Monday, 1 March 2010

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

It has been quite a year, and I am honoured to be reporting on the activities of the BWA Cape Town branch for the period under review.  As can be seen on our list of events, we have truly inspired, empowered, developed, recognized, entertained and networked.

Our audience reach for the period under review (this is the amount of attendees at events) was 1241, which is higher than last year, considering that we did not participate in the Women’s Show this year. Our membership as at end of February 2010 stands at a total of 547 members of whom 276 are paid up members.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY and BURSARY

While the BWA has faced many challenges this year, Cape Town members once again showed their warm-hearted generosity, digging deeply into their pockets.  Our End of Year Charity Lunch managed to raise R8700 for Orphan Care Foundation, and provided 120 gift boxes to orphan children, containing toiletries, stationary, item of clothing, toys and a treat.  Even though shoe boxes were asked for, they were few and far between.  The shoe boxes were obviously too small as it seemed that the journey of buying for an identified little girl or boy, left most of our members overwhelmed and touched, and they spared no expense in making a little orphan’s Christmas special.

Guests at the Regional Achiever Awards raised R12 000 toward the bursary of a Post-graduate business student for this year.  We are in the process of reviewing applications for this year’s allocation.  Even though this is a small amount of money compared to what is required to study, we know that this makes a huge difference to our beneficiaries.

CHALLENGES

I said at last year’s AGM, that the economic crisis will affect the BWA in various ways.  As we are an organization funded by membership subscriptions, members and business who were affected by the economic climate had to tighten their belts.  This meant that our membership figures declined.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP CENSUS

One of the initiatives of the BWA is the Women in Corporate Leadership Census sponsored by Nedbank.  It was established in 2004, and serves as the only measurement of progress made by corporate women managers, directors and chairpersons of Boards of JSE listed companies.  The census shows progress, albeit slow.  This year the Census will be released in conjunction with the Minister of Women, Youth and Disabilities, and we have the opportunity to engage with her in a conference this Friday, on issues that are the causes of the census results.

FINANCES

The Treasurer’s report contains our financials.

MEMBERSHIP

BranchName	ProductType	TotalMembers	TotalPaidMembers
Cape Town	Corporate/Group Member	97	69
Cape Town	Discounted Membership	117	61
Cape Town	Full Membership	322	135
Cape Town	Honourary Membership	11	11

Total membership: 547
Paid: 276

MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

I am very pleased to say that our Mentorship Programme ran successfully this year, with a total of 14 couples having been matched.  Yvonne Finch is the facilitator of the Mentorship Programme, and the success of the programme comes from her insistence that while mentors may be successful in their own fields of expertise, they need to undergo a proper training session at a Mentoring Workshop.  The programme is structured in such a way that there is a Mentorship contract between the parties which sets out the parameters of the relationship, and the expectations of both parties.  Report back is then given through to the facilitator.

EVENTS

Full list attached to this report..  As our members range from corporates to entrepreneurs, we have tried to cater for everyone, being quite responsive to needs as conveyed in the membership surveys.  We have started with a new strategy this year of having a business event on the third Thursday evening of the month, so that it can be easily remembered and diarised.  We also started our “On the Couch with…” series, and have been privileged to host Helen Zille and Jane Raphaely thus far, both excellent events.  Our next guest will be Professor Kader Asmal, who I am sure will also be riveting.

BOOK CLUB

This continues to be an event, where the book club loyalists gather to have intellectual and entertaining discussions on a wide variety of books.  The debate can get quite heavy! Visiting authors are invited every second month to discuss the story behind the story.  Hearing the authors read passages from their books give authenticity to their words. The book club is jointly hosted by Anneline Black and Phumeza Mgxashe, and we thank them for their dedication.  Thanks also to the Lion’s Kloof Lodge for hosting this event each month.

BWA MAGAZINE

While we have had our BWA magazine previously, our second issue of our new “Associated Magazines” magazine was published recently.  The magazine continues to be well received by members and non-members alike.  In addition to a readership of BWA members, it is also bagged with 16 000 subscribers to Cosmo, Marie Claire and the “O” Magazine.  In Jane Raphaely, who was the BWA’s Businesswoman of the Year in 1986, we have a true champion for the BWA who is passionate about advancing the interests of women.

