National Business Initiative

03/09/2026

Where business leaders come together to shape what comes next.

NBI members convened for the third Advisory Council on Environment and Society (ACES) meeting of 2026, bringing business and sustainability leaders together to engage on developments reshaping South Africa’s business landscape from the evolving sustainability disclosure landscape to energy, electrification and the opportunities emerging from the transition.

ACES creates a trusted space for members to exchange perspectives, challenge thinking and engage early on issues that matter to business.

The meeting also marked a leadership transition, as Justine Bolton of FirstRand Group concludes her three-year tenure as Co-Chair. We thank Justine for her leadership and contribution to ACES, and welcome Makhegu Mabunda as the incoming Co-Chair.

Want to be part of these conversations? Connect with Gillian Hutchings or Nthabiseng Mathole to explore NBI membership.

03/09/2026

02/09/2026

Mandatory sustainability reporting is coming. Is your organisation ready?

South Africa is considering the adoption of mandatory sustainability reporting under the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards.

Join the first information-sharing session convened in support of CIPC - Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (a member of the dtic Group) and the The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition South Africa (dtic), bringing together sustainability reporting practitioners and preparers to examine organisational readiness, implementation risks and the support needed for a successful transition.

📅: Friday, 11 September 2026
⏰: 09:00-11:00 SAST
💻: Microsoft Teams Webinar

Your practical experience can help shape the roadmap for implementation.

Register by Wednesday, 9 September: 7f314efa-7c71-404c-88c4-c097e0584b7d@760a8763-1cf6-45ee-af89-8740842a069f?source=copyLinkOneEventsShareDialog" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7f314efa-7c71-404c-88c4-c097e0584b7d@760a8763-1cf6-45ee-af89-8740842a069f?source=copyLinkOneEventsShareDialog

31/08/2026

Can we build the industries of the future if we continue financing them through the models of the past?

For Ndia Magadagela CA(SA), founder of Everlectric and Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) South Africa alumna, this is one of the critical questions facing women entrepreneurs and businesses operating in emerging sectors.

As a woman building a company in South Africa’s electric mobility sector, Ndia has experienced first-hand how traditional financing approaches can restrict access to capital for innovative businesses.

Her message to investors and financial institutions is clear: if we want to unlock more women-led innovation, we must look beyond collateral and conventional funding models and recognise the value of impact alongside financial returns.

Through Everlectric, Ndia is helping businesses transition to greener mobility by combining electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and innovative financing into an integrated solution.

Building the company has meant navigating policy uncertainty, energy constraints and scepticism about electric vehicles. It has also reinforced a lesson that continues to guide her: Purpose can be a powerful source of resilience.

Her advice to women and young entrepreneurs is equally direct: do not wait for every condition to be perfect. Start, build the right partnerships and remain anchored in the problem you are trying to solve. “Your ideas are valid, your leadership is necessary, and every step we take collectively makes the path wider for those who follow.”

As we close the NBI’s Women’s Month campaign under the theme Empowered Women Empower Nations, Ndia’s journey reminds us that supporting women to access capital, build businesses and lead in emerging industries does more than strengthen individual enterprises. It expands South Africa’s capacity to innovate, create jobs and build a more sustainable economy.

What needs to change in our financing ecosystem to enable more women-led businesses to scale?

31/08/2026

Closing South Africa’s technical skills gap is not just an ambition; it is already in motion.

Recently, the National Business Initiative (NBI), in partnership with Hisense South Africa and Northlink TVET College, was proud to officially launch the Hisense-Northlink Technical Academy at the Belhar Campus, with our CEO, Shameela Soobramoney, highlighting the critical role of private-public partnerships.

Through our Installation, Repair and Maintenance (IRM) Initiative’s Appliance Repair and Dismantling (ARAD) programme, this partnership addresses critical skills shortages in the formal appliance repair market while expanding real opportunities for young people to enter the workforce.

How this partnership delivers practical impact for young South Africans:

- Industry-Aligned Training: Bridging the gap between public TVET education and current market demands.

- Hands-On Experience: Powered by Hisense South Africa, students gain access to modern appliances, specialized technical equipment, and vital exposure to formal manufacturer service networks.

- Workplace Access: Establishing direct, structured pathways for TVET students to move smoothly from training into employment within the sector.

This demonstrates that inclusion happens when industry, learning institutions, and civil society pool their strengths. A warm thank you to our partners, Hisense SA and Northlink TVET College, for sharing our vision to build a skilled, resilient South African workforce.

