South African Business 2018 edition
Welcome to the sixth edition of the South African Business journal. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za. Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as sustainability and African trade provide unique insights, together with an interview with the newly elected chairman of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Mr Thomas Schaefer. Another special feature focusses on an exciting project to transform South Africa’s small harbours and coastal properties. South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. The e-book editions can be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as sustainability and African trade provide unique insights, together with an interview with the newly elected chairman of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Mr Thomas Schaefer. Another special feature focusses on an exciting project to transform South Africa’s small harbours and coastal properties. South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. Visit www.globalafricanetwork.com for more business and investment news, opportunities and events.
Welcome to the sixth edition of the South African Business journal. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za.
Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as sustainability and African trade provide unique insights, together with an interview with the newly elected chairman of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Mr Thomas Schaefer. Another special feature focusses on an exciting project to transform South Africa’s small harbours and coastal properties.
South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. The e-book editions can be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com.
First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za
Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as sustainability and African trade provide unique insights, together with an interview with the newly elected chairman of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Mr Thomas Schaefer. Another special feature focusses on an exciting project to transform South Africa’s small harbours and coastal properties.
South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. Visit www.globalafricanetwork.com for more business and investment news, opportunities and events.
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SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
Roof maintenance specialists Topps Group <strong>South</strong><br />
Africa has developed a detailed training module<br />
where roofers and waterproofers can attain qualifications<br />
while learning about the characteristics<br />
of the products they will apply to roofing surfaces.<br />
The programme is delivered by the company that<br />
applies the roofing products after their staff have<br />
been trained by Topps.<br />
Volkswagen <strong>South</strong> Africa has several skills and<br />
training programmes which include the Commercial<br />
Trainee Programme, the Graduate Trainees, Further<br />
Education Training and Wanderjahre programmes.<br />
In the motor manufacturer’s home town of<br />
Uitenhage, Volkswagen has five learning academies.<br />
Open to employees and suppliers, the academies’<br />
programmes are SETA-accredited. and offer a range<br />
of courses available through workshops, exercises,<br />
e-learning or on-the-job-training.<br />
Higher education<br />
With the inauguration of the Sol Plaatje University<br />
(Northern Cape) and the University of Mpumalanga,<br />
every province now has its own university, of which<br />
there are 26 in all. The Sefako Makgatho Health<br />
Sciences University has also opened in Gauteng.<br />
There are three categories of university: universities<br />
offering only degrees and post-graduate<br />
courses with a strong research component, comprehensive<br />
universities offering a mix of degrees<br />
and diplomas and universities of technology, formerly<br />
known as technikons. There are also 87 registered<br />
and 27 provisionally registered private higher<br />
education institutions.<br />
Universities of technology have a specific focus on<br />
educating young people in fields that will enhance<br />
the country’s economic performance.<br />
Some of the courses can be very demanding.<br />
Among the new courses on offer at the Cape<br />
Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are diplomas<br />
in geomatics (one of <strong>South</strong> Africa’s most<br />
sought-after skills to aid surveyors, town planners and<br />
civil engineers), clothing and textile technology, and<br />
horticulture and landscape architecture. CPUT also<br />
offers a range of short courses, allowing employed<br />
people the opportunity to get up to speed in an area<br />
of specialisation or to understand new developments<br />
in a particular field. Sometimes an employer will ask<br />
CPUT to structure a course for a group of employees,<br />
for example, in ICT. These courses do not earn candidates<br />
diplomas, but may be used to gain credits.<br />
Traditional universities are also aware of the need<br />
to align their courses and research programmes with<br />
the needs of the economy.<br />
There are three World Health Organisation (WHO)<br />
Collaborating Centres at UWC and the Centre of<br />
Excellence in Food Security (with Pretoria University)<br />
is funded by the National Research Foundation<br />
and the Department of Science and Technology.<br />
Biotechnology and food security come together<br />
in the Plant Biotechnology Research group at UWC,<br />
which studies ways of developing crops that can<br />
resist drought.<br />
This kind of focus on specific challenges facing<br />
society in <strong>South</strong> Africa is an example of universities<br />
working to make their research relevant.<br />
The University of Cape Town is offering a course<br />
in Health Innovation that encourages talented young<br />
<strong>South</strong> <strong>African</strong>s to find solutions to the country’s<br />
health problems. Another UCT degree that tackles a<br />
specific challenge faced in the <strong>South</strong> <strong>African</strong> economy<br />
is a master’s in Sustainable Mineral Resource<br />
Development.<br />
Private colleges such as MANCOSA (Management<br />
College of <strong>South</strong>ern Africa) often specialise in particular<br />
fields. In this case, a range of certificates, diplomas<br />
and degrees in business, commerce and<br />
administration is presented at five sites around<br />
<strong>South</strong> Africa.<br />
SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS <strong>2018</strong><br />
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