In today’s ever-changing business landscape, it can be challenging to make the right decisions for your company. Market dynamics are non-stop, and what worked last year is unlikely to work this year. So, what should lead your business decision making? Your product, your market, or your ideas? Let’s explore this question further by looking at a real-life example. An I.O.T – telematics company makes devices to communicate changes in state such as water level, temperature, gas concentration, and sound/volume shifts, which are used in pipelines, cabling, and air. The product is offered as a service, with I.O.T advice and software to read and evaluate what’s being measured. However, this company is facing threats from competitors as barriers to entry fall, and opportunities in the market as client demand increases. Product or market? The founders of the company had different opinions on how to get ahead and stay ahead. Founder A wanted to add more features and capabilities to the suite of devices and software, in other words – product-led innovation. Meanwhile, Founder B wanted to introduce new products for different markets or use-cases, increasing the suite of devices and software, ie – market-led innovation. However, neither approach was successful, both led to a series of investments in both product and market innovation, which confused employees, and drove poor performance. The founders’ ideas were based on their experience in product development and market engagement, with Founder A obsessing over competitor products and Founder B obsessing over competitor marketing and sales activity. Customer-centric So, what’s needed to get it right? It’s essential to understand what business you are in by defining it in terms of clear customer segments, the problems you solve for each of them, and finally, the experience your customers want from you. This is the truest definition of customer-centricity, which is different from product or market-centricity. This approach puts you in the forefront of the earliest changes in the everyday status of your customer. It’s the source of changes to how you engage (market-led) and how to change the product (product-led) decisions to get ahead and stay ahead. By focusing on your customer’s needs and preferences, you can make informed decisions that will keep your business relevant and competitive. When making business decisions, it’s essential to focus on your customer and their needs, rather than solely on your product or the market. By adopting a customer-centric approach, you can make informed decisions that will keep your business ahead of the curve and set you up for success in the long run. https://aurik.com/

South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, presented the government’s 2023 Budget to Parliament on 22 February. Glen Robbins and Luke Muller went through the budget material and have highlighted some of the features that could be of interest to the wider manufacturing ecosystem in the country. The 2023 Budget shows that of the allocated R1,897 billion in expenditure, over R700 billion will go towards the public service wage bill and R346 billion will be allocated to old age grants, social security funds, child support grants and other grants. A further R50 billion is spent on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. The little that is then left over has been thinly spread over other government functions and infrastructure upkeep. In addition, the government’s debt service costs will jump to R340.5 billion, driven by rising global interest rates and the partial take-over of Eskom debt. In this context, it is no surprise that the budget speech was, if anything, a placeholder, a device to support Government’s attempts to shore up the state, its services and the weak economy. This Budget was clearly not an attempt to frame a visionary structural shift. Under the circumstances the pragmatists that tend to find a home in manufacturing would suggest that a mundane budget was probably better than one that sought to shake the foundations. For those harking back to the expansive claims in budgets of Trevor Manuel, there was not much vision in this budget and certainly no poetry. On the positive side, apart from the budget’s predictability, there was considerable attention paid to matters that exercise the minds of people working in and running businesses. Energy Matters Probably the stand-out feature – and one against which much of Government’s actions will be measured in the coming years – was the attention paid to electricity matters. The scheme enabling accelerated deductions for renewable energy investment by businesses was widely expected. It can potentially support better resilience in firms and lower carbon emissions in supply chains. The Minister stated that, “Under the expanded incentive, businesses will be able to claim a 125% deduction in the first year for all renewable-energy projects with no thresholds on generation capacity.” Furthermore, National Treasury will work with the banks to direct lending to support much needed renewable energy investments for small and medium enterprises. Still on energy matters, the Minister’s assertion that National Treasury will more actively support Eskom’s recovery, with both the carrot of shifting debt off Eskom’s books and with the stick of increased controls and surveillance, will hopefully help stabilise the parastatal’s operational performance. While the Eskom debt arrangements are not fixed investment, they do potentially support other measures to encourage a diversity of energy supply investments in the country, including for the increasingly inadequate national grid. This could better support access to energy for businesses and could also help stimulate demand for those businesses in the supply chain of energy projects, from construction materials through to the assembly of solar panels. The growing role for private investment in this space is already taking hold and could further bolster demand for inputs as well as diversity energy supply options. Infrastructure The 2023 budget also highlighted efforts around some growth in levels of infrastructure spending, as modest as they might be. Beyond energy, ports, rail, roads, and water provision were heighted as areas of priority. The Minister also signaled, as his predecessors often have, that attention would be paid to enhancing the performance of municipalities. One can hope that those running municipalities will take heed. On this theme, environmental disaster matters did receive some support. Businesses will hope that at least some of this will translate into actual projects to rehabilitate infrastructure in and around industrial areas. Personal Tax Whilst personal tax matters are not always raised in the context of the manufacturing sector, many of the more than two million people employed in manufacturing and supporting sectors, such as