CHAMBER NEWSLETTER
www.wescob.co.za

Issue 10, July 2003

Welcome
New look, new format - let us know what you think. To the left is the Quick Links section, clicking on any of the links will take you directly to that article in the newsletter, or that area of the WCOB's website. Just beneath that we welcome our New Members to the Wesvaal Chamber of Business, and a little further down is a link which allows you to download this newsletter in a printer friendly format.

Congratulations go out to one of our new members - MTN - who placed first in the Top 20 Franchises for May. Well done Gabri and Adolph, though we're sure this won't be the only time. Got something you want the world to know about? share it with us

Building a Stable Business Culture and Black Economic Empowerment in the North West Region
Simply Perfect Event Management is presenting the Black Economic Empowerment Conference - North West 2003, and the Chamber of Business endorses it.

BEE remains a rather nebulous concept in the North West Province, and on 23 July 2003, Black and White businesspersons are invited to attend the conference at the Klerksdorp Auditorium, Civic Centre with one vision: Building a Stable Business Culture and Black Economic Empowerment in the North West Region. We request your presence at this historic event and invite you to attend the gala dinner in the Banquet Hall afterwards.

The conference will start at 10h30 – 16h30, Lunch and refreshments will be served.
The dinner will start at 18h30 for 19h00 – 23h00.
Costs for the entire day, dinner included, will be R250 per delegate and R300 if you register on the day of the conference.

Registration forms are available from Absa, Church Street, Klerksdorp, or at the Chamber office 15b North Street.

Confirmed guests include:

• Representative of Mr Cyril Ramaphosa
• Mr Japie Steenkamp - Vice President of AHI
• Mr Ebrahim Asmal - Engen National Business Development & BEE Strategy Manager
• Mr Bheki Sibiya - BMF President

while replies are still expected from:

• Mr Patrice Motsepe
• The Executive Mayor of Klerksdorp
• James Lennox - acting CEO of SACOB

Africa News

eAfrica
What's in This Issue:

A Standby Force for Africa - Is it Mission Impossible? In a four-part special feature, eAfrica examines the hard realities of peacekeeping, its costs, the difficulties of securing UN backing and the pitfalls of African conflict mediation. Dennis Jett -- former US ambassador to Mozambique and author of Why Peacekeeping Fails -- looks at the 'gesture politics' of the international community and the risks if Africa goes it alone. Cedric de Coning answers questions about the costs and perils peacekeeping. Gilbert Khadiagala and Ross Herbert explore the role of presidents as conflict mediators and why they are not more successful.

Afro-Realism - Between Adulation And Flagellation: Participants at the World Economic Forum in June noted that Africa has a tendency to veer from excessive optimism to excessive pessimism. Tim Hughes and Peter Fabricius argue that this tendency is damaging African policy-making and its academic credibility.

To read the articles in full, download the July issue of eAfrica, the electronic journal of governance & innovation. Click Here.

Africa Investor & Business Unity
A Memorandum of Understanding signed by the four main South African national business organisations at a recent congress in Bloemfontein brings the prospect of a unified, nonracial SA business body one step closer.

There is no doubt that the racial schism of SA business into four main groups, as well as the withdrawal of membership of SACOB of the three major metropolitan chambers of commerce, have limited the ability of business to promote its agenda. This has been at a time when the need to promote pro business policies in government has never been greater. Much of the burden of new legislation on tax and employment has fallen on SME's, who as it is represent a far smaller portion of the SA economy than in other developed and developing countries. The steps towards unity are thus especially welcome. Under the agreement, the four bodies agree to negotiate the creation of a new national chamber of commerce, to be formed no later than September 2003.

It is anticipated that this will result in unity at the level of chambers level. An easier compromise would have been to create an umbrella body, leaving the existing chambers organisations intact, but business leaders have grasped the nettle of creating a unified organisation at chambers level. This is the right long term solution for SA business - although some tough talking no doubt lies ahead in the next few months. NAFCOC President Patrice Motsepe, also Executive Chairman of the newly formed HARMONY, will be Chairperson of the Interim Council set up to execute the merger, and looks to be the leader-designate of the new organisation.

To read the rest of this article, download the June issue of Africa Investor by clicking here. Your feedback on the above article (Pages 6 & 7 of the newsletter) would be much appreciated and can be forwarded via e-mail.

Joint Venture Relationship
There is a request from Angola for a JV relationships in the following areas:

1. Beer and Juice factory.
2. Soap factory.
3. Bicycle and or Motorbike assembly plant.
4. Setting up a Trading Warehouse for general goods where bank guarantees will be provided. Goods include sugar, cooking oil, etc.

Any parties interested in exploring this further are asked to contact Cosmas Mamhunze for more information. E-mail or telephone 011 5180000.

Networking Evening

Order your business cards now. The chamber will be playing host to an exciting Networking Evening in August.

More details will follow shortly, or you can contact the chamber directly at 018 4627401.

