Dr Mthobisi Clyde Zondi is the executive chairman of the SanDock Austral Group, which is the holding company for SanDock Austral Aerospace, SanDock Austral Shipyards, SanDock Austral Defence Engineering Systems and Torpedo South Africa. With a history spanning almost 50 years, the group is the largest 100% black owned defence entity in South Africa, both in terms of revenue and facilities owned. SanDock Austral has an exceptional reputation for developing and delivering integrated solutions for commercial and defence engineering/mechanical projects.

Can you explain briefly what you do? I am a business coach and work with small to medium businesses. The analogy of the sports coach works really well. Basically, we perform the same role that a sports coach would in a sporting situation. We make sure that the business owner has the right team on the field, that they have the right strategy, that they have a game plan to win the tournament. We ensure that the business owner is fit both on the field and off the field and then very importantly we make sure that they deliver. At the end of the day - who holds the business owner accountable? What would you typically strive to achieve with your clients? The odds of making it in business are very tough. I really try to take businesses from where they are to wherever it is that the business owner wants their business to be. This could entail making more money, it could entail building a better team... We want to take the business from something that is often very dependent on the business owner with an inconsistent cash flow, to a point where the business can sustain itself without the constant input of the business owner. As a business owner you should be driving your business to where you want it to go rather than being the hardest working employee. As less than 10% of business owners are getting a market related salary, the first goal of coaching is to get the owner to earn a market related salary. The second goal is to get the business budgeted to make a profit. How has Covid affected the business environment? We have been battling a recession for quite a long time, but with the lockdown throughout the world, business has got a whole lot harder. Covid has affected us all and business coaches have an important role to play to counter the negative effects. You have two options you can roll over and die, throw up your hands and join the masses and say that this is impossible. Or, you say this is where we are, this is where the economy is, and this is where my business is at. How can a coach help a business owner be positive? Having a coach is vital - there is so much noise and so much negativity and so much fear. We have spent a lot of time with businesspeople over the first four months of lockdown helping them deal with their fears and developing an understanding of the challenges that they are facing. Through this process we assist them to keep a mindset that will ensure their success. It's important to note that in line with the sports analogy, the rules of business stay the same, but the game plan changes - the business owner still has to be fit to travel these troubled waters. Each business owner needs to be asking: What should I be doing, A to survive this pandemic, and B to come out of this as strong as possible? How can business owners acquire some initial coaching from you? In order to address some of these questions I will be hosting a seminar on an interactive Zoom session at 10.30am on the 4 September 2020. On registration attendees will be sent a questionnaire so that I can better understand who is on the call and so that I can talk to their pain points and make the session as relevant as possible. What are the benefits of a Zoom session? The benefit of joining a Zoom call is in the opportunity to take a step back and have a look at where you and your business are at in relation to where you would like the business to be. During the zoom session, we invite people to participate via the chat function. The more people share their challenges and ask questions, the more everyone learns from the session. Invariably, if you have a problem someone else will be experiencing something similar. The main focus is to look at what business owners can implement in their businesses right now to move their businesses forward and to survive these tough times. Who should typically join the session? The main requirement to join the seminar is to be open minded and to ask: What can I learn? What can I take out? Sometimes it is just that BFO moment - the blinding flashing of the obvious - because you have given yourself the time to invest in yourself and your business. It's a good time to be positive in these challenging times. This simple but effective system of evaluating your business allows us to benchmark where we are right now, select from over 350 strategies and tactics from the ActionCOACH resources - strategies that have worked with thousands of businesses all over the world... And show you what impact this can have on your cash flow and how you can kick start and fire up your Business! Join us on Friday 4 September 2020 at 10:30. Let us help you run a successful business in the new normal!  Click here to register For more information contact: Shirley Pearson Business and Executive Coach ActionCOACH iNala Umhlanga Rocks T: +27 (0)31 942 4255 M: +27 (0)82 783 6905 E: shirleypearson@actioncoach.com W: www.shirleypearson.actioncoach.com

