Page 5 - KZN Business Sense - KZN Chamber

FNB BUSINESS BEHIND BUSINESS WOMEN IN ETHEKWINI
FNB Business believes in
the advancement of gender
equality, transformation
and the empowering of women
for sustainable business growth.
This belief is among some of the
reasons we chose to support East
Coast Radio by sponsoring the
FNB Business Women’s Breakfast.
The event aims to bring together
leading business women from
various sectors in an open and
supportive environment for
sharing, learning and networking.
The FNB Women’s Breakfast
served women with the
opportunity to exchange ideas,
insights, experiences, and
From left to right: Nick Grubb, CEO of Radio at Kagiso; Stafford Maise, IT
guru and serial entrepreneur; Yolande Steyn, Head of FNB Innovations; Boni aligned with our purpose. At the
Mchunu, General Manager ECR; Khanyi Dhlomo, CEO of Ndalo Media;
Renee Burton, Marketing Manager at ECR
A RESPONSE TO THE STANDARD BANK REPORT ON LIVING
STANDARDS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Press Statement
The Daily News carried an
article that claims that a
Standard Bank Report finds
that the “Indian” community
of South Africa benefited from
apartheid. The Minara Chamber
of Commerce has been in contact
with Standard Bank to gain an
understating of the report and its
context.
It is interesting that while
the report by Standard Bank’s
Economist Siphamandla
Mkhwanazi was on the change in
Living Standards in South Africa
since 1996, the focus of article has
been on one aspect namely the
comparison of income between race
groups.
Rather than point out a racial
comparison, it would be better to
focus on the regional disparities in globally which is causing job losses counterparts. The growth
order to find positive solutions to
the challenge of rising poverty and
unemployment in our country.
The Standard Bank report has
highlighted that South Africa is
the most unequal societies in the
world even though poverty levels
challenges of being a leader in
today’s business environment.
The FNB Business Women’s
Breakfast in association with
East Coast Radio filled out the
Durban ICC on 12 August 2016.
The event brought together
female business thought-leaders
to discuss key strategic insights
to performance-enhancing ideas
and concepts, and share their own
unique inspirational business
journeys and practices with fellow
phenomenal women.
IT guru, Stafford Masie kicked
off the power presentations,
drawing attention to the fact that
have declined from 57.2% to 45.5%
between 2006 and 2011. The report
shows that over half of SA’s GDP
belongs to the metros with the City
of Tshwane having the highest
nominal per capita income followed
by Johannesburg and Cape Town.
This could be attributed to the high
level of government employees in
these cities.
We must find ways and means to
spread the economic opportunity
and unlock the latent potential
in semi-urban and rural areas
through a greater emphasis on
decentralisation of economic
growth.
Income levels have been growing
at ever slowing levels with a growth and have the lowest
of just 3% between 2011 and 2015
compared to 15% between 2000 and
2005. This is due to the economic
crisis not just in our country but
particularly at the lower income
levels.
Government and the Private
Sector need to work together to find comparison of the income
sustainable solutions not just quick levels of South African’s
fixes.
There is no denying that those
the notion of driving businesses in Using humour
a masculine way is a thing of the
past, but rather for women to open
up their business to collaboration
and co-creation of the ecosystem.
The biggest organisations are ones
that co-create, “Women are not
equal. Women are better!”
Yolande Steyn, Head of FNB
Innovations dished up honesty
with a dash of simplicity, in
her account of the challenges,
trials and tribulations of being a
woman in business. Yolande is
an industrial engineer who has
extensive experience in product
development and strategic project
management. She has played an
integral role in consulting, mobile
telecommunications, software
development, mobile money and
innovations. Yolande’s advice
to women in business is, “If you
want to make your mark, know
that you are good enough. Be the
best, then be better. Speak from
your heart. Feel that strength
you have inside of you and the
infinite capacity that you can
unlock. There are no boundaries
or barriers, except the ones you
create for yourself.”
“The work we do needs to be
end of the day, we are all wonder
women!” were the powerful words
of wisdom from Ndalo Media
CEO and award-winning media
personality, Khanyi Dhlomo, as she
shared her inspirational journey.
South Africans classified as Black
were at a disadvantage during the
apartheid era and that current
economic conditions exacerbate
this situation. This situation
cannot be ignored and must be
acknowledged.
However to suggest that those
classified as Indians alone
have benefitted in a post
apartheid South Africa is
a narrow interpretation of
Mkhwanazi’s report.
The report points out
that South Africans
classified as White
continue to earn the
highest per capita income
poverty levels in a post
apartheid South Africa.
Those classified as Indian
earn 50% of their White
in income of the so-called
Indian group has been
only 18% since 1996.
Economist Dawie Roodt’s
who he calls Indians with
citizens of India bears
and personal
anecdotes,
entrepreneur Vusi
Thembekwayo
encouraged
women to boldly
charter new
territories and
highlighted the
need for women
to compete in
the ever evolving
business world.
“Women have far
greater odds to go
up against when
they want to
build lives, build
businesses, build
careers. So I stand
before you with a Entrepreneurs from KZN
sense of humility,
knowing that I’m speaking to an initiatives and legislation being
audience of powerful people who enforced and promoted in such a
face odds, who I as a man, would way that they empower women.
never understand.”
Women can achieve what they
The event drew more than want by defining their goals and
800 women from all spheres of creating a framework in which
business and has grown to be one to achieve them. FNB Business
of the most anticipated events understands the benefits of
on the KwaZulu-Natal corporate having women-led start-up,
calendar. We’re proud to support
and invest in this high-quality scale-ups and lead businesses
event of this nature. and will continue to support
initiatives that help local female
The increased presence of owned business’ navigate the
business women plays a major uncertainties of the business
role in the social and economic world. n
factors affecting South Africa,
this has led to government www.fnb.co.za/business
no logic as there is no correlation that we must all work together to
between the two groups. It is as find solutions to the challenges
random as comparing the income that face us a country and to make
of “White” South Africans with our society a better place for all
citizens of the Netherlands. citizens. n
The Minara Chamber of kzn@minara.org.za
Commerce, as a non-racial www.minara.org.za
business organisation, believes
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