Page 16 - KZN Business Sense 5.3

THE NEED TO CREATE A FRESH VISION

Akhona Mahlati, CEO we have a responsibility to all of includes the recognition of
BusinessFit our stakeholders to create and skills development effort and
sustain an environment which learnerships, for example.
B USINESS- to us! developmental and
mobilises all the talent available
BusinessFit is about
FIT’s
BusinessFit was founded upon
RESPONSE TO the realisation that the gainful sustainability strategies not,
simply doing things to gain
SONA JUNE employment of our people and, BEE points; we advocate, guide
2019 especially our youth, is the key to and support what makes good
economic growth. This growth business sense!
President will be achieved through fuelling
Ramaphosa market demand and, creating Be strategic, be ‘Sent! 
initiated opportunities for personal
his State of growth through meaningful For more information please contact
the Nation engagement in business. Tel: +27 (0)31 767 0625
Address with a reflection E-mail: info@businessfit.co.za
on the historical origins of BusinessFit was founded upon Website: www.businessfit.co.za
dispossession and alienation of the vision of a fully inclusive
the majority of this country’s economy, both in terms of
citizens as a result of the employment opportunities and,
implementation of the Natives direct participation in business.
Land Act. He noted that: “The One does not have to delve too
effects of that law are still present deeply into research findings to
with us”. confirm that the most successful
and sustainable creator of jobs is
This marginalisation process the small business sector; driven Akhona Mahlati and David White with President Cyril Ramaphosa,who congratulated
was taken to its logical by entrepreneurs. them on BusinessFit’s initiatives
conclusion through the
consolidation of all apartheid- BusinessFit has developed
related laws and practices. From a model which, through
a business perspective, this the enabling environment
process has left us with a legacy provided by BBBEE legislation
of vastly unrealised potential and, common sense, serves to
in our human capital and an discover entrepreneurs who have
impoverished marketplace. established potentially going
Given the head start that our concerns, to help them grow
mineral wealth and agricultural their business understanding and
production gave us, the current skills and then integrate them
circumstances that we find into a supply chain, on the basis
ourselves in is nothing short of of mutually beneficial business
tragic – the result of limited and relationships.
misdirected vision. Looking to
the East provides examples of Our focus to date has been
what could have been for our to support the development
country. of emerging business into
sustainable and growing
President Ramaphosa, in his enterprises with ever increasing
State of the Nation Address capacity to create employment
touched on the many challenges opportunities. We have well-
that we face and, the need to documented success stories in
create a fresh vision for our this regard but, what of the plight
future. of those desperately seeking
employment? Those young
We at BusinessFit believe in people who, often with the odds
business’ capacity to make an against them, have achieved a
enormous contribution to the new level of education, those whose
dawn, we believe that business innate abilities have not been
should adopt our president’s discovered, those who have no
theme: “Thuma Mina”; namely, opportunity to discover their
“Send Me (Us)”. Our position is talents and to apply them.
that business cannot change the
past, neither the formative years BusinessFit is well positioned,
of the marginalisation process through the capabilities within
nor the recent ‘lost nine years’. our own team members and
We apply thoughtful strategies in our diverse networks to support
response to challenging and ever- established business entities
changing circumstances. We rise in the discovery, development
to every occasion! and mobilisation of talent, as
employees; either existing or,
Political agendas are rarely future. People who are truly
founded upon sound business ‘business fit’; contributing to
sense (consider Brexit). As business objectives. Again,
such, business, as a collective, enabling legislation, which
has to take action to address makes provision for the
the ‘clear and present dangers’ funding of job creating and job
facing us. In terms of King IV, enrichment initiatives exist. This

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