‘Africa can take control of its destiny in consumer markets’

STELLENBOSCH University’s newly-appointed Business School Executive Development head, Dr Chris van der Hoven, says Africa can take control of its destiny with its potential in vibrant future consumer markets and a globally relevant producer market.

Van der Hoven was appointed to the position on June 11, succeeding Frik Landman, who retired after 13 years.

Van der Hoven most recently held the position of academic director of Wits Business School and prior to that he was a senior fellow at Cambridge University and a senior lecturer at Cranfield School of Management in the UK.

He has also been a visiting academic at 10 different business schools including the Stockholm School of Economics, Kentucky Business School in the US, Nanjing University in China, Paul Cezanne University in France, Mannheim in Germany, as well as Cranfield.

Van der Hoven said Africa had a young population and the lowest average per capita contribution to national GDPs.

“This suggests that there may be huge potential both in terms of vibrant future consumer markets, and more particularly a globally relevant producer market. We have a chance through executive education to take control of our destiny. Africa is generally well endowed on the resource front and is very keen to embrace the vision and direction of leaders from business and beyond in taking on this challenge. As executive education providers, it is our duty to support this and we are well-placed because we understand our market and form a part of it.” Van der Hoven said the Stellenbosch Business School leveraged its entrepreneurial culture, experiences and achievements in focusing energies and resources on human capital development – particularly in leadership and management development.

“Our customers can have longer-term strategies and we need to figure out how we can contribute meaningfully. However, although they may think longer term, they want us to be flexible, nimble and responsive so that we can support rapid change and tough leadership and innovation impacts – for example when the economy shifts suddenly or the market is disrupted. This means that our strategy will be structured into 90-day sprints within a broader vision.”

The Business School has set up offices in Sandton and Umhlanga.

“We have demonstrated our commitment outside South Africa by launching Stellenbosch Business School Botswana with its offices in Gaborone. We are actively looking for indigenous joint venture and alliance partners and acquisitions so that we can grow across Africa and offer our executive courses where our customers need us geographically,” Van der Hoven said. – Staff Writer