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The Citizen
01-06-2025
- Business
- 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
- Business
- 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!
The Citizen
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Key takeaways of day 1 of the KLCBT Business Conference
Key takeaways of day 1 of the KLCBT Business Conference Today marked the first day of the KLCBT Business Conference. Business owners and CEOs joined together for a networking event and to learn more about improving business in the Lowveld. The KLCBT CEO, Linda Grimbeek, opened the event by welcoming delegates, sharing the programme for the day, and introducing the eight speakers. ALSO READ: KLCBT Business Conference to start tomorrow The MMC CEO, Louis Nel, spoke about the progress his electrolytic manganese metal company has made over the past years, and that they hope to produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles in the future. Alex van Niekerk, the CEO of TRAC, spoke about their latest progress in road maintenance, the building of new roads in and around the Lowveld, and shared their future projects, including building a road from the Matola River to Matola Mall in Mozambique. Robert Duval, the CEO of Agri Mpumalanga, shared statistics about increasing farm crimes and food insecurity. He also spoke about farmers' struggles and that farmers always make a plan, but there has to be a reason for the plan. Cornelle Crowley from BNI spoke about 'Networking as a sport' and explained how networking is similar to playing a sport, and how this technique can be implemented in the business world. ALSO READ: Warm welcome for new KLCBT president Indio Swartz from 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. Wayne Langbridge, the founder and CEO of WFA, spoke about online high schooling and how businesses can invest in a student's life to help him or her become a successful entrepreneur. 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. The final event on the day's programme was a presidential dinner attended by the keynote speakers and delegates. Here is a reminder of day two's programme: 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 and panel discussion led by Izak du Plessis of Nuuspod 13:00 – Closure and lunch. Lowvelder will attend the second day of the conference to publish the final updates and news online. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
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!