COMMITTEE

The committee consisted of the following dedicated women this year:

• Ferose Oaten - Chairperson
• Nina Joubert - Vice-Chairperson and Treasurer
• Gita Lison
• Zahida Ebrahim
• Jane Notten
• Caren Willet
• Anneline Black
• Phumeza Mgxashe
• Beverley Schafer
• Tamara Polakow
• Caroline Mack
• Millicent Wolmerans
• Yolande Pretorius (Nedbank Champion)

Caren Willet and Beverley Schafer resigned recently due to family and work commitments.

Zukiswa Mandalana and Marisa Kaplan also joined at the last AGM, but also left during the year.

Yvonne Finch, the immediate past Chairperson continues to serve on the committee for guidance and support, and has facilitated the RBAA judging process for a number of years.

I would like to thank the committee for their voluntary contribution to the growth and sustainability of the branch.  I have said on numerous occasions that this is a special team who can work hard and have fun at the same time.

Special thanks to our Corporates who provide their resources in support of the activities of the BWA.  In the Cape, special thanks go to PriceWaterhouseCoopers who provide the venue for many of our events and meetings, the Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, who year after year support us in sponsoring the brochures for our RBAA Souvenir Brochures on a national basis.

Thanks to Cheryl Steyn for her energy and enthusiasm and true passion for the BWA.  When she went on maternity leave, Caryn Gilliomee stepped in and kept us all on the straight and narrow on Cheryl’s behalf.  Thank you to both of them.

I would like to thank Nedbank, who have again renewed their sponsorship of the BWA.  These funds go toward the infra-structure of the BWA (salaries of full-time staff), and some of the BWA property, including the Businesswoman of the Year event, as well as the Regional Business Achievers Awards.  Thank you to our Nedbank champion, Yolande Pretorius, as well as Sumaya Adam, the Regional Head of Business Banking Southern Peninsula.  They contribute to our success in this region.

Lastly, I would like to thank you, our members who are the essence of the BWA.  Thank you for your support, your comments, your suggestions and your constructive criticism.  I urge you to continue being responsive, as you are the reason that the BWA exists.

If all goes according to plan, I will be stepping down as the Chairperson of the Cape Town branch at the next Committee meeting.  I will be handing over to a host of competent ladies, who will do an even better job than I did, and will continue to contribute to a portfolio on the committee.  It was a privilege to serve and to get to know so many phenomenal women.

FEROSE OATEN
CHAIRPERSON, CAPE TOWN

EVENTS FOR THE PERIOD 2009-2010

2009

11 February Budget Presentation at Parliament and workshop on the value of IT resources (Guests of the International Women’s Forum)
14 February  Speed dating event
18 February Budget presentation by Nicky Weimar, jointly hosted by the BWA, Nedbank Women’s Forum and Old Mutual Women’s Leadership Forum
20-22 February The Women’s Show
5 March BWA Book Club with author Jane Notten, book dedicated to the BWA
12 March BWA Cape Town AGM, hosted by Basetsana Kumalo, on a roadshow with the 2 BWOYA winners, Mardia van der Walt Korsten and Chichi Maponya
17 March Launch of the Mentorship Programme
7 April BWA Book Club
17 April BWA Women in Leadership Census results released and panel discussion
14 May Book Club
23 May Fashion Show hosted by the BWA, with BWA members as models
28 May Participation in the Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work day, hosting 200 Grade 11 and 12 girls
2 June Seven Lessons Learnt the Hard Way – Arthur Gillis CEO Protea Hotels
18 June Regional Business Achiever Awards Dinner at the Table Bay
2 July Book Club – visiting author Kim Meredith – Work Place Diva
16 July Woman’s Day Dinner with Mary Steward
23 July RBAA Winners’ Breakfast with the winners sharing their journeys
6 August Book Club
9 August On the Couch with Helen Zille
3 September Book Club
22 September BWA Spring Breakfast – Who is the BWA?
24 September Heritage Day Hike on Signal Hill
1 October Book Club – The Other Side of Shame: a story about an unusual adoption and reunion. Lynette Langman
21 October Women in Petroleum – with SAPIA – full day event,  One and Only
5 November Book Club
18 November BWA Charity Lunch in aid of the Orphan Care Foundation
26 November On-Line Marketing event – Dave Duarte, Internet Mobile Media Educator

2010

2 February BWA Power Lunch with Lady Barbara Judge, Jane Raphaely, Sonja Sobetse and Brigdette Radebe
4 February Book Club – visiting author Sharon Sorour-Morris discussing her biography on Kate Jowell; Something on my Mind
12 February Business Speed Dating Marathon
17 February Hosted by the International Women’s Forum in Parliament for the Budget Speech
18 February On the Couch with Jane Raphaely