Wits Business School (WBS) aims to build future leaders in business and society by creating a community of active and innovative changemakers that grow beyond themselves. With this in mind, WBS has engaged in a number of partnerships recently aimed at accelerating business on the continent.
SEDA and WBS – Hosting of Accelerator programme
According to a recent global study conducted by a US-based venture capital firm, CB Insights, the number one reason for start-up failure is attributed to them building products for which there is no market. Other factors include lack of funding, poorly equipped teams and a lack of scalable business models.
WBS has partnered with the Small Enterprise Development Agency to pilot an e-commerce /Micromobility Accelerator programme aimed at reducing the risk of failure by ensuring that each start-up’s value proposition addresses its customers’ number one problem or biggest pain points in the most profitable manner possible.
This 12-week Programme is aimed at equipping start-ups that are operating in e-commerce last mile deliveries and which are looking to accelerate their growth to take advantage of this fast-growing sector.
A panel will select 10 finalists who will be accepted into the programme, after which they will be invited to pitch their businesses to a panel of funders for potential funding opportunities.
In 2018 e-commerce accounted for less than 2% of all retail sales, but in 2020 over 4% of all retail transaction were concluded online at the back of the Covid-19 pandemic with revenue of over R20bn. By the end of 2021 online retail sales had grown to R30,2bn and the forecast for 2022 is R42bn. However, judging by the latest developments in the retail industry this forecast could be much more, with grocery chain stores launching their own e-commerce platforms.
The growth in online retail has brought a sharp focus on the problems of last mile deliveries. This leg of e-commerce supply chain is fragmented and characterised by, inter alia, poor customer service, wrong or late deliveries, violation of road traffic regulations, poor working conditions for operators, etc.
The 12-week course, which runs from 13 January to 31 March 2023, is tailored specifically for those who own start-ups in the e-commerce sector.
A panel will select 10 finalists who will be accepted into the programme, after which they will be invited to pitch their businesses to a panel of funders for potential funding opportunities.
Find out more here.
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Wits Business School – Backstage Pass
Ever wished you could just sit down and have a proper talk with some of South Africa’s key business and thought leaders? Ever considered how corporations and start-ups can work together to ensure that digital transformation works to Africans’ benefit? Have you thought of what kind of business leadership does South Africa need to compete internationally in the future? All these questions and more are explored in our Wits Business School’s new podcast Backstage Pass.
Boston Consulting Group and WBS have partnered up to host Backstage Pass – a series of podcasts featuring conversations with key South African business leaders.
The podcast investigates important topics – including how to address key challenges, find solutions to complex problems and apply global perspectives to South Africa and the continent. The first episode aired on 6 October 2022.
Hosted by Nozipho Tshabalala, the conversations asks the tough questions that you want answered of our thought leaders and how they have practically succeeded, as well as best practices that they have implemented in their companies and their opinions on what will be needed now and in the future for companies and individuals to thrive.
The podcast investigates important topics – including how to address key challenges, find solutions to complex problems and apply global perspectives to South Africa and the continent.
Upcoming discussions include a “Next Generation leadership” episode that looks at “The Future of Leadership in South Africa for a competitive advantage” with Nyimpini Mabund, CEO of GE Southern Africa and chairman of the US-South Africa Business Centre at the US Chamber of Commerce, as well as Professor Milford Soko, Professor of International Business and Strategy at WBS.
Backstage Pass is available on all leading podcast platforms through this link: https://pod.link/backstagepass
WBS and BankSETA
According to a policy brief by UNCTAD, a United Nations agency, Cryptocurrencies have become popular in African and other developing countries. Significant proportions of Kenya (8.5%), South Africa (7.1%) and Nigeria’s (6.3%) populations are using these digital currencies. In June, the Central African Republic adopted bitcoin as a legal tender.
WBS hosted a panel discussion on Cryptocurrencies and Money Laundering as part of the BankSETA sponsored Leadership and Development Programme on Friday 2 September. This conversation is critically important for risk management professionals in the banking and financial services sector.
On Friday 28 October 2022, WBS hosted Professor Mervyn King (Good Governance Academy), Professor Phillip De Jager (UCT) and Costas Natsas from PWC as part of a panel discussion on Corporate Governance in the Banking sector. The panellists discussed ethical and conscious leadership, sustainable value creation and relevant governance issues affecting the banking sector.
What’s the latest?
WBS also recently partnered with TymeBank in their newly launched financial community platform for small and medium-sized businesses. TymeTrybe is a business owners’ one-stop shop that offers TymeBank Business Banking customers training, in addition to being part of a thriving and connected business community.
If you’re planning on using the relative quiet of December to brush up on your skills; consider signing up for the WBS Finance for Non-financial Managers programme.
TymeTrybe has partnered with Wits Business School to offer short, digestible business modules on important topics such as accounting, entrepreneurial finance and best practices – for free. These bite-size modules are especially designed to teach busy SME owners the basics and benefits of best business practices.
If you’re planning on using the relative quiet of December to brush up on your skills; consider signing up for the WBS Finance for Non-financial Managers programme. Among other topics, it covers: How to analyse financial statements and assess financial risk, the impact of different methods of costing, the meanings of the various financial ratios, evaluating investments, and assessing cash flow.
Sign up here.
Upskill towards a better and brighter future
Wits Business School (WBS) is the graduate school of business administration of the University of the Witwatersrand, one of the top tertiary institutes in Africa.
WBS is preparing the business leaders of tomorrow to manage the continent’s economic transformation effectively. These leaders will facilitate the goal of our constitution for an inclusive developmental future for all of our people.
Let us help you develop and grow your career.
Find a course that is right for you: https://courses.wbs.ac.za/
