of images, it’s easier to jump ahead to the next frame if you make a mistake. Our brains are better suited to visualize memorization than phonetic memorization. I don’t recommend memorizing by repetition because it’s way too slow. Pegging and chaining do not require repetition — they allow you to embed strong memories on a single pass, usually in seconds. The downside is that pegging and chaining require a lot of up-front practice to master, but once you learn them, these are valuable skills you’ll have for life. I also found that learning these techniques seemed to improve my memory as a whole, even when I’m not actively trying to memorize. I think this practice trained my subconscious to store and recall information more effectively. It’s a shame these techniques aren’t normally taught in school. They would save students an enormous amount of time. Do yourself a favor and learn them while you’re young. They have a lot of practical applications, including remembering people’s names.

10 58

Have some serious fun! Challenge yourself academically, but give yourself plenty of time

www.africanscholar.co.za

“Squeeze as much juice out of college as you can, and let it serve as a springboard to a lifetime of fulfillment.” for fun as well. Don’t squander your leisure time hanging around doing nothing. Go out and do something active that will blow off steam and increase your energy. One of my favorite college leisure activities was frisbee golf (also called disc golf ). I used to play for hours at night with a couple friends, sometimes until my fingers became blistered… or until campus security gave us the boot for hitting one too many non-player students. While playing frisbee golf, we would often have to scavenge through bushes, wade through fountains, and climb over various hazards trying to recover errant frisbees. It was always lots of fun, and we’d usually “play through” these obstacles. Several hours of frisbee golf served as a delightful reward at the end of a challenging week. I still remember an incredible “hole in one” shot I made from a second-story balcony to hit a light post at the edge of a soccer field. My biggest regret about college is that I didn’t have a girlfriend during that time. If I had it to do all over again, I probably would have added an extra semester and taken fewer classes to make time for that someone special. I had the opportunity, but I had to pass it up because my schedule was too packed. Girlfriends can be a lot of fun, but most aren’t very efficient. This article’s advice centers on making your college experience as rich and memorable as possible. Get your school work done quickly and efficiently, so you have plenty of time for the variety of activities college can offer. Join clubs. Play frisbee

golf. Get a boyfriend or girlfriend. The worst thing you can do is spend your time falling behind academically due to poor habits, feeling stressed and unprepared all the time, and then playing catch up. Squeeze as much juice out of college as you can, and let it serve as a springboard to a lifetime of fulfillment. People often assume my aggressive schedule must have been stressful and exhausting, but the irony is that it was just the opposite. I seemed to have an easier, more enjoyable experience than my peers. Students with lighter schedules slacked off and fell behind because they convinced themselves they could make up for it later. But I couldn’t afford to do that because it would have been impossible for me to catch up on a dozen different classes… and way too stressful to even think about it. If I fell even a week behind, I’d be in serious trouble. So I was compelled to develop good habits that kept me perpetually relaxed, focused, and energized. Many of the habits discussed above were simply the result of setting the goal to graduate in three semesters. That goal dictated the process. I’m very grateful for the experience because it showed me just how much more effective we can be when we push ourselves beyond our comfort zones. It taught me to keep setting goals beyond what I feel certain I can accomplish. Many times what we assume to be impossible just isn’t. We only think it is.

THE AFRICAN SCHOLAR

FEATURE

Lerato Mahlaole

Education

& Entrepreneurship

outh Africa is full of entrepreneurs who began with a dream and turned it into a thriving reality. It is always wonderful to read entrepreneurial success stories, and how a dream developed into so much more. Nothing in this world has more power than the true story of a person. Great narratives are like the “life cycle of a butterfly”. It is a slow and long process, but in the end it thrives with a compelling reality, success. A dream is something every entrepreneur should have to start their own business. For Lerato it was much more than an idea, it was a dream, a gift, one that she manifested into a reality . Lerato Mahlaole is a 29 old lady born to John and Pulane in a small town called Orkney in the North West Province. At the age of 11 she and her family moved to Pretoria where in the following year, her entrepreneur attributes started manifesting. She calls

