CHAIR REPORT

4 April 2007

The current economic climate is certainly presenting a wide range of opportunities with the focus not only being the forthcoming world cup in 2010, also, beyond.

Clearly opportunities for Business Venture Creations, Company Buy-In?s, Company Buy-outs, Employment Equity, Black Economic Empowerment and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment are being exploited by women and women?s consortiums. This however is limited to a few known women?s consortiums. The opportunities are still abundant. Certainly, the Businesswomen?s Association, the largest business women?s organisation in South Africa must be at the leading edge supporting its members to exploit these economic ventures.

To this effect:

• The Businesswomen?s Association Durban branch has negotiated with Ethekwini Municipality to host a joint conference that will highlight not only the challenges faced by women, women in business and businesswomen, but to also present current and future opportunities available extending to business matching. Yet another meeting is scheduled for tomorrow to finalise a date for this conference. It is imperative that a conference of this nature has a national and international flavour and engages the various government departments, Para-statals and Corporates. It is this challenge of combined input that has delayed the implementation process.
• The Durban Branch has focused on Business venture creation as a theme for the year 2007. Seminars have already been conducted by key individuals and parastatals with a focus on demystifying associated concepts, access to government projects focused on women and economic growth and insight into how the economic playing fields are being leveled. This was conducted by Ms Jane Wiltshire of Valbridge Trust and Ms Sam Batohi and her team of Trade and Investment Kwa-Zulu Natal.
• We look forward to our key sponsor, Nedbank presenting their intervention in Business Venture Creation, products, services and business linkages between big and small business on the 10th of April. Ms Pria Hassan, the Executive Director of Women of Africa Pty Ltd will present her experience of Business Ventures in the mining of Copper Ore in Zambia and Property Development in South Africa later this month. Business Partners will engage in a joint venture with the Durban branch to host a Business Venture Creations Evening in the month of May.
• At every event (started at the year end function) members and guests are requested to complete a Business Venture Creation data sheet to ensure that each member has access to the opportunities presented to the Businesswomen?s Association and that the creation of consortiums are facilitated.
• A strategic alliance with the Graduate School of Business (of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal) was facilitated by a member of the committee, Ms Nazira Osman. We will engage in joint ventures with a focus on women in business, business women and business venture creations in the form of conferences, seminars and workshops locally, nationally and internationally (through universities). Access to their lecture halls and seminar rooms have been negotiated. A press release will be made on Friday, 13 April 2007. This strategic alliance also extends to a closing working relationship with KZN Women In Business.

The year 2006 has been quite eventful and challenging. We have enjoyed success with the highlight being the Winning in Workplace Event. I take this opportunity to present to you the current committee members: Ms Nazira Osman, Ms Loueen Jones, Ms Amantha Maharaj (apologies), Ms Ruth Grantham, and Ms Margaret Kruger (apologies). Sincere and heartfelt gratitude goes to each and every one of these women for their contribution over the last year despite the demands of their own businesses, careers and family. I thank you sincerely. It is this commitment, passion for the economic empowerment of women, input and balance that contributes to the successful and dynamic women you are.

I also take this opportunity to recognise the members of the Winning in the Workplace Sub-Committee. This sub-committee had excelled in conceptualising, fundraising and implementing the annual social responsibility project of the Durban branch ? Winning in the Workplace for girls in matric. They took the project to a higher level in the design, media coverage and fundraising. Each of the ten essay winners received with other special gifts, a computer (sponsored by Telkom). The impact of the quality of speakers, prizes and gifts, venue and professionalism made this event stand out. Thank you to the BWA members, committee members, winners and finalists of the RBAA, 2004, 2005 and 2006 for the generous contributions that made a difference in the lives of the deserving young future leaders of tomorrow.

I thank the outgoing President and Vice President of the organisation for their support and belief in the potential of the Durban Branch over the past year. We warmly welcome three incredibly dynamic women to the national team ? The President, Ms Basetsana Khumalo (Bassie); the CEO Ms Angie Makwetla and Ms Ferose Oaten. They certainly come with a wealth of experience, wisdom, commitment to the economic empowerment and growth of women and refreshing new energy to challenge the economic environment in South Africa. Their entry is timed with a revised strategic vision and mission that emanated from national strategic planning processes.

We recognise Ms Nonkululeko Matiwane, the branch coordinator who has resigned to relocate with her family to Richards Bay. We wish her every success in her new venture. Special recognition and thanks goes to Ms Viv Turk, a long standing member and ex-committee member of the branch who has taken on the daunting task of interim coordinator whilst we search for the ideal candidate to fulfill this demanding but exciting role.

Special Recognition and thanks goes to our key sponsors Nedbank especially for the supportive relationships we enjoy in the region.

Membership

We currently enjoy a membership base of 189 members and 163 paid up members. The vision is to create a broad diversity of members representative of the South African population and in terms of business sector. This has been successfully achieved and will continually be the focus. We would prefer that our membership actively contribute to the years calendar by indicating their needs ? What do You want to do for the BWA and what can the BWA do for You?

Functions

The purpose of the BWA is to provide a platform for discussion, debate and information sharing on topical issues and the economy, to foster network linkages (individuals, corporates sector and government), recognise and acknowledge high achieving women in the business, professional and corporate sectors and to motivate and mentor women in business.

The Branch has an exciting calendar for the year 2007 and we look forward to adding more value to it with your input.

The organisation constantly looks for members who can serve on the branch committee to take the organisation to new heights. If you have the time to commit and focused on assisting the organisation achieve its mission, we look forward to your contribution on the committee for the year 2007.

I take this opportunity to thank you, the membership of the BWA Durban Branch for your continued support.

I leave you with a message that stands out for me:

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to
visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into
complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the
lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If
you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving
behind the plain and cheap ones.

While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted, was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are
the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of
Life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail
to enjoy the coffee in it."
So please, don't let the cups drive you ... Enjoy the coffee.

Vaneetha Moodley

Chairperson