Johannesburg, 24 Aug 2007
The South African media is full of stories about crime, unemployment and skills shortages, among various other woes.
We appear to be a nation beset by many problems and few solutions. Under these circumstances, many business leaders have developed a fundamentally pessimistic mindset. And the result of that, says Hamilton Ratshefola, MD of Cornastone, is that no-one is planning for the future.
When leaders are negative, they tend to make ad hoc decisions and ignore the road ahead. There is no question that South Africa is suffering the effects of severe skills shortages, yet little is being done to address the problem from the ground up.
At present, there are around 3.5 million active white middle-class consumers in the country. We have also succeeded in creating a black middle class that numbers around 3 million people in just seven years. It will not be long before another 3 million are added to that figure. This will naturally have an impact on the country's housing, road infrastructure, resources and general development.
There is little doubt, therefore, that jobs are being created. But what we need to do now is ensure we are developing skills alongside employment opportunities. An obvious solution to this challenge is the implementation of learnership programmes. There are few greater contributions that business could make to the ongoing development and upliftment of the country and its citizens.
Take a recently graduated engineering student, for example. That student may be an excellent engineer, but not have a shred of knowledge or skills when it comes to managing people. In my experience, the best way to develop management talent is "on the job". There is no better way to learn the intricacies of management than spending six months working as a PA to a managing director or general manager. Observation teaches people in a way that textbooks simply cannot come close to.
Region-to-region co-operation
Another example that springs to mind arises from the recent partnership between Gauteng and the French region, Ile-de-France. The two regions are working together on issues such as education and professional training, public transport, economic development and health.
Gauteng will also use the partnership to promote trade between the two regions. This type of joint venture opens the door to a wide range of opportunities. Would it not be hugely beneficial to the province if Mbazima Shilowa were to send his team of civil servants over to France so they could spend time learning how to become better civil servants?
Such "twinning" or region-to-region co-operation is easily translatable into company-to-company partnerships. That is how we will enable this country to grow - through acts and initiatives that are focused on positive development as opposed to negative criticism and despondency.
Naturally, this level of skills development and transfer requires capital commitment. The fact that we have run short of skills is a gross indictment of the lack of foresight in business and government. No-one would argue that the Japanese and Chinese economies have experienced growth that exceeds ours, yet these countries still have enough skills to export to the rest of the world.
Top among business goals is the desire to turn a profit. There is nothing ignoble about making money, but those of us who do are now obliged to help others around us. We have to look to the needs of our country as a whole, and seize the opportunities we have to assist people and improve the lives of our communities.
I challenge the naysayers to stop throwing up their hands, and rather to get them dirty. If you're a retired professional, for example, get off the golf course, go to a township school and offer your services as an advisor or mentor. You could spend your twilight years making an impact on the lives of thousands of children.
Yes, crime is a problem. But we cannot allow ourselves to remain in a situation where a small minority holds a vast majority of innocent people to ransom.
In the year ahead, business can expect an increase in turnover, employment, profitability, investment and exports. Now we need to develop the optimism to go along with that, so we can focus on people development for the future.
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