🔗 Read more about this initiative here: https://bit.ly/4qG6CEN

31/08/2026

Member Monday | Women’s Month

What does meaningful economic empowerment look like when ambition is matched by accountability?

As we close our Women's Month Member Monday series under the national theme “Empowered Women Empower Nations,” we reflect on the NBI member companies that are taking critical steps to advance women's participation, leadership and economic inclusion.

For our final Member Monday feature, we spotlight Discovery Limited, where the focus extends beyond representation to the systems, opportunities and accountability mechanisms that enable women to progress and participate meaningfully in the economy.

For Zimkhitha Saungweme, Chief People Officer: Discovery Group, meaningful change starts with measurable action. Women make up 60% of Discovery’s workforce, while the organisation has reached 30% female representation at its most senior executive level and is working towards 40%. Its commitment also extends beyond its workforce, with R2.9 billion spent with black women-owned enterprises in FY2025.

“For us, meaningful change comes from pairing ambition with accountability and action.”- Zimkitha Saungweme, Chief People Officer: Discovery Group

For Nonku Pitje, CEO: Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits, business has a powerful role in shaping women’s economic standing through hiring, development, sponsorship and access to opportunity. Her own leadership journey has reinforced the importance of having people who recognise potential and create the conditions for it to flourish.

“My commitment is to pay that forward by sponsoring women, removing barriers to economic participation and thriving, and using my position as Divisional CEO to role-model what is possible for the next generation of female leaders.” - Nonku Pitje, CEO: Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits

Together, their perspectives point to an important distinction. Empowerment is not simply about opening opportunities. It is about building the pathways, sponsorship, accountability and access that allow women to make the most of them.

From leadership development and mentorship to procurement and supplier inclusion, the private sector has multiple levers through which it can influence women’s economic participation.

27/08/2026

What happens after women get a seat at the table?

As we conclude our Women’s Month Governance Thursday series, we turn to a critical dimension of women’s leadership: what happens when representation improves, but meaningful influence is still not guaranteed?

This week, we feature Zama Mkhize Pila, NBI Board Member, who reflects on the need to build leadership cultures in which women are trusted to exercise judgement, make decisions and lead authentically.

“It is encouraging to see more women taking their place in leadership. The opportunity before us now is to ensure that representation becomes meaningful influence. Are women truly heard and trusted? Can they make decisions without being unnecessarily second-guessed, and can they lead in ways that are authentic to who they are? Progress is not only about having women in the room but also creating a culture in which their contributions are valued.”

Central to this shift is something fundamental: trust.

“Give women the same freedom to exercise judgement, make decisions, learn and lead authentically. Women do not need to be rescued; they need the space to contribute fully. When people feel heard and trusted, they lead with greater confidence, and our organisations and economy are stronger for it.”

For business, the distinction matters.

Representation can change who sits around the leadership table. Trust determines whether those leaders can shape decisions, challenge established thinking and contribute fully to an organisation’s success.

Meaningful inclusion therefore requires more than opening doors. It calls on organisations to examine the cultures, behaviours and structures that determine whose judgement is trusted, whose ideas carry weight and who is given the freedom to lead.

As we close this year’s Governance Thursday series under the national theme, “Empowered Women Empower Nations,” Zama leaves us with a question worth carrying beyond Women’s Month: Are we simply creating space for women to be present, or are we creating the conditions for them to exercise their full influence?

18/08/2026

As sustainability continues to shape business resilience, investment and long-term growth, meaningful collaboration has never been more important.

The National Business Initiative (NBI) is proud to partner with the Sustainability & ESG Africa Conference & Expo 2026.

Taking place from 30 September - 1 October 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre, the conference will bring together business leaders, policymakers, investors and sustainability practitioners to explore practical solutions for embedding ESG into business strategy.

Learn more and register: https://esgafricaconference.com/

ESG Africa Conference

17/08/2026

Member Monday | GIBS: Why Women’s Economic Empowerment Is a Strategic Economic Imperative

“Business can no longer afford to view women’s economic empowerment as a peripheral social issue.”

This powerful statement from GIBS Business School captures an important truth: empowering women is not simply about advancing equality. It is fundamental to building stronger businesses, more resilient communities and a more prosperous nation.

