KLCBT Business Conference to start tomorrow
No fewer than 14 fantastic speakers will take the podium during the inaugural annual business conference hosted by the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT) which launches tomorrow at the Emnotweni Arena.
The conference aims to reinspire, reignite and re-energise Lowveld business owners and CEOs.
May 21 will mark the first day of the two-day conference and the programme will kick off with future infrastructure investments as well as developments in the digital space. While everybody's talking AI, which is included in the programme, the subject of personal networking and branding will be addressed.
ALSO READ: Exciting economic developments to boost the Lowveld
The day will close with the very popular political economist, Moeletsi Mbeki, who suggests that government wages should be slashed. Patrons are all invited to attend a special networking dinner with the speakers and the current KLCBT president, Prof David Mabunda.
The second day will focus on forecasts and potential, including the subjects of safety and security, the economic landscape, plans for the Nkomazi SEZ, and the necessity of development in tourism. None other than Prof Theuns Eloff will present his own version of the 'State of the nation address', augmented by Adv Stefanie Fick who will weave more into 'The big, the good and the ugly'.
It will take a media guru like Izak du Plessis of Nuuspod to summarise the key takeaways from the conference and to leave the Lowveld Inspired!
ALSO READ: Warm welcome for new KLCBT president
In addition to the excellent conference line-up, delegates will also have the opportunity to visit 20 exhibitions in the hall next door. Conference bookings are filling up fast, so it is advisable to book timeously to avoid disappointment.
Visit the KLCBT Facebook page or website for ongoing updates or to secure your spot.
Wednesday, May 21
10:00 – Delegate registration
10:30 – Opening and welcome: Linda Grimbeek, KLCBT CEO
11:00 – Investment confidence: Louis Nel, Manganese Metal Company CEO
11:30 – Future infrastructure growth: Alex van Niekerk, TRAC N4 CEO
12:00 – Farmer makes a plan: Robert Davel, Agri Mpumalanga CEO
12:30 – Networking as a sport: Cornelle Crowley, BNI
13:00 – Lunch
14:00 – The future of AI: Indio Swartz, Dinges Tech
14:30 – Ignite the WHY: Building the future of business WFA: Conversation led by Wayne Langridge, founder and CEO
15:00 – Slash government wages, fuel the future: Moeletsi Mbeki, political economist
15:30 – Summary of the day and closure
18:00 – President's dinner.
Thursday, May 22
08:00 – Delegate registration
08:30 – Recap and opening: Linda Grimbeek
09:00 – Integrated safety collaboration: Tshifhiwa Tshivengwa, Tourism Business Council of South Africa CEO
09:30 – Economic landscape: Calvin Mabona, Old Mutual
10:00 – The big plan: Victor Windvoël, Nkomazi SEZ chairperson
10:30 – Tea break
11:00 – Investment in tourism, a necessity: Oupa Pilane, KLCBT special attaché
11:30 – The state of the nation: Prof Theuns Eloff
12:00 – The big, the good and the ugly: Adv Stefanie Fick, OUTA director
12:30 – Takeaways panel discussion led by Izak du Plessis of Nuuspod
13:00 – Closure and lunch.
Lowvelder will attend the two-day conference to give you all the latest updates on the speakers and events.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mail & Guardian
18 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
Moeletsi Mbeki criticises ‘ruling political elites' for ‘milking' South Africa's economy
Political analyst Moeletsi Mbeki has indicted South Africa's 'ruling political elites' for contributing to the country's economic dysfunction Political analyst Moeletsi Mbeki has indicted South Africa's 'ruling political elites' for contributing to the country's economic dysfunction by milking state coffers, while urging the private sector to get involved in finding a solution. Speaking at a Xubera Institute for Research and Development forum near Durban last Friday, 'South Africa has one problem — and please don't listen to Mbeki highlighted the minerals sector as providing a stark illustration of the economy's systemic failure. With minerals accounting for 60% of South Africa's exports, the ongoing war between the Minerals Council, representing major producers, and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, showed a self-destructive pattern of political interference that threatened the nation's economic lifeline, Mbeki warned. 'Why is the minister of mines fighting the mining industry instead of working with the mining industry?' he asked, referring to the dispute that started with a review of the 2018 Mbeki traced the roots of the current economic crisis to the country's fundamental power 'Before that date, political power rested with property owners — the owners of mines, banks and supermarkets. What happened was a transfer of political power from people who owned property to people who don't own assets,' he said. 'The new rulers don't have land, don't have mines, don't have banks, don't have shops. So where do they live off? They live off the state.' As a result, the political elite were 'milking' the state coffers with the public sector wage bill having ballooned to an unprecedented 17% of GDP — the highest globally. By comparison, developed economies allocate just 10% to public sector wages. The government collects about R2 trillion annually, Mbeki said, with 84% immediately consumed by two line items — public sector wages and debt servicing. This leaves virtually nothing for infrastructure, development or economic expansion. He noted that the International Monetary Fund had repeatedly warned about the unsustainability of South Africa's public sector spending. 'The department of finance [the treasury] a year or so ago, revealed that more than 55 000 public sector employees, including politicians and ministers, more than 55 000 of them earn more than a million rands a year. If you walk into the national parliament, you walk in there and fall asleep, which many of them do. You earn R1.2 million. But without doing anything, just walking in,' he said. 'There aren't many businesses that are profitable that give a livelihood to one individual of a million rands a year … The controllers of political power use their political power to enrich themselves through the public service. They are milking, literally milking, the whole economy to pay themselves fabulous salaries.' Mbeki said the business elite, which employs 75% of people in South Africa, was finding itself increasingly paralysed as it faced the threat of expropriation without compensation and had adopted a survival strategy of minimal investment. According to the latest data from Statistics South Africa, youth unemployment is about 65% and the expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged job seekers, stands at 44.1% — a ticking time bomb of social instability. 