Over the weekend we travelled to KZN for the wedding of dear friends and to meet some new ones. In getting-to-know-you conversations I was struck by how many SA businessmen, almost instinctively, are doing the right thing.
In passing, I discovered how one couple feed and fund a school for 300 HIV/Aids orphans. How another stays in SA although his three siblings have emigrated to Australia – primarily because he can make a difference here. A business founder who employs 100, he maintains labour intensive processes that keep people in jobs, even though streamlining would generate higher profit. Yet another has recently expanded an already substantial programme that sends previously disadvantaged employees abroad for skills development.
All over the world, companies are discovering that serving stakeholders rather than shareholders is the new business of business. Many in SA are ahead of the curve. Operating below the radar and without seeking fanfare, thousands of companies have for years already been quietly doing their bit. A special lot, my countrymen.
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