If you’re looking to lease a car but are worried about the how much the payments will be, you can calculate them yourself. However, you can’t assume that the business you’re signing the lease with will hold true to the amount you calculated. At least, you’ll have a rough idea of what you’ll have to pay every month. In order to calculate your monthly fee, you need: The price of the car & the price you’ve negotiated The residual percentage of the car The length of the lease The admin fee Take the car’s price and multiply it by its residual percentage to get the residual value. Take your negotiated sales price and add in all the fees you'll have to pay, this is the gross capitalized cost. Take the total amount of the deposit, trade-in equity or rebates and add them together, this is the capitalized cost reduction. Subtract the capitalized cost reduction from the gross capitalized cost, the result is the adjusted capitalised cost. Subtract the residual from the adjusted capitalized cost. This is your depreciation amount, which is the basis of your lease payment.  Divide the depreciation amount by the months of the lease to get your base payment amount. This may seem like a small number but be aware that tax still needs to be added. Most of this information can be provided by the business you are looking to lease from. If this is too complicated, there are payment calculators available online that you can use. Click Here to start your application

Have you ever wondered why some people succeed while others fail? Whether you are currently a leader or are wanting to learn more about becoming a leader, our KZN Leaders Portfolio will help teach you exceptional leadership. Learning about some of the factors that have motivated these men and women, and driven their careers, has been a very rewarding undertaking. Factors such as open communication, good habits, leading with values, hiring great people and finding one’s purpose are all covered. Of significance is that a common thread in these business leaders’ journeys is the desire to make a difference in the lives of the people they impact, very often by going far above the norm. Currently many businesses are having tough times, so some motivation and inspiration from these leaders’ experiences will possibly push you to keep the momentum going. Read the articles or click on the link and/or watch the videos. Many of interviews are available in video format, which have each been watched numerous times. Let's all get together and make things happen in KZN. Grant Adlam KZN Top Business 031 7011-445

This is why WhyBuyCars is the future of the South African motor vehicle market. Cars are just the beginning However, WhyBuyCars has stressed that it does not wish to be seen as a vehicle provider. Instead, it is a technology company that happens to provide the service of leasing vehicles to the general public. The company’s business is based on a sophisticated back-end software solution in which it has invested significantly to ensure that it can manage the entire rental process. The WhyBuyCars backend solution allows it to manage the following aspects of the rental process: • Marketing • Sales • Dispatching • Tracking • Monitoring This solution can easily be transferred to other industries, and offers WhyBuyCars a great opportunity to grow at scale. “Today we may be offering cars, but tomorrow it may be something else, because that’s what we believe we are good at – providing technology-based solutions that are viable alternatives to what was considered traditional,” said WhyBuyCars. While its infrastructure and backend solution are already great, WhyBuyCars continues to work on improving this solution to establish itself as a clear market leader. Backed by The Woodford Group WhyBuyCars has the backing of The Woodford Group, which is a 31 year old company with tremendous experience in the car rental market. The Woodford Group also owns Woodford Car Hire – South Africa’s largest independent car rental company, and the best-rated local car rental company on both TrustPilot and HelloPeter. You can therefore rest assured that WhyBuyCars is expertly equipped to offer you the best car rental experience. Click here to lease a car from WhyBuyCars. This article was published in partnership with WhyBuyCars.

