2010 BUSINESSWOMEN’S ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

I would like to first of all thank my colleagues from the Board of the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa (BWA) for having the confidence in me and entrusting me with this responsibility. It is a responsibility that I am not taking lightly and I undertake to do my very best. I assume this position mindful of the fact that I step into the shoes of a giant, one whom I will be constantly measured against every step I take. I take on this role confident and grateful for the fact that this is a giant on whose shoulders I stand with the conviction that she will not let me fall. I have worked with Basetsana Kumalo (Bassie) for the past three years and have had the privilege of knowing her as a dear friend, a sister, and one of the hardest working women I know. There can be no doubt about the magnitude of her contribution to the BWA, an organisation that was existing on the periphery of mainstream discourse to one she has repositioned to where it belongs, at the centre.

This is not a period for policy formulation or theoretical dialogue on women empowerment. Those discussions have been done to death and literature is abound on the matter. This is a time to get things done and to start showing tangible gains, no matter how small.

What Bassie and all my predecessor Presidents of the BWA were very successful at was, laying a solid foundation from which we can build. My promise is to build on what they have already done. The emphasis during my term of office will be defining and articulating what it means to be a member of BWA and delivering tangible value add to its members

In the minds of every BWA decision maker within the Branch Committees, Operations Committee, Board, the overriding question should always be: Is there a direct link between a decision or action taken to the member on the ground?  Otherwise there is no point of the organisation’s existence.

This is a membership based organisation and without the members, there is no organisation. I would like to see more interaction and more say by the members, and during my three years in office an organisation that is relevant and in touch with the issues and needs of  today’s businesswomen.

I invite members to take ownership of the organisation and make demands on the leadership. It is not up to me as President of the organisation or the Board alone. We can only be guided by the members.

I am very excited about where the organisation is at today.  Some exciting developments are in the pipeline, and I can share the following with you.

• The BWA has a new revamped constitution that speaks to the new repositioning of the organisation and a new vision that is relevant to today’s businesswoman and the business women of the future.
• The association has forged new national and international affiliations that will see BWA positioned not only as the voice of businesswomen in South Africa, but also on the continent and beyond.  Through these strategic partnerships, the BWA is able to bring tangible value add to its members.
• BWA will also partner and affiliate with other local organisations with a similar vision. It is important to collaborate towards a common goal than to work in competition. Members will see more joint projects with other organisation in order to maximise value add for the members.
For updates on what is going on at the BWA, please look out for programmes on the BWA website.

Once again, Nedbank, has come on board as the organisation’s partner for a further 3 year term and I would like to thank the company for its unwavering support over the past 10 years.

Thank You

KUNYALALA MAPHISA
President: The Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa
May 2010