Page 11 - SA Chamber UK - September Newsletter- eBook

national security issues in their investment decisions, and deal with restrictions on

dividends.

Strategic planning, therefore, becomes important in such a situation and should not be a
one-size-fits-all solution, but consider a myriad of outcomes. The late former US Secretary

of State Madeleine Albright’s description of international relations at a NATO seminar in
2010 is apt when she said, “Chess is a game where two people sit there quietly and can
actually think out their moves. I think the work that we’re involved in is more like billiards
or pool, where somebody comes and there are a bunch of balls in the middle of the table,

and they hit a ball hoping that it will get into the pocket on the other side but usually it
hits a bunch of other balls in a… some kind of a non-scientific or predictable way.”

In an uncertain world decision making is complex, as criminal, foreign policy, regulatory,

reputational and business risks are more prominent. To adapt and implement
mitigation strategies in such an environment, governments, corporates and investors
would benefit from having a thorough understanding of the prevailing geopolitical

environment. Flying blind is no longer an option.

- By Mohamed Cassimjee, Geopolitical Risk Consultant

Watch the replay

Aileen Campbell and Mohamed Cassimjee provide an overview of the present shifting
geopolitical environment and the heightened geoeconomic risks. They reflect on the
implications for governments based on some of the non- aligned positions taken and
the reactions and actions by major powers. https://youtu.be/pkHK2ovVuLo

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SA CHAMBER UK NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2023