Bruce Lennon is one of those unique and special people that we as the KwaZulu-Natal business community have come to regard as exceptional in his line of work. Bruce holds a BA, LLB and LLM (Master of Laws), and has held senior roles in Mediterranean Shipping Company and as a law lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His real working passion came about when in 2000 he launched Stimela Consulting (Pty) Ltd and in 2012 joined the BusinessFit team as a director. Stimela provides B-BBEE administration, transformation, and strategy support services to small, medium, and large companies. BusinessFit provides entrepreneur and SME growth and development services. Bruce also recently launched an organisation called Stimela Marine, which provides support in transport insurance claims here locally and across the whole world. He says that in the beginning he was intimidated by the vastness of responsibility of setting up and running a small business. But he explained that this experience was in fact to become his strength, as he now has a great understanding of business processes and related administration responsibilities and is able to pass this knowledge onto his clients. Bruce added, "My strengths have been in my dedication to finding workable solutions to meet my customer challenges. I treat each of my clients as if they were the nly one I have. I ensure that I understand their specific needs and requirements, and then set out to help them find a suitable solution." Consequently, Bruce is one of those people that we go to when we need sound business advice, and when needing clarity of B-BBEE strategy and transformation. He has the knack of making everyone feel important; knows the B-BBEE scorecard, B-BBEE Commission, enterprise categories, black ownership, the sector codes, and the five B-BBEE elements inside out... and is always happy to share his in-depth experience and understandings. Bruce says that his work in B-BBEE transformation starts with him sharing his understanding of each of the elements and category weightings within the B-BBEE scorecard with his clients. "I am in my happy place when consulting on B-BBEE and entrepreneur development; drawing charts and diagrams and helping people to drive their organisation development and transformation agendas." "Once people gain a basic understanding of the B-BBEE codes, and begin to see the thought and detail in each of the elements, they are immediately able to see how the scorecard is having a positive influence on upskilling people through training and development and creating opportunities for SMEs in organisation's supply chains," says Bruce. He added that once people understand the structure and intention of the codes, organisational transformation and decision making by company leaders becomes obvious and therefore easier. "A highlight for me is when I see a light go on in a client's mind, and they suddenly become enthused to carry on with their missions," he says. In addition, Bruce says that working with other professionals of different disciplines is always wonderful for him. "We focus together on helping clients meet organisational objectives. I like learning from other professionals in the market, and also sharing my knowledge and experience." Bruce says that he is inspired by his family to do better, and to extend himself to reach his potential. "They are very encouraging and supportive in my work, recognising that I have to travel a lot, and lso work on client solutions late into the evening and into family time," he concluded. We are very fortunate to have a composite resource in Bruce, able to assist our needs in both business administration and B-BBEE transformation. T: +27 31 717 2597 E: bruce@stimelagroup.co.za W: www.stimelaconsulting.co.za

When it comes to choosing a career, there are two types of people: those who, as children, knew exactly what they wanted to grow up to be; and those who matriculate or go on to find jobs and still don’t know what careers they’d like to chase. Luckily for many of us in the second group, there’s the humble Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) – an academic all-star that carries some serious career clout! The BCom is one of the most popular degrees because it is so versatile. It’s a gateway to many different careers, some mega-niched and specialised, and others with a broad focus. Here are some of the things you can do when you apply online for our supported distance learning BCom programme: 1. Financial Manager: According to the 2020 Adzuna Index Research*, there is a high demand for financial management skills in South Africa. 2. Taxation Specialist or Tax Consultant: If number crunching sets your pulse racing, this is a great way to merge people skills (through consulting) and the financial expertise that a BCom empowers you with. 3. Auditor: If you grew loving detective series, chances are you’d enjoy being an auditor! This career involves investigative work. Combine this with your love for numbers and you’ll be in your element! 4. Project Manager: Project managers are one of the most in-demand hands-on specialists in the global workplace. This is due to their eye for detail, knowledge of all aspects of business (thanks to their BCom training!) and ability to strategically manage multiple tasks. 5. Healthcare Manager: Never has this qualification been so in demand as it is now amidst the current global health crisis. There are abundant opportunities in South Africa for skilled healthcare management professionals, and the demand abroad is equally high. 6. Information Technology specialist: As the world becomes more digitised, the demand for IT experts increases. A BCom degree with a specific focus on Information and Technology Management would be a great choice. 