Women for Housing Database
Cutting Edge is currently in the process of updating the existing Women for Housing Database (see below).

The Database is a strong marketing tool and will assist Women for Housing in promoting the role of women within the housing sector.

If you are a women working in the housing sector you may be interested in being included in this.
Categories include:

• Contractors / Sub-contractors
• Developers
• Materials Suppliers & Manufacturers
• Consultants
• Academics
• Government
• Financial Institutions
• Support Organisations
• Corporate

Women for Housing
Women for Housing is a section 21, non-profit, company which facilitates opportunities for women in the housing sector. We aim to empower women to play a leading role in the housing sector through advocacy, training, and support.

Women for Housing undertakes activities in the following areas:

• Linking women to opportunities, projects and resources;
• Facilitating educational opportunities and training for women in the housing sector;
• Lobbying government and other stakeholders;
• Research and advocacy;
• Facilitating access to finance for women;
• Career and Business Development; and
• Promoting economic development through marketing women’s businesses and women with housing related skills.

We have a continuously developing, national network representative of the housing and construction professions, housing finance institutions, government, non-governmental organisations (NGO's), and academic institutions. Together we have the experience, the skills, the networks, and the influence to realise the empowerment of women within the field.

If you are interested in being listed on the database, forward your contact details via e-mail, or to fax 031 3035254.

Are We That Different?
Like so many South Africans, we have become accustomed to the ‘ideal’ being presented in the post change South Africa. We speak of positive and motivatory change, of a will to come together and consult. To be one and the same in purpose and effort to avoid the differences and misunderstandings of the past. But do we actually mean what we say? Is the purpose clear? Can we confidently say that personalities in the HR environment can and will put their differences aside. Is there a will to at least listen to what the HR Professionals, be they in whatever position, are saying about the fragmented HR environment.

Mr Mpho Makwana, President of the Institute for People Management (IPM), says “As essential catalysts for growth and development, people management professionals have a critical role to play in this scenario. These professionals hold the key to unlocking talent in the average South African, from cradle to grave.” Does this mean that organisation appreciate the importance HR Professionals place in the existence of a “national body that will become a united and formidable force of people passionate about people - people who can inspire ordinary South Africans to do extraordinary things; people who can truly thrive on the climate of human rights and the broader freedoms offered to them by a transformed South Africa” (Mpho Makwana). I believe they do, furthermore I am convinced that most if not all, HR organisations are working towards this objective.

Read the rest of this article, and more, in the HRCOSA Newsletter (4 of 2003). Click here.

Know Fraud
Know Fraud is a monthly newsletter compiled by the Ernst & Young Forensic Services department, and it is of extreme relevance to all business irrespective of size.

The June issue discusses the fact that organisations are losing an average of 6% of turnover to fraud, along with the Selling of Controls within organisations. This month also sees the start of a new series that will try to dispel some common Fraud Myths.

To download this issue, along with past issues, click here.

AA Travel
A recent e-mail from AA Travel reads:

We have received numerous emails from tour operators overseas in the past month, asking us to send them our AA Hotels, Lodges, Guest Houses, B&Bs and AA Self-Catering Getaways guides, because they were unable to attend Indaba but these are their "bibles".

We get the same feedback from the local travel trade. Last week Michelle Hunter from Rennies Corporate in Sandton came to get 10 copies of each from our office for her whole department. I was amazed that a corporate department wants the Self-Catering guide too. She told me she often gets groups who then want self-catering breakaways booked. Recently she had a group of 106 Frenchmen who had a 5 day conference and then 80 of them did a break away trip straight after and most of them wanted self-catering.

So our guides are a prime opportunity for you to showcase your area to the travel trade both locally and overseas and of course our guides are regarded as indispensable by the traveling public who make them best sellers year after year.

Should you wish to advertise your establishment in the Self-Catering Guide 2003/2004, click here to download the order form. Deadline is 31 July 2003.

Co-Operative Education
The Vaal Triangle Technikon recently contacted the chamber seeking assistance with co-operative education/experiential learning. Quoting from their correspondence:

The presentation is aimed at any organisation that might find it relevant and aligned to its broad human resources development strategy.

This concept, in a form of Technikon and Industry partnership is practiced globally and has proven to be a good strategy to identify talent at a developing stage or to make a contribution as a social responsibility to develop skills in the country. Participants come from various employment sectors ranging from individual consultants to big corporations.

At Vaal Triangle Technikon we guarantee service excellence and quality assurance in co-operative education. The success of the concept lies in the joint venture by the three parties involved, i.e. the student, the Technikon and the employer organisation.

A number of students have completed their academic theory part of their study programme and are awaiting placement in the workplace to complete their experiential learning part before they can graduate. We therefore request that you consider giving these students a chance to develop in your organisation.

You can view the presentation here, or if your organisation would like to get involved you can contact Lena Dreyer by telephone at 018 9509372 or fax at 018 9509817.