As South Africa commemorates Women’s Month under the national theme “Empowered Women Empower Nations,” the National Business Initiative (NBI) is using its Member Monday series to spotlight organisations that are taking meaningful action to advance women’s leadership, entrepreneurship and economic participation.

This week, we feature GIBS, an institution whose work demonstrates that creating opportunities for women is not only a social responsibility but a strategic investment in South Africa’s future.

From Representation to Empowerment

At GIBS, women's empowerment means creating pathways for them to lead, influence and participate fully in the economy.

This commitment extends beyond representation. It is reflected in initiatives that strengthen leadership capability, support entrepreneurship and prepare women to take up influential positions in organisations and governance structures.

One of the most impactful examples is Victory Is Hers, delivered through the GIBS Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA).

The programme supports women entrepreneurs including survivors of gender-based violence through entrepreneurship education, mentoring, coaching and psychosocial support. In addition to helping participants build sustainable enterprises and achieve greater financial independence, it creates a ripple effect of empowerment, with many graduates going on to mentor and uplift other women within their communities.

GIBS also invests in women’s advancement through programmes such as Leading Women and Women in Governance. These initiatives equip women with the leadership, strategic and governance capabilities needed to contribute confidently at executive, board and decision-making levels.

Together, these initiatives reflect GIBS’ belief that empowering women is essential to unlocking inclusive economic growth.

Why Business Cannot Afford to Stand Still

For GIBS, women’s economic empowerment is not a peripheral issue it is a business and economic imperative.

Research continues to show that when women participate equally in entrepreneurship and economic activity, the benefits extend well beyond individuals and families. Entire economies become stronger, more innovative and more resilient.

Yet despite progress, women remain underrepresented in executive leadership, boardrooms and high-growth sectors.

Policy and legislative reforms have played an important role in advancing gender equality, GIBS believes that regulation alone will not close these gaps. Lasting change requires organisations to move beyond compliance by transforming workplace cultures, removing systemic barriers and implementing policies that enable women to thrive.

A Commitment to Lasting Impact

Looking ahead, GIBS has identified three priorities that will continue to shape its work.

The first is to strengthen entrepreneurship education and support for women, particularly those in underserved communities, enabling greater participation in economic opportunity.

The second is to deepen the integration of a gender lens across teaching, research and thought leadership, ensuring that future business leaders are equipped to champion inclusive growth.

The third is to continue creating platforms for courageous dialogue and accountability that challenge organisations to move beyond commitments and deliver measurable progress on gender equity.

These priorities reinforce GIBS’ belief that education has the power to influence leadership, shape institutions and accelerate meaningful societal change.

Empowering Women, Strengthening Nations

The theme for Women’s Month “Empowered Women Empower Nations” is both a reminder and a call to action.

Progress cannot be confined to recognising women’s achievements during one month of the year. It requires sustained investment, intentional leadership and a commitment to creating environments where women have equal opportunities to lead, innovate and contribute to economic growth.

As GIBS reminds us, building resilient and inclusive economies is not an aspiration reserved for the future. It is a leadership responsibility that demands action today.

Through education, entrepreneurship development, leadership programmes and thought leadership, GIBS continues to demonstrate that when women are empowered to realise their full potential: businesses grow stronger, communities become more resilient and nations prosper.

09/08/2026

Seventy years after the women of 1956 marched for justice, are we matching their courage with meaningful action?

On 9 August 1956, more than 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings, united by courage, conviction and the belief that a better future was possible.

Seventy years later, their legacy challenges us to ask: What does meaningful empowerment look like today?

It must be more than representation. It must be visible in who shapes decisions, influences strategy, leads organisations and has access to capital, markets and opportunity.

For business, women’s empowerment cannot remain an aspiration. It must be embedded in how organisations lead, invest and govern backed by measurable action and accountability.

As South Africa marks National Women’s Day under the theme “Empowered Women Empower Nations,” we are reminded that building an inclusive economy requires collective action from business, government and civil society to dismantle systemic barriers and expand economic opportunity.

At the National Business Initiative (NBI), we believe collaboration is a catalyst for lasting change. The true measure of progress is not simply how many women participate in our economy, but whether they have the power and opportunity to help shape its future.

Perhaps the most fitting way to honour the women of 1956 is not only to remember what they stood against, but to ask what we are willing to stand for today.

Are we creating systems where women’s leadership is visible, investment is intentional, accountability is real and opportunity is shared?

Happy National Women’s Day