7. HR Manager: If you love dealing with people and have your sights set on a managerial position, you can’t go wrong with a BCom in Human Resources Management. Successful HR Managers have a solid understanding of the different aspect of business, industrial relations, and how to bring the best out in people. 8. Risk Manager: Risk managers have analytical minds, love nitty gritty details and are somewhat fascinated by probabilities. 9. Retail Manager: Right now, the possibilities for re-defining the retail space are enormous. The COVID-19 crisis has altered consumer behaviour, and the need for innovative solutions in retail management has never been greater. BCom graduates are perfectly placed for the challenge. 10. Marketing specialist: Many successful careers in marketing are based on a BCom degree. Graduates go on to become marketing managers, sales managers, client managers and advertising managers. 11. Be your own boss: if you’re more drawn towards flexing your entrepreneurial muscle, a BCom degree is a great foundation for starting your own business, as you will have all the insight, skills and knowledge you need to make informed decisions. 12. Become a Master: A BCom degree is the perfect stepping-stone to a Master in Business Administration (MBA) qualification. The MBA is like rocket fuel for your career, and graduates are snapped up quickly. You can read more about our MBA offering here. So, the list of opportunities that a BCom presents is vast. Our RBS student community can tailor their BCom degree to suit their career objectives by making smart electives choices. These include: · Economics · Accounting · Marketing · Project Management · Health Management · Information Technology · Supply Chain Management · Human Resource Management · Risk Management · Retail Management Talk about having too many choices! You can apply here to give your career dreams wings, with our versatile, academic all-rounder: the Bachelor of Commerce degree. *Research Source: https://www.adzuna.co.za/blog/2020/01/31/top-5-most-in-demand-jobs-in-south-africa-jan-2020/

Looking forward into 2020 we feel positive that South African Entrepreneurs are going to play their part, and do what it is we are expecting from them... to innovate and create employment. As has been repeated since days of old, "necessity is the mother of invention". Today, South Africa, as in many developing countries, and the world at large, need Entrepreneurs to help create new products and services that will encourage and influence a "green" way of living for all. This is a necessity, priority and opportunity all rolled up into one single requirement. South Africa in particular needs pioneers and innovators, not only to help us work towards reducing and stabilising our C02 emissions, but also to help overcome inertia and create momentum for new ways of serving our people - and ensuring the growth, development and sustainability of our inclusive economy. At BusinessFit, we, like many other thought leading organisations in the "entrepreneur development" space know for certain that Entrepreneurs are critical in creating new ideas and opportunities within our economy and the world. In South Africa we know that it is Entrepreneurs that will help to enable suitable change to create opportunity and promote our ideal of "a working nation". South Africa has always been cited as a nation of unique out of the box thinkers. The combination of the boer-maak-a-plan concept and the deep centered culture of Ubuntu are strong foundations from which we can build our successful country and create prosperity at all economic levels. Entrepreneurs are needed in all social classes and environments, and it is certainly possible to encourage and promote entrepreneurial thinking and actions. South Africans are naturally creative people, and as we recognise that coupling our economic thoughts and ideas with business mindedness and processes, building confidence in what and how we are doing our business activities, and creating opportunity for new markets and expansion, we can and will ignite growth, development and prosperity. Inhibiters blocking our creativeness and desired outcomes include challenges like electricity load-shedding, polarity of political parties, complexity in business set-up and administration, but mainly that we have a population largely made up of financially and business process illiterate people. Knowing these critical factors as our challenges and constraints is 51% of the way towards creating common solutions and a positive step forward. BusinessFit has recognised that quality and longevity from entrepreneurial service providers can only come from an economic culture of "continual learning and business opportunities being awarded on merit". We cannot expect our entrepreneurial businesses, either small or large, to succeed if we have not encouraged the development of our business leaders and helped them understand and build a suitable business foundation for their enterprise growth and sustainability. BusinessFit's confidence in the future comes from having mentored entrepreneurs and SMEs for long enough to recognise and develop a methodology to provide urgently needed functional area and business leadership support, and to help them in their creation of a suitable route to market to distribute their products and services. We do not see value in Entrepreneurs being caught up in the administration of their businesses - we want Entrepreneurs to lead their enterprises and staff with confidence in their "business minded" ability, and where applicable