Tag: business planning

Strategic business planning in South Africa needs a forward-thinking approach so when it comes to cultivating a skilled workforce, there is one action that repeatedly delivers - the inclusion of learnerships into Workplace Skills Programmes (WSP) and Annual Training Reports (ATR).

Business and Human Rights (BHR) has become increasingly important due to the world's increased focus on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG). Human rights due diligence and human rights impact assessments are some of the key controls that guide corporate strategy and planning on BHR matters.

I find it interesting to learn about the different perspectives that each generation has on the generational divide. As a member of the baby boomer generation, I remember living through the "generation gap" of the 1960s and early 1970s, where there was much turmoil, anguish, and misunderstanding caused by the length of hair gap between fathers and sons, not to mention the business of burning bras, which divided mothers and daughters.

The law is clear about how pension pay-outs are handled, and the circumstances that can prevent them. The Pension Funds Act offers employers and employees with clear insights and guidelines around how retirement funds are paid out, and what processes need to be followed in the event of a dispute.

If there is one thing 2020 has shown, it’s that the late Romantic poet Robert Burns was right, when in the 1700s he wrote, 'The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry'. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our ability to predict the 'what’s next' factor in our business environments and this year has seen businesses scramble from Plan A to Plan B, before working their way through the rest of the alphabet.

Managing and growing a business is no easy feat, this task becomes even more difficult when you factor in recessions, economic downgrades and pandemics. But the hurdles entrepreneurs and their businesses are currently facing can also be an opportunity to pivot their companies and brands.

We have unveiled the State of Entrepreneurship in South Africa after surveying more than 1,000 entrepreneurs across the country. 2019 marks our fifth year of engagement with local entrepreneurs, with the latest findings showing that entrepreneurs are optimistic and resourceful even as the sector is enduring one of the most difficult economic periods.