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WBSNews
SCULPTING GLOBAL LEADERS
TAKING TIME FOR WBS... Association of MBAs new CEO Sharon Bamford with WBS acting
head of school, Dr Wendy Ngoma.
Message from the head
As we return from the Easter break, I
hope we all had time to reflect on our
contributions to the world we live in and
humanity in general. As a school, we
had a good first term, with high levels
of dedication and commitment from
both our staff and our students. We
look forward to another energising three
months, with new opportunities to learn
and readjust where appropriate.
At WBS we continue to improve our
internationalisation programme. Through
the international exchange programme,
our campus has recently been abuzz
with foreign accents and languages.
This shows that, as a school, we are
moving in the right direction to embrace
multiculturalism and diversity in a much
broader sense than we have done in the
past. I am very grateful to the staff in the
international programmes for arranging
such productive exchanges with top
business schools around the world.
To date, we have hosted a group of
MBA students from Instituto de Empresa
(IE – the top business school in Madrid
and ranked seventh in the world). Two of
our MBA students went to Madrid, while
17 culturally diverse IE students came
to WBS for a five-day flash immersion
programme in the socio-political economy
of South Africa. Earlier this year,
we hosted a six-week programme
for IE students, who spent their time
working with NGOs in Kliptown, Soweto.
In addition, we hosted students from
Harvard Business School, who were
paired up with our students and went
out to study entrepreneurial projects and
provide preliminary solutions to their
problems.
In April, we hosted an open day
for the deans and directors of African
business schools on behalf of the
African Association of Business Schools
(AABS). We gave them insight into
our school and our faculty. They left
here impressed by our openness and
hospitality, not to mention the quality
of education we offer. In turn, we were
good hosts to Sharon Bamford, the new
CEO of AMBA, who paid lightning visits
to AMBA-accredited schools, including
WBS. Senior staff members had the
privilege of interacting with Bamford
during her stay. In attendance was vice
chancellor Professor Loyiso Nongxa and
acting dean Professor Kathy Munro. We
are grateful for their support.
We will continue to update you on various
fronts, especially through the WBS
Journal.
Dr Wendy Ngoma
Acting head of school
Worthwhile MBAs
Fifty per cent of WBS MBAs polled
recently on MBAconnect.net and WBS
MBA Community felt their degrees more
than paid for themselves, compared
to 35% of MBAs from other business
schools who shared this view. This
shows that more WBS MBAs feel their
MBAs were worth what they paid for it
than graduates from other universities,
according to MBAconnect.net’s MD,
Colette Symanowitz. She plans to repeat
this poll with a larger sample because
she felt that, while the data was relevant,
she would like to confirm the results with
a bigger group. MBAconnect.net is a
vibrant social network for MBA alumni,
current students and faculty from all
business schools worldwide. It facilitates
networking, MBA-level job opportunities,
business events, knowledge-sharing
and a host of other fantastic features
for the global MBA community. WBS
MBA Community is the WBS-branded
version of MBAconnect.net, involving
a collaboration between WBS and
MBAconnect.net.
NEWS BRIEFS
In our last newsletter, we congratulated
programme manager Nerina Amos on the
birth of her granddaughter in February. We
congratulate her again – this time on the birth
of her grandson, Rocca Reece Kerr, born on
20 April. We wish her double delight!
We congratulate receptionist Patricia
Mokgadi who also became a grandmother.
Her daughter gave birth to a boy, Tswelopele,
on 24 April.
We say farewell to Dr Kerrin Myres who is
leaving WBS. Myres is the outgoing founding
director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship.
Dr Wendy Ngoma thanks her for her
contribution and wishes her well, and success
in everything she does.
We also bid farewell to finance officer
Khulekani Nyathi, who is also leaving WBS.
Dr Wendy Ngoma wishes him every success
in his future.
Now that WBS News is back, please let
us know about any news relating to WBS,
or its staff and alumni, or if there is an
event you want alumni or staff to attend.
If you have innovative or fun ideas for
WBS News, we’d like to hear from you as
well. Contact Rutendo Nxumalo at WBS
Marketing on 011 717 3615 or e-mail
Rutendo.Nxumalo@wbs.ac.za.
1 Issue 2 2011 • WITS Business School

Reinventing
entrepreneurship
South Africa – like other developing
countries – shows clear signs that
an entrepreneurship market is ready
to bloom and opportunities for small
enterprises are everywhere, according
to the WBS Chair in Entrepreneurship,
Professor Boris Urban (PhD). In his
inaugural lecture on 13 April, Urban
explained that to promote this, the
government and policymakers should
“unleash rather than harness people’s
entrepreneurial energies”.