'When you have such a large population that's not working, then that's a recipe for disaster, and many of these non-working people are young people under the age of 35, so you're sitting on a time bomb,' Mbeki said. South African Reserve Bank data shows that private sector fixed investment has declined for seven consecutive quarters, with business confidence at its lowest levels in decades. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry's business confidence index has been below the neutral 50-point mark for 36 consecutive months. 'If you own an asset, and you have a threat of your assets being seized without compensation, what will you do? You invest as little as possible just to keep your business ticking,' Mbeki said. About R1 trillion was sitting idle in current accounts, with businesses refusing to invest because of political uncertainty, he said. South Africa's policies on land and property, including the recently signed Despite joining President Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC in a government of national unity last year, the former main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has maintained its opposition to such legislation, launching court challenges to both the Ramaphosa defended the policies in parliament last month, arguing that racial redress after apartheid was not a hindrance to economic growth, but an essential step towards broadening black participation in the economy to spur growth. Mbeki said he believed the ANC would not actually implement the 'This is all posturing. They haven't got the guts to do it. They think it will win them the election, but Trump has called their bluff, so now we saw them shivering in front of Trump in the White House … that's what happens when you bluff,' he said. He was referring to Mbeki said 68% of South Africans live in urban areas and depend on commercial farmers for food security. Responding to a question from a man in the audience about land redistribution, he said: 'If we take the land from the present commercial farmers and give it to my brother's family there, they can't produce to feed the population. 'They haven't got the capital, they haven't got the skills, they haven't got all the things that you need to be able to run a productive commercial farm in South Africa today. That is reality we have to live with.' He said agricultural exports were also important to the economy because they accounted for about 15% of the country's total exports. Mbeki said the political landscape offered little hope with parties such as ActionSA and the DA offering no substantive economic solutions. 'The DA is a middle-class party, like the ANC is a middle-class party, like ActionSA is a middle-class party. Doesn't matter whether you're white or black, they're a middle-class party and they defend the interests of the middle classes,' he said. 'They haven't changed the structure of the economy. They haven't come up with a strategy for overcoming the 40% unemployment that we're sitting with in this country. 'We have to bring down the standard of living of the public sector employees and we have to dilute the power of the propertyless political elite. That has to be diluted with the power of the workers, the power of the poor and the power of the capitalist. They have to dilute the power of the middle class that is now dominant in our political system.' Drawing a comparison with South Korea, Mbeki highlighted the opportunity cost of South Africa's political model. In 1950, the two countries were economically comparable. Today, the Korean economy is nearly three times the size of South Africa's. 'Korea invested in its human resources. Their life expectancy is nearly 80, ours is 61. That's what investing in human capital means,' he said. Mbeki dismissed the notion that some white South Africans longed for a return of apartheid. 'Apartheid will never come back in South Africa. The notion that white people want apartheid back is totally not true … A huge part of the white population did not support apartheid,' he said. Mbeki urged business to get involved in politics to rescue the economy. 'We need more active political activity from the owners of capital in South Africa, because without their participation, as I showed, they control most of the skilled labour force in this country, without their labour force, without their management skills, we can't have both calls like this one.' 'Property owners have to intervene in the political system and become political participants. This is one of the problems we have in South Africa — that the owners of capital only act when we're on the edge of the precipice.' Xubera Institute for Research and Development founder Xolani Dube said the country was facing a catastrophe and people had been 'zombified' into not confronting it. 'Possibly those who crafted this catastrophe were fully aware of the people they are dealing with — they are dealing with people who are docile. So, what Xubera is trying to do is to conscientise people about the issues facing our country,' Dube said. 'Unfortunately, the more we discuss, others are digging the grave for us so, in a way, we have submerged in this hollow grave and unfortunately we are dragging our kids into this grave. And when we rise, we rise for our own selfish issues, but not the issues that bind us all. That's the sad part.' He said the country's economic situation was due to the government's previous bad decisions. 'It's the sins of our fathers that we are now dealing with. It's poor policy decisions — R600 billion that was spent on bailing out state- owned entities. This is the type of situation that we've inherited that we now need to deal with,' he said. 'But you now have a multi-party government in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, not a one-party dominant government, and it means there's more accountability, but you are never going to change the inherited system overnight. 'It's going to take time to turn it around but I would suggest that we're in an exciting and vibrant political situation with challenges. We understand those challenges but we need to collectively start taking an active interest in politics and in political parties.'