logistics, will appreciate the modest relief in tax burdens with the shifting up of tax brackets. Some too will appreciate the prospect of the somewhat meagre tax rebate for citizens seeking to install some roof-top solar at their homes. For business in the manufacturing sector, it might well be a relief, that in a context of the considerable fiscal pressures on the state, corporate tax rates have not been adjusted upwards. Economic Policy With a low-ambition budget such as this, especially one that steers clear of many areas of controversy (think reserve bank mandates etc.), there is perhaps a relief that the Minister did not engage in a Don Quixote-type crusade. In previous years, ministers of finance have often sought to give direction on matters of economic policy. This was not one of those budget speeches. However, of some concern, efforts to stimulate the industrial base of the economy, whether through encouraging foreign direct investment or supporting local firm investment, did not really feature. Perhaps the general thrust of President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address was deemed sufficient a signal in this regard. In the coming weeks it is important to take a close look at the policy statements of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and those of other ministers with scope to influence the manufacturing terrain. More will have to be done with less resources, and this will inevitably require deeper partnerships with private actors. The coming years will be a real test of this. Business organisations will need to mobilise their resources to both hold government to account, and to be more active in supporting areas where delivery has been failing. Investments and their related job creation going forward will have to be private sector driven. State Delivery This budget speech should perhaps be appreciated for the intent to focus government on trying to get the proverbial nuts-and-bolts in place for better state delivery. That said, it was not a budget to help the country see much beyond the horizon of the constrained medium-term expenditure framework. It was also a budget that cut real spending in some key social areas. These measures impact also on business in that they can translate into challenges for employees and their families, whether it be accessing health care or affordable transport. Getting South Africa’s development prospects back on track is still very much a work-in-progress. This note was prepared by Glen Robbins and Luke Muller with input from Mbongeni Ndlovu and Liesel Kassier. The views in this note do not necessarily reflect those of the Toyota Wessels Institute of Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS). During the year TWIMS will convene a diversity of engagements, both on matters covered in the budget, and on those left out. https://twimsafrica.com/

Why Innovate with B2B? In today’s competitive business environment, it is essential for companies to stay ahead of the curve by developing innovative strategies to create successful business to business (B2B) linkages. By leveraging B2B linkages, companies can expand their reach and access new markets that would otherwise be inaccessible. Additionally, these partnerships often provide unique opportunities for cost savings and improved operational efficiency that can help businesses remain competitive in an ever-changing landscape. Collaborations Work Companies can foster innovation through B2B linkages by pursuing collaborative projects with other companies in their industry sector. These collaborations allow partners to leverage each other’s strengths while mitigating potential risks associated with entering unfamiliar territories or launching a new product or service line on their own. Collaborations also offer the opportunity for both parties to gain valuable insights from one another which could lead to further innovations down the road as well as increased market share over competitors who are not taking advantage of similar opportunities. B2B linkages are an important part of any successful innovation strategy. By leveraging the strengths and resources of a B2B specialist, businesses can create new products, services, and solutions that will grow the company’s footprint and offer a new range or additional products and services to their client base. Industry Sector Examples using B2B Linkages Working with a B2B specialist who has existing networks and understanding of industry sectors will assist in gaining a good understanding of the options available to grow your client base, grow your supplier network and find new business opportunities. Example: If you supply fuel additives and you’re looking to distribute the range of fuel additives to a new geographic region or country, then using a B2B specialist who will sift through potential distributors and arrange online meetings is both a great time saver and costs saver. Business Development Opportunities The B2B specialist is also there to assist companies with their business development. Once you’ve identified a new industry niche, then the B2B specialist can link you up with industry experts in the field thereby cutting down on getting your service or product to market. Key Trends in B2B Innovation To ensure success in this area, it’s important for companies to be aware of the latest trends in B2B innovation strategies so they can make informed decisions about how best to collaborate with other organisations. One key trend is collaboration between large corporations and small start-ups or entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas but lack the resources needed for implementation on a larger scale. This type of partnership allows smaller players access to capital investments as well as potential customers through established distribution channels that would otherwise be unavailable due to their size limitations or lack of brand recognition among consumers. In addition, these partnerships often provide valuable insights into emerging technologies or markets, which may not have been considered by either party prior to considering such B2B agreements, making them even more beneficial from a strategic standpoint than traditional alliances between competitors within similar industries alone could ever achieve on their own. Which B2B strategy fits your company? There are many different types of strategies available to companies wishing to explore possibilities offered up by B2B collaborations in order to grow business operations successfully and sustainably on a long-term basis. Make sure that you choose one B2B strategy which aligns closely with the goals and objectives of your company. Utilising advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning may prove beneficial when attempting to develop sustainable long term B2B relationships. Although this depends greatly upon the type of partnership involved, whether it is purely transactional based or whether it may be a strategic joint venture. However, success ultimately depends on the amount of effort put into establishing a strong foundation before implementing various tactics mentioned above. You want to maximise your company returns and investments made while creating and maintaining these B2B connections. Keen to learn more about B2B market linkages, give Monique Labat a call on Mobile: +27 82 924 6349 or Email: monique@moniquelabat.com Visit us at: www.moniquelabat.com

