Informal learning helps mould new leaders. With Youth Day having been celebrated this week, at a time when the economy is in the state it is, I cannot help but be reminded of the increasing role that today’s young people will play in driving economic growth. They are the leaders…
Passion gives ideas a life of their own
On Sunday last week, I found myself on a panel adjudicating business pitches presented by entrepreneurs from around South Africa. They entered the Legends in the Making Competition and won the opportunity to attend a weekend entrepreneurship boot camp in Pretoria organised by Somafco Trust, a social enterprise focused on…
Angel investors must let start-ups learn from mistakes
The smallest cash infusion can make a big difference It is puzzling that early-stage investing in new businesses in South Africa is not growing as fast as it should, irrespective of economic factors. It stays low year on year even with initiatives to foster an uptick, from the section…
Work not just to earn, but to learn widely
I recently revisited a set of childhood parables on financial independence written by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter in the bestselling book Rich Dad Poor Dad. I remain intrigued that, almost 20 years after its initial publication and worldwide success, the majority of the book’s simple and relevant insights remain…
The man in the arena: Be a bold supporter, not a critic
‘It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena …” These are the unforgettable word s uttered by…
Just Go With It
I used to sell a lot of things in the township when I was young. I sold everything from 10c sweets and lunchtime snacks to a few second-hand appliances. My customers were teachers, classmates and the nurses at the hospital where my mother worked. The extra income helped our single-parent…