Forbes Africa

forbes africa

Chairman: Zafar Siddiqi Founder & Publisher: Rakesh Wahi Managing Director: Roberta Naicker Executive Director: Sid Wahi Non-Executive Director: Busi Mabuza Non-Executive Director: Sam Bhembe MANAGING EDITOR Renuka Methil SUB-EDITOR Unathi Shologu ART DIRECTOR Lucy Nkosi PHOTOJOURNALISTS Motlabana Monnakgotla Gypseenia Lion JOURNALIST Karen Mwendera JOURNALIST – WEST AFRICA Peace Hyde DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY Kudzai Kanyangarara PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION Sikona Cibini BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – WEST AFRICA Patrick Omitoki ABN MANAGEMENT TEAM Group Head of West Africa: Frederic Van de vyver Head of Programming, CNBC Africa: Chris Bishop Group Head of ABN Productions: Alexander Leibner Group Head of Technical Operations: Jean Landsberg Head of East Africa: Denham Pons Head of Finance: Thameshan Sooriah FORBES USA Editor-in-Chief: Steve Forbes Chief Content Officer: Randall Lane Art & Design: Robert Mansfield Editorial Director, International Editions: Katya Soldak FORBES MEDIA President & CEO: Michael Federie Senior Advisor, International: Tom Wolf…

#endthisviolencenow

I HAVE LIVED in New Delhi and I have lived in Johannesburg, both infamous rape capitals. One of my first cover stories for a leading weekly news magazine as a young reporter in New Delhi was on ‘Rape’, the prevalence of it, the mindless statistics that accompany every news story on it, and the decimating helplessness of survivors. The research for my story led me to many of them, and the doors of advocacy groups and lawmakers. It even led me to spend a day talking to offenders in the Indian capital’s notorious prison, Tihar Jail. “If I could now, I would rape even you,” rasped one remorseless, toothless, repulsive rapist, from behind the iron bars of his cell. But the question is, how many of these offenders get convicted; how many survivors…

eight successful years of showcasing african entrepreneurship

I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO anniversaries. Coincidentally, FORBES AFRICA’s eighth birthday coincides with my 60th. These are a reflect on the time gone by. There are a lot of views about 60 being the new 40 and a number of other convenient phrases to state how young we feel, but 60 is 60 and qualifies me to be a senior citizen. One of the greatest joys for me now is to share. Proverbially, there are no new peaks to conquer but to consolidate and be happy with what I have achieved and pass on the baton to the next generation of leaders; who now need to carry the flag forward. After a failed attempt in April 2015, when we were caught in an earthquake that ripped through Nepal, one of the wishes…

brief 360

JACK MA RETIRES FROM ALIBABA Billionaire and friend of Africa Jack Ma formally retired last month from Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant he founded that helped transform the way hundreds of millions of people shop and made him one of the world’s richest men. Ma retired as executive chairman on September 10, which was his 55th birthday and also the 20th anniversary party of the company in Hangzhou, Alibaba’s headquarters. At the party, he officially handed the reins over to his successor Daniel Zhang, who has been the CEO of Alibaba since 2015. The company celebrated the occasion with 60,000 employees and a spectacular fireworks performance. In the open letter announcing his resignation last year, Ma said: “As for myself, I still have lots of dreams to pursue. Those who know me know…

ithuba — putting the needs of the people first

A people-fist Approach “ITHUBA ASSUMED ITS MANDATE AS THE OFFICIAL OPERATOR OF THE SA NATIONAL LOTTERY WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY”– KHENSANI MABUZA, CORPORATE RELATIONS EXECUTIVE. Since ITHUBA took over the operation of the South African National Lottery, it has always upheld its promise to not only reinvigorate the National Lottery brand, but to better the lives of South Africans through equal opportunities. The increased Retailer footprint, Small Medium Enterprise (SME) development and support, addressing youth unemployment through Internship Programmes and Youth Enterprise Development, and the ongoing contribution towards socio-economic development – these are all initiatives that are centered around addressing the needs of the South African people. ITHUBA has proven to be a responsible corporate citizen who has assumed their mandate as the operator of the National Lottery with a sense…

the rage and tears that tore a nation

AS THE CONTINENT’S second-biggest economy, South Africa attracts migrants from the rest of Africa. But mired in its own problems of unemployment and political instability, September saw a serious outbreak of attacks by South Africans on foreign nationals and foreign-owned businesses. And they have been ugly. The spark that fueled the raging fire was in Pretoria, the country’s capital, when a taxi driver was shot dead by a foreign national who was selling drugs to a youngster in the central business district (CBD). The altercation caused a riot and the taxi industry brought the CBD to a standstill, blocking intersections. It did not stop there; a week later, about 60 kilometers from the capital in Malvern, a suburb east of the Johannesburg CBD, a hijacked building caught fire, leaving three dead. As…