There is a new Chief Executive Officer in the building, but as far as forward focus, strong leadership and stronger partnerships go, it is business as usual at Morar Incorporated. Jennifer Reddy, a Morar Incorporated veteran, was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer on 16 September 2022. Jennifer is a familiar face to many, through her previous roles as Assurance Director as well as Director of Corporate Services at Morar Incorporated. She often quips that she is a Morar Incorporated ‘lifer’ having been with the firm for over 13 years. During her time as CEO, Jennifer has been influential in driving Morar Incorporated’s growth and further expanding the company’s presence in the financial services space. Her achievements in a short period allowed her to be nominated as KZN Top Business Women in 2022, which is an incredible feat on its own. Morar Incorporated is a smart business solution firm comprising chartered accountants and registered auditors. The firm has a national presence, with seven offices across the country, servicing private and public sector clients’ needs in accounting, auditing, tax, forensics, and information and communication technology services. Morar Incorporated is the only South African firm to be accredited with Allinial Global membership, which allows international clients to be serviced as well as creating a link for local clients who wish to expand their businesses abroad. HER JOURNEY TO SUCCESS Jennifer completed her articles and qualified as a chartered accountant (SA) while at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She joined Morar Incorporated in 2010 at the Pietermaritzburg office as an associate director servicing the private sector in accounting, auditing and tax. She commented, “My drive and ambition allowed me to set a path for success and grow through the ranks of the company. I was then given the opportunity to become the director responsible for the KwaZulu-Natal region with the responsibility to enhance the firm’s strategy and grow the private sector accounting, auditing and tax division in Cape Town and Johannesburg.” Her leadership style and innovative thinking were the key factors in the exponential growth of these offices. Jennifer’s hard work and ‘out of the box thinking’ allowed her to be the front runner for the available position of director of corporate services, responsible for leading the organisation’s finance, operations, and support strategies and functions to which she was appointed in 2017. During her professional journey within Morar Incorporated, Jennifer furthered her education by completing the strategic examination with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in 2019, as well as obtaining her Master of Business Administration degree from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (University of Pretoria) in 2021. Balancing the needs of the business, her clients, her staff and her family while she completed an MBA was not easy. The demands of which were equivalent to the demands of work – balancing that was quite difficult. Holding such a position brings about various challenges. A big challenge, says Jennifer, is finding a work life balance, especially when you are a mother. Overcoming those challenges was something she needed to address early in her career. “Keeping that work-life balance is a myth – there is no work-life balance – whatever situation best suits you and your family; is the balance you should create.” THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT Committed to the development of strong collaborative partnerships and building new relationships, Jennifer is currently serving on the Allinial Global EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India and Africa) board and is also a member of the Allinial Global Africa steering committee. “Building on what we have already accomplished, under our founder’s leadership and moving forward we hope to hone our strategic direction, grow and develop our organisation, strengthen our partnerships, and build new relationships,” said Jennifer. “Personally, I think that circumstances create opportunities and becoming CEO has also ignited a passion in me to conquer more and I know that that there is a lot more that I have to achieve. I am passionate about women empowerment and having been empowered myself by an incredible mentor, I understand the significance of the role we all have to play in this regard. There are unique challenges encountered by women in this male-dominated profession, and I wish to contribute to creating an enabling environment to promote inclusivity, diversity and resilience.” By working together with the young and energetic talent at Morar Incorporated, Jennifer has strived from day one to take Morar Incorporated to new heights. “My immediate goal is for this firm to capitalise on our competitive advantage. Morar Incorporated offers a wide range of unique financial services solutions, which give the firm its competitive advantage. We are a client-centric company that highlights innovation and technology and I need to bring that to the fore of everything we do.” In addition to this, Jennifer strongly affirmed that Morar Incorporated aims to deliver value by thoroughly understanding their clients’ core businesses, discovering their requirements, performing business analyses, and suggesting solutions that go best with their objectives. Her experience and skills are invaluable in the financial services industry and she has the roadmap to transform this already exceptional company into the best in the industry. For more information: www.morar.co.za