Urban, who is also the director
of the Master of Management in
Entrepreneurship and New Venture
Creation programme, said it is not enough
for the government to supply funds for
start-ups and expect entrepreneurs to
grow and flourish.
“They should observe which
direction entrepreneurs take and ‘pave
the footpath’ by gently encouraging
supportive economic activity to form
around already successful ventures,
rather than planning new sidewalks,
pouring the concrete and keeping the
entrepreneurs off the grass.”
Urban is certain that, should the
government play its cards correctly, this
market would flourish. But as entrepreneurship
is politically popular and often
invoked as “a panacea to unemployment
and economic growth issues”, Urban
cautioned against “unreasonable and
unpredictable expectations” without
sufficient knowledge about what makes
it work.
He said while there are many
resources supporting entrepreneurial
activity within countries like South
Africa, “it is very concerning that neither
government-sponsored policies nor their
programmes are considered effective.”
“Currently the government is too keen
to tie entrepreneurial activity to its own
programmes of social justice, black
economic empowerment and service
delivery,” Urban said. “Subsequently,
entrepreneurship gets a lot of obstruction
and a little help from government, even
though government policy claims to
be supporting entrepreneurship.” It is
also conceptualised within a welfare
economic framework to make the poor
less poor, rather than as a social utility
in itself creating wealth.
Urban believes that under these
conditions, “entrepreneurship needs
to be reinvented.” If the unique nature
of individuals in unique circumstances,
undertaking unique activities to start
unique businesses is acknowledged,
Urban explained, entrepreneurship can
be reconfigured to suit an emerging
market context. He added that state
intervention needs to be translated into
a mechanism to ensure the emergence
and sustainability of entrepreneurship.
“One way of creating a dynamic
dominant logic is to make entrepreneurship
the basis upon which the
economy is conceptualised,” Urban said.
In the running
Aubrey Sithole joined Wits Business
School two years ago as a handyman
and, although he enjoys his job, there
is something he enjoys even more –
running. Sithole has been running long
distance since childhood and has been
winning medals for it since primary
school.
When a faculty member asked Sithole
at the beginning of 2010 what he wanted
to achieve in life, Sithole said he wanted
to be a runner. A call was made to the
Nedbank Running Club and Sithole
joined in March 2010. Another staff
member helped him with money for
shorts, vests and other necessities for
his sport. In November, he ran his first
marathon – the Soweto Marathon – and
finished 26th out of 18 000 runners.
“I told myself running is my talent,” he
says.
Sithole is training for the Comrades
Marathon with Orlando Athletics Club,
having changed clubs for logistical
reasons. At present, he clocks roughly
250 km a week. “Every day before work,
I run 10km and after work I do 20 more.”
On weekends, he can run up to 100 km.
When asked what he liked about the
sport, Sithole’s answer was simple and
honest: “I enjoy it... too much.”
2 Issue 2 2011 • WITS Business School

Myths about women
entrepreneurs
Around 38% of businesses in
South Africa are women-owned
and more than 25% of them make
in excess of R750 000 a year.
This is according to the research
into female entrepreneurs in
South Africa done by Dr Kerrin
Myres at the WBS Centre for
Entrepreneurship.
Myres’ research, which dispelled
many of the popular myths around
women entrepreneurs, was a joint
venture between WBS and First
National Bank.
At the launch of the study, Kirsty Davis, FNB Business
Banking CEO, said: “It is really interesting because it does show
that all business owners face certain challenges – but women,
because of their gender, often have additional obstacles to
those experienced by their male peers.
“The research was mainly to provide an understanding
of the needs, challenges and concerns faced by female
entrepreneurs.”
Myres debunks the myth that women start businesses as
a hobby to generate extra income while they take care of
the kids. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” she says.
“Myths like that can be very destructive and they undermine
the seriousness of businesses run by women that are really
contributing to the economy and employment.”
The truth behind that myth is that most women start
companies to keep learning and growing, to have greater
flexibility, to be their own boss and to improve their personal
income. They are motivated mostly by helping others, making
a difference and by solving community problems.
Myres found that very few women use financial services
to help them fund their businesses. They mostly go the bootstrapping
route or try and find an investor.
Myres explained that this was a pilot study and the
beginning of a programme that will continue to track women
entrepreneurs.
(Read Wits Business School Journal for the full story.)
WBS wins top case-study
competition
WBS took first place in the Emerald Group Publishing and
Association of African Business Schools 2011 competition for
a case study on Woolworths’ sustainability, written by Amanda
Bowen and Professor John Luiz.