The Citizen
01-06-2025
- The Citizen
Business leaders unite for economic growth at KLCBT conference
The much-anticipated KLCBT Businesses Conference, held at the Emnotweni Arena in Mbombela last week, was a resounding success. As the first event of its kind in the Lowveld, it drew over 170 delegates and featured 14 speakers who shared their business goals and outlined future plans for economic development in the region. The KLCBT's CEO, Linda Grimbeek, hosted the event. Her charm and wit put delegates at ease, while engaging icebreakers added a fun and memorable touch to the programme. ALSO READ: KLCBT Business Conference to start tomorrow The conference opened with Louis Nel, the CEO of Manganese Metal Company, who shared insights into the company's progress in recent years. He outlined their commitment to innovation and spoke about plans to phase out fossil fuels through their work in electrolytic manganese metal production. 'We hope to create lithium-ion battery vehicles in the future, to stop the use of fossil fuels,' Nel explained. Alex van Niekerk, the CEO of TRAC N4, spoke about their recent progress in road maintenance, the building of new roads in and around the Lowveld, and shared their plans for future projects. Van Niekerk said, 'We are planning to build a road from the Matola River to Matola Mall in Mozambique.' Robert Duval, Agri Mpumalanga's CEO, shared statistics about increasing farm crimes and food insecurity. He also spoke about farmers' struggles and said that they always make a plan, but there has to be a reason for the plan. 'Seven out of 10 farmers experience some form of crime annually,' Duval said. Cornelle Crowley of Business Networking International spoke of 'Networking as a Sport' and explained how it is similar to playing a sport, and how this perspective can be implemented in the business world. '80% of the business you do will come from the 20% investment that you make,' Crowley said. Indio Swartz of Dinges Tech spoke about the future of AI and motivated businesses to start automating business tasks, such as invoicing, with AI to save time and improve productivity. 'For every two employees, there will be one robot in the future,' Swartz stated. Wayne Langbridge, the founder and CEO of Wisdom, Faith Accountability Online School (WFA), spoke about online high schooling and how businesses can invest in a student's life to help them become a successful entrepreneur. 'Our school equips students for the business world,' Langbridge said. Political economist, Moeletsi Mbeki, concluded day one's talks by comparing social structures worldwide to those in South Africa, and pointing out why the public sector's earnings are higher than those of the private sector. He made a stunning remark by stating that 80% of government revenue goes to salaries and debt. The final event on the first day's programme was a presidential dinner attended by the keynote speakers and delegates. Violinist Noami Tagg and the well-known stand-up comedian Innocent Mashaba provided surprise entertainment. The conference's second day featured another seven speakers and ended on a high note with inspiring closing remarks and motivational speeches. The first speaker, Tshifhiwa Tshivengwa, the CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, delved into integrated safety collaboration. He highlighted the effect crime has on tourists' safety and what impact it will have on the industry going forward. He discussed the persistently problematic high unemployment rates, which lead to poaching and tourists getting attacked. He further explained that if poaching continues and rhinos go extinct, other African countries will have an advantage over SA since they will have more animals to see in the wild. 'We can't have a Kruger National Park with a Big 4,' he said. ALSO READ: Key takeaways of day 1 of the KLCBT Business Conference Calvin Mabona, the deputy chairperson of the Old Mutual board, shared shocking South African health-risk statistics and why it's important to invest in a financial plan and have a will. Mabona shared five secrets on how to manage your finances by comparing them to the Big 5. Victor Windvoël, the chairperson of the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone, discussed the five-year strategic plan that will be finalised this year. They have appointed a new CFO and CEO, and are developing a Nkomazi SEZ township establishment. 'We made sure we have the proper designs for our infrastructure building plans,' Windvoël said. Oupa Pilane, the KLCBT's special attaché, shared compelling tourist statistics for Mpumalanga and South Africa, and spoke about the challenges the Lowveld faces. 'The biggest barrier to tourism growth is government,' he said. Pilane motivated business owners to invest in and develop their organisations to encourage tourists to stay longer and spend more money in the Lowveld. Prof Theuns Eloff's topic was the 'State of the Nation' and the difficulties South Africa is confronting at the moment. He further predicted heavy tides to come in in the next three years, especially on the economic front. He was, however, hopeful and said South Africans need to change their perspective in order to grow the economy. 