to draw non-core components of their business process requirement from able and trusted functional area service providers. This is especially true in the initial stages of an enterprise set-up, where to a large degree, young business leaders are not skilled in the administration requirements and effectiveness of leading their organisations. Building and maintaining a business framework includes critical foundational aspects like creating appropriate budgets, defining suitable product margins and cashflow requirements, drawing up service level agreements and supplier contracts, appointing staff and creating a human resource management foundation, defining quality assurance standards, and defining appropriate policies and procedures. These are not normally the skills understood and held dear by an Entrepreneur. There are, however, many trained people and specialists in each of the functional areas which include HR, finance, marketing, legal, operations, IT, and others that are easily able to provide entrepreneurs and SMEs with the support and clarity needed in each of these business environments. The unique passion, purpose and energy of entrepreneurs and their ideas is not duplicatable, unlike the skills in functional area activities. Successful Entrepreneurs rightly see their role as leaders driving innovation, seeking opportunity, and ensuring sustainability. Passion and thought innovation often come from deep within the Entrepreneur's soul, rising from his or her experiences, and focusing on the wants, needs and demands of our changing society. Entrepreneurs very often are able to tap into an inner strength and greater source of inspiration to bring their dreams and ideas to the fore - but they still need the business foundation to bring their ideas to economic prosperity. What is new and exciting... is that BusinessFit has created what we believe is perhaps the first quality assured B2B Services App in South Africa, and possibly the world. The App has been the result of our 8 years in mentoring Entrepreneurs and helping them to create solid business foundations to support their business ideas and endeavors. The App helps Entrepreneurs through a 5 Star Quality Assurance process, while also creating an online profile for the market to seek and identify new supplier potential. The purpose of the App being to reassure those established enterprises that transacting with emerging suppliers i.e. those who have successfully completed the BusinessFit 5 Star Process is not a high-risk venture and indeed will contribute to their supplier diversification strategy and thus support sustainable economic transformation. The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry and BusinessFit are launching the B2B Quality Assurance Services App on the 1st April 2020 to 100 companies. If anyone would like to be part of this test phase initiative, please contact Lindiwe Bhadi, BusinessFit Admin Manager on lindiwe@businessfit.co.za or Stephanie Ephraim Durban Chamber Membership Manager on ephraims@durbanchamber.co.za for more info. W: www.businessfit.co.za

REGENT BUSINESS SCHOOL has unveiled an entrepreneurial and enterprise development centre to fuel sustained economic recovery at a grassroots level. This follows projections by analysts worldwide that technology-focused SMMEs (small, medium, and micro enterprises) will play a pivotal role in shaping post-COVID-19 realities. REGENT Enterprise Development Hub (REDhub) aims to nurture resilient, localised ecosystems and breathe life into ideas and concepts to stimulate impactful, homegrown new venture creation. Speaking after the virtual launch of REDhub Prof Osman Seedat, Deputy Dean of REGENT BUSINESS SCHOOL, reiterated that now is the time for innovative players to thrive. “COVID-19 has snatched lives, stolen livelihoods and crushed revenue streams but has, ironically, birthed a new era for opportunity and innovation. Around the world, the entrepreneurial spirit is in full throttle, powered by pioneering and problem-solving philosophies. REDhub fosters this sentiment by crafting an agile, enterprising mindset and skillset by creating or tapping into local revenue streams to catalyse socio-economic growth at a community level.” Prof Seedat further explains, “Micro-enterprisers, new venture creators, and small businesses who are given access to REDhub will receive expert guidance on accessing new markets and building collaborative networks. The ultimate focus is on mitigating against poor business strategy and retraining (upskilling and reskilling) working adults.” REDhub provides start-ups and small business owners with a range of services, among them business incubation, provision of co-working spaces and makerspaces, labs for product conceptualisation, prototyping and development, mentorship, a business advisory desk, facilitation of access to finance, accounting and tax services. Innovative minds with bright ideas should submit their ideas or apply via redhub@regent.ac.za for consideration by a panel of experts. Selected candidates will go through a programme during which they will have access to a range of subject matter specialists who will guide them along their entrepreneurial journey. REGENT BUSINESS SCHOOL has made considerable investment to create an environment to support many facets of enterprise development. REDhub leverages our iLeadLABs or national innovation hubs, and the continuous improvement initiatives to our knowledge-exchange practices, as part of our long-term commitment to social and economic upliftment through quality education. Click here to download our brochure for further details on the REGENT Enterprise Development Hub (REDhub).

