A small minority of people will be remembered and known beyond four generations (100 years): mostly by grandchildren and great grandchildren. A significantly smaller number of people will be remembered 100 years after their death for the impact they have had on developments in their countries. The fact that Martin Luther’s protest half a millennium ago against Papal indulgences and Roman Catholic theology and the Emperor was celebrated last week in Germany and most countries with a significant number of Christian believers, testifies to his role in breaking the mould of Medieval society contributing to the dawn of the Modern Era. Continue reading “A stand against hierarchical tyranny: Luther’s protest has changed the world”
Author: johanneswessels
CEO of the Enterprise Observatory of SA
The focus in South Africa is so much on the State Capture saga and the ANC’s forthcoming elective conference that few realise we commemorate over the next three weeks two of the most significant events that have shaped our world: the Reformation triggered by Luther’s stance against Rome 500 years ago (30 October 1517) and the Bolshevik Revolution of 7 November 1917 (known as the Great October Socialist Revolution). Both had far-reaching implications for society as a whole, also for the world of enterprise. (Luther’s legacy will be assessed in a subsequent contribution.) Continue reading “The Hammer and Sickle 100 years on… A legacy with larger atrocities than achievements (and lessons for SA)”
Were it not for the relative good performance of South Africa’s private sector, the slippage by 14 places on the WEF’s World Competitiveness Index would have been much much worse. And there is strong evidence that Jacob Zuma, Malusi Gigaba and Mosebenzi Zwane each pulled their weight in efforts to contribute to lower rankings on some of the indicators… Continue reading “Zuma, Gigaba & Zwane contribute to SA’s slippage on WEF’s Competitiveness Index… in “favouritism in public decisions” SA ranks amongst the worst”
Brand South Africa’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kingsley Makhubela is wrong: SA’s decline in the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Index cannot be ascribed to low GDP growth. Makhubela is confusing outcome with cause. Continue reading “South Africa: from Flavour of the Month to a Bad Taste in the Mouth…”
it would help more to combat crime effectively
Is the blind leading the blind when it comes to the promotion of black businesses? This question in my previous blog apparently ruffled a few feathers. Let us therefore compare the positive impact of Government strategies to stimulate business formation and the negative impact on business formation by Government’s failures in core governmental functions. Continue reading “Government’s attempts to promote business formation as effective as a rain dance…”
Government is pursuing numerous strategies to promote black owned businesses, e.g.:
- The 80 Black Industrialists’ programme;
- The Gazelles Programme (fast growing small enterprises that should increase their turnover and growth much faster than the market average);
- The Cooperative Incentive Scheme;
- Preferential procurement programmes;
- BBBEE-measures effectively forcing large and medium-sized companies to subcontract to black owned businesses;
- Sector Charters;
- Grants and SEFA loans;
- Land Reform and Restitution;
- The Free State Provincial Grants Scheme and numerous other provincial initiatives,
and the list goes on and on… Continue reading “Is the promotion of Black Businesses done by the blind?”
EOSA 