'Sometimes we don't see the problems around us any more, because we as South Africans want to survive,' Eloff said. Adv Stephanie Fick, the director of Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, passionately spoke about corruption and the organisation's mission to help businesses expose irregularities. She shared real-world examples of companies that came forward and revealed fraud. Fick further gave practical tips to help businesses follow ethical business practices. ALSO READ: Key takeaways of day 2 of the KLCBT Business Conference The event ended with an engaging panel discussion with Fick and Eloff, led by Izak du Plessis of Nuuspod. The panel discussed their vision to combat corruption in South Africa and inspire delegates to invest in their businesses to make a change. A delegate and CEO of Locita360, Vuyolwethu (Nhlengethwa) Dlamini, shared his experience of the event: 'Mr Pilane's presentation on tourism was a wake-up call. While the Kruger National Park remains Mpumalanga's crown jewel, receiving over 1.8 million international visitors annually, the economic benefits to surrounding communities remain shallow.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
22-05-2025
- The Citizen
Key takeaways of day 2 of the KLCBT Business Conference
The Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT) concluded its two-day business conference today and delegates and speakers were left feeling inspired and hopeful for the future of South Africa and its business in the Lowveld. Linda Grimbeek, KLCBT CEO, welcomed delegates back to the second day of the conference and gave a brief recap of the previous day's events. She introduced the second programme which included seven speakers for the day with big tourism influencers like Oupa Pilane and Tshifhiwa Tshivengwa. ALSO READ: Key takeaways of day 1 of the KLCBT Business Conference The first speaker, Tshifhiwa Tshivengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, delved into Integrated Safety Collaboration. He highlighted the effect that crime has on tourists' safety and what impact it will have on the industry going forward. He discussed the persistently problematic high unemployment rates, which lead to poaching and tourists getting attacked. 'We can't have a Kruger National Park with a Big 4 because of crime,' he stated. Next up was Calvin Mabona, deputy chairperson of the Old Mutual Board , sharing shocking South African health risk statistics and why it's important to invest in a financial plan and will. 'South Africa is the second most stressed-out nation in the world,' he boldly admitted. Mabona shared five secrets on how to manage your finances by comparing them to the Big 5. Victor Windvoël, chairperson of the Nkomazi SEZ, delivered a speech titled the 'Big Plan', which discussed their five-year strategic plan that will be finalised this year. They have appointed a new CFO and CEO and are also developing a Nkomazi SEZ Township establishment. 'We make sure we have the proper designs for our infrastructure building plans,' Windvoël said. Oupa Pilane, KLCBT Special Attaché, shared compelling tourist statistics in Mpumalanga and South Africa and spoke about the challenges the Lowveld faces. 'The biggest barrier to tourism growth is government,' he said bluntly. Pilane motivated business owners to invest in and develop their organisations to encourage tourists to stay longer and spend more money in the Lowveld. Prof Theuns Eloff spoke about the State of the Nation and the difficulties South Africa is confronting at the moment. He further predicted heavy tides to come in the next three years, especially on the economic front. He is however hopeful and said we, as South Africans, need to change our perspective in order to have a growing economy. 'Sometimes we don't see the problems around us anymore, because we as South Africans want to survive' Eloff declared. Adv Stephanie Fick, OUTA Director, passionately spoke about corruption and their mission to help businesses expose irregularities. She shared real-world examples of companies that came forward and revealed fraud that united the country. Fick further gave practical tips to help businesses follow ethical business practices. 'Refuse to participate in corruption and support transparent procurement and ethical leadership,' she said. ALSO READ: KLCBT Business Conference to start tomorrow The day ended with an engaging panel discussion led by Izak du Plessis from Nuupod with Adv Stephanie Fick, Linda Grimbeek and Prof Theuns Eloff. The panel discussed their vision to combat corruption in South Africa and inspire delegates to invest in their businesses to make a change. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