Electricity Crisis Load shedding is placing added pressure on businesses and the overall economy. Against this backdrop, the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomes the President’s decision declaring a national state of disaster to respond to the electricity crisis and its effects. Whilst this is the step in the right direction, we believe there should be accountability and transparency throughout the process. It is times like these that stir up corruption and mismanagement. Therefore, we need a clear rollout plan and timeline when the time comes, and this is non-negotiable. Not only so, we also recognise that with the state of disaster declaration for the electricity crisis comes with some relief for the business community and lives of the people. Through the enablement of exemption from loadshedding of critical infrastructure such as hospitals and water treatment plants. While we also welcome the appointment of a Minister of Electricity, we must ensure that it doesn’t cause confusion between the new Minister, the Minister of Minerals and Energy and the Minister of Public Enterprises. We need ONE accountable Minister so that we don’t end up with a decision-making paralysis situation. We already witness turf wars between Minerals and Energy and Public Enterprises. The new Ministry might just exacerbate the situation. We also look forward to the implementation of National Treasury’s ‘Bounce back loan scheme’ which is set to assist small businesses to invest in solar equipment, we need to see the implementation plan and rollout, many of our small businesses have been severely impacted by load shedding, to a point of having their businesses and products destroyed. We also welcome the rollout of rooftop solar panels. We believe this will help ease the electricity burden. As private sector we want to reiterate that we are willing to support (through skills and other measures) and work with public sector to restore our country’s infrastructure and economy. As organised business, we need clarity on how businesses will be able to benefit from a tax incentive. Rail Network Addressing the challenges and operational inefficiencies at the ports is a major step towards improving South Africa’s export competitiveness. We are optimistic that reforming the rail network will yield positive economic spin-offs for the local economy. The rail network is considered to offer several benefits to the City and South Africa in the future. As organised business we remain committed to working with Transnet and government to help ensure our rail network is fully operational. Infrastructure The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry is deeply concerned about Durban’s water and sanitation crisis. Damaged water infrastructure, sewage leaks and the ongoing closure of Durban’s beaches are creating a poor perception of Durban. While efforts by government are appreciated and the Chamber and its members lend a hand, the internal systems of government have not been helpful. We believe this SONA lacked an infrastructure investment plan with timelines and resource commitments to restore critical infrastructure, for example the infrastructure in the South of Durban requires urgent intervention. SMMEs We look forward to the finalised amendments to the Businesses Act to reduce regulatory impediments for SMMEs and co-operative. As organised business we believe we need prioritise the ease of doing business. SMMEs play a critical role in the economy. We need to continuously create mechanisms and programmes to support SMME businesses. For more info, contact the Durban Chamber on +27 (0)31 335 1000 or info@durbanchamber.co.za Our website is www.durbanchamber.co.za

Article By: Nikita Pillay The PDA is a behavioral assessment that provides information on an individual’s natural behaviour, and role behaviour. It is an analysis of specific words concerned with the meanings and relations between them, which generates into an analysis report. The PDA platform is ideal for: Organizations: to identify, develop and/or retain talent, job fit/matching, leadership development, team dynamics. Individuals: understand your strengths and development areas to improve job/career prospects, leadership style, decision making approach, people skills. The PDA Assessment does not qualify behavioral profiles as “good or bad”; it describes the evaluated individual’s behavioral characteristics. The PDA behaviour profile is defined in terms of: Risk - the degree to which a person tends to take risks to achieve results; Extroversion - the degree to which a person desires / is inclined to interact with other individuals, persuade and please people in order to achieve results; Patience - the degree to which a person tends to respond in a patient and peaceful manner in order to achieve results; Compliance - the degree to which a person requires to conform to norms and procedures in order to achieve results; The PDA assessment enables one to: • Assess 3 core areas: behaviour, energy and emotional indicators • Analyse the competencies of individuals and teams. • Recruit the best candidates for the role / job. • Assess competency frameworks and skills-gaps. • Provide guidance for effective succession planning. • Develop leaders and leadership skills. • Design career development plans for employees. • Identify communication and conflict styles • Improve self-awareness and emotional intelligence. • Enable personal growth and development The PDA has a 90% reliability rate, is scientifically verified, has ISO9001 certification, meets U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requirements and is internationally validated by American Institute of Business Psychology (AIOBP). Some of the many reports generated by taking the PDA are as follows: PDA Report - A comprehensive behavioural report detailing the candidate’s leadership, sales and communication styles. This report provides detailed descriptions of the candidate’s natural behaviour style as well as behaviour modification in work and other contexts. Natural competency style and fit to generic competencies are provided in this report as well. Detailed information regarding strengths and possible areas of development (strengths that become overused) is given as well as information regarding environment factors that are required to keep the candidate engaged and motivated Job Fit Report - This report provides details of the candidate’s fit to a pre-determined (either system generated or customised) job profile. Details regarding the fit to the different competencies required for success in this job role are provided as well as overall percentage job fit Competency Report - This report provides a percentage match of a candidate (based on his/her natural behavioural style) to a set of system generated or customised competencies. The system contains generic, agile and entrepreneur competencies. Leadership Matching Report - This report provides details of two candidates, one of whom has been allocated into a leadership role and the other in a subordinate position and reporting into the managerial candidate. Details of the managerial candidate’s leadership and communication style are provided as well as the environmental factors needed to keep the subordinate candidate engaged and motivated. The natural behaviours of both candidates on the 4 axes assessed in the PDA are compared and how this style will manifest in the behaviour of the managerial candidate is indicated in the report. DRG’s Internationally Accredited PDA Specialists can help facilitate these PDA’s, and provide you with constructive feedback generated from the 30-page report.

