We are in the news:

Jacobus Boers — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:38:08 +0000

See GlobalAtlanta.com at

www.globalatlanta.com/article/17390/

What we have seen and done includes:

Jacobus Boers — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:35:00 +0000

We have seen: Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape Town, Apartheid Museum, a gold pour, Hector Peterson Monument, Joburg, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga (and its horizons, sunsets and stars), lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, white and black rhino, wild dog, porcipine…. the list goes on.
We have tasted: great seafood, some African food at Moyo, GREAT wine from the Agter Paarl, lunch at Wandies, dinner by Mariane at Old Joe’s Kaia, lamb chops in the boma at Skukuza.
We visited: Sanlam, UCT-GSB, US Consulate and FCS in Joburg, Old Mutual, The Royal Bafokeng Institute, the Tapaloga Aids Project, The Palace of the Lost Kingdom, HADECO, the JSE, Coca-Cola South Africa.
We listened to: Standard Bank, Sun Advisory and Jacobus about Redding’s Nine Boxes.

…and we were half a mile under the ground at the Cullinan Diamond Mine, and 761 feet under Joburg in gold mine…

Reflections

Karen David — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:47:38 +0000

I reflected on my ”I’m Looking Forward” blog posting and realized that I experienced ten-fold everything that I was looking forward to. I was impressed by the level of consciousness and the corporate social responsibility that were engrained in every organization/institution that we visited. I was heartbroken by the sights of Robben’s Island, the Apartheid Museum Tapologa and Soweto. I was giddy from the wine tastings and amazed by Sun City. But most profoundly I was enlightened and humbled by the spirit of the South African people. Everyone that I encountered acknowledged the shadows of the country’s history and had high hopes for its future. South Africa surpassed my expectations. There are lessons to be harvested from my visit.

Lesson number 1 – Community: we are all in this together. If we all aren’t progressing, then no one is progressing.

Lesson 2 – Forgive: let go of the past, it’s the only way you can move forward.

Lesson number 3 – Take Advantage: utilize available resources to create opportunities. You cannot complain about not having if you don’t first use what’s there for you.

Lastly, I think South Africa is on the brink of becoming the next global powerhouse. They are making all the right moves to rebuild their economy and provide the stability needed in the workforce to move the country forward. Their technological and financial sectors are particularly strong. Entrepreneurship is on the rise. And they are working hard to get ahead of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These are all good signs. I imagine that South Africa will be a rival market in the coming years.

The Final Curtain

Corey Towe — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:28:46 +0000

I’ve intentionally waited a couple of weeks to write my last blog in order to give me time to process and think through all the things we heard and felt during our trip to South Africa. I wanted to let my emotions stabilize so I can sit down and think about the implications of the trip, how I can respond and how my perspective is different as a result of this experience.

My view/paradigm of international business has shifted significantly because of this South Africa experience. Having been to South Africa twice before, I had an expectation of the culture, the weather and the social challenges we were walking into, but I didn’t have this experience in the context of the South African business environment. Needless to say, my paradigm about business in South Africa and my paradigm about international business was challenged and shattered as we visited business after business.

I realize now I knew very little about doing business in another country and very little about the right questions to ask when thinking about international business. I still don’t have all the answers, but because of this experience I know some questions to ask and I know all aspects of society and culture need to be investigated in order to somewhat understand the dynamics in a country.

South Africa truly has a bright future. I can’t wait to watch the country re-position itself during the two major soccer tournaments this June and next summer. These are tremendous opportunities for South Africa to re-brand itself as a country and start to turn around the current perception the rest of the world has about that country and the rest of Africa. I wait in anticipation for South Africa to continue to emerge from the shadows of Apartheid into the forefront of countries leading the new world economy.

Thank you to all who made this trip special.

MY JOURNEY…..THE BEGINNING AND THE END (06/05/09)

Ivy Scott — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:39:17 +0000

We have been back in the United States for about 2 weeks now. During this time, I have had an opportunity to reflect on my incredible trip. I started my journey to South Africa almost a month ago. Before I left, my hopes were to learn about the history of South Africa and really take in one of the birthplaces of my ancestors. I have been many places, but none have touched me or moved me as my trip to South Africa has done. I did not expect to see people living in huts or as primitive as most people would expect when you say “Africa”. However, I was truly amazed how advanced and modern South Africa has become. It reminded me very much of a major city in the United States. Even the ways of dressing, the hair styles, and the buildings were as current as what we have here in the U.S. In that way, South Africa exceeded my expectations.

One of things that I have constantly mentioned in my blogs is the parallelism of South Africa’s tumultuous history to our history here in the United States. From segregation to affirmative action, our worlds are very much similar. However, I think South Africa has a better chance of being a very strong country because of their sense of community and their love for South Africa. My hope is that in the next decade or so, major accomplishments will continue to be the norm in their society.

Our visits to all the different companies were truly enlightening on the dynamics of emerging markets. The cultural visits enhanced our understanding of the history and people who have made South Africa what it is today.

For me, this journey has been one of great gratitude and one that has challenged me to be better in the giving of my time and my money (what little I have-LOL) as a way of service to others who are less fortunate than me. Although, I am not wealthy by any standards in America, the little that I do spend on frivolous things could help a little village in Africa. For that, I am most thankful to be blessed to be a blessing to someone else.

As I close my last blog, I can truly say that my journey to South Africa and all of my feelings, emotions, and experiences with the people I have met (including my classmates) will be something that I will always remember and carry with me for a lifetime.