By April 2025, the chief executive officer of De Beers Group (De Beers) was contemplating whether the company should exit the lab-grown diamond (LGD) category and refocus solely on natural diamonds, where it traditionally held a dominant position. As LGDs were significantly cheaper than natural diamonds and retained similar properties, customers of fine jewellery, including in the wedding and engagement market, were shifting from natural diamonds .....more

In September 2025, the managing director of White House Industries Private Limited (WH), a manufacturer of aluminum cans in India, faced a dilemma regarding WH’s largest export customer and distributor in South Africa, Imprint Processing Pty. Limited (Imprint). Imprint had been placed under business-rescue proceedings in August, and the appointed business-rescue practitioner (BRP) had informed WH that Imprint’s bank accounts were now frozen and it .....more

South Africa was inundated with complex social challenges, especially in early childhood development, that were exacerbated by fragmented and inefficient systems. Backbone organizations provided an effective working model to resolve these challenges by facilitating collaboration between the public, private, and non-profit sectors to drive greater collective social impact. In 2017, Warren Farrer, then head of corporate social investment at RCL FOODS .....more

The Chief Digital Officer (CDO) role was crucial for guiding organizations through digital transformation. The Chief Digital and Technology Officer (CDTO) for Momentum Group Limited faced the challenge of harnessing digital technology for competitive advantage. The CDO needed to navigate the complexities of the federated organizational structure to foster digital innovation and alignment across autonomous business units (BUs). The tension between .....more

What happens when a financial services giant decides to enter the funeral business? Old Mutual Limited (OM), a financial-services company in South Africa known primarily for its insurance, investments, and banking services, had identified a need to expand its reach by entering the funeral-services market, an industry traditionally dominated by independent, community-based providers. The chief executive officer of Old Mutual Funeral Services (OMFS) .....more

Vincent Maphosa was the founder and chief executive officer of Wetility, a solar energy start-up based in South Africa. On April 20, 2023, Maphosa faced a critical decision that could shape the financial trajectory of his emerging four-year-old business. Wetility was contending with a balance sheet weighed down by debt and significant operational pressures. Maphosa’s dilemma was choosing between securing potential equity investment and leveraging .....more

Kyle Lesch, head of whisky and reserve at Diageo, pondered how to successfully revitalize and transform the Johnnie Walker (JW) brand and regain market share in South Africa. Despite JW’s global recognition, the brand faced marketing challenges in South Africa due to its outdated strategy of targeting affluent older men. While the global subsidiary had shifted to focus on younger consumers since 2000, the South African subsidiary lagged behind, reluctant .....more

On April 8, 2024, Mike Teke—co-founder and group chief executive officer of Seriti Resources Holdings Ltd. (Seriti)—was driving to an executive meeting in Mpumalanga, South Africa, reflecting on how to sustain Seriti’s momentum in motivating employees toward higher productivity while maintaining a safe working environment. Although some sections of the Khutala Colliery had achieved high production levels, performance across Seriti’s operations remained .....more

Environmental impact assessment is a legal requirement for all large infrastructure projects. The environmental impact assessment process for the Gautrain Project was governed by the 1997 EIA regulations based on the Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989. Developing environmental impact assessment is a complex process that covers a wide variety of impact assessments, requiring skills from various experts and input from interested and affected parties, .....more

A key example of strategic partnerships is the Gautrain Management Agency public transport integration model with the taxi industry, referred to as the Midibus Feeder Distribution Service. The partnership model was developed in 2011 with the objective of providing a service from the Gautrain rail system’s Marlboro station to Linbro Business Park. Through an innovative contracting model, a partnership was formed with the taxi association operating .....more