Article By: Nikita Pillay For every business owner, it is critical to understand the basics of payroll and know how to manage it efficiently. By definition, payroll is the business process of paying employees, as well as SARS and 3rd Parties, such as service providers responsible for various employee benefits. A payroll system usually comprises of calculating and distributing salaries, following your payroll policy, keeping payroll records, preparing financial reports for stakeholders and employees with a breakdown of payments, taxes, bonuses, overtimes, or holiday pays. Processing with intent of a clear indication on the payslip is pertinent to having happy employees. Accuracy is vital! Errors, whether they occur during calculations or in payroll records, can lead to wrong net pay issued to employees or failed amounts of taxes paid to SARS. Both options are totally undesirable and costly for a business. Moreover, payroll goes into your business expenses, so proper management of payroll directly affects the accuracy of your business accounting. Though excellent payroll management looks like a pretty daunting task, you cannot skip it. Geared with the appropriate payroll system, support functions, tools and a good piece of knowledge, you can successfully facilitate handling payroll. It is very complex for businesses to run payroll in-house, however, for whichever reason lies behind it – the intent to have better control over business processes or the lack of resources – payroll management can be a pretty time-consuming task, especially if it involves manual data entry work. Moreover, the right payroll calculations, deductions, taxes, etc. can require a significant investment of effort if you are not specializing in payroll. Various types of payroll software can handle all of a business’s payroll processing and related tax filings and payments, linked to E-Filing and Easy-File, to name a few, however this as well comes with a cost of the annual license renewal, and other annual statutory and system updates. There are plenty of options available on the market, so you can choose the one that can perfectly fit the bill for you, depending on your organisational needs. Proper payroll management is the key to ensuring your employees are paid on time and your legal obligations are met. The right payroll service can help ensure your payroll is processed accurately and in a compliant and timely manner. When it comes to processing payroll, it's usually best to invest in a professional payroll service, because you avoid much of the cumbersome administrative and tax-related work. The payroll process can be split into 3 stages: Pre-Payroll, Actual Payroll Processing and Post Payroll Activities PRE-PAYROLL ACTIVITIES Defining policy: In these beginning stages, it is important to establish a company’s policies such as a pay policy, leave and benefits policy and attendance policy. Ensure that these policies are well-defined and signed off by your company’s management so that standard payroll processing can be established. Gathering input data: Interacting with multiple departments and payroll is often an integral part of the payroll process. These are the people who can give you more access to important information like attendance data. The process might be more consolidated in smaller organizations and more robust in larger companies. Input validation: The next step in the process is checking the validity of the input data and whether it adheres to company policy. This is the time to make sure no active employee has been missed and no inactive employee has been included in salary payment. ACTUAL PAYROLL PROCESS Payroll calculation: This is the stage in the payroll process where input data is put into the payroll system to actually process the payroll. This process results in net pay being generated after adjusting necessary taxes and deductions. After this process is complete, it is best practice to reconcile the values and verify accuracy to avoid errors. Payroll Audit before Payment: A double-check process needs to be in place, and an audit trial will help as another process to eliminate errors and ensure accuracy ahead of payment. POST-PAYROLL PROCESS Statutory Compliance: At the time of processing all statutory deductions like Employee Benefit Deductions, PAYE and UIF Deduction and other 3rd Party Payments are deducted. Payroll Accounting: It is important that every organization keep a record of all its financial transactions for the payroll process. Salaries are one of the most vital parts of operating costs to be recorded in your book of accounts. Payroll management should always ensure that all salary and reimbursement data is accurately entered into the company’s accounting system. Pay-out: Salaries are paid out by bank transfers. Typically, employers deposit salaries directly into an employee’s bank account. Using a proper payroll software helps generate proper employee payslips. Reporting: After you’ve completed payroll for a particular month, the finance department or management team needs to be provided with reports on various aspects of employee costs, by gathering the data and extracting reports required. Payroll is an integral part of a company’s operations. Not only is it responsible for employees’ salary compensation but it also plays an important role in protecting a company by ensuring it is following compliance. Other reasons payroll systems are so important: EMPLOYEE MORALE An important part of keeping employees happy is paying them on time. Ensuring that you have a payroll system that pays your company in a timely manner on a consistent basis will definitely impact your employee morale. Late and inaccurate payment is likely to cause your employees to question the financial stability of the company. This might affect the overall environment and culture of your company, resulting in a negative attitude from employees that could bleed into their day-to-day tasks and cause underperformance. A company’s workforce is often the heart of a company and reliable and accurate payroll is part of what keeps that heart beating. REPUTATION Not only does a company have a financial obligation to their employees, but they must also ensure that its payroll activities are compliant with the country’s tax and employment legislation. Following legislative laws, efficiently meeting tax obligation, and obtaining Letters of Good Standing, establishes a company as a stable employer, and boosts the company’s reputation.