The case, titled ‘Woolworths SA: making sustainability
sustainable’ draws on the success of Woolworths and the
measures the corporate has implemented to improve its
sustainability performance.
It illustrates a number of important issues around sustainability,
such as that there is increasing pressure on businesses
to adopt the principles of sustainable development but few
realise it can enhance profitability. The study finds that
implementing sustainable development requires an alternative
business journey and it is vital that companies bring their
customers, suppliers and investors onboard.
“WBS is honoured to have won this prestigious competition.
This reiterates the international standard of work that is produced
at WBS,” says Luiz, director of international programmes at
WBS. The WBS Case Study Centre which coordinates, creates
and writes all case studies for the school, is unique, and WBS
is the only school that has its own dedicated case centre where
case studies are documented on examples of local businesses’
success and failures.
UPCOMING EVENTS
14 MAY 2011 – WBS MBA Open Day is the perfect event to attend
if you are considering doing your MBA, but need some questions
answered first. Also, should you need any information on WBS short
courses, don’t miss this. The open day is from 9am to 3pm. Contact
Roland Viedge on 011 717 3615 or roland.viedge@wits.ac.za.
19 MAY 2011 – WBSA Speed Networking Evening is a chance to
expand your professional network and meet old friends. It will be
held at WBS at 5.30pm for 6pm, until 8pm. Entry R100. Numbers
limited. To book, contact Debbie Sachs on 011 717 3637 or debbie.
sachs@wits.ac.za.
27 MAY 2011 – Maria Ramos will speak about ‘The BRICS
opportunity: what this means for South Africa and for doing business
on the continent of Africa’ at a Wits and WBS Alumni breakfast from
7am to 9.15am. R150 per person. Contact Purvi Purohit on purvi.
purohit@wits.ac.za for details.
AFRICAN DEANS VISIT...Deans/directors of schools as far afield as Nigeria, Egypt, Senegal and Tanzania spent a day (12 April) at WBS. Pictured
above are the 19 deans and WBS staff.
3 Issue 2 2011 • WITS Business School

WBS short courses
SENIOR EXECUTIVE PROGRAMMES
WBS International Executive Development Programme
(IEDP) (including international study tour)
11 August–11 September 2011
Contact Faith Koroloso on 011 717 3569
Strategic Leadership
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
19–21 September 2011 (JHB)
Managing a Turnaround and Corporate Renewal
23–27 May 2011 (JHB)
The Art and Science of Negotiation
24–27 May 2011 (JHB)
Corporate Governance
30 May–2 June 2011 (JHB)
The Art and Science of Negotiation
16–19 August 2011 (JHB)
Thinking and Planning Strategically
22–25 August 2011 (JHB)
SPECIALISED TOPICS
BBBEE – Unpacking Strategy and Codes
25–26 May & 22 June 2011 (JHB)
17–18 August & 15 September 2011 (JHB)
Project Management
20–24 June 2011 (JHB)
14–18 November 2011 (JHB)
Climate Change and Carbon Markets Management
Development Programme
15–19 August 2011 (JHB)
Management Consulting Skills
25–27 July 2011 (JHB)
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMMES
Management Advancement Programme
15 July–19 November 2011 (JHB) (Weekend block
release)
9 September 2011–20 May 2012 (JHB) (Part time)
Certificate Programme in Finance and Accounting
4 July–23 November 2011 (JHB)
FINANCE
Finance for Non-financial Managers
27 June–1 July 2011 (JHB)
22–26 August 2011 (JHB)
Technical and Financial Evaluation in Mineral Projects
19–23 September 2011
Integrating Strategy, Budgeting and Reporting
3–5 October 2011 (JHB) (Private sector)
24–26 October 2011 (JHB) (Public sector)
MARKETING
Product Strategy and Brand Management
10–12 August 2011 (JHB)
Marketing Management Programme
19–21 May & 23–24 June 2011 (JHB)
Sales Management
11–15 July 2011 (JHB)
Strategic Marketing Management
25–29 July 2011 (JHB)
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
PROGRAMMES
Certificate Programme in Leadership Development
(CPLD) 2
20 June–2 December 2011 (JHB) (Six block releases)
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMMES
New Managers Programme
23 May–26 August 2011 (JHB)
11 July–14 October 2011 (JHB)
19 September–9 December 2011 (JHB)
Certificate Programme in Marketing Management
21 May–19 September 2011 (JHB)
Certificate Programme in Business Project
Management
23 May–11 November 2011 (JHB)
CONTACT DETAILS:
Mankosana Mngomezulu
Tel: 011 717 3778
E-mail: mankosana.mngomezulu@wits.ac.za
4 Issue 2 2011 • WITS Business School