the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Margaret Hirsch
As International Women’s Day has just passed, this one is for the ladies and its simple: you are enough. Too often, women doubt themselves, questioning whether they are good enough, smart enough, or capable enough. Society, pressure, and expectations can weigh us down, making us feel like we must constantly prove our worth. But today, I want to shift that mindset.
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by Dr Michélle Booysen
“Listening to customers must become everyone’s business. You’re either serving the customer or serving someone who is.” – Ken Blanchard
Businesses gain a competitive edge by turning customer feedback into action. Mapping the customer lifecycle highlights problem areas: presenting opportunity for improvements and integrates feedback to enhance experiences, foster loyalty, and drive long-term success.
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by Teboho Seretlo
Fellow Lionesses, it’s been a minute! As we step into a new year, I find myself reflecting deeply on my journey in 2024—the lessons I have learned and the priorities I am setting for the year ahead.
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by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA
Isn’t it amazing how inspiration can come from the most unexpected places?
For me, one such moment occurred at the University of Liverpool, through a fellow student named Lisa Crockett. Lisa was an energetic and dedicated member of our innovative international DBA program. She quickly became a central figure in our program, always present, always willing to lend a hand, and always making sure we had the information we needed to thrive in our studies. But Lisa’s story didn’t stop at being a helpful senior classman. She went on to complete her thesis on pediatric palliative care—a deeply personal and powerful topic that coincided with my own experience of a loved one undergoing the very care she was researching.
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by Seanice Lojede
I was recently invited to speak to a group of women entrepreneurs at GIBS University in South Africa. Part of the conversation was around Impostor Syndrome and decision making. How do you know when to take certain decisions both personal and business, and the doubt that comes with it? So I shared something I have learned the hard way…
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by Marilize Jacobs
Colour therapy in branding is the strategic use of colours to evoke emotions, influence perceptions, and shape consumer behavior through your marketing and brand identity. It is rooted in colour psychology, which studies how different colour hues (shades) affect human emotions, decisions and associations.
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by Taryn Blignaut
This article sets out the importance of having a written agreement to regulate your transactions as a small business. We also cover some of the benefits of putting in place a customised legal template for your business.
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by Dr Michélle Booysen
“Consistency is what transforms average into excellence.” – Tony Robbins
Businesses engaging with customers across multiple platforms—email, social media, chat, and phone—must ensure a seamless and consistent experience. Inconsistent responses, delayed replies, or mixed messaging can confuse customers and harm brand credibility. Here’s how to maintain consistency across all customer touch-points.
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by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA
In the journey of developing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, perseverance plays a pivotal role. From the early days of launching a business to the strategic CSR phase and beyond, perseverance ensures that SMEs continue to evolve, adapt, and push through obstacles, ultimately creating significant societal value.
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by Jenny Reid
Queue of thousands shows desperation at South Africa job crisis. What does desperation cost our country? Many in our country are really struggling but desperate times create desperate measures. Don’t skip your processes in place to address risk. Regardless of how desperate a person may be, make sure you verify details on the job application thoroughly. Every time.
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by Margaret Hirsch
In business, success isn’t just about having the best products or the biggest advertising budget—it’s about building genuine relationships. People buy from those they know, like, and trust. That’s why, for the past 46 years, Hirsch's Homestore has been more than just a brand; we’ve been a family, a community, and a trusted partner in homes across the country.
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by Dr Michélle Booysen
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Delivering personalized customer support is essential for building strong relationships and retaining customers. However, as the business grows, responding to inquiries efficiently while maintaining a personal touch can be challenging. The key is to balance automation with human connection.
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by Jenny Reid
South Africa is grappling with a significant surge in white-collar crime, underscoring the urgent need for robust employee screening practices. The recently released second-quarter crime statistics for July to September 2024 revealed an 18.5% spike in commercial crime incidents compared to the same period in 2023. This alarming increase, from 30,630 to 36,300 cases, highlights the highest surge recorded this year.
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by Dr Michélle Booysen
“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all.” – Michael LeBoeuf
Customers expect more than generic service—they want personalized experiences that make them feel valued. Personalization, when embedded into business processes, strengthens customer relationships and fosters loyalty.
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by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA
In today’s rapidly changing world, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a unique opportunity to drive sustainable growth and positive social impact. Below, I will explore how social responsibility, entrepreneurship, and leadership can intersect to create lasting change, particularly in Africa’s diverse and dynamic landscape. SMEs can use this to build on their work to further integrate social responsibility into their operations, cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets, and embrace leadership models that drive inclusive growth.
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by Sonja Cilliers and Maryke Groenewald
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin
Resilience is a term that surfaces frequently in discussions about the legal profession, but its meaning is often misunderstood. Is resilience an inherent trait, or is it something legal professionals can develop over time? More importantly, how does the high-pressure, fast-paced environment of legal practice affect a legal professional’s ability to remain resilient?
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by Jenny Reid
In today’s evolving job market, a university degree is no longer the only pathway to success in South Africa. Increasingly, employers are valuing practical skills and hands-on expertise over formal qualifications, opening doors for job seekers who may not have had the opportunity to pursue traditional higher education.
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by Lori Milner
We don't choose to be stressed or anxious. When life gets tough, we often fall back on habits that seem helpful but actually make us more tired and worried. The starting point is to create an awareness of the habits that have a misalignment between intention and impact.
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by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA
Last year, Victor and I finally made it to Fiji on our first trip to the Pacific. But the journey to get there was one filled with patience, perseverance, and a little bit of life’s detours.
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by Dr Michélle Booysen
“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” – Ken Blanchard
Customer feedback is a critical resource for any business aiming to improve its service delivery and foster customer loyalty. Feedback loops, when embedded into customer service processes, provide actionable insights to refine operations and enhance satisfaction.
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