BusinessFit returned from a further successful trip to the United Kingdom (UK). The purpose was to provide UK audiences with a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the structure and intention of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE). David White and Bruce Lennon, both directors at BusinessFit, have a close working relationship through their companies: DRG Outsourcing and Stimela Consulting respectively. DRG providing human resource (HR) administration and compliance related services, and Stimela providing B-BBEE administration and strategy development services. As the B-BBEE scorecard largely comprises activities related to HR and small and medium enterprise (SME) development, they have a lot in common. They work together daily on similar client challenges and assist business leaders and their teams with best practices in both HR and B-BBEE. The outcome of their work being to help companies comply with administrative and reporting requirements and building solid and sustainable transformation programmes. Mike Miller, president of Maidenhead Chamber and past president of the South African Chamber of Commerce in London (SACC) recognised that there was limited knowledge available on B-BBEE in the UK, and that there was still much ignorance around the B-BBEE scorecard. Mike travelled to South Africa in 2019 and had the benefit of speaking with KZN business leaders on B-BBEE. He felt that a B-BBEE roadshow to the UK would help to dispel many negative connotations and unfavourable outcome expectation myths. Mike's request to David and Bruce was for them to travel to the UK to share understanding and practical knowledge on the B-BBEE Act and its associated Codes of Good Practice, and to answer questions relating to the subject. Bruce, as many will concur, is a competent resource in the area of helping companies with their internal B-BBEE transformation programmes. He knows the B-BBEE scorecard backwards, having advised and assisted companies in their transformation strategies and file preparations for the past 16 years. People would say, and I am sure Bruce would agree, that he is in his happy place when consulting on the subject, drawing charts and pictures, and driving transformation agendas. Bruce says, "It starts with people understanding the elements, and each of the category weightings within the B-BBEE Scorecard". He said, "Once people gain a basic understanding of the Codes, and begin to see the thought and detail in each of the elements, they immediately see how the Scorecard is having a positive influence on upskilling people through training and development and creating opportunities for SMEs in organisation's supply chains. Once people understand the structure and intention of the Codes, organisational transformation and decision making by company leaders becomes a whole lot easier." Bruce was up to the challenge and spoke with audiences at both the Chamber in Maidenhead and the High Commission in London. Both presentations, erupted into lively discussions, with Bruce shining as he shared his knowledge and experience on the subject. The audiences included senior representatives of government, business leaders, heads of UK organisations with operations in SA, and many other influential and interested persons. The greatest moment was at the South African High Commission, when Her Excellency, Nomatemba Tambo, the SA High Commissioner to the UK, introduced B-BBEE, its purpose and intention. In David's words, "Nomatemba (Tembi as she is known) was clear, direct and purposeful, demonstrating her broad understanding of the challenges SA people are overcoming through the supportive role B-BBEE is playing." He said, "Tembi is someone who clearly sees the big picture, and we are fortunate to have such a great lady supporting and leading transformation." Tembi introduced Bruce and gave thanks to Mike and the SACC for arranging BusinessFit to come forward and share this valuable knowledge with UK audiences. Bruce took both audiences through a general introduction to B-BBEE, and spoke in detail on the various role players, the B-BBEE Commission, Enterprise Categories, Black Ownership, the Sector Codes; and the five B-BBEE elements. He provided a full explanation of the B-BBEE Act and Codes, together with practical examples in respect of each of the elements. Bruce, an accomplished speaker, provided clarity on each point, and answered questions with huge interest and enthusiasm. David and Bruce share the same passion for transformation and the growth of our economy, and they said they really enjoyed meeting and sharing knowledge with the many SA and UK people they met on the trip. David and Bruce said that there were times when they felt they were representing SA, out there under their own steam, stretching out elbows of greeting to people and organisations, telling them that SA is an important country to have trade relations with... and to get on board through understanding B-BBEE and its structured transformation culture. But it was not all work. David and Bruce attended the SACC Gala Dinner at the House of Lords as well. The dinner is a grand black-tie affair of enormous proportion. The invitation to attend came through none other than the Right Honourable Lord Peter Hain, and what followed was a magnificent evening of fine dining, great SA wine, laughter and song, with music from Vani Entertainment. Her Excellency, Nomatemba Tambo and Sharon Constancon, the SACC chairman welcomed guests, and Ivan Gardiner addressed the guests on leadership. It was a splendid evening, and as Bruce said, "An overwhelming reward for all the hard work of the trip." From all at Top Business, we are proud to support the work BusinessFit does in the many areas of transformation in which they work. "Go team, you certainly are making a positive contribution to the SA economy." For more information contact: David White, Chairman, BusinessFit T: +27 (0)31 767 0625 E: david@businessfit.co.za

