I draw immense satisfaction from the knowledge that the BWA’s unwavering commitment towards the upliftment of our country’s businesswomen has earned it a special place of pride as one of the most admired and trusted organisations in this country.
The BWA’s robust strategy to encourage and nurture the upward mobility of women in the business sector is indeed admirable and will no doubt make a difference to the business landscape of the future.
As such, I will seek to provide some insights into the BWA’s past, present and future. Our organisation is currently going through some exciting times and it is our hope that our vision will become a reality and we will achieve our ultimate goal of reaching out and making a difference in the lives of every businesswoman who choses to align themselves with the BWA.
It has been a year of ups and downs in all respects. A year of challenges and obstacles. However, we find ourselves here today, still standing, still committed to our cause, still going strong. That is no doubt with thanks to the incredible women and the few men who make up the constituents of this organisation. Not forgetting the management teams at both national and branch levels who work tirelessly to ensure that the wheels of the BWA keep turning. I salute you all, and I pay tribute to you for your unwavering commitment, enthusiasm, and dedication.
CENSUS
The results of the 2010 Women in Leadership Census were released earlier this year at an intimate event that was held at the Wanderers Country Club.
As has become standard, the results demonstrated that very little movement is happening on the ground. Research in the United States has shown that it will take 70 years, at the current rate of change, for there to be true parity in the boardroom. That is a whole lifetime! Can we afford to wait that long?
Some ask why we spend time, money and effort each and every year on an exercise that does not reveal any significant year-on-year movements. The answer is very simple. We need to keep the momentum going and we need to expose those companies that continue to ignore issues of gender empowerment.
We need to maintain the consistency, and keep the heat turned up. That is the only way we can encourage our corporates and government to develop a sense of responsibility and show real, visible commitment towards the upward mobility of women. It puts an end to lip service.
This year’s Census event was a great success, comprising an illustrious panel that included Minister of Women, Children & Persons with Disabilities, Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya; BMF President & DG of Labour, Jimmy Manyi; Economic & Social Development Guru, Liepollo Pheko; Founder and Principal Partner of Identity Partners, Sonja Sebotsa, Founder and Managing Director of SRS Aviation, Sibongile Sambo; and Political, Economic, & Social Development Analyst, Mohau Pheko.
Those who attended the event will attest to the fact that the panel discussion was indeed stimulating and raised some pertinent considerations regarding the role of women in the workplace.
BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
The 2009 Businesswoman of the Year Awards saw two phenomenal women walking away with the ultimate accolade.
Influential banker, Venete Klein and exhibitions and events specialist, Carol Weaving scooped the Awards in the corporate and entrepreneurial categories respectively at an event held at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Venete and Carol have both proved to be worthwhile recipients, both travelling the width and breadth of our country over the past year to share their inspirational stories and deliver messages of hope and encouragement to our members. We wish them plenty more success to come in the future.
Nominations for the 2010 BWOYA went out in March and the closing date for nominations is the 31st May 2010. The Gala event will be held on the 27th August.
BUSINESSWOMEN OF TOMORROW INITIATIVE
The Businesswomen of Tomorrow Initiative has, unfortunately, not received enough attention over the years; however 2010 will see us reviving this necessary programme. The initiative is designed to mentor and develop young entrepreneurially inclined women and assist them with the transition from student to future business leader. The programme harnesses the potential of young women by economically and emotionally empowering them to make creative, informed, life and career choices. This is done through an integrated intervention focused on creating a South African society with balanced female representation in business leadership and direct contribution to economic sustainability.
As part of our revival efforts, we will be hosting an event on the 31st May 2010 in Soweto where we will be awarding bursaries to 10 deserving students.
We are confident that with the new strategy that has been put in place, the Businesswomen of Tomorrow initiative will truly make a difference in the lives of many young, aspiring businesswomen.
NEW PARTNERS
The BWA has entered into strategic partnerships with two leading international organisations, namely Germany based InWent Capacity Building International, and Washington based, Vital Voices Global Partnership.
InWent is active worldwide in human resource development, advanced training and dialogue. The organisation works together with people in key positions, assisting them in shaping processes of change in their own countries. The organisation’s capacity building programmes are designed for experts and executives from politics, administrations, the business community and civil society. InWent qualifies people to pass on their knowledge to others and effect long term structural changes. Their objective is to shape globalisation fairly and encourage sustainable development.
InWent also runs the CHANCE Project, which aims to strengthen and empower women entrepreneurs in fulfilling their role in the economic environment of Southern Africa and South Asia. In November 2009, Toni Gomes and Busi Mkhabele represented the BWA at a CHANCE Winter School on Strategic Management of Women's Entrepreneurship Associations which was held in India.
A CHANCE delegation will be visiting South Africa in November 2010 and we look forward to the insights to be gleaned from this visit.
Vital Voices Global Partnership seeks to identify, invest in and bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities.
Vital Voices is the preeminent non-governmental organization (NGO) that identifies, trains, and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, enabling them to create a better world for us all.
The organisation hosted the Bi-Annual Africa Businesswomen’s Network (ABWN) Strategic Planning & Hub Leaders Meeting in February 2010 in Kampala, Uganda. Representatives from the BWA were Kunyalala Maphisa, Rehema Isa, and Busi Mkhabele.
