The theme of keynote speaker, NMMU Business School Director, Professor Steven Burgess was "Surviving the recession: a behavioural approach to superior sustainable business practice".
Burgess urged local businesses to get involved in the community to narrow the gap that exists between the richer and poorer sections of the community. He said the 'us/them' mindset must be eradicated from both 'sides'. "Everybody has access to television these days so lifestyles of the rich and famous have become very public and this tends to widen the 'us/them' gap." He advised business people to embrace the less affluent markets in a new way. "Demand chain management is becoming increasingly important, not the supply chain.
"Understand your customers and your potential customers' needs. The informal section of society must not be neglected. Capitec understands this and is doing very well in their dealings with this market."
The NMMU Business School's academic programmes include the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in PE, Pretoria, George and East London and is rated tops in the international arena.
At the NMMU Business School on Friday are from the left Brenda Vorster (ACSA), Prof Steven Burgess (NMMU Director), Deon Labuschagne (ABSA), Adele van Wyk (A Chimes & van Wyk Attorneys), Alet Crause (ABSA) and Elsa Myburgh (NMMU George Manager).
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: ILSE SCHOONRAAD, GEORGE HERALD EDITOR