Max Mqadi is the wellknown businessman behind Max's Lifestyle Village, and he is considered one of Umlazi's 'own'. Max's Lifestyle Village is known to locals as 'KwaMax'. The highly successful butchery, shisha nyama (braai area where customers can cook the meat they have purchased), VIP lounge, and function and conference centre have grown substantially from their origins as a one room shack butchery. KwaMax is now frequented by local residents, celebrities, sportspersons and politicians as well as international tourists. The venue is a popular choice for year-end functions, weddings, baby showers and product launches. Diners enjoy the restaurant's traditional meals featuring braai meat with traditional side dishes such as umgxabhiso (tripe), amadombolo (dumplings)and ujeqe (steam bread). Many of the customers enjoy being entertained by the music of top DJs or relaxing in the VIP section. Max's attributes his success to three principles - compromise, sacrifice and discipline. He grew up in impoverished conditions in Umlazi township and had to learn to fend for himself from an early age. Max's entrepreneurial spirit resulted in him leaving school in Grade 10. Says Max, "It was not that school did not like me but that I was not suited to the school environment." He explained that entrepreneurs are often lost in the system and that they need to build their own systems to achieve success. He added that entrepreneurs are needed in the South African economy because they understand the local business environment. Of his journey to success he says, "Life belongs to you, you can change your own life, but you have to have a vision to achieve. You have to have passion and you have to be forthright in driving the vision." Max vision for his future success resulted in him 'hustling' to make a living by selling aprons on trains and running a tuckshop. These experiences taught him the business skills that he still uses today. Max's early success saw him establishing a small butchery in 1988 which soon grew to the establishment of seven butcheries around the Durban region. After identifying the potential in the Umlazi site he developed the butchery to include a braai area. Max says that he discovered his passion for the hospitality industry, and he became successful because he understands the needs of the market that he serves. Despite some challenges, Max's Lifestyle Village has grown and has undergone ongoing development as well as increased its service offerings over the years of its existence. In 2019, Max's Lifestyle underwent a major refurbishment and was launched as Max's Lifestyle Village, which now comprises a butchery, restaurant, VIP lounge, conference venue, and car wash. At the launch in November 2019, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said, "We are thrilled to be here to witness the next chapter in the growth story of Max's Lifestyle, an establishment that has, for many years now, come to stand as a bastion of entertainment and leisure in our province and the country." Premier Zikalala added that Max is known, "For paying attention to detail and for understanding what it takes to stay ahead and to cater for the individual needs of his discerning patrons." Certainly, the residents of Umlazi are very proud of Max's achievements and support the establishment, which also brings additional economic benefits to the township in terms of employment opportunities. Says Max, "I wanted to change the face of the township and I feel like saying I did it! Here blacks are benefitting. An entrepreneur is running a successful establishment, which has participated in changing the perceptions of Umlazi. In this regard Max has been a pioneer and made it easy to market Umlazi as it has been put on the map. The township has also had to deal with misconceptions and fears in order to move forward as a tourist destination. Max's Lifestyle Village keeps dispelling such attitudes as having centres of excellence ensures that this job is easier. Said Max, "Max's Lifestyle is a disciplined space. I like to be an entrepreneur, but I also comply with all government requirements and legislation. I have a licence to operate. The restaurant is a safe place to let loose and enjoy the township vibe. Part of developing townships is to fight crime, to ensure cleanliness and to provide proper services in order to promote the respect of people." Max encourages families to visit the restaurant to enjoy a meal in the restaurant. The general view is that more local tourists need to be encouraged to visit Max's Lifestyle. "Max's provide a platform to welcome all people to promote cultural exchanges and celebrate diversity, which brings our rainbow nation together." www.maxslifestyle.mobi

