In This Issue

One of the single scariest challenges for a growth business is when they must make the calls to “level-up” on their talent within their organisation. The standard monthly cost for an experienced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is between R2m and R5m per annum. Gulp. For a growth business this represents a very significant investment. Not only are you bringing in an expensive resource, but this is also a person who will interrogate your business in a way that your current bookkeeper or accountant never has.

Read our exclusive cover story titled The innovation factory – built for famine, not a feast? by Lauren Drake, Co-founder & Director, FiftyKnots, plus a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics.

The South African media have recently reported growing concern within SARS about the online promotion of so-called “luxury dupes”. Dupes are short for “duplicates” and represent products that mimic well-known luxury brands and are often promoted on TikTok, Instagram and other social platforms, but at a fraction of the price.

From WhatsApp messages to viral videos, online posts are increasingly driving workplace disputes and dismissals. This article unpacks how South African labour law treats social media conduct, the limits of freedom of expression, and why digital footprints now form part of the 2026 employment relationship.

Over the course of my career - as a gold and bond trader, a portfolio manager running large global multi-asset and solutions portfolios - I’ve often been asked: What lessons have you learned?

In 2024 nominal average per person income in the UAE was US$ 49,400, roughly eight times that of South Africa’s US$ 6,250. On global rankings for GDP per capita, the UAE is among the top 25 countries, while South Africa ranks around the 110th, indicating the degree to which the UAE is ahead in relative living standards.

Tomorrow’s leaders will still need wisdom. Wisdom still needs experience. And experience still needs time.

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is not a business book, yet its lessons resonate deeply in today’s workplaces. From fear-driven leadership to purpose-led performance, the story offers powerful insights for employers navigating trust, control and growth in an evolving world of work.

Read our exclusive cover story titled AI and the apprentice – a future of leaders without experience and wisdom? by Nokwethu Khojane, Director and CEO, GoSkillsCafe Recruitment, plus a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics.

South Africa stands at a crossroads. We are a nation of extraordinary potential, weighed down by entrenched poverty, youth unemployment, and climate vulnerability. For decades, Corporate Social Investment (CSI) has been part of our development landscape, often perceived as a peripheral act of charity. Increasingly, however, there is recognition that social investment be repositioned as a lever for long-term growth and resilience.