Dr Fareed Amod is the founder, CEO, and head dental surgeon of Crown Dental Studio, which was established five years ago in 2018 at 289 Randles Road, Sydenham, Durban. Dr Amod commented, “My life is governed by the principles of hard work and determination. I have always had a passion for business; my natural entrepreneurial skills surfaced in primary school and grew as I progressed in life. From a side hustle to make extra pocket money in high school, to funding my own studies towards my dental degree, I was always on the lookout for a business opportunity to help me earn my keep. Hence, it was only natural for me to lean towards starting my own business the day that I was able to.” In addition, while working for an employer was never something that appealed to Dr Amod, the opportunity to be the employer, and provide employment opportunities for others, motivated him to take this leap at the age of twenty-four. “I have invested in training programmes for each individual, and I have aided them in acquiring new skills and pushed them towards becoming well rounded, hardworking individuals who each play an integral role as part of a team,” he explained. Since inception to date, Dr Amod has prided himself in investing in the best possible form of equipment and materials. He believes that the type of products you use, directly impacts on the quality of the service you provide. The most interesting part of both himself and his business, says Dr Amod, is the approach he has implemented in the way he conducts his business. Being one of the youngest business leaders in his field, the method in which he has structured the integration of providing a health care service and running a successful business is most unique. He added, “Taking all the ethical considerations of healthcare services into account, ultimately the 21st century is the digital age, and this is the centre of my business model and has ensured that the business is a modern dentistry practice.” “My starting point towards this venture was not easy. Having spent the seven years in full medical training, learning and refining the necessary skills required to perform dentistry of a high standard, I was not equipped with the formal business, financial and management skills required to start a business from scratch. This is where my years of informal entrepreneurial education came into play.” “My entrepreneurial skills were something innate and those, together with my passion for business is what allowed me to successfully merge running a business with providing the highest possible level of healthcare. Thankfully these skills presented themselves naturally as I required them.” Dr Amod also credits his father, whose strong business background assisted him in overcoming many of his early challenges and moulded him into the businessman he is today. Savvy and strategic business decisions have placed the business in a financially stable position, resulting in a lot more freedom for future expansions. Watching the vast growth of the business that has occurred within a small-time frame reiterates the potential the business has and for the plans Dr Amod has in store for future growth. His future business plans and goals include the growth and development of Crown Dental Studio, but he is not limited to this. Currently, in the pipeline, are plans for the development of an entire medical facility centred around the same principles and work ethic that have proved successful with Crown Dental Studio. In addition to this, Dr Amod has recently founded Geelani Enterprises, which supplies quality medical and dental consumables and equipment. “My business is the only dental practice in South Africa, to my knowledge; that operates on a twenty-four-hour basis and this is not limited to emergency dentistry treatment. This is not only a fact of interest about Crown Dental Studio, but also an emphasis on the levels of dedication and commitment which govern our practice. We are committed to supporting our patients at any and all stages of their oral care journey,” explained Dr Amod. “My digital footprint and my social media platforms can account for my unique flair for marketing and the approach I have taken to embed my business into the memory of South Africans. So, watch this space as I anticipate much growth in the next five years.” No matter what your family’s needs are, we offer a wide range of services to support a healthy smile. Schedule an appointment with us today! T: +27 81 207 8621 E: info@dramod.co.za W: www.dramod.co.za

As part of the government’s drive to shift South Africa to a nation of early adopters in terms of technology, the KZN South Coast has been chosen as one of four provincial sites for the establishment of a technological hub – a development investment for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). The Port Shepstone Techno Hub will not only help achieve this goal but promises unlimited opportunities for keen investors. Run by the provincial government in partnership with Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality, the Port Shepstone Techno Hub is the first of four such hubs which are set to stimulate the region’s economy by providing a collaborative space for investors and entrepreneurs. This will also form part of the Eastern Seaboard Development Initiative which aims to unlock the economic potential of the region within the Eastern Cape and KZN – with the KZN South Coast falling within this framework. “We are proud that the KZN South Coast has been chosen as one of the key locations for the development of a techno hub, a development investment that will undoubtedly benefit the youth,” commented Phelisa Mangcu, CEO of South Coast Tourism & Investment Enterprise (SCTIE). “The location of Port Shepstone is particularly well chosen. As the business and administration hub of the KZN South Coast, there is now even more reason for individuals and organisations to consider setting up shop here. There are great things in store for this region!” The 20-hectare gated location for the techno hub consists of five land-use zones, including light industrial/commercial, techno hub/hotel/conference centre, mixed-use commercial, and mixed-use residential. The project is currently in Phase 1 which includes the completion of the fencing and an administrative building including three training rooms and a board room. The site has already received much investor interest with land plots being the attention of investors such as the Radisson Hotel Group – the American multi-national hospitality company – already committing to the hub. Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality is sharing some key areas of investment opportunity found here including: Business innovation programmes Film and media innovations Leisure and entertainment facilities Information, communication, and technology Tourism and the ocean economy Energy innovation Water technology In addition to the massive investment potential, the Port Shepstone Techno Hub will provide valuable insight that will be used to benefit other sectors on the KZN South Coast, among them manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics, and the agri-business industry. There is also value add in terms of attracting a younger workforce looking to explore, practice, and test innovative ideas that could benefit the region and country. “This is not solely about job creation, but about creating a productive space for entrepreneurial thinkers to get together and collaborate on ground-breaking ideas and projects,” continued Mangcu. “The Port Shepstone Techno Hub really has the potential to drive socio-economic development, increase competitiveness, and grow the area in line with the fourth industrial revolution.” SCTIE has partnered with Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) to establish a One Stop Shop office on the KZN South Coast. This aims to improve the efficiency of doing business, ensuring investors have access to municipal incentives in the district, such as those being offered through the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality (RNM). Extending from Port Shepstone, the area’s economic hub, throughout the KZN South Coast, there are so many investment opportunities. To find out more about these #unlimitedopportunities, get in touch with SCTIE, the KZN South Coast’s One-Stop Shop for investment. Contact SCTIE on 039 682 7944, email info@sctie.co.za or visit www.investkznsouthcoast.co.za

The Human Elephant Foundation is making positive strides in conservation success in KwaZulu-Natal and beyond, and through its linkages with Rewilding Africa CIC, Project Rhino, CWC Projects and other supporting organisations is helping give birth to a new wilderness area known as Loziba Wildlife Reserve. Situated in the beautiful Thaka Valley in northern KwaZulu-Natal, Loziba is adjacent to Babanango Game Reserve, another incredible rewilding project aimed at securing land for animals to live in today and thrive into the future, and for local communities to benefit through tourism by providing services within these wildlife reserves. The Human Elephant Foundation was the brainchild of acclaimed South African sculptor Andries Botha, who in 2009 saw an opportunity through his artwork to create an organisation to help stimulate conversation and debate encompassing topics such as earth’s fragile ecology, disintegrating human value systems, xenophobia, human conflict, the disintegrating family unit, human and animal rights, endangered natural resources, and the global migration and refugee crisis. Botha approached his good friend, high-profile business leader John Charter to join him in this important work. Charter was delighted, and immediately became the managing director of the Human Elephant Foundation. Since those early days, the organisation has enjoyed incredible success. Recently Grant Fowlds, renowned conservationist and director of Project Rhino, and David White, KZN business leader and wildlife advocate, joined the Foundation, bringing with them their passion for positive change, powerful networks, and creative funding and community development considerations. The Human Elephant Foundation has placed Botha’s life-sized elephants in prominent places around the world helping to encourage conversations around the precarious state of our planet. The concept was successful and has helped ignite innovation and creativity to foster understanding of the importance and value of caring for and promoting conservation and rewilding activities. The Human Elephant Foundation’s more recent aim is to support rewilding efforts through encouraging the purchase of unutilised farms in the Thaka Valley to create the 36 000-hectare Loziba Wildlife Reserve. Thereafter it will encourage joining game reserves such as Babanango, Mziki, Phinda, Hluhluwe, and Umfolozi, thus creating corridors for elephants and other animals to move freely between defined wilderness areas. Rewilding Africa and making it possible for elephants and other wildlife to thrive in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and in Africa at large. Please join our campaign, and even if you are not a philanthropic donor, a corporate sponsor, or individual contributor, please support and encourage this initiative and the important work being done by people all over the world. There are many people desperately working to reverse the damage done in wildlife areas over the past decades. The intention is to restore the health and beauty of natural areas, so that animals can thrive in their preferred habitats, communities can prosper, and future generations may enjoy the splendour and wonder of our animal and vegetation kingdoms. Please contact John Charter ( john@blackegret.co.za ), David White ( david@drg.co.za ) or http://www.humanelephant.org to hear more about how to become involved in Loziba Wildlife Reserve and other Human Elephant Foundation initiatives.