When we started this term of office, we committed the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) to play a central role to ensure inclusive economic growth and job creation. As such, we continue to invite big business and members of business chambers across the province to work with the provincial government. We are committed to exchange ideas and solutions to challenges facing both the public and private sector. Service Delivery Model The Service Delivery Model launched by the President of the Republic - His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa in Durban was a clear demonstration of our commitment to turn the situation around. The fact that the President set aside time to meet with big business, is an indication of the seriousness to which we view the role of big business in driving socio-economic development. Our main focus, is creating the best conditions for economic growth and job creation. Investment We are excited that there is a great interest showed by potential investors due to our aggressive marketing of KZN as a site for foreign direct investment, leisure and sports. When we lobby for foreign direct investment - we always ask potential investors to partner with locally based entrepreneurs. We want local businesses to benefit out of these efforts. Over the past three months we have hosted export week, more than five international investment conferences and exhibitions, where we presented projects that require investments. These includes the Aerotropolis - a City within King Shaka International Airport, Drakensberg Cable Car, Automotive Supplier Park and many other catalytic projects. Together with the Minister of Tourism, Ms Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, we hosted the World Tourism Media Launch. We chose the Drakensberg as part of the efforts aimed at marketing the site to the international media and potential investors. They had the opportunity to appreciate the potential that the area has for investment and tourism. In addition, the World Tourism Celebration was held at the Mandela Capture where international media and international investors showed an interest after being briefed. We hosted the Afreximbank Executive Vice President (Business Development & Corporate), Mr Amar Kamel and more than 400 potential investors during the 20th Afreximbank Trade Finance Seminar. This is the development bank based in Egypt, which has been funding projects from different parts of Africa. They also showed an interest. We also presented before more than 100 CEOs of African Development Finance Institutions across Africa and the world. The conference was hosted in partnership with Development Bank of Southern Africa, Industrial Development Corporation and Trade Investment KwaZulu-Natal. Invest SA KwaZulu-Natal One Stop Shop We are strengthening the Invest SA KwaZulu-Natal One Stop Shop. The facility, which is in our Trade and Investment KZN offices, is aimed at ensuring that doing business in the province is becoming easier by the day. This facility offers prospective investors a wide range of support services such as company registration, tax clearance, visa applications and all business registration requirements. We have also opened Invest One-Stop Shops in our Special Economic Zones - Dube TradePort and Richards Bay IDZ. We have strengthened relations with national departments involved in the One Stop Shop to ensure speed and efficiency in assisting potential investors. We are ensuring synergy within all role-players in the provincial investment agencies, local authorities and the relevant government departments involved in regulatory, registration, granting of permits and licensing matters. This is what we believe will ensure that we secure investors in the cable car and many other catalytic projects. Oceans Economy The opening of the Durban's Beachfront promenade must be viewed within the context of Operation Phakisa - Oceans Economy. KZN was identified by the national government for the launch of Operation Phakisa, consequently we remain committed to unlocking opportunities along our coast. The repositioning of KwaZulu-Natal as a gateway into Africa and to the world, underlines the importance of the maritime sector, which is central to the future growth of the province and the entire region. As government, we acknowledge the strategic role played by ports and their necessity to the logistics chain. Among other factors that affect transport costs, the efficiency of ports is one of the most important factors that can be directly influenced by government. Therefore, our policies, legislation and strategies are directed towards the reduction of red tape, improving the efficiency of our port systems, and capacitating our infrastructure. These are issues that are articulated in the KwaZulu- Natal Maritime Strategy. Under the leadership of the Premier Sihle Zikalala, we are working together with Durban Chamber of Commerce, eThekwini Municipality, Transnet and other role players to deal with challenges of congestion at the port. We have met with Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan and stakeholders in the maritime industry to discuss long-lasting solutions. A task team involving all role-players is being assembled to work out an integrated plan as guided by the District Service Delivery Model. This plan will ensure that we turn around the situation. 4th Industrial Revolution We have invested billions of rands to ensure that our entities are at the forefront of the promotion of the use of cutting-edge technology. Such technology is geared towards driving socio-economic development. The Moses Kotane Institute of Technology has trained more than 30 000 students in software engineering. Some of the students, upon completion of their studies, have undergone a one-year internship programme in ICT companies in various parts of the world. Moses Kotane and the Dube TradePort are establishing a state-of-the-art Innovation Hub which will be housed at the Dube TradePort. This Innovation Hub will focus on creating artificial intelligence (AI), block chain technology, biotechnology and big data analytics. We are also moving fast to establish a hardware manufacturing plant. We want this plant to build devices that will connected to the internet as part of the Internet of Things (IoT) programme of Government. Lastly, we have invested more than R10 billion for the establishment of techno hubs in various parts of the province. In conclusion, let me emphasize again that opportunities abound and expectations are high. We are all expected to deliver by working together.