BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Come along on a journey with me as we delve into the African business world with Dr. Rutendo Hwindingwi. With over 20 years of expertise, he's the man and founder behind Tribe Africa Advisory, crafting business programs for major companies across the continent.   Beyond the suits and strategies, he also wears hats as the non-exec director of the British Chamber of Business in Southern Africa and the Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce Digital Forum Committee.   Rutendo recently gifted us with his latest book, "Reflections Of A Son Of The Soil: A Collection Of 55 African Proverbs." and that was also the starting point of a fun and laughter episode as we delve into his vast experience, the nuances and opportunities of doing business in Africa.

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Workplace productivity is commonly assessed by evaluating the influence an employee has on the business and its stakeholders, explains Marie Huyser, HR Director of Porcupine Union. Porcupine Union is a company specialising in providing user-friendly HR technology, HR systems, and innovations to diverse industries and part of the King Price group of companies. They are currently in the midst of establishing an office in the United Kingdom. According to Huyser, despite the potential support from artificial intelligence in recruitment technology, it can never entirely substitute human interaction. She emphasizes the difficulty of creating a system that is both straightforward and user-friendly for both managers and employees.

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za I discuss the challenges kickstarting and managing a successful business in South Africa with Phillip Moore, an accomplished entrepreneur. Drawing on his four-year stint as an Operations Manager in Nigeria and his venture into the medical software sector upon returning to South Africa, Phillip shares invaluable insights. I delve into his entrepreneurial journey, which led to investments in Rhino SA, a prominent technical brand specialising in rugby gear and apparel.

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Seeking to transform service delivery in the motor industry, Julie Calidicott became an automotive industry entrepreneur. She established Pinewood SA, addressing the challenge of reselling, implementing, and managing the Pinewood Dealer Management System software for South African motor dealerships. This product is intended to help dealerships deliver better client service in a very complex, multifaceted environment. Now, years later, the motor industry and the vehicle dealership franchise model are experiencing disruption and revolution. Customers are also becoming even more demanding, while the world is increasingly moving online, making big data all the more important. At it again, Julie has recently launched an auto tech company, Motify, exploiting new opportunities to improve automotive customer service delivery through people-driven big data. I talked to her about this and other developments around vehicle industry service delivery.

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za While there are ongoing discussions regarding the perceived shortage of skills in Africa, an entrepreneur from Soweto, Africa Nkosi, the co-founder of Khonology, a software development business, is dedicated to demonstrating that Africa unquestionably possesses the capability to create world-class business solutions through technology, digitisation, and automation, as well as compete on a global scale. "The core issue is not the potential or skills," he emphasizes, "but what is taught at universities, in contrast to what the market truly demands. With Khonology, we have successfully harnessed the power to deliver substantial business value, promote equal revenue sharing, and drive employment opportunities." A substantial portion of their business revolves around bringing ideas to life, creating scalable solutions, and identifying and nurturing the right talent.

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Venete Klein, a renowned business author and the owner of a highly successful consulting firm, shares the winning formula for success: "Keep your focus sharp and outwork everyone around you." With humble beginnings as a waste clerk in the banking sector in 1978, Klein's determination propelled her to become the first female Executive Director for Barclays in South Africa in 2005. In 1997, she participated in the Nelson Mandela professional development program, which provided valuable international experience in the US banking sector. As the first female president of the Afrikaans chamber of business, Klein emphasizes the importance of making a meaningful impact and understanding the intricate details of one's business to ensure sustained growth.

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Jason Morris's journey started in the cinema business before taking a daring leap and founding a freight company with just R750, resulting in an impressive R20 million turnover in one year. Later, excelling in law as a debt counsellor, Jason emphasizes the importance of an information-driven society and advanced technology, giving the younger generation a 'business headstart.' As the Managing Co-Director of Snaid and Morris, a prominent law firm in South Africa and the UK, they specialize in insolvency, litigation, and family law, thriving on strong relationships, even attracting foreign interest. Jason's tenacious "do-it-yourself" attitude keeps him ahead in the game.

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Even as a young schoolboy, Thina Nodada showcased his entrepreneurial spirit, standing out from the crowd. However, he soon realised that he had a burning desire to carve his own path. With this fierce determination, Thina embarked on a transformative journey, honing his skills through a rigorous graduate program focused on imports and exports while working for a prominent logistics company. Driven by a vision to make a lasting impact, Thina Nodada founded Waymaker Trade Solutions in 2018—a groundbreaking global trade solutions company. Acknowledging the untapped potential of Africa, he couldn't help but feel a sense of regret. While the continent exported its valuable resources, it wasn't producing enough goods for its own needs, but this represents an immense opportunity for Africa from a trading standpoint. klipkouers.com

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za The director of a company needs to stay close to the coalface, yet remain detached enough to effectively direct the business. This, according to Brian Lupton-Smith, has been the key to the success of Witon Chemicals over the past quarter of a century. Witon is a Latex Compounding organisation servicing the local Textile and Flooring industry. Born in the Cape but bred in KZN, Brian’s character as a young man was shaped through experiences on the Unicorn Shipping fleet and during the Border War, before being mentored in the Carpet industry by Stephan Colle at Belgotex. Brian places a high premium on mentoring, as he believes Witon is all about its people. As he says, “If they can grow, they will grow the business…” klipkouers.com

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za #DoingSomethingGreat This is Yaron Assabi’s mission in life. As a proud cancer survivor, Assabi is an entrepreneur who is passionate about ICT. The Digital Solutions Group (www.dsg.co.za), established in 1998, was his brainchild. DSG specialises in relationship marketing solutions.  The art of relationship marketing, says Assabi, is about having real relationships. As was the case with his fight against cancer, Assabi also believes that one has to be resilient, and have the necessary tenacity, to make it in business. Most of all, however, you need to keep things exciting, and have fun!