www.africanscholar.co.za

it a gift because as far as she’s concerned, it comes so naturally to her; she sees an opportunity, develops an idea, and then she does something about it to seize that opportunity. Currently residing in the North West Province in the town of Hartbeespoort with her husband, 1 year old son and step-daughter, Lerato calls Hartbeespoort home, as it reminds her of childhood neighbourhoods in Cape Town. Lerato does not believe in deferring one’s dreams. From an early age of 12, while in school, Lerato began exploring her entrepreneurial skills; after identifying a demand for posters of American Hip Hop and RnB artistes, she realised that pupils at her school wanted the posters and were prepared to pay for them. She supplied them with these posters for as little as R1 each. With an initial dream of becoming a child psychologist she did not know that what she was doing, while in primary school, could actually be a

Lerato Mahlaole

career. During her years at university she tried a couple of businesses; selling a new brand of sanitary towels and self-handmade and designed handbags to ladies on campus. She worked for the Foschini Group as a Trainee Buyer before joining the Embassy of Japan and later the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). With an already exiting and deep love for fashion, she decided to ‘apply her dream to her passion’. With a bit of influence from family members who had been involved in either selling or designing cloths, this was not a difficult step to take. She decided to own her own business; she started an online lingerie store called Petticoat Haven where she sells all kinds of lingerie. As she considers Petticoat Haven as her baby she sometimes has to work up to 12 hours a day. Despite holding a National Diploma in Marketing Management from the IMM, Lerato has never been formally employed as a Marketer. She draws inspiration from a number of people, but most importantly, her humble, polite mother and hardworking father who have been an inspiration to her. Her motivation is the freedom of being an entrepreneur; the freedom to try out things, to explore your creativity and entertain different ideas that cross your mind. To her, that is what it means to be alive. Talking openly about sexuality and anything in that sphere, including sexy lingerie and costumes, are in a way still taboo in most of the conservative societies in Africa. Petticoat Haven however wants to change this by breaking these barriers. Not only is Petticoat Haven an online store; with its numerous activities, it also gives women the opportunity, a platform where they can share their lessons and experiences among themselves. It also aims to create an environment where a husband and wife or a couple can go shopping together for the lingerie they like and want, and therefore create a fun environment for both of them. Lerato believes this could build

FEATURE

healthier and stronger relationships. When she first shared this idea, she received all kinds of reactions both positive and negative. But the support from her husband, brother, sister-in-law and parents have been wonderful. Her business partner gave her a straight ‘go for it’ the very first time she shared the idea. Lerato promises a lot from Petticoat Haven; an entertainment wing, in the near future, that will host and exhibit products at bridal showers, bachelor parties and baby showers. Talk Shows and one-on-one counselling sessions will also be offered. Lerato would like to see herself making it as an entrepreneur with multiple fashion houses. At some point she also plans to do an MBA. While aiming for higher education is very important, energies can also be directed at doing so for the purpose of realising one’s dream of being self-employed, being free, being entrepreneurial-Lerato is testimony to this.

THE FUTURE IS IN

MY HANDS OUR MAGAZINE

African Scholar magazine is a quarterly journal aimed at highlighting course offerings at higher institutions of learning and career opportunities across the continent. Our readership ranges from matriculants to postgraduate students. Our aim is to educate, inspire, inform and entertain African scholars through the diverse content we publish

BUSINESS PARTNERS

Our clients have come to appreciate our space as a great platform for a plethora of solutions affecting their strategic business outcomes. Media solutions ranging across from funding opportunities, talent acquisition, and product awareness campaigns. Partnering with African Scholar Magazine will undoubtedly enhance your brand Image on the African continent, thus adding value to your organization. HTTP://WWW.AFRICANSCHOLAR.CO.ZA Phone: +27-11-794-4141 Email: info@africanscholar.co.za

AFRICAN SCHOLAR MAGAZINE

Work from anywhere, anytime!

Helping start-up and small businesses stay on the move. Sage Pastel Online offers you great online business management solutions such as: 路 Simple and secure online accounting for SMEs. 路 Online payroll software for start-up and small businesses. 路 An online personal financial management tool. 路 An online marketing solution.

online

www.sagepastelonline.com

online