South African Business 2024

OVERVIEW Education and

OVERVIEW Education and skills training Sol Plaatje University celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023. As part of a programme to spread skills to young people living in rural areas, an eco-friendly SMART Skills Centre is to be built in Sabie, the centre of the timber sector in Mpumalanga. The timber structure is the result of a partnership between the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) and the South African Forest Company Limited (SAFCOL). CHIETA aims to provide digital technology and online learning to help young people compete in the job market and the Mpumalanga SMART Skills Centre is just one of several that are being initiated across the country. Among the forestry-related skills that the centre will focus on are drone operators, but it will also respond to national skills needs such as fitters and turners. SAFCOL will cover the cost of erecting the eco-friendly wooden structure and CHIETA will supply the equipment. In November 2023, the Decade of the Artisan Programme will have run its course. The Department of Higher Education and Training set targets for skilled graduates and established Centres of Specialisation at Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges around the country. For example, ORBIT TVET College in the North West offers diesel mechanic training at its Mankwe campus and electrical training at Brits as part of the Centre of Specialisation programme. Centres of Specialisation aim to produce: • A skilled and capable workforce • Increased availability of intermediate-level technical skills • Increased delivery of qualified artisans in 13 priority trades In KwaZulu-Natal the Elangeni TVET College has achieved trade test centre accreditation in two disciplines, Welding and Electrical, and in 2023, had 50 artisans in training. Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Blade Nzimande has called on principals of TVET colleges to prioritise work placements for students. Beyond TVET colleges, the private sector actively offers training in basic and advanced skills. Shorter courses such as the twoweek bricklaying course offered by cement-maker PPC are greatly appreciated by job-seekers, all the more so because the courses are free. PPC is working together with the private Motheo Academy in Johannesburg. Other courses for small business owners or “bakkie builders” are offered, such as construction management. SECTOR INSIGHT South Africa has three types of public universities. Wits Business School launched a new MBA in Health Leadership in 2023. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has established a Learning Factory to support companies in training staff in relevant and up-to-date skills. The training is offered free and via a variety of methods: online, virtual, hybrid and practical training on the CSIR campus in Pretoria. Among the subjects covered are the Internet of Things, Digital Lifestyle Management, Additive Manufacturing and Big Data Analytics. The Southern African Wildlife College, offering diploma and short courses in conservation, is a joint World Wide Fund for Nature South SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2024 56

Thought leaders with impact Wits Business School leads research in areas critical to the continent’s sustainability. New leadership, a new strategy and international accreditation – Wits Business School (WBS) is consolidating its position as a leading African business school. Almost three years after Professor Maurice Radebe took the helm as Director and Head of WBS, the School is experiencing a turnaround, as evidenced by the growing number of corporate clients and students affiliated to the school. For Radebe, a former energy executive at Sasol Oil, leading the turnaround at WBS was an opportunity for him to give back, not only to WBS, his alma mater, but to society: “When the opportunity arose, I realised this is very much in line with my purpose, which is to develop the next generation of leaders who are ethical and who have a passion to make a difference.” Developing impactful leadership is at the heart of the School’s mission and the golden thread that runs through its programmes, whether academic or executive short courses. The MBA programme at WBS is centred around a “Leadership Quest”, an independent study component which challenges the students to reflect on their leadership style and beliefs and identify the gaps that need to be closed to become a great leader. “Our country and continent are rich with young talent. As business schools, we need to tap into this talent and develop it. We need to invest in the next generation of leaders who can take Africa into an inclusive and sustainable future. This means leading with purpose, integrity and accountability, while at the same time developing an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset,” says Radebe. To this end, WBS has established three centres of excellence which focus on developing the latest research in areas critical to Africa’s future. These include Energy Leadership, Digital Business and African Philanthropy and Resource Mobilisation. The school recently announced a new MBA in the field of Healthcare Leadership, launching in March 2024, which seeks to address the many challenges facing the healthcare sector, both locally and globally. WBS has also announced the imminent launch of a new Centre for Entrepreneurship, the result of a collaboration with the private sector which seeks to sustain the economic revitalisation of South African cities and townships. In the Executive Education division at Director and Head of WBS, WBS, impactful leadership Professor Maurice Radebe. means providing delegates with the tools to adapt to change and disruption through soft skills such as agility and resilience, along with hard skills such as digital business. Programmes are taught by both academics and industry experts. “We get people from business to teach business and in this way, we embrace the concept of ‘pracademia’ to ensure real-world impact,” says Leoni Grobler, Director of Executive Education at WBS. WBS has recently attained accreditation with the Association of African Business Schools (AABS) and reaccreditation with AMBA. The school is now shifting its focus to achieving American and European accreditation through AACSB and EQUIS. “WBS is on an exciting journey to becoming globally recognised as an African thought leader, using our reputation for academic excellence as a foundation for delivering programmes that are strongly research-based and relevant to our context and our collective future as Africans,” says Radebe. ■ 57 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2024