The scourge of unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, continues unabated in South Africa, which has one of the highest unemployment rates globally. Opportunities for meaningful unemployment for women and people with disabilities are even more dismal and the overall unemployment figure for the country in the third quarter of 2022 was 32.9%. According to Rajan Naidoo, managing director of EduPower Skills Academy, despite the government spending millions on training and development through grant funding to try and close the skills gap, it is not nearly enough, and they cannot do it alone. Couple that with South Africa’s rapidly declining economy and our current growth outlook for 2023 forecasted by Bloomberg at a mere 0.3% quarter on quarter, the chances of finding employment, even with accredited training, are minimal. Is there a solution that can make an impact by creating more job opportunities? “Yes,” says Naidoo. “This is where Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)/Contact Centres, one of the few growth sectors in South Africa, comes in and can play a significant role in creating a win-win solution for all stakeholders.” South Africa has become among the top-rated BPO emerging markets globally in recent years, its further growth hampered only by the availability of youth with the requisite skills. In fact, based on the 2021 annual Front Office BPO Omnibus Survey by global firm Ryan Strategic Advisory, the country was ranked first after three consecutive years in second place, as the most preferred offshore location for call centres worldwide. “Edupower focuses primarily on accredited skills development for the BPO sector and frees clients who outsource their skills development to the company, of the burden of meeting their annual mandate from government in terms of its administration and delivery,” explains Naidoo. “We offer twelve-month accredited learnership programmes to develop relevant BPO technical skills, however, this is only part of the upskilling learners receive. Through Edupower’s Mentorship programme, they are coached on soft skills that are key to the industry, together with basic business skills that will prepare them for the world of work.” One of the difficulties faced by many learners upon completion of a learnership is that they lack work experience, which is one of the most important criteria for prospective employers. Edupower has overcome this obstacle by providing learners with “on-the-job” training, apart from classroom learning. This is achieved by the Academy emulating a contact centre environment with learners being allocated to live BPO campaigns for clients, in areas such as customer services and lead generation, under the guidance and support of mentors. “This model allows our learners to not only gain real work experience but to develop their self-confidence,” says Naidoo. “Furthermore, learners are taught and expected to conform to the expected norms of a business environment at the Academy such as keeping business hours, office etiquette etc. By providing them with accredited skills and work experience as part of a robust skills development programme, many of our learners then feed into contact centres at clients upon graduation or even start their own businesses and go on to employ others.” Edupower is upbeat about the future opportunities for sustainable employment that can be created in the BPO industry. They cite their latest project in the Northern Cape town of Kuruman, where together with their mining client, they successfully created a contact centre to upskill 40 local people with disabilities. “This is an example of what can be achieved when all stakeholders work together to transform the lives of those who have lost all hope of employment. Business wins, government wins, communities win but the biggest winners of all are our youth. That is Edupower’s vision and what drives us in our desire to make a real difference in the lives of those who so desperately need it,” he concludes. www.edupower.co.za

Digital marketing has become an integral part of every business. South Africa continues to grow its consumer internet accessibility, people are spending more time online, and as a result marketing budgets are now shifting toward digital. With so many opportunities in digital marketing, having a digital marketing strategy is important in order to monitor return on investment (ROI). As a digital marketing strategist, I often see business owners that poorly manage their company’s marketing efforts. This means that some campaigns can end up being a waste of money. This is avoidable, you just need a results-driven marketing strategy to get started. Continuously investing in this strategy is one of the best ways to grow your digital ROI. Below are five important elements that you need to include when building a digital marketing strategy that generates results for your business. 1. Define your business goals & set clear expectations Many people underestimate the power of planning and goal setting. Before you even start anything, the first thing you need to do is define your business and your goals. Maybe you want more loyal customers, to increase your revenue or maybe you want to expand to a new market. Writing this down will make it much easier for you to create a clear marketing strategy that will be aligned with your goals. 2. Understand your customer & create a buyer persona What makes or breaks any business success online is how to identify and reach their ideal target market. You should spend time creating a buyer persona for the people you want to target, this will help you create detailed targeted ads. Ask yourself these questions; who are our ideal customers, what gender are they? Where do they live? How old are they? What are their interests? What are their pains? What needs do they have that you can help them with? Answering these questions will make it easier for you to create quality campaigns that appeals to your target audience. Your buyer persona should be worked on frequently or refined when market opportunities arise. 3. Map out your media & content strategy Building a media strategy takes the longest time in this process and may at times require an expert or agency to detail all the different tactics. This is about building a clear strategy based on what and how you want to achieve it. There are templates available online that can help you develop a digital marketing and content strategy. It’s also advisable to use the GSOT strategy framework which stands for goals, strategies, objectives and tactics which will help you align your plan with the goals. Your content calendar needs to be planned and reviewed monthly to monitor progress. 4. Set up lead generation platforms & tactics Once you know the content required, you need to choose the channels that are most likely to give you the best results. Consider all potential marketing channels, tools and tactics that you could use. Then think about how each channel contributes to meeting your goals. There are lots of different digital channels available. The most popular include web blog posts, email marketing newsletters, social media marketing, search engine optimisation or paid media. I always advise my clients to consider using more than one channel and to integrate digital and traditional media for optimum success. 5. Set key performance indicators Finally, it is important to track all marketing campaigns. You will need to develop set key performance indicators (KPIs), which you will monitor frequently. Tracking ROI on sales is important for a lot of business owners, you need to track the overall sales revenue since the campaign started against all campaigns. This will also show you which parts of your campaign are successful and which are not. Each activity that you invest in should have a clear KPI, which is your measure of success, then set monthly benchmarks that clearly indicate what needs to be achieved. Digital marketing tactics and trends are ever changing, something that worked last year may require tweaking to work today. When planning, take some time to make sure that you are using best practices, you don’t have to create a set plan and stick to it. If a plan isn’t delivering results pause and try new creative tactics until you get consistent results. The key to growing your results is to build a clear plan and stay focused. T: +27 (0)31 307 1988 /+27 (0)81 246 5781 E: info@infinitygrowthdigital.co.za W: www.infinitygrowthdigital.co.za