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Although not as hands-on as he used to be 20 years ago, Duram MD Mike Stekhoven still has his finger firmly on the pulse of the paint industry. The Duram family business originated in 1981, when Stekhoven bought a company that had developed a polyurethane waterproofing product called Duram 195. Since then, Duram has continuously pushed the boundaries of ‘smart paint’ over the past 40 years. Such as their introduction of Raincote, the first acrylic waterproofer for the retail trade in South Africa. Describing an entrepreneur as the eternal optimist, Stekhoven maintains that focus, in business, is the most critical ingredient for success. klipkouers.com

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Alex MacPhail had a fascination with flying from a young age and has been a professional pilot for 21 years. Trained as an Air Force pilot, MacPhail spent three years flying formation aerobatic displays with the Silver Falcons. Thereafter he piloted Airbus and Boeing airliners all over the world for 12 years, before being retrenched due to the demise of SAA. MacPhail’s entrepreneurial instincts took over, though, and he now shares insights, from more than two decades of professional aviation, as a keynote speaker. And, as host of 'Alex MacPhail Podcast' and 'World Championship Air Race' podcast, he has interviewed more than 100 world class performers from across the globe. www.klipkouers.com #klipkouers #podcast

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za As one of the continent’s most knowledgeable leaders in Mining Engineering, Bernard Swanepoel demonstrated, as CEO of Harmony Gold, the ability to manage the delicate balance between cost and optimised productivity through team work. With more than 40 years’ experience in the South African mining industry, of which a quarter of a decade was in executive management, Swanepoel was recently appointed an independent non-executive director of construction and engineering group Aveng’s board, and he also serves on the boards of Impala Platinum, Zimplats and Omnia Holdings. As a leader, he has passionately strived throughout his career to flatten the corporate hierarchy and remove unnecessary layers of management. klipkouers.com #klipkouers #podcast

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Paul Higgins' see possibilities and make things work has been key in establishing DINGO as an industry-standard in predictive maintenance. Originally from Queensland, Australia, Paul completed an MSc in Engineering Management in Missouri, USA, before spending a number of years with Clorox in California, leading maintenance improvement efforts at 34 manufacturing facilities worldwide. Returning Down Under in 1994, he joined DINGO Software, where he swiftly introduced an innovative approach to mining maintenance that dramatically increases operational efficiency and saves millions of dollars by proactively caring for equipment. As Paul quips, it takes some sort of a genius to believe in the unknown. klipkouers.com #klipkouers

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Duncan Blackburn, retired owner of Karbochem Holdings, boasts extensive experience in process engineering and change management. He explains how Karbochem became a private holding company, holding assets purchased from Sentrachem Ltd. The buyout signalled the start of an era focusing on innovative product development, process improvement and environmental best practice. However, Duncan suggests that, due to the current political and economical climate, South Africa has become a rather negligible part of the global market and that the chemical industry faces challenging times. To succeed, companies need to follow the example of one of Karbochem’s former subsidiaries, SLC, who are developing new, revolutionary products that enable them to still compete globally. klipkouers.com #klipkouers

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za Stephan Colle, Chairman of the Board of Belgotex International, is a carpet and textile entrepreneur who has exceeded industry benchmarks to boost the flooring trade. The son in law of the late Roger De Clerck, a highly influential Belgian ‘captain of industry’, Stephan recalls how he and wife Anne established a progressive manufacturing plant in Pietermaritzburg in 1983 to manufacture hi-tech nylon yarn. The following year, Colle expanded the operation into a vertically integrated carpet manufacturer, Belgotex Carpets, which diversified into vinyl, artificial grass and rubber. Belgotex’s market share has grown significantly on the back of technological innovations and state-of-the-art products. klipkouers.com #klipkouers

BizCrush Sponsored by the SLC Group: https://slcgroup.co.za The Synthetic Latex Company plays a pivotal role in the SA chemical industry. MD Quentin van den Heever recounts how SLC originated in 1967 as a joint venture with Revertex SA, which 50 years later culminated in an acquisition from Karbochem Holdings. SLC produces latex polymers for the coatings, construction, paper & board and carpet & textile industries, and branched out into chemical distribution, integrated warehousing, industrial cleaning, toll manufacturing, bulk storage and dust suppression. They also tapped into the coworking phenomenon by setting up WorkZone@SLC, while another initiative, The Shared Services Company, offers Corporate Services to entrepreneurs and SMEs. klipkouers.com #klipkouers