March 2018

President Ramaphosa is in office and the business community is largely buoyant – hallelujah! His talk is of ending corruption and state capture, creating jobs, and reviving a numb economy.

“We should put all the negativity that has dogged our country behind us because a new dawn is upon us,” he said while delivering his maiden SONA. Immediately, business responded positively with growth forecasts revised up, currency pricing vastly improved and the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) claiming that the appointment could be the biggest boost in business confidence since 1994.

Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle was also welcomed by business with Nene, Gordhan and Mantashe taking vital positions. Clearly, now is the time for positivity – now is the time for excitement.

But, of course, we cannot overreact. The country’s economic outlook remains uneasy, large swathes of South Africa remain gripped by drought, and huge numbers remain unemployed – there is no instant fix. While now is a time of positivity, it also remains a time for hard work.

Without hard work and adaptation, nothing will be achieved. That is the lesson we learn from this month’s featured organisations. ABB SA CEO, Leon Viljoen tells us that adapting to meet the requirements of changing power systems is important. Jawbone Brand Experiences CEO, Sven Reinertsen tells us that his business must work hard every day to remain ahead of competition, and AutoTrader SA CEO, George Mienie explains how the company has had to make big changes to stay atop its market.

Get in touch and tells us how you feel about the new political regime and what you are doing to boost business during this time of positive feeling. We’re online, as always @EnterpriseAfri1