Bruce Whitfield talks thriving in chaos at the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership alumni breakfast

Bruce Whitfield

Earlier this month, the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL) hosted an alumni breakfast that called on South African businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators to harness uncertainty and chaos in order to find solutions to this country’s grave economic challenges.

Setting the tone for the event was SBL’s Executive Dean, Professor Mpofu, who said in his welcome address that the impact of blockchain technology in the world’s economies, for example, was a compelling example of a disruptive technology.  “This technology has the potential to solve some of the chaos in the world.  Major companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft are beginning to experiment with how it can be utilised.”

Guest speaker Bruce Whitfield, well-known journalist and host of Talk Radio 702’s “Money Show” delivered keen insight in his talk “How to thrive on the edge of chaos” .  Whitfield shared exclusive interviews with the leaders of significant local businesses such as Shoprite, Bidvest, Investec, Nando’s, Massmart, Discovery, MTN, Vodacom, Aspen, FirstRand and Naspers.

“It is interesting to realise that the leaders of these companies were once disruptors who were driven to establish businesses in times of chaos, amidst challenges brought about by policy and political vagary.  Perseverance and innovation have seen these companies grow into what are now stalwarts in South Africa’s economy,” said Whitfield.

He later challenged the audience to seek opportunities in the chaos rather than capitulate into despair about a future that is becoming increasingly hard to predict.  “Everyone is frightened by the uncertainty but sometimes you have to take risks and make bold decisions.”

In concluding Whitfield said, “Our country faces its biggest challenges yet and South Africans must dig deep to find the courage to start businesses despite the surrounding chaos.  It is only through this that we will see jobs created in any meaningful way, and which in itself will reduce some of that chaos in South Africa’s economy.”