NEW ENDEAVOURS
Head Office hosted an exciting event on Monday 17th May in Polokwane. This was the BWA’s first event in the province and is part of our efforts to reach out to women across the country who are hungry for development and networking opportunities. The event was a resounding success and I am sure the BWA shall soon become a permanent feature in Polokwane.
In this regard, efforts will be stepped up to ensure that more branches are opened nationwide to accommodate what we envisage will be a steady growth of our membership figures. At present, Soweto is the only branch that is operating within the confines of a township and we are very excited about its development and the great things that it is doing for women in the area. But that is just Soweto. What about other townships and other small towns where the same hunger to acquire business skills exists? We would be doing ourselves a disservice if we just sat back and did nothing to unleash that potential.
On a regional level, a delegation of businesswomen travelled to neighbouring Zimbabwe last year where we sought to forge business partnerships for our members with businesswomen from that country. We look forward to the fruitful partnerships that are envisaged to emanate from that endeavour.
BWA MAGAZINE
We hope that members are enjoying the new and improved BWA Magazine, a must have for any woman seeking to add value to her business and her personal growth. We are particularly encouraged by your positive feedback after publication of the first two editions and we will strive to ensure that the magazine remains relevant to the needs of our members.
The Magazine is brought to you in partnership with leading publishing house, Associated Magazines whose vast experience and unrivalled knowledge in creating inspirational consumer magazines for women will go a long way in taking the BWA magazine to a new level and giving our members access to an all-inclusive and relevant business publication. At the helm of the magazine is none other than Jane Raphaely, Associated Magazines Chairman, who is heading up the editorial team. We are indeed honoured and privileged to have Jane herself working with us on this project. Her years of experience, aptitude, and publishing magic shall contribute immensely to bringing members a high quality, professional businesswomen’s magazine.
NEW LOGO
The BWA is pleased to announce that we are now running as an independent association, supported by our long time partner, Nedbank. As a result, the BWA logo has taken a slightly new look and now stands independent of the Nedbank logo. The Nedbank logo still appears on our marketing collateral and now reads as ‘supported by Nedbank” instead of “sponsored by Nedbank”
The BWA shall forever be grateful for the support that we have received and continue to receive from Nedbank. Ours is a friendship for life that is based on a common understanding and a common purpose.
BWA STRATEGY REVIEW SESSION
The BWA will be holding a Strategy Review Session from 31st May to 2 June. This is in light of the fact that as an organisation, we have identified a need to review our strategic positioning and to tighten our value proposition to our member base. We further recognize that effective strategy implementation requires a common understanding of outcomes and commitment to the process of delivery. It is in this vein, and other understandings, that a four day session has been set aside to ensure that those who have taken on the role of stewards for the BWA are appropriately trained and empowered with the appropriate information and capability to meet the demands of leading a businesswoman’s association.
The proposed programme includes Board Induction, Corporate Governance Training, and BWA Strategy Review & Definition.
RESIGNATIONS & NEW APPOINTMENTS
Some of you may be aware that our Executive Director, Toni Gomes resigned in December 2009. The search for a replacement continues and members will be advised in due course of the new appointment.
In addition, a new Board has been appointed. Their names will be announced shortly.
With the announcement of the new board comes my message of farewell. I officially step down as President of this awesome organisation after a three year tenure. It has been a great experience, rewarding in all ways possible. I have learnt much. I have met many inspiring women and I have been inspired. I have been touched by the appreciation shown to the BWA for its efforts. I have grown as a businesswoman. I have grown in my own understanding of the business world and the world in general.
It is a bittersweet moment as I bid you all goodbye. Bitter in the sense that this marks the end of a remarkable journey for me, and sweet in that it ushers in new possibilities and a new journey for the BWA. I am humbled and indeed honored to hand over the baton to your new President, Ms. Kunyalala Maphisa, who was appointed by the Board after a nomination process.
Kunya, as she is affectionately known, is a dynamo in her own right with an immense passion for the organisation and everything that it represents. She has served the BWA Board with great distinction over the last 3 years. Her astute legal mind has been a great asset to the organisation. I wish Kunya wisdom, perseverance, courage and resilience, as she leads our country’s businesswomen through the next phase of the BWA’s journey. I know for a fact, that Kunya is equal to the task.
In closing, I would like to thank you all for your support during what has been a challenging – but very important three years – for me, the BWA, our members, and the team that works behind the scenes.
I would like to thank the outgoing BWA Board whose leadership, strategic input and direction has seen us traverse through difficult times.
My thanks go to the Head Office team; I do not know what I would have done without you. You are truly amazing.
Ferose - it has been an awesome privilege to work with Ferose and I have learnt much from her. I thank her for her wise council, for always being the voice of reason and for her dedication to BWA over the years.
Busi – It has been a blessing to work with Busi – she is a very special lady.
Nia – I thank Nia for assisting and working with Busi, and ensuring that head office continues to deliver.
The members of the BWA - there would be no BWA without you. Thank you for affording me the opportunity to work with you. I will be forever indebted for this time, this chapter and this journey in my life.
I would like to leave you all with this well known Irish Blessing:
“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand”.
I Thank you.
Basetsana Kumalo