Looking back at South Africa…

MBA Diary – guest entry by Dream Team Asia: Misayo Matsumoto (Japan), Naoto Tsushima (Japan), Gerald Lo (Malaysia), Eugene Cha (Korea)

It has been 3 weeks since we left South Africa, but it feels like a few years had gone by. No doubt, time flies by quickly at IMD. It was an adventurous journey that has brought us new knowledge and new friends. We came to know South Africa as a country with many histories that continues to face many challenges, even after the apartheid ended. But her charms have remained through centuries.

We started our first day in South Africa meeting our client and host, Salome; a grandmother (we call her “Gogo”, meaning grandma) and a local entrepreneur, who owns a few guesthouses. She was warm, friendly, and passionate about what she is doing. However, the economic crisis has been affecting her business and she hoped that we could help to improve it. After visiting other competing guesthouses, we were convinced that her guesthouse has a lot of potential. So we recommended her a plan to attract tourists during weekends and public holidays.

To do that, we proposed to revamp their website and make videos of her guesthouse. However, spending this amount of money during the current economic crisis may simply not feasible. Therefore, we embarked on an ambitious plan to help her implement our recommendations. We formed a website and filmmaking team in which Misayo took on the role as the director, Naoto became our cameraman, Gerald as the graphics editor and Eugene was the script writer. Ben, our driver, became the presenter for our video. Together, we designed a new website and produced four videos. (Links to the website and videos can be found below)

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that our business skills and knowledge can be applied to small business in such a short period of time and make a difference. Till today, we still keep in touch and are glad to know that her business is doing well. On top of that, what started as a client relationship has developed into a life-long friendship.

You can find there website here and the Facebook page here.

Misayo, Eugene, Naoto and Gerald

(Any comments and feedback are welcome at Gerald.Lo@imd.ch)

Last day at the guesthouse with Naoto Tsushima (Japan), Eugene Cha (Korea), Salome Tshungu (owner), Cliff Tshungu (owner), Ben Ackermann (driver), Misayo Matsumoto (Japan) and Gerald Lo (Malaysia)

Day trip to a South African cultural village with Naoto Tsushima (Japan), Gerald Lo (Malaysia), Eugene Cha (Korea) and Misayo Matsumoto (Japan)

Naoto Tsushima (Japan) and Eugene Cha (Korea) filming at the guesthouse

Bye Bye Mandela

Old man, you did well.

The country that you have fought for is amazing and the direction in which you have sent it brings more than just hope - it brings firm belief – that a glorious future awaits South Africa.

Over the past two weeks we have visited the sites that tell the story of South Africa, the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pieterson Museum for the Soweto uprising and your own house, which – whether you like it or not – has become yet another symbol of freedom and the fight that it took to get it. We have lived in fancy Sandton City with its shopping malls and posh hotels that few can afford. We have seen the unfortunate souls in townships and squatter camps and looked the HIV children of Cotlands in the eyes. Despite the sad sad circumstances, we saw nothing but big bright smiles. We were welcomed by thousands of singing, dancing and smiling souls in Soweto’s Grace Bible Church and we saw the roots of the country - its amazing nature and wildlife - in Pilanesburg National Park.

Not least, we have worked closely with the entrepreneurs of South Africa who produce anything and everything from diamonds and tractors to beds and hydraulic fittings. As much as soldiers and politicians are the heroes of the past, these passionate business men and women are the heroes of the future. They are the ones that will bring South Africa to the next level. We were told the huge success story of MTN, Africa’s first true multinational company, and we know that many more will follow.

When asked to define South African leadership my team quickly agreed on the three words: Forgiveness, inclusiveness and optimism. Forgiveness for the pain of the past, inclusiveness of all races, religions and colours in the prospects for the future and an incredible and forceful optimism that cannot be held back.

You will show them all of this in the FIFA world cup next year, where you have invited the whole world to your home. We know that you are preparing hard and we know that will do great. Just be yourself.

See you soon!

IMD MBA Class of 2009

Coming to the End of the Journey

Minli Zhao (China/Germany) describes the end of our South African adventures in today's guest entry.

The diary readers are by now aware of the awesome experience that the IMD 2009 MBA’s are having in South Africa. The project with the local SMEs have been stimulating and the evenings with the groups have been exhilarating. Tuesday was the culmination of the project phase of our work. Each of the 21 groups presented their recommendations to their clients. It is amazing how a group of 4 or 5 individuals can swoop down on a business, immerse themselves in it and add value to the business. It is very gratifying when the contributions are recognized by the clients.

Wednesday we visited MTN, the multinational mobile telephone operator based out of South Africa. It is an amazing story of a new age post apartheid South African company that has emerged to dominate the mobile telephony market in Africa and is rapidly spreading its wings in emerging markets of Asia like Iran and Yemen. One of its core values was the attitude of “can do“ that it embodied in its operations. It was clearly visible to us that this organization was bold and ventured out with courage to capture horizons that others would have balked before trying. It take courage to venture out without knowing all the answers, armed only with the extreme self belief that we will find anwsers on the way.

The “ work phase“ of the discovery expedition ended with a grand gala dinner at the IDC premises. IDC is one of the chief sponsors that have facilitated our project in South Africa. 250 odd audience comprising of current MBA students, the SME clients, sponsors from IDC and MTN and IMD alumni congregated to culminate a wonderful experience. It was a great event and a wonderful opportunity to network with the business leaders of South Africa.

For our last day in South Africa we move out of the hotel that has been our home for the last 9 days to a well deserved 2 days of fun and frolic in the game park of Pilanesburg. We do hope to come face to face with some African Lions and Lionessess ….well in the safety of our armoured vehicles.

Minli