In This Issue

Extreme weather events - floods, droughts, typhoons and wildfires - and their frequency - are getting worse. In the past, these disasters were considered unpredictable, inalterable natural events. Today, extreme weather events are largely accepted as inevitable, and their severity and frequency influenced, if not caused, by human activity.

Family businesses are the backbone of the global and South African economy, contributing significantly to the country's GDP and employment. However, these businesses also face unique challenges, particularly in managing the complex interplay between family dynamics and business operations.

Read our exclusive cover story titled Blurred lines – [un]natural disasters and insurance risk by Donald Dinnie, Director, and Danita Mungaroo, Candidate Attorney, Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa, plus a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics.

The idea of “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO) is something most of us are now very familiar with. As people, we’ve always had a propensity to worry about missing exciting events or experiences, but social media has exacerbated these feelings by giving us a front row seat into everyone else’s social lives. And this has resulted in a lot of ‘I wish I was there’ or ‘why can’t I be doing that’. But at this point, FOMO has only really related to one’s personal life - however, experts believe this thinking is now playing a role in the workplace, with disastrous effects on mental health.

Frequent and intense weather events and devastating effects of climate change are being experienced all over the world. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), over the past 50 years, extreme weather events have caused two million deaths and cost USD4 trillion in economic losses.

In an increasingly interconnected world, African businesses find themselves uniquely positioned amidst a complex web of economic, political and environmental challenges. From shifting global trade dynamics to environmental imperatives and rapid technological advancements, businesses today must build resilience as a core capability.

Is there a “cheat sheet” for when your executive committee (Exco) sits down with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to assess progress against strategic goals?

Imagine a world where finance and accounting professionals could process vast amounts of data in seconds, quickly identify patterns and anomalies and provide real-time insights into their companies’ performance. Wouldn’t that be great? Well, that future is not as far off as you might expect.

Read our exclusive cover story titled CFO “cheat sheet” - what are the 5 crucial financial focus areas? by Rowan De Klerk, CEO, The CFO Centre, plus a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics.

Engineers have long drawn inspiration from nature. Examples of such biomimicry include passive ventilation systems modelled after termite mounds and wind turbine blades with scalloped edges, inspired by humpback whale